MYOB vs QuickBooks Australia: Which is Better? (2026)

Last updated: November 2026  ·  Prices checked at MYOB and QuickBooks on 4 November 2026  ·  Affiliate disclosure

The short answer: MYOB is cheaper once you have staff, though only just at three to five people. QuickBooks looks nicer and is easier to use. That's genuinely most of it. If you have employees, run the payroll numbers at your headcount before you decide.

This guide works through the pricing properly, covers where each product actually beats the other, and gives straight recommendations by business type.

For the AccountRight tier specifically, see the AccountRight Plus pricing breakdown covering the upgrade math from MYOB Business Pro.

Quick comparison - MYOB vs QuickBooks (2026)

Feature	MYOB	QuickBooks
Starting price (AUD/mo)	$31.82	$32.72
Payroll	+$4.55/employee/mo (Lite/Pro)	Via Employment Hero ($6/employee)
Inventory	Excellent (built-in)	Basic (Plus plan+)
Job costing	AccountRight Plus+	Plus plan+
Ease of use	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
Mobile app	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
Integrations	350+	750+
Australian support	Business hours	Business hours
BAS / STP / Super	✓	✓
Offline access	No (ended on AccountRight)	Cloud only
Bookkeeper preference (AU)	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆

QuickBooks vs MYOB at a glance

Put the names in either order and the answer is the same. With no staff, the two are close: MYOB Business Lite is $31.82 a month against $32.72 for QuickBooks Simple Start, and QuickBooks is the easier of the two to learn. With one or two staff MYOB Lite stays a few dollars ahead. From three staff you move up to Business Pro at $63.64, and the gap with QuickBooks Essentials at $60 nearly closes, but MYOB's payroll is $4.55 per employee on Lite and Pro while QuickBooks payroll through Employment Hero is $6.

At five employees that is $86.36 a month on MYOB Business Pro against $90 on QuickBooks Essentials, and the gap grows with every person you add. Choose QuickBooks if you work alone and want the cleaner app and the bigger integration list. Choose MYOB if you have staff, carry stock, or want desktop access through AccountRight.

Pricing - what you actually pay

The base prices are close, and so are the payroll rates, but they work differently. QuickBooks doesn't include payroll in Australia - you need the Employment Hero add-on at $6 per employee per month on top of your subscription. MYOB charges $4.55 per employee on Lite and Pro, and bundles unlimited payroll into AccountRight Plus at $150 flat. MYOB prices here are ex GST, to match QuickBooks. MYOB's own page shows Pro at $70 and payroll at $5, with GST. An earlier version of this page treated those as ex GST. Intuit does not say whether its $6 payroll rate includes GST. If it does, five staff on Essentials is $87.27, still just above MYOB.

MYOB pricing (AUD, 2026)

Plan	Price/mo	Payroll	Best for
Lite	$31.82	+$4.55/employee (max 2)	Sole traders, micro business
Pro	$63.64	+$4.55/employee (unlimited)	Small business with staff
AccountRight Plus	$150	Included (unlimited)	Inventory, job costing, construction
AccountRight Premier	$190.91	Included (unlimited)	Multi-currency, multiple businesses

QuickBooks pricing (AUD, 2026)

Plan	Price/mo	Payroll	Best for
Simple Start	$32.72	Employment Hero add-on	Sole traders, freelancers
Essentials	$60	Employment Hero add-on	Small businesses, bill management
Plus	$81.81	Employment Hero add-on	Inventory tracking, job costing
Advanced	$125.45	Employment Hero add-on	Larger businesses, advanced reporting

With 5 employees: MYOB Pro = $63.64 + $22.73 = $86.36/month. QuickBooks Essentials + Employment Hero = $60 + $30 = $90/month. That's a $3.64/month gap in MYOB's favour, or about $44/year, for the same basic functionality. The gap gets wider as you add more staff.

For a mid-sized team, MYOB AccountRight Plus ($150 with unlimited payroll) undercuts QuickBooks Plus ($81.81) once Employment Hero payroll fees are added. At $6 per employee that flip lands at 12 staff ($81.81 + $72 = $153.81).

MYOB - better for businesses with staff and complex operations

MYOB has been around since the early 90s and it shows - not always in a bad way. The interface is clunky and takes getting used to, but underneath that is serious inventory management and solid Australian payroll compliance. It's not a product trying to be everything to everyone. It's built for businesses with some operational complexity.

Where MYOB beats QuickBooks

• Payroll costs less. MYOB Pro charges $4.55/employee/month with payroll built in. QuickBooks needs Employment Hero on top at $6/employee. With 5 staff, that's about $44/year cheaper on MYOB before you consider anything else.
• Inventory is genuinely good. MYOB AccountRight handles multiple warehouses, lot tracking, serial numbers, and product assemblies without add-ons. QuickBooks does basic stock tracking on Plus - that's not the same thing.
• Payroll is built in. MYOB runs payroll inside the same platform for $4.55 per employee, while QuickBooks sends you to Employment Hero at $6. MYOB itself doesn't interpret Modern Awards; you set award rates up as pay items.
• Desktop app for big files. AccountRight still has a Windows desktop app alongside the browser version. It no longer works offline, though: MYOB now requires company files to be online.
• Job costing on AccountRight. Built-in job tracking for builders and project businesses - costs, time, and margin per job without needing an add-on.

Where MYOB falls short

• The interface is dated. It genuinely feels like software from 2010. New users take longer to get comfortable with it than with QuickBooks, and that time cost is real for small businesses without an accounts person.
• Fewer integrations. 350+ versus QuickBooks' 750+. If you rely on specific software, check MYOB's marketplace before committing.
• The mobile app is basic. You can do the essentials but it's nowhere near as capable as QuickBooks on the go.
• User licence costs. MYOB can charge per additional user on some plans. QuickBooks is more generous here.

