8 best onboarding software for Australian businesses

Hiring someone new is exciting. But it also means a lot of admin. Contracts. Policies. Logins. Equipment. Training. It can turn into quite a mess if you’re doing it all manually.

Employee onboarding software helps sort all that out. It puts everything you need in one place. And that can make the onboarding process quicker and easier for both your HR team and new team members.

If you're growing your business or just want to stop wasting time on repetitive tasks, employee onboarding software can really help. It keeps things moving, helps you stay compliant, and gives new hires a better onboarding experience right from the very start.

In this guide, we explain what onboarding software actually does. We summarise some of the best onboarding software for Aussie businesses in 2025. And we share some tips to help you choose the best one for your business.

This article is up to date as of 02/04/25. Software features, pricing, and availability can change often. So, make sure to double-check with each provider before making any decisions.

Key takeaways

• Onboarding software helps you sort the messy admin that comes with hiring all in one place.
• It’s especially useful for Aussie businesses that need to stay on top of local rules (like issuing Fair Work docs or collecting tax and super info upfront).
• The best tools make onboarding repeatable, trackable, and scalable.
• We reviewed 8 top onboarding platforms. Rippling stands out for its all-in-one approach (HR, IT, payroll, and local Australian compliance in one place).
• When choosing onboarding software, don’t just chase features. Look for something that fits your actual process, supports Australian compliance, and integrates with the tools you already use.
• Done right, onboarding software saves time, improves first impressions, and keeps you out of trouble. And it does it all while helping new hires hit the ground running.

What is employee onboarding software?

In a nutshell, employee onboarding software helps you bring new hires into your business without the chaos. It gives you a system to follow and a place to track everything.

Great onboarding software enables you to create clear onboarding workflows and assign onboarding tasks. You can tick off the steps as you go. Think contracts, ID checks, payroll details, training modules, system access... all done in one spot.

This kind of software is built for HR teams. It cuts out the messy email trails and helps your team manage every part of the onboarding journey without missing a beat. It's often one of the most useful HR tools you can invest in, especially as your team grows. It gives new hires a smoother start. And it helps your team stay on top of everything without drowning in admin.

8 best onboarding software

There’s a lot of onboarding software to choose from out there. But not every onboarding platform is built the same. Some of them are pretty simple and focus just on admin. Others are more complex and take care of everything from IT setup to compliance. Some are made for big teams. Others are a better fit for smaller businesses.

Below, we list and explain eight of some of the best onboarding software options in Australia. You'll get a bit of insight into how they work, what they can and can’t do, and what types of businesses they might suit.

1. Rippling 

Rippling is an all-in-one workforce management platform. It helps HR teams onboard new hires, set up IT, manage compliance, and automate admin across the entire employee lifecycle. And that's just the very tip of the iceberg.

Key features

• You can set up a new hire’s payroll, benefits, and super in just a few clicks.
• The platform automatically kicks off onboarding workflows when someone signs a contract.
• You can create templates to manage onboarding tasks across departments and locations.
• Rippling takes care of background checks, ID collection, and document storage all in one place.
• IT setup is fully integrated, including account provisioning and laptop shipping.
• It connects with over 500 apps, so new hires get access to the right tools straight away.
• You can customise onboarding workflows by role, team, or location.
• The system tracks task completion and sends reminders, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Strengths

• Rippling connects HR, Payroll, IT, and Spend in one system. So, your team doesn’t need to jump between tools.
• It scales with your business. It also works across global teams, including local compliance features for Australia.
• The platform automates the entire onboarding process, so your HR team can save time and avoid manual errors.

2. Gusto

Gusto is an HR and payroll platform that includes some basic tools to help manage the onboarding process.

Key features

• You can send offer letters and collect signatures electronically.
• It gives you a checklist for onboarding tasks, like forms and paperwork.
• New hires can enter their own personal details and banking info.
• You can store signed documents and employee info in one place.
• The system includes the option to run background checks (via US-based providers).

