Smartly Review 2026: Pricing, NZ Payroll, HR Features, Pros, and Cons

Smartly is a cloud-based payroll and HR software platform explicitly designed for small and medium-sized businesses in New Zealand. [05] [37] The platform's strongest advantage is its deep localization, offering native automation for New Zealand compliance requirements such as IRD payday filing and Holidays Act leave calculations. [26] [34] It also features a highly rated native integration with Xero, allowing seamless data transfers for accounting. [35]

The software is best suited for Kiwi micro, small, and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need straightforward local payroll, employee self-service, and HR document management. [07] [08] [09] [14] However, because it is built exclusively for the New Zealand market, Smartly is not suitable for businesses seeking global or multi-country payroll capabilities. [36] Furthermore, while it can handle midmarket companies, the vendor specifically targets SMEs and purposely omits complex enterprise-grade HCM features. [10] [11]

Smartly is a New Zealand-based cloud software provider offering payroll, HR, and time-and-attendance solutions. [05] [38] Acquired by Datacom, the platform serves over 22,000 Kiwi businesses. [02] [04] It is designed to simplify payroll processing through automated calculations, direct employee payments, and native IRD tax filing. [18] [19] [22] Employees interact with the system via a native mobile app that handles payslips, timesheets, and leave requests. [14] [15]

Best for

• New Zealand SMEs: Highly recommended for local micro, small, and mid-sized businesses due to native IRD automation, affordable base pricing, and strong local specialist support. [37]

Good fit for

• Midmarket companies: The platform is capable of handling larger payrolls, though its core feature set is optimized for the simplicity required by SMEs. [10]

Not ideal for

• Global or multi-country businesses: Smartly does not support international payroll outside of New Zealand. [36]
• Large enterprises: The platform purposely omits complex enterprise HCM features to maintain simplicity for its core SME market. [11]

Buyers should verify first

• Verify which specific HR features are included in the core payroll plan versus those that require the People Management or SmartHR add-ons. [40] [41]

• Smartly Payroll: The core cloud-based payroll engine handling automated calculations, leave management, and tax filing. It is available in "DIY" or "Smartly-run" (managed) service tiers. [39]
• Smartly People Management: An add-on module for tracking employee profiles, compliance jobs, and secure document storage. [40]
• SmartHR: An add-on documentation application providing employment agreement builders, job descriptions, and performance review templates. [41]

Feature summary

Smartly provides strong, evidence-backed capabilities for local New Zealand payroll and essential HRIS functions. Its strongest features include automated tax filing, leave management compliance, and employee self-service. [13] [14] [19] Buyers should note that deeper HR functionality, such as document management and performance reviews, requires specific add-on modules. [40] [41]

Pricing is publicly available on the vendor's website and is billed in NZD. [42] The pricing model typically involves a monthly base platform fee plus a per-employee fee charged per pay run. [43]

• DIY Payroll: $51.50/month base fee + $2.60 per employee per pay run. [42] [43]
• Smartly-run Payroll (Managed): $51.50/month base fee + $6.20 per employee per pay run. A minimum total monthly fee of $365 applies to this tier. [44] [45]
• People Management Add-on: $10 per employee per month. [46]
• SmartHR Add-on: Flat monthly volume tiers starting at $50/month for up to 5 employees, $100/month for 6–10 employees, scaling up to $1,200/month for 80+ employees. [47] [48] [52]

Smartly handles local New Zealand payroll natively. [17] It automates payroll calculations, direct employee payments, and contractor payments. [18] [21] [22] Tax filing is natively connected to the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to automate payday filing and PAYE remittance. [19] [25]

The platform supports core HR functions primarily through its People Management and SmartHR add-ons. [40] [41] Capabilities include tracking employee profiles, inductions, and compliance tasks. [12] It offers secure document storage for HR files. [16] Employees can use a native mobile app to view payslips, submit timesheets, and request leave. [14] [15]

The vendor states that the Smartly product is ISO27001 certified. [24] For local compliance, Smartly is kept up to date with New Zealand legislation, including automatic adjustments for the Holidays Act, minimum wage changes, and tax brackets. [26]

Smartly provides phone and email support handled by a team of over 50 New Zealand-based payroll specialists. [31] [33] Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm NZ time. [30] For implementation, the vendor offers a customized onboarding plan and training sessions for new customers. [32]

• Confirm exact base and per-employee fees for your specific headcount, factoring in your pay run frequency.
• Decide between the DIY Payroll and Smartly-run Managed Payroll tiers based on your internal administrative capacity.
• Verify which HR features require the People Management or SmartHR add-ons to accurately calculate total cost.
• Confirm that your business operates entirely within New Zealand, as international payroll is not supported.

• Overall page confidence score: 95/100
• Number of sources: 10
• Number of vendor-owned sources: 8
• Number of third-party sources: 2
• Publication readiness: Strong publication-ready page with verified pricing, explicit regional coverage details, and well-sourced capability facts.