MYOB is probably the right call if you

• Have 5 or more employees and payroll costs matter
• Manufacture, wholesale, or carry complex stock
• Run a construction or building business needing job costing
• Have an accountant or bookkeeper who already works in MYOB
• Have staff on payroll ($4.55 per employee on MYOB against $6 through QuickBooks)
• Already use MYOB and it works fine - switching has real costs

QuickBooks - better for smaller and simpler operations

QuickBooks is the nicer product to use. The interface is clean, it's easy to pick up without training, and the mobile app is genuinely good. It connects to more Australian software than MYOB does. If you don't have employees - or have very few - and you want something you can just open and use without reading a manual, it holds up well.

Where QuickBooks beats MYOB

• Much easier to use. QuickBooks has a modern interface that non-accountants can navigate comfortably. Most people are functional within a day. MYOB takes longer.
• Better mobile app. Create invoices, capture receipts, track mileage, check cash flow - it all works well from your phone. MYOB's app covers the basics and not much more.
• More integrations. 750+ apps including Shopify, Stripe, Deputy, and most major Australian platforms. If your industry has a specialist tool, it probably connects to QuickBooks.
• Shopify and ecommerce. The Shopify integration is clean and well-maintained. Good option for online retailers who need their sales data to flow through automatically.

Where QuickBooks falls short

• Payroll is an add-on. There's no getting around it - QuickBooks needs Employment Hero for Australian payroll, at $6/employee/month. For a business with 10 staff, that's $60/month on top of everything else.
• Inventory is limited. The stock tracking on Plus is fine for simple retail but won't cut it for manufacturing, wholesale, or anything needing lot or serial number tracking.
• Payroll lives in a second platform. QuickBooks handles BAS, STP, and super correctly, but payroll runs in Employment Hero rather than inside QuickBooks itself.
• Cloud only. That is now true of MYOB too, since AccountRight dropped its offline mode.

QuickBooks is probably the right call if you

• Are a sole trader or freelancer with no payroll to worry about
• Run an ecommerce business on Shopify or similar
• Want something easy to use without an accounts background
• Have a small team and ease of use matters more than the payroll cost difference

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature	MYOB	QuickBooks	Winner
Ease of use	Steep learning curve	Modern, intuitive	QuickBooks
Invoicing	Functional but dated	Clean and fast	QuickBooks
Bank reconciliation	Manual, more steps	Smart matching	QuickBooks
Inventory	Excellent - built-in depth	Basic (Plus+)	MYOB
Job costing	Comprehensive (AccountRight)	Available (Plus+)	MYOB
Payroll (included)	Yes (+$4.55/employee, Lite/Pro)	No (add-on $6/employee)	MYOB
Award interpretation	Not built in	Yes, on Advanced Payroll ($15/mo + $6/employee)	QuickBooks
Mobile app	Basic	Excellent	QuickBooks
Integrations	350+ apps	750+ apps	QuickBooks
Offline access	No (ended on AccountRight)	Cloud only	Neither
Support hours	Business hours	Business hours	Tie
Ecommerce (Shopify etc.)	Limited	Strong	QuickBooks
BAS / STP / Super	✓ Full compliance	✓ Full compliance	Tie
Reporting	Detailed, complex	Visual, easier to read	Tie

Which is better for your type of business?

Business type	Our pick	Why
Sole trader / freelancer	QuickBooks Simple Start	$32.72/mo, easy to use, no payroll complexity
Sole trader with payroll	MYOB Lite	$31.82 + $4.55/employee beats QB + Employment Hero
Small business (5+ employees)	MYOB Pro	Built-in payroll at $4.55/person vs QB's $6/person add-on
Builder / construction	MYOB AccountRight	Job costing on AccountRight
Manufacturer / wholesaler	MYOB AccountRight	Proper inventory - lot tracking, serial numbers, assemblies
Ecommerce / Shopify seller	QuickBooks	Best Shopify and ecommerce integrations
Service business (no staff)	QuickBooks Simple Start	Easy, affordable, good mobile app
Hospitality (complex awards)	QuickBooks with Advanced Payroll	Advanced Payroll ($15/mo + $6/employee) interprets Modern Awards; MYOB needs an add-on such as Tanda
Retailer (simple stock)	QuickBooks	Easier to use, connects well to POS and ecommerce
Retailer (complex inventory)	MYOB AccountRight	Multi-location stock, lot tracking, no add-on needed
Rural / poor internet	Either	Both need a connection now that MYOB has ended AccountRight's offline mode

Common questions

Our verdict

If you have staff, do the payroll maths before you choose. MYOB is cheaper for most Australian businesses with employees, though only just at three to five people. It's also the better product if you need real inventory management.

QuickBooks wins on usability. It's a cleaner product that's easier to learn, has a better mobile app, and connects to more software. For a sole trader or a small ecommerce business with no complicated payroll, it's a perfectly good choice.

One thing worth knowing: neither of these is the dominant accounting platform in Australia. Xero holds the largest share of the market, and most bookkeepers and accountants here work primarily in Xero. If you're not locked into either MYOB or QuickBooks yet, it's worth reading the MYOB vs Xero and Xero vs QuickBooks comparisons before deciding.

Start your free trial

Both platforms offer free trials - no credit card required to start.

StackPick may earn a commission if you subscribe through our links, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our recommendations. See our affiliate disclaimer.