Strengths

• Gusto lets you manage hiring, onboarding, and payroll from the same system.
• You can create and reuse onboarding templates for different types of roles.

Weaknesses

• Gusto doesn’t specifically support Australian payroll, superannuation, or tax compliance.
• While customisable, the onboarding workflows are built primarily for US processes. This might not always align with Australian business needs.

3. Bamboo HR

BambooHR is a cloud-based HR software platform. It includes tools for managing employee records, time off, and basic onboarding workflows.

Key features

• You can send offer letters and collect e-signatures through the platform.
• The system includes a checklist builder for assigning onboarding tasks to new hires.
• It stores employee records, forms, and signed documents in one central place.
• You can add welcome messages, team intros, and links to training sessions into the onboarding steps.
• It includes a self-service portal where new hires can enter their own details.

Strengths

• BambooHR includes basic onboarding tools within a wider employee management system.
• It lets HR teams build custom onboarding workflows, typically without needing IT support.

Weaknesses

• Users report that the integrations with Google and Slack have some limitations. Some teams have had to customise API calls to make the tools work together properly.
• Some users say the system really feels like it was built mainly for US businesses. They've mentioned that they've had to find workarounds to make it work properly in Australia.

4. Paylocity

Paylocity is a workforce management platform that offers tools for HR, payroll, and onboarding.

Key features

• You can create digital offer letters and collect signed documents online.
• The system includes onboarding checklists to assign tasks and track progress.
• New hires can fill in their details and upload documents through a self-service portal.
• It stores employee forms, tax documents, and compliance records in one place.
• You can set up custom workflows to trigger tasks across different departments.

Strengths

• Paylocity includes onboarding features as part of its broader HR and payroll system.
• It gives admins the ability to track onboarding task progress and follow up on incomplete steps.

Weaknesses

• Users report that setting up onboarding event packets, tasks, or templates can be a bit of a pain.
• Many also say the builder for creating custom onboarding tasks needs work and could be a lot more user-friendly.

5. Paycor

Paycor is an HR and payroll platform. It includes onboarding tools as part of its employee lifecycle management system.

Key features

• You can send digital offer letters and get them signed electronically.
• The system lets you assign onboarding tasks and track progress across teams.
• New hires can complete forms, upload onboarding documents, and enter their details through a self-service portal.
• You can build onboarding checklists for different roles or locations.
• It includes options for compliance tracking and storing signed documents in one place.

Strengths

• Paycor includes onboarding as part of a broader HR and payroll system.
• Admins can monitor task progress and follow up with new hires directly from the platform.

Weaknesses

• Users report that the benefits module can be difficult to set up. The process relies heavily on Excel spreadsheets, which can lead to mistakes.
• Some users also mention that the platform can be glitchy, with frequent bugs that interrupt onboarding workflow.

6. Deel

Deel is an HR platform. Its focus is on helping global companies hire, onboard, and manage international workers and contractors.

Key features

• You can create contracts and send them for e-signature within the platform.
• Deel helps with country-specific compliance, including tax forms and employment laws.
• It includes onboarding checklists and lets you assign tasks to internal team members.
• New hires can upload documents, complete forms, and set up payment details online.
• You can automate onboarding document collection and set reminders to follow up on outstanding tasks.

Strengths

• Deel supports hiring and onboarding in several countries, including compliance management.
• It can manage contractor payments and employee payroll for international hires in one system.

Weaknesses

• Deel isn’t built for local-only onboarding in Australia. It may feel overcomplicated if you don’t hire overseas.
• Users report limited options for customising contracts. Some also mention delays in getting help from support, especially with compliance issues.

H3: 7. ADP

ADP is an HR and payroll provider. Its onboarding tools come bundled with its broader workforce management systems.

Key features

• You can send digital offer letters and get them signed online.
• New hires can upload documents, complete forms, and fill in their details through a self-service portal.
• You can assign onboarding tasks and track progress as they’re completed.
• ADP stores documents like contracts and ID checks in one place.
• The system lets you customise welcome messages and training steps for each role.

