Reckon Review Australia 2026: The Underrated Accounting Software Most Sites Ignore
Last updated: November 2026 · Prices verified from official AU vendor sites · Affiliate disclosure
Reckon is the most underrated accounting software in Australia. It's Australian-built, hosted on Australian servers, cheaper than Xero and MYOB, fully ATO-compliant, and covers everything a small business needs. The reason most people haven't heard of it: most review sites ignore it because Reckon doesn't run the same affiliate programs as the big three. This review gives it a fair look.
| Reckon at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $24.55/month ex GST (Reckon One Accounting Plus) |
| Payroll | Flat-rate add-on from $16.36/month, or included on the Ultimate plan |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Support | Phone and chat, 8:30am-7pm weekdays and 9am-4pm weekends |
| Data hosting | Australian servers |
| BAS / STP / Super | ✓ Full ATO compliance |
| Our rating | ★★★☆☆ |
Reckon products explained
Reckon One - cloud accounting (from $24.55/month)
Reckon One is the cloud accounting platform, comparable to Xero or MYOB Business. It's modular - you pay for the features you need. The base plan, Accounting Plus, is $24.55 a month and includes invoicing, bank feeds, BAS, GST, and reporting. Reckon's own pricing page says $27 because Reckon quotes prices including GST; every figure on this page is ex GST so it lines up with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks. Payroll is an additional module, or comes bundled on the Ultimate plan.
| Plan | Price/mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Plus | $24.55 | Invoicing, bank feeds, BAS, GST, reporting, unlimited users |
| Accounting Premium | $45.45 | Adds enhanced reporting and data visualisations |
| Ultimate | $83.64 | Unlimited payroll and inventory included |
| Payroll Essentials (up to 4 employees) | +$16.36 | STP Phase 2, super, leave management |
| Payroll Plus (up to 10 employees) | +$31.82 | STP Phase 2, super, leave management |
| Payroll Premium (unlimited employees) | +$59.09 | STP Phase 2, super, leave management |
Reckon Accounts Hosted - desktop in the cloud (from $92 per user per month)
Reckon Accounts Hosted is the cloud-hosted version of Reckon's desktop software - the Australian successor to QuickBooks Desktop (Reckon used to distribute QuickBooks in Australia before going independent). It's a full-featured desktop accounting package accessed through a browser, used by accounting firms and businesses with complex requirements. Reckon lists it at $92 per user per month, or $1,064 a year, and its page does not say whether that includes GST.
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Compare Reckon vs the big three
Reckon One starts at $24.55/month - cheaper than Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks. See the full cost comparison.
Try the calculator →What Reckon does well
Price
Reckon One at $24.55/month is the cheapest credible full accounting option from an established Australian provider. That's $12.45/month less than Xero Ignite. Over a year, that's $149.40 saved - not trivial for a micro business watching every dollar. Add payroll for up to 4 employees and you're at $40.91/month total. Reckon's flat-rate payroll ($16.36/month for up to 4 employees, $31.82 for up to 10, $59.09 for any number) doesn't scale per-head like QuickBooks or MYOB, which is a genuine advantage as your team grows.
Australian-built and hosted
Reckon was founded in Australia in 1987 and has operated here ever since. Its data is hosted on Australian servers - which matters for some businesses with data sovereignty requirements. It was built for the Australian tax system from day one, not adapted from a US or NZ product.
Full ATO compliance
Reckon handles everything required for Australian compliance: GST tracking, BAS lodgement, STP Phase 2, superannuation, and PAYG withholding. The compliance features are solid - this is not a cut-price product with cut-price compliance.
Unlimited users
Like Xero, Reckon One allows unlimited users at no extra cost. Add your accountant, bookkeeper, and business partner without paying per-user fees.
Where Reckon falls short
Small ecosystem
Reckon's integration ecosystem is significantly smaller than Xero's 1,000+ apps or MYOB's 350+. Mainstream tools like Shopify, Stripe, and Square don't have native Reckon integrations. If your business relies on third-party software connecting to your accounting platform, check carefully before choosing Reckon - there's a good chance your tools don't integrate.
Accountant preference
Most Australian bookkeepers and accountants work in Xero. Some work in MYOB. Very few specialise in Reckon. Finding a bookkeeper comfortable in it requires more effort, and some accountants charge more to work in a platform they don't use regularly. The $12.45/month saving over Xero can disappear quickly in higher accounting fees - worth checking with your accountant before committing.
Mobile app
Functional but basic compared to Xero's. If you run your business from your phone - invoicing on site, capturing receipts in the field - Xero's mobile experience is noticeably better.
Brand recognition and self-help resources
There are fewer tutorials, community forums, YouTube videos, and help articles for Reckon than for Xero or MYOB. Self-service problem solving is harder. This matters more than it sounds when you're stuck on a BAS question at 9pm with no one to call.
