--- title: "Smartly Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Smartly Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Time Tracking products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/246213/Smartly/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Smartly Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 16, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Smartly ## What is Smartly? Smartly is a payroll software made for busy small to medium Kiwi business owners. Smartly lets you pay your employees and contractors on time, accurately and in line with regulation. Plus, you can seamlessly transfer your key information straight to Xero. You can even access and manage your payroll anywhere, anytime, directly from your smartphone with the Smartly app. With payday reporting automatically passed on to the IRD, you can be confident your payroll is remaining compliant. ## What is Smartly used for? [Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/payroll-software/)[Leave Management System](https://www.capterra.com/leave-management-system-software/)[Time Tracking](https://www.capterra.com/time-tracking-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 15 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price NZ$40 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Smartly?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/smartly-ai/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Smartly 4.9 (15) VS. [4.9 (4,312)](https://www.capterra.com/p/205015/Deel/reviews/) Starting Price NZ$40 per user, per month Starting Price $5 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.9 (15) Ease Of Use 4.8 (4,312) Value For Money 4.9 (14) Value For Money 4.7 (3,960) Customer Service 4.8 (15) Customer Service 4.7 (4,061) ## Smartly alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (4,881)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/reviews/) Starting price $8.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (1,933)](https://www.capterra.com/p/86714/WebPay/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (3,074)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133745/Paycor-Perform/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (4,225)](https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/reviews/) Starting price $49.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/246213/Smartly/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Smartly Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Smartly? Smartly benefits business owners, directors, office managers, and finance or administrative teams that need tighter control over day-to-day operations. Leaders use it to oversee business performance, while accounting and admin roles rely on it to manage client processes, handle financial tasks, and keep office workflows organized. Answer based on 15 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Smartly built for? Smartly serves small businesses, with 100% of reviewers from that segment, especially in Accounting and Construction at 13% each. It is aimed at accountants, bookkeepers, and small to medium business owners, with additional use in Automotive at 7%, and it is most commonly used for payroll. Answer based on 15 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Smartly? Smartly offers time tracking, timesheet management, and project time tracking, along with payroll management, direct deposit, and payroll reporting. It includes approval workflow, role-based permissions, audit trail, and access controls, plus leave tracking, time off requests, calendar management, customizable reports, and third-party integrations. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Smartly integrate with? Smartly integrates with Xero and Deputy. Xero is the named catalog integration and the most frequently mentioned connection in user feedback, while Deputy appears in reviewer comments about payroll workflows. These integrations connect Smartly to accounting and workforce management tools used alongside payroll operations. Answer based on 2 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Smartly offer? Smartly provides live online sessions, webinars, documentation, and videos for training and onboarding. Live online sessions and webinars support guided instruction, while documentation and videos give teams written and visual reference materials for self-paced learning and review. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Smartly offer? Smartly provides email/help desk, a knowledge base, and phone support. No reviewer feedback is available here to judge response times or helpfulness, so support experience details cannot be confirmed from the catalog data. ## Features AI summary Based on 25,810 Time Tracking reviews Capterra reviewers highlight these as the features buyers care about most when choosing time tracking software: - **Clock In/Out** (**60%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Online Time Tracking** (**52%**) - **Project Time Tracking** (**55%**) Smartly includes **Online Time Tracking** and **Project Time Tracking**, so teams can record hours digitally and monitor time spent across specific jobs or client work. However, it does not offer **Clock In/Out**. Instead, it provides **Payroll Management** (**57%**), which gives businesses another way to connect time data with pay processes, helping teams track work more accurately, manage project costs, and handle compensation with less manual effort. Online Time Tracking 5.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track employee and task times using internet connection Project Time Tracking 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Measure time to completion or hours worked for projects Payroll Management 5.0 (9) 100.00% of 9 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Payroll Reporting 4.9 (10) 70.00% of 10 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more Tax Compliance 4.9 (10) 90.00% of 10 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors Direct Deposit 5.0 (8) 112.50% of 8 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Digitally deposit correct payroll amounts into individual employee's bank accounts Smartly 37 features ### All Features - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - Accounting Integration: Integrate with a third-party accounting system - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - Approval Process Control: Manage the process of evaluating documents or requests submitted for approval - Approval Workflow: Route documents and other data through one or more stakeholders for review and approval - Audit Trail: A record of all activities within the system, including user access, changes made, etc. - Calendar Management: Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar - Customizable Reports: Alter the layout and content of reports - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Direct Deposit: Digitally deposit correct payroll amounts into individual employee's bank accounts - Employee Database: Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository - Employee Profiles: Centralized storage for employee data, records, and performance metrics - General Ledger: Centralized accounting record which tracks all financial transactions - ISO Compliance: Guidelines set by the International Organization for Standardization - Leave Tracking: Manage and track employee attendance - Mobile App: Access the system via a mobile application - Online Time Tracking: Track employee and task times using internet connection - Payroll Management: Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently - Payroll Outsourcing: Delegate payroll processing to third party vendors - Payroll Reporting: View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more - Project Time Tracking: Measure time to completion or hours worked for projects - Real-Time Notifications: Notifications that are delivered to users as soon as an event occurs - Recurring/Subscription Billing: Automated process of