AgriSmart vs Employment Hero

Employment Hero runs the pay run. AgriSmart runs everything that feeds it.

Employment Hero runs Australian payroll, including a pre-built Horticultural Award template. AgriSmart is workforce and operations software built for horticulture. It holds the hiring, the PALM records, the harvest and the Award checks on one worker record, then hands approved data to the payroll system.

Seasonal vineyard workers harvesting grapes in hi-vis vests, representing horticulture labour management in NZ and AU

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Before payroll: AgriSmart vs Employment Hero (AU)

Before payroll, what has already been recorded?

Employment Hero runs Australian payroll and publishes a pre-built Horticultural Award template. AgriSmart does not run payroll. The difference is not who pays, it is what the pay run has to work from.

Employment Hero records time, or units of work, against locations and cost centres. AgriSmart records the harvest against the worker, the block and the row, and checks it before approval.

HR and payroll platform

Employment Hero

Workforce detail and the pay run in the same platform, recorded in general business terms.

Built inAustralian payroll
MA000028Pre-built Award template
UnitsHours or unit measures
  1. Record time, or units of work Employment Hero timesheets take hours, or a unit measurement instead of hours, with a fixed units of work pay category configured for it.
  2. Group it by location or cost centre Work is attributed through locations, work sites and cost centres, with costing reports by location and pay category.
  3. Payroll connection Timesheet and rostering data syncs into the Employment Hero pay run, where its modern award interpretation engine applies the conditions configured for each employee.
  4. Complete the Award and the pay run The pre-built Horticultural Award template applies classifications, casual loading, overtime and public holidays, with Level 1 to Level 2 progression after three months. PAYG, superannuation, leave and Single Touch Payroll are finished in the same platform.

A complete Australian HR and payroll platform, with unit-based timesheets, cost centres and its own award engine. For bin and row level harvest records, it connects a specialist horticulture platform rather than capturing them natively.

Horticulture workforce records

AgriSmart + your payroll provider

The worker record built for the season, checked against the rules it will be paid under, then handed to the pay run.

Bins and rowsHarvest records
PALM120-hour monitoring
ReckonDirect integration
  1. Start the worker record before they arrive Applications, employment agreements signed from a phone, inductions, passports, visas, licences and TFN details, and PALM accommodation records.
  2. Capture the harvest as it happens Hours and activities on iOS and Android, offline when coverage is poor, or through biometric devices. Bins, trays and buckets scanned by barcode or QR against the worker, the block and the row.
  3. Apply the checks before approval Worker classifications and current Award rates, casual loading, piece-rate earnings measured against the hourly minimum for the hours worked that day, configured overtime thresholds, and 120-hour monitoring across each four-week period for short-term PALM workers.
  4. Payroll connection Send approved data directly to Reckon Payroll, or use payroll-ready exports for Xero and other payroll systems.
  5. Complete the pay run Your chosen payroll system completes tax, superannuation, leave and Single Touch Payroll reporting.

AgriSmart does not replace Australian payroll. It records and checks the horticulture detail the pay run has to work from.

Employment Hero finishes the pay run. The question is what reaches it. Harvest records against the block and the row, piece-rate checks against the daily minimum and PALM monitoring stay connected on one worker record in AgriSmart, then export to the payroll system that completes the run.

Why AgriSmart

One worker record from hiring to payroll-ready

From digital hiring and harvest work through to checked, payroll-ready data, AgriSmart keeps each stage attached to the same worker before approved data reaches your payroll system.

AgriSmart Hiring to payroll-ready

Before they arrive

Build the worker record in AgriSmart

Digital hiring, employment agreements, signatures, TFN and superannuation details, passports, visas and licences, Award classifications and PALM accommodation records establish the record the rest of AgriSmart will use.

While work happens

Add the harvest to the same record

Rosters, timesheets, units, piece rates and approvals, with bins, trays and buckets scanned by barcode or QR against the worker, the block and the row, alongside job costing and equipment information.

Before payroll

Check it against the rules it will be paid under

AgriSmart checks approved worker and field records against Award classifications and rates, casual loading, the daily piece-rate minimum for the hours actually worked, overtime thresholds, allowances, and the 120-hour four-week requirement for short-term PALM workers.

That is the AgriSmart difference.