Strengths

• ADP’s onboarding system connects directly with its payroll and HR tools.
• You can build onboarding checklists and automate tasks across departments.

Weaknesses

• Users report that the learning and development side is clunky. They mention that it lacks helpful features, often breaks, and can be tricky to use for assigning and tracking training sessions.
• Some also note that the setup emails for new hires don’t always send properly. This can hold up the onboarding process.

H3: 8. Paychex

Paychex is a payroll-first platform. It offers simple onboarding tools to help businesses manage documents, forms, and basic admin.

Key features

• You can send offer letters and onboarding documents for e-signature.
• The system includes basic checklists to manage tasks like document collection and form completion.
• New hires can upload their own documents and personal details via a self-service portal.
• HR teams can store signed forms and employee records in one place.
• Admins can assign onboarding tasks manually and check progress on completion.

Strengths

• Paychex’s onboarding features tie directly into its payroll platform.
• You can manage forms and signed documents from the same system you use for pay and benefits.

Weaknesses

• The platform doesn't support local compliance tools for Australia.
• Users mention that the platform feels fragmented. They note that the different systems within Paychex don’t always talk to each other properly. This can create issues with reporting and maintaining employee records.

Why Australian businesses need onboarding software

When welcoming a new employee to your business, there's a lot more to think about than just organising them a desk and email address. There are (lots of) local regulations to follow, often multiple systems to wrangle, and an excellent first-day experience to deliver. And a lot of the time, you need to orchestrate this with limited time or headcount. Employee onboarding software helps tie all the loose threads together. Beyond saving time and helping with compliance, here’s why it matters in a real, practical sense for Aussie businesses:

You need to collect a lot of different info—fast

In Australia, there's a stack of information you need to collect from a new employee before their first payday. Think Tax File Numbers, superannuation choices, emergency contacts, visas (if applicable), and bank details. If you’re chasing that manually, it’s easy to miss something. You're also likely to waste hours sending follow-up emails.

Imagine you run a busy café in Melbourne. You bring on a new barista during a peak week. With great onboarding software, you can send them one secure link where they enter all the details you need. They can even do it all on their phone. This means that all the information you need is the system before their first shift. No more printing (and losing) forms. And no payroll delays or mistakes.

You probably use more systems than you think

Most businesses aren’t using a single system. They might have payroll software. Another application for time tracking. And then training platforms, email, Slack, and maybe even a separate tool for policies. Without something that can tie this all together, onboarding becomes a chaotic juggling act.

Say you’re a growing tech company in Sydney. You hire a new developer. Thankfully, you have great onboarding software in your corner. It syncs with your systems, enabling you to give the new hire access to GitHub, Slack, Google Workspace, and your LMS. And all from the same workflow! Gone are the days of forgetting to add them to the right channels or wondering who’s set up their laptop.

Hiring across states? Things can get complicated

Workplace rules in Australia can change based on which state your employee lives in. Think long service leave, public holidays, and even some onboarding paperwork. What’s right in Victoria might not be right in Western Australia. If you’re onboarding manually, it’s rather easy to miss the mark.

HR onboarding software can help you build location-specific task lists. Imagine that you run a construction company with teams in WA and NSW. You can create tailored onboarding checklists depending on which of these states the employee is based.

You don’t want to risk missing Fair Work steps

Complying with Fair Work rules shouldn't be an afterthought. You need to issue a Fair Work Information Statement (or Casual Employment Information Statement), provide a written contract, and have clear policies in place. These aren’t optional.

With the right onboarding tool, you can build these documents into your onboarding process. Let’s say you run a small marketing agency in Brisbane. Every time you hire someone new, the software can automatically send out the latest Fair Work info and store a record that it was sent. So, you can say goodbye to manual tracking and crossing your fingers come audit time.