charging customers at regular intervals for repeated access or use of a product or service - Reminders: Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity - Reporting & Statistics: Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Role-Based Permissions: Set & manage permission levels based on user roles and restrict access to only authorized individuals - Self Service Portal: Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information - Sick Leave Tracking: Track and manage sick leave time - Tax Compliance: Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Time Off Management: Track and manage employee time-off, vacation, and sick leave requests - Time Off Requests: Tools that allow employees to request/schedule time off - Time Tracking: Measure and track time including hours worked and paid time off (PTO) - Timesheet Management: Track the amount of time spent on a job or task - Vacation/Leave Tracking: Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time - Wage Garnishment: Automatically subtract garnishments from wages --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.9 (15) 4.9 Based on 15 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.9 (14) Free Trial Basic NZ$40.00 Value for money 4.9 (14) 4.9 Based on 14 reviews ## Integrations [ Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.8 (15) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.8 (15) 4.8 Based on 15 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.9 Based on 15 reviews Filter by rating 5(14) 4(1) 3(0) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent Loic J. Managing Director Accounting ### "Good payroll program, easy to use. " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 21, 2026 Pros It makes taking care of payroll very straight forward. Accepts the data from my timeclock so really is very quick to get setup and process payroll each week. Cons Customer support is a bit flakey. Never heard back from them about an issue even after multiple follow ups. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. TS Tanya S. Office Manager Construction ### "Makes payroll easy" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 December 10, 2023 Pros Great software, easy to use, having employees using the app has made it even better. Good knowing that all compliance is taken care of and wonderful support from the help desk. Cons It can be hard to understand the steps required when first using the software Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AE Amie E. Office Manager Insurance ### "The ease of Smartly" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 29, 2023 Highly recommended. If I have an issue, can call support and they work with me to fix it very quickly, are very supportive, super friendly & helpful. Pros Love Smartly, so easy to use, efficient & the support is next level. Cons No issues with Smartly so far, been using for 4+ years. Reasons for choosing Smartly This was recommended by Accountant for ease of use. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JT Jenny T. Owner Retail ### "Great Service and Easy Use" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 28, 2023 Other than finding the product itself easy and quick to use, the main experience I have had with Smartly is the knowledge of their staff and feeling there is always someone that can help me. Pros If I am ever unsure of compliance or how to enter pays etc. there is always a very knowledgeable person that I am able talk to. Cons There isn't really anything that I dislike about Smartly it is a very efficient way of processing our payroll. Switched from [MYOB Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/183867/MYOB-Business/) MYOB Payroll was very complicated to use at that time and it really frustrated me. Reasons for choosing Smartly Price and the simplicity of Smartly at that time. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. CD Catherine D. Finance Manager Information Technology and Services ### "Catherine's Comments" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 26, 2023 I have recommended Smartly to many others. It is a great payroll system. I love using it and would not change to anything else. Pros Ease of use, integration to Xero, tax compliance, help desk Cons I missed the help desk when it was not staffed. Great to have it operating again. Many thanks Switched from [iMS Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/166664/iMSEnforce/) cost, ease of use, reports, tax compliance updates and advice Reasons for choosing Smartly Smartly had an experienced track record. Although the costs were similar, we thought that Smartly was likely to be more reliable, given that Xero was a recently intoduced payroll system. The integration of Smartly to Xero made up our mind to definitely stay with Smartly. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JB Jane B. Director Financial Services ### "Time Saving" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 26, 2023 Smartly gives peace of mind that the job is done properly and is stress-free and simple to navigate. Pros Even though we are a small company, knowing our payroll is compliant in terms of holiday records, statutory holiday pay, tax compliance etc. saves us time and stress. The software is easy to navigate and so it takes seconds to process a fortnightly pay. The helpdesk staff are knowledgeable, respond timely and fix things quickly. Cons Not sure there is anything I don't like. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AM Amanda M. Director Construction ### "Help" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 26, 2023 As ive said so easy and the ladys are so helpful nothing is a problem Pros Its so easy to use and i don't have to sit there for hours sorting out pay just a few clicks and its done Cons Nothing. Its so easy. And easy to set up Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. EJ Erina J. Accountant - process on behalf of clients Accounting ### "Be Smart & Use Smartly" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 25, 2023 I recommend this as the payroll platform for all my clients employment needs. As a user of Smartly for over 10 years I find it easy to use and have confidence the pay and holiday calculations are correct and comply. One touch pay processing and a fully automated payment proces stake the stress out of payroll for both my clients and I. Highly recommended :-) Pros Fully integrated payroll service that pays your employees, files employment returns with Inland Revenue and deducts PAYE, handles payslips and legal compliance. Cons It allows you to manipulate the average earnings calculation (via reducing the hours) to go below the legal requirement. Reasons for choosing Smartly Fully integrated payment process/filing and easy to use Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. CF Chelsea F. Administrator Farming ### "Too Easy" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 25, 2023 Pros We find Smartly so simple and easy to use for timesheet tracking and payroll. Our staff also find Smartly super easy to use, to load timesheets, leave requests etc. Customer Service staff are very helpful also. Cons Nothing I can think of. Was a bit worried when they changed/upgraded the website a year or so ago, but I had nothing to be worried about, as still just as easy to navigate. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MH Massina H. Owner Hospitality ### "Kiwi Spit Roast " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 24, 2023 I don't have to worry about a thing!! Makes my life less stressful! Pros Smartly has taught me so much about payroll, Smartly makes my life easier with less stress. They have all tge answers. Cons I find the only thing that is abit of a pain, would be when I sign in to smartly i have to find my phone to get my code to actually get in. But I do realise this is best practice for online business. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/246213/Smartly/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.