AgriSmart sends approved data directly to Reckon Payroll, or prepares payroll-ready exports for Xero and other systems. The pay run is then completed in your chosen payroll system.

Also connected in AgriSmart

More than the pay data sits on that record

AgriSmart connects the wider tools used to manage the worker, the horticulture operation and the payroll-ready labour data.

  • Harvest traceability, block and row records, barcode scanning and consignments
  • Daily piece-rate minimum checks, top-ups and PALM 120-hour monitoring
  • Digital hiring, contracts, signatures and human resources
  • Costing by block, row, vine, task and worker, with contractor charge-outs
  • Rosters, spray diary and equipment register
  • Payroll-ready data with direct Reckon integration and exports for other payroll systems

That becomes especially valuable when something changes. A corrected bin count, a midweek starter or a piece-rate adjustment stays connected to the same worker record, so the PALM hours, the costing and the pay data all update before anything reaches your payroll system.

Connected records in practice

Three moments when connected workforce data matters

The difference becomes practical when a count is queried, a crew arrives or a PALM period is closing. These are the moments when hiring records, harvest detail and worker hours need to sit on the same record.

  1. A bin count is corrected

    The picker queries their pay

    Where does the corrected count go, and does the daily minimum check run again?

    With AgriSmart

    Change the approved record once. The piece-rate check runs against it again before anything is exported.

  2. A PALM crew lands Sunday

    Their first shift is Monday

    What already exists on their record before they walk into the block?

    With AgriSmart

    A signed agreement, passport and visa details, a completed induction and an accommodation record. Timesheets begin from the same record.

  3. A PALM threshold approaches

    The four-week period is closing

    Can you identify a potential 120-hour shortfall while the period is still open?

    With AgriSmart

    PALM hours stay linked to the worker, so an approaching shortfall can be identified before the assessment period closes.

One worker record, from onboarding to payroll-ready.

That is the practical advantage of keeping hiring, harvest detail, piece-rate checks and PALM monitoring together before data reaches your payroll system.

Prepared before payroll

The decision

Which one is solving the problem you have?

Employment Hero runs Australian payroll, including a pre-built Horticultural Award template. AgriSmart is workforce and operations software built for horticulture. These are different kinds of product, so the question is which problem is costing you more.

Side 1 of 2

Choose AgriSmart

When the workforce detail underneath payroll is the problem

AgriSmart starts the worker record before the crew arrives, records the harvest against the block and the row, checks piece rates and Award rates before anything is approved, and costs the labour back to the job. Approved data then moves to Reckon Payroll or your chosen payroll system.

What stays connected in AgriSmart

  • Hiring and Human Resources Applications, agreements, e-signatures, inductions, TFN and superannuation details, passports, visas and licences.
  • PALM administration Accommodation records and deductions, worker documents, and 120-hour monitoring for short-term PALM workers.
  • Harvest and traceability Blocks, rows, bin ticketing, barcode and QR scanning, picker performance and consignments.
  • Field work and piece rates Offline time, units, daily piece-rate minimum checks, top-ups and biometric capture.
  • Planning and operations Rosters, tasks, job costing, contractor charge-outs, spray records and equipment servicing.
  • Payroll connections Direct Reckon integration and payroll-ready exports for Xero and other payroll systems.

AgriSmart is shown first because this is our website.

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The practical answer

Choose AgriSmart when the workforce detail underneath payroll is what costs you time: hiring and agreements, PALM records, bins against the block and the row, piece-rate checks and the cost of picking. Choose Employment Hero when payroll and HR across the whole business is the harder problem, and the horticulture detail is manageable as it is.

Employment Hero and AgriSmart information reviewed from their public websites and help centres on 28 September 2026. Product features, integrations and pricing change over time.

Which system is right for your business?

If the bins, the piece rate checks, the PALM records and the cost of picking a block need to be right before payroll opens, AgriSmart is built for that.

Book a 15-minute demo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AgriSmart or Employment Hero better for farms and orchards?

They solve different problems, so it depends which one is costing you more. Employment Hero is an Australian HR and payroll platform: it completes the pay run itself, including PAYG, superannuation, leave and Single Touch Payroll Phase 2, and publishes a pre-built Horticultural Award template. AgriSmart is workforce and operations software built for horticulture: hiring and agreements, PALM records, harvest recorded against the block and the row, piece rate checks and job costing, prepared before pay is processed and handed to the payroll system that completes it.