Benefits of using onboarding software

Once a new hire says yes, the clock starts ticking. You’ve only got a short window to set the right tone and get them set up properly. Onboarding software makes life easier for HR teams, sure. But it can also have real ripple effects across your business, especially as your team grows. Here are some of the core benefits of using onboarding software:

It makes your onboarding process repeatable (and scalable)

Hiring one person? You can probably manage things manually without losing your mind. Hiring three or four at once, or onboarding across multiple departments? Suddenly you’re rewriting the same emails, duplicating forms, and hoping someone remembers to send the IT request.

With onboarding software, you can build templates that actually scale. Consider a logistics company in Adelaide. They might use it to create separate onboarding workflows for warehouse staff, delivery drivers, and office admins. And each with the right forms, safety training, and policies baked in. Once the workflows are built, it’s rinse and repeat with zero extra legwork.

It gets people productive faster

When new hires don’t have what they need, they can’t start working properly. It's as simple as that. Waiting on logins, training links, or even their employment contract can leave them sitting idle for days. That wasted time adds up.

Imagine that a hospitality group in Brisbane hires ten new front-of-house staff before a festival weekend. Instead of handing out paper forms and hoping someone sets up their POS logins in time, onboarding software makes sure that every new hire gets their documents, training videos, and tech access before day one. So, they can hit the ground running. And this matters when you’re pouring 300 beers an hour.

It gives you a clear audit trail

Audits, disputes, or compliance checks are stressful enough without having to trawl through your inbox for a signed contract or prove that someone got the correct policy. Onboarding software keeps a record of what was sent, what was signed, and when it happened.

Consider a childcare provider in Victoria. They can use onboarding software to confirm that all new educators received the Code of Conduct, completed their WWCC documentation, and signed the relevant contracts. It’s all time-stamped and stored. So, there’s no grey area when licensing time rolls around.

It improves the onboarding experience for your new hire

First impressions matter. If your onboarding process is heavy, confusing, or full of gaps, your new employee might feel like joining your company was a mistake. The best onboarding software helps you deliver a wonderfully professional start that reflects how your team operates.

Imagine a small creative agency in Perth. They’ve finally landed a senior designer after months of searching. Onboarding software lets them send the new hire a personalised welcome message, outline their first week, and introduce them to key team members. And all before they step through the door. It helps them feel part of the team, even before day one.

How to choose the right onboarding software

When choosing the right onboarding software, you need to prioritise a system that really works for the way your business hires, trains, and grows. Every team is different. So, the best choice will depend on how you operate day-to-day. Here are some ways to narrow it down:

Start with your onboarding process—not the software

Before you jump headfirst into demos, take a step back and map out what onboarding actually looks like in your business right now. What steps do you follow? What’s manual? What’s working, and where are the gaps? Having clarity around all that can help you spot the tools that’ll genuinely make a difference.

For example, say you run a chain of dental clinics. Every new hygienist needs to complete infection control training, submit AHPRA details, and sign clinic-specific policies. Because of this, you’ll want onboarding software that lets you bundle those steps into a template you can use over and over again. Not one that just takes care of contracts.

Look for local compliance support

Lots of platforms claim to be 'global', but that doesn’t mean they’re tailored to Australian businesses. If the onboarding software doesn’t support TFNs, super details, or the Fair Work Information Statement, you’re going to end up doing patch jobs. This kind of defeats the point.

Let’s say you're onboarding staff in your warehouse in Queensland. A solid local onboarding platform should let you collect tax and super info in one go. It should automatically issue the Fair Work documents. And it should store signed contracts without you having to follow up manually. If it can’t do that, move on.

Make sure it plays nicely with your other tools

The best onboarding software fits into your existing tech stack without creating extra work. It should connect with your payroll, time tracking, document storage, and other systems. Otherwise, you're going to be stuck copying data between platforms.

For example, if you already use separate systems for payroll and rostering in your hospitality business, your onboarding tool should be able to sync with both. Otherwise, you’ll be re-entering everything, from availability to super details, and pretty much doubling your workload.

