ActivPayroll Asia Review 2025
Global payroll specialist with strong Asia-Pacific presence
ActivPayroll is an award-winning global payroll and compliance specialist delivering payroll services in over 155 countries. With strong Asia-Pacific presence and Singapore operations, ActivPayroll provides multi-country payroll processing, expatriate payroll services, contractor management, and compliance solutions. Known for their payroll-only focus, technology platform, and deep expertise in international mobility and complex payroll scenarios.
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Pros and Cons
Pros
- Strong multi-country payroll capabilities
- Excellent for expatriate and international mobility payroll
- Payroll specialization provides deep expertise
- Lower minimum (25 employees) vs full HRO providers
- Flexible per-payslip pricing model
- Good technology platform
Cons
- Payroll-only (no full HR services)
- Smaller Singapore presence vs Aon Hewitt/Mercer
- Less value-added services than comprehensive HRO
- Implementation support varies by engagement size
- Platform less feature-rich than full HRIS systems
Key Features & Services
Multi-Country Payroll Expertise
Payroll processing in 155+ countries with in-country specialists ensuring local compliance. Ideal for Singapore companies with regional employees or MNCs consolidating Asia-Pacific payroll.
Expatriate & Mobility Solutions
Specialist expatriate payroll including split payroll, shadow payroll, tax equalization, home/host payroll coordination, and international assignment management for globally mobile workforce.
Payroll-Only Focus
Unlike full HRO providers, ActivPayroll focuses exclusively on payroll. This specialization delivers deep expertise, refined processes, and competitive pricing for payroll-specific outsourcing.
Technology Platform
Cloud-based payroll platform with employee/manager portals, payslip access, approval workflows, reporting dashboard, and API integrations. Mobile-friendly with real-time data access.
Compliance Management
Proactive compliance monitoring with dedicated compliance team tracking Singapore Employment Act, CPF regulations, IRAS requirements, and MOM guidelines. Regular audits and updates ensure accuracy.
Contractor & Freelancer Payroll
Specialized services for contractor and freelancer payments including proper classification, contract management, payment processing, and 1099/tax reporting for gig economy workforce.
Pricing & Plans
Pricing Model: Per payslip fee | Starting From: From $35 per payslip
Singapore Payroll
- Payroll processing
- CPF & IRAS compliance
- Bank payments
- Payslip distribution
- Year-end reporting
- Minimum 25 employees
Multi-Country Payroll
- Payroll in 155+ countries
- Local compliance management
- Expatriate payroll
- Shadow payroll
- Consolidated reporting
- Multi-currency handling
Managed Services
- Dedicated payroll team
- SLA commitments
- Priority support
- Compliance advisory
- Implementation support
- Account management
What Clients Say
"ActivPayroll manages our payroll across 8 Asia countries. Their multi-country expertise is excellent and reporting consolidation is very helpful. Good for regional operations."
"We use ActivPayroll for expatriate payroll and it works well. They understand the complexity of split payroll and tax equalization. Responsive support team."
"Solid payroll provider though service is purely transactional - don't expect strategic HR partnership. Good for companies wanting payroll expertise without full HRO commitment."
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ActivPayroll cost in Singapore?
ActivPayroll charges per payslip: Singapore payroll ($35-$55 per payslip), Multi-country payroll ($45-$75 per payslip depending on country complexity). For 100 Singapore employees: $3,500-$5,500 monthly. This per-payslip model can be cost-effective for smaller companies but may be more expensive than percentage-based models for larger organizations. Minimum 25 employees. Implementation $10K-$50K depending on countries covered.
What countries does ActivPayroll support?
ActivPayroll processes payroll in 155+ countries globally with strong coverage in Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, India, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, Korea), Europe, Americas, and Middle East. Each country has in-country payroll specialists ensuring local compliance. Ideal for Singapore companies with regional employees or MNCs managing multi-country workforce from Singapore headquarters.
Does ActivPayroll provide full HR outsourcing or just payroll?
ActivPayroll focuses exclusively on payroll processing - they don't provide full HR services like benefits administration, talent management, or HR advisory. This specialization delivers: (1) Deep payroll expertise, (2) Refined payroll processes, (3) Competitive payroll pricing, (4) Focus on payroll accuracy and compliance. For companies wanting both payroll and HR services, consider Aon Hewitt, Mercer, or SD Worx offering comprehensive HRO.
Can ActivPayroll handle expatriate and international mobility payroll?
Yes, expatriate payroll is an ActivPayroll specialty. Services include: (1) Split payroll (home and host country), (2) Shadow payroll, (3) Tax equalization calculations, (4) Hypothetical tax computations, (5) Assignment payroll coordination, (6) Stock option handling, (7) Repatriation payroll. Ideal for companies with globally mobile workforce, international assignees, or complex expat arrangements requiring specialist expertise.
How long does ActivPayroll implementation take?
Implementation timelines: Single-country payroll (4-8 weeks), Multi-country payroll (8-16 weeks depending on number of countries), Complex expatriate payroll (12-20 weeks). Includes: process design, data migration, system setup, testing, training, and parallel run. Implementation fee $10K-$50K varies by complexity. Shorter timelines for simple payroll; longer for multi-country or expat scenarios.
What technology platform does ActivPayroll provide?
ActivPayroll provides cloud platform with: (1) Employee self-service portal (payslips, tax forms, personal data), (2) Manager approval workflows, (3) Payroll reporting dashboard, (4) Multi-country consolidated reporting, (5) Mobile access, (6) API integrations with HRIS/ERP. Platform is functional and payroll-focused, not comprehensive HRIS. Adequate for payroll outsourcing needs but lacks broader HR functionality.
Is ActivPayroll suitable for small companies?
ActivPayroll requires minimum 25 employees making it accessible to smaller companies. Companies with 25-100 employees can benefit from: (1) Professional payroll processing, (2) Multi-country capabilities, (3) Lower commitment than full HRO. However, per-payslip pricing may be expensive for very small headcount. Under 25 employees: consider Talenox, JustLogin, or Payboy. ActivPayroll sweet spot is 50-500 employees with multi-country needs.
How does ActivPayroll pricing compare to other payroll providers?
ActivPayroll per-payslip pricing ($35-$55) vs alternatives: JustLogin ($8-$12/employee/month = $96-$144/year), Aon Hewitt ($50-$80/employee/month = $600-$960/year), SD Worx ($40-$65/employee/month = $480-$780/year). ActivPayroll comparable to mid-range providers but per-payslip model can be more expensive for large organizations. Best value for multi-country payroll where ActivPayroll's 155-country expertise justifies premium vs domestic-only providers.
Alternative Providers
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