Does AgriSmart run payroll in Australia?

No. AgriSmart does not replace your Australian payroll system. It prepares payroll-ready workforce data, then sends records to Reckon through a direct integration or exports them for Xero and other payroll systems. PAYG, superannuation and Single Touch Payroll are completed by your payroll provider.

Does Employment Hero support the Horticulture Award?

Yes. Employment Hero publishes a pre-built Horticultural Award MA000028 template covering classifications, casual loading, overtime and public holidays, including Level 1 to Level 2 progression after three months and harvest period overtime rules. Automatic daily piecework minimum-guarantee calculations were not identified in the Australian documentation reviewed.

Which system is better for piece rates and unit-based work?

Employment Hero publishes unit-based timesheets, where an employee submits a quantity instead of hours, with a fixed units of work pay category configured for it. AgriSmart records harvest units as bins, trays and buckets scanned by barcode or QR against the worker, the block and the row, and measures piece rate earnings against the hourly minimum for the hours actually worked that day.

Which system handles PALM workers and the 120-hour requirement?

AgriSmart monitors the 120 hour requirement across each four week period for short-term PALM workers, and keeps agreements, visas, accommodation records and deductions, approvals and piece rate checks on the same worker record. Employment Hero supports configurable payroll deductions, so accommodation can be deducted like any other. A dedicated PALM workflow was not identified in its published material: the accommodation records themselves, and automatic 120 hour monitoring for short-term workers.

When should a business choose AgriSmart instead of Employment Hero?

Choose AgriSmart when the workforce detail underneath payroll is what costs you time: hiring and agreements, PALM records, bins against the block and the row, piece rate checks and the cost of picking a block. Choose Employment Hero when payroll and HR across the whole business is the harder problem and the horticulture detail is manageable as it is.

“

After trying 4 payroll systems in 6 months we found AgriSmart, that was 6 years ago and we haven’t looked back. It’s the only platform flexible enough for our horticulture enterprise, with seamless Xero integration, biometric time clocks, and a team that actually listens to our feedback. We love it!

Brendan HerriesRoper & Son
“

AgriSmart's software has cut our payroll admin by 75%!
We love the system as it is super easy to learn, very efficient, and has saved us a lot of money. Especially during harvesting season.

Matakana Berries
“

AgriSmart has been the single biggest game changer in our business. It has removed a massive admin burden and freed me up to focus on the actual work. I wouldn’t run my business without it. As someone who wears every hat, it has made life easier.

Mark GeuzeDirector, Under the Vine Limited
“

I was getting overwhelmed and the system I first tried was desktop based and was super expensive. A friend recommended AgriSmart because it's made specifically for farmers.

Eder Agriculture
“

You should see how many tasks we have in the app! They're awesome, you can flick them on to staff easily and you don't have to ring or text them on their day off to tell them what they're doing in the morning.

Emily Eder
“

I like having no paper - contracts and tax forms are managed electronically. I also like that the successful applicants information is sent directly into the payroll module so minimal data input is need!

Dale CollisHop Revolution
“

After trying 4 payroll systems in 6 months we found AgriSmart, that was 6 years ago and we haven’t looked back. It’s the only platform flexible enough for our horticulture enterprise, with seamless Xero integration, biometric time clocks, and a team that actually listens to our feedback. We love it!

Brendan HerriesRoper & Son
“

AgriSmart's software has cut our payroll admin by 75%!
We love the system as it is super easy to learn, very efficient, and has saved us a lot of money. Especially during harvesting season.

Matakana Berries
“

AgriSmart has been the single biggest game changer in our business. It has removed a massive admin burden and freed me up to focus on the actual work. I wouldn’t run my business without it. As someone who wears every hat, it has made life easier.

Mark GeuzeDirector, Under the Vine Limited
“

I was getting overwhelmed and the system I first tried was desktop based and was super expensive. A friend recommended AgriSmart because it's made specifically for farmers.

Eder Agriculture
“

You should see how many tasks we have in the app! They're awesome, you can flick them on to staff easily and you don't have to ring or text them on their day off to tell them what they're doing in the morning.

Emily Eder
“

I like having no paper - contracts and tax forms are managed electronically. I also like that the successful applicants information is sent directly into the payroll module so minimal data input is need!

Dale CollisHop Revolution