Who Reckon is right for
| Situation | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Budget is the primary concern | ✓ Cheapest credible option at $24.55/month |
| Simple business, no specialist software needed | ✓ Does everything you need |
| Paying a few employees and hate per-head fees | ✓ Flat $16.36/mo for up to 4 employees, no per-employee charges |
| Australian data sovereignty matters to you | ✓ Australian servers |
| Your accountant uses Reckon | ✓ Don't change what works |
| Need specialist integrations (Shopify, ServiceM8, etc.) | ✗ Check integrations before committing |
| Want 24/7 support | ✗ Seven days, but not around the clock |
| Hospitality, trade, medical, ecommerce | ✗ Xero has better ecosystem for these industries |
Reckon vs Xero - the honest comparison
On Reckon One vs Xero, most Australian small businesses are better off with Xero despite the higher price. The ecosystem, accountant preference, 24/7 support, and mobile app justify the extra $12.45/month for most situations. The exception is a genuinely simple business - a sole trader or micro business with no employees, no specialist software integrations, and an accountant who's comfortable with Reckon - where the $24.55/month price point and solid Australian compliance make it a legitimate choice.
Reckon vs MYOB
Reckon and MYOB are the two cheapest legitimate ways into Australian accounting software, and they beat each other at different headcounts.
With no employees Reckon is cheaper on monthly billing: Reckon One starts at $24.55 a month and MYOB Lite is $31.82. Pay both yearly and it is $22.58 a month on Reckon against $23.86 on MYOB Lite, and a gap of $1.28 is not a reason to choose one over the other.
The gap opens once you pay people, because the two charge on different logic. MYOB adds $4.55 per employee per month on top of the plan, and MYOB Lite caps at two employees, so a third hire moves you to MYOB Business Pro at $63.64 a month plus the same $4.55 a head. Reckon charges a flat payroll add-on by employee band rather than per person: $16.36 for up to four, $31.82 for up to 10 and $59.09 for any number, so its cost per employee falls as the team grows.
On monthly billing that makes MYOB cheaper with one employee, $36.36 against Reckon's $40.91, and puts the two level with two, both at $40.91. Pay MYOB yearly and Lite plus payroll is $28.41 or $32.95, further ahead again. From the third employee Reckon pulls ahead and stays there: $40.91 against $77.27 on MYOB Business Pro at three staff, $56.37 against $109.09 at 10, and $83.64 against $113.64 at 11. An earlier version of this review said Reckon's payroll stopped at 10 employees. It no longer does. Payroll Premium covers any number of staff, and the Ultimate plan at $83.64 bundles unlimited payroll and inventory. MYOB AccountRight Plus also includes unlimited payroll, but at $150 a month it never gets near Reckon on price.
So MYOB Lite if you pay one or two people, Reckon on price from three upward, and MYOB if your bookkeeper works in it or you need its larger app ecosystem. Both vendors' prices were checked at their own pricing pages in November 2026. Reckon quotes prices including GST, so its $27, $18, $35 and $65 appear here as $24.55, $16.36, $31.82 and $59.09 ex GST. Reckon raised those prices in November 2026 (first seen on its page on 9 November), which moved the one-employee verdict from a tie to MYOB; this section was updated on 11 November. MYOB's page also includes GST, so its $70 for Pro appears here as $63.64 and its $5 payroll as $4.55.
Common questions
Is Reckon as good as Xero?
For core accounting tasks - invoicing, bank reconciliation, BAS, GST - Reckon One is genuinely comparable to Xero. The gap is in ecosystem (integrations), mobile experience, support hours, and accountant familiarity. If your needs are simple, the quality difference is smaller than the price difference suggests. If your needs include specialist integrations or you want your bookkeeper to know the platform inside out, Xero is worth the extra cost.
What happened to QuickBooks Australia - is it Reckon now?
Reckon used to distribute QuickBooks in Australia under licence from Intuit. When that arrangement ended, Reckon developed its own software - first Reckon Accounts (desktop, based on the old QuickBooks codebase) and later Reckon One (a modern cloud platform built from scratch). So Reckon Accounts Hosted has heritage from the old QuickBooks, but Reckon One is an independent product. Intuit now distributes QuickBooks Online directly in Australia.
Does Reckon support STP Phase 2?
Yes - Reckon's payroll add-on is STP Phase 2 compliant. Single Touch Payroll reporting to the ATO, superannuation calculations, and PAYG withholding are all handled correctly. Reckon is an established ATO-registered software provider.
See your real monthly cost
Compare Reckon, Xero and MYOB on price and features for your business size.
Try the cost calculator →Reckon offers a 30-day free trial on Reckon One. Cancel before the trial ends and you won't be charged.
See also: Best accounting software Australia · Xero review · MYOB review · QuickBooks review
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