Onboarding made simple with Rippling

Nailing the onboarding process takes more than a checklist. There’s paperwork, payroll, IT, software access, and training to consider... and all of it needs to happen on time, with zero gaps. Enter Rippling. It's your all-in-one workforce management platform. And it takes the whole employee onboarding saga, from offer letter to equipment setup and beyond, and automates it in a way that WORKS.

With Rippling, you don’t need to chase down logins or scramble to ship laptops the night before someone starts. As soon as a new hire signs their contract, Rippling gets to work:

• Offer letters and tax forms go out automatically.
• Payroll and super are set up with the right info, synced across systems.
• Laptops are ordered, configured, and shipped with no IT tickets required.
• Email accounts, Slack access, and role-specific tools are ready to go.

First days shouldn’t be spent figuring out how to log in. Rippling helps new hires settle in faster, with fewer roadblocks:

• A tailored onboarding checklist walks them through what to do next, step by step.
• Managers can assign intros to key team members, so they know exactly who’s who.
• HR and managers can track progress, so nothing gets missed.

And after day one? Rippling's still got you covered:

• You can schedule automated check-ins with managers.
• Training progress gets tracked without any manual follow-ups needed.
• Feedback from new hires gets collected in-platform, so you can keep improving.
• And because Rippling is built on one unified system, any updates to employee data (like a new job title or reporting manager) flow across every tool they use.

Onboarding one person? Onboarding twenty people? Rippling helps you do it right, less the admin avalanche. It’s fast. It’s automated. And it just makes sense. With HR, Payroll, IT, and Spend management all in one place, it's the only tool you'll ever need to take care of your workforce from end to end.

Onboarding software FAQs

How much does onboarding software cost?

That depends entirely on the provider and the size of your team. Some onboarding software charges per employee, per month. Others charge a flat monthly fee for access to their platform. Some offer basic onboarding features in a bundled HR or payroll package, while others charge extra for automation or compliance tools.

You’ll also see tiered pricing. So, the more functionality you want (like custom onboarding programs or integrations), the more you’ll pay. But it’s worth keeping in mind: the best onboarding software saves time, reduces admin, and lowers your risk of compliance slip-ups. So, if it’s cutting hours off every hire and helping you scale, the return on investment is usually pretty easy to justify.

What’s the best onboarding software for small businesses?

There’s really no one-size-fits-all. But the best onboarding software for small businesses is usually the one that saves time without being overkill. It needs to take care of employment contracts, compliance, and onboarding tasks. And without making your head spin.

Rippling is especially strong for small teams because it takes care of onboarding, payroll, IT, and document storage in one place. Are you a business owner or solo HR operator wearing five hats already? Rippling lets you bring people on board without battling spreadsheets, emails, and login requests. It automates what matters. And you don’t need to be a tech wizard to use it.

What are the top three features to look for in onboarding software?

There are heaps of features out there, but these three are the game-changers:

1. Customisable onboarding programs: You should be able to build and reuse workflows for different roles, teams, or locations. This eliminates the need to start from scratch every time you hire.
2. The ability to easily integrate with your other systems: From payroll to super, email, training, and document storage… onboarding software should connect with it all. If it doesn’t integrate, it’ll just add more work.
3. Visibility over your onboarding process: You need to know who’s done what, what’s missing, and what still needs chasing. That means live dashboards, task tracking, and automated reminders. Not sticky notes and guesswork.

What are the four C’s of onboarding?

The four C’s of onboarding are Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection. They’re a handy way to check if your onboarding process is actually covering all bases.

• Compliance is about ticking all the legal and policy boxes (contracts, Fair Work docs, safety forms, etc).
• Clarification means making sure the new hire knows what their role is, what’s expected, and how things work day-to-day.
• Culture is where you introduce your company culture and values so people feel like they belong.
• Connection helps new hires build relationships with their team, manager, and the wider business.

The best employee onboarding software should support all four. That could mean assigning welcome tasks, sending policies automatically, or building culture-focused checklists. Whatever the method, the goal is to help new hires feel confident, capable, and connected from day one.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.