Xero vs MYOB vs QuickBooks for Australian small business (2026)

Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks all do the job for an Australian small business. They all have bank feeds, BAS lodging and payroll in some form. The differences are in what each plan leaves out, how payroll is charged and which price you pay once the intro deal ends.

Every price here is from their own Australian pricing pages, monthly with GST, as at October 2026. Prices change, so check theirs before you sign up.

Xero vs MYOB vs QuickBooks at a glanceLink to this section

The table puts their cheapest paid plans and features side by side, with the sources. It includes Billbook too, so you can see where we fit.

Who is Xero best for?Link to this section

Xero suits a business that wants live bank feeds, BAS lodging and stock tracking on every plan. If your accountant already works in Xero, that helps when you hand over the books.

The thing to watch is what the cheapest plan leaves out. Ignite ($37 a month as at October 2026) allows 20 invoices and 5 bills a month and has payroll for 1 person. Busy months push you up to Grow ($78), which has unlimited invoices and bills. Multi-currency starts on Comprehensive ($107), and projects on Ultimate. Xero's prices went up on 1 July 2026.

Full detail: Billbook vs Xero.

Who is MYOB best for?Link to this section

MYOB has the widest spread, from a phone app to desktop software. Solo ($11 a month as at October 2026) is a phone app for sole traders. It tracks GST but doesn't lodge your BAS or run payroll. MYOB Business Lite ($35) and Business Pro ($70) are the usual small business plans. AccountRight Plus and Premier suit businesses with lots of stock or jobs, and anyone who wants desktop software as well as the browser.

Things to check on MYOB:

• Business Lite connects up to 2 bank accounts. Business Pro connects any number.
• Stock is in 1 location on Business Lite and Pro, and unlimited stock is a $22 a month add-on.
• Multi-currency is on AccountRight Premier only ($210).

Full detail: Billbook vs MYOB.

Who is QuickBooks best for?Link to this section

QuickBooks suits a business that wants a simple start and room to grow, with users counted per plan. Simple Start ($33 a month as at October 2026) is for 1 user plus your accountant, with bank feeds, receipt capture and BAS lodging. It doesn't have bills and supplier management, which start on Essentials ($60, 3 users), along with multi-currency. Stock tracking and projects start on Plus ($84).

Full detail: Billbook vs QuickBooks.

How much does payroll cost in each?Link to this section

Payroll is where the three differ most, and where costs creep as you hire.

• Xero includes payroll by headcount: 1 person on Ignite, 2 on Grow, 5 on Comprehensive and 10 or more on the Ultimate plans. Hire a third person on Grow and you move up a plan.

1. 1Ignite$37
2. 2Grow$78
3. 5Comprehensive$107
4. 10Ultimate 10$143
5. 20Ultimate 20$180
6. 50Ultimate 50$250

• Ignite: payroll for 1 person, $37 a month.
• Grow: payroll for 2 people, $78 a month.
• Comprehensive: payroll for 5 people, $107 a month.
• Ultimate 10: payroll for 10 people, $143 a month.
• Ultimate 20: payroll for 20 people, $180 a month.
• Ultimate 50: payroll for 50 people, $250 a month.

• MYOB Business Lite (up to 2 employees) and Business Pro charge $3 a month for each employee paid. That rises to $5 from 1 November 2026. The AccountRight plans have no per-employee fee.
• QuickBooks payroll is an add-on, powered by Employment Hero, at $6 a month for each employee paid, on top of your plan.

Say you pay three staff. On Xero that's Comprehensive ($107), since Grow covers 2. On MYOB it's Business Pro ($70) plus three employees at $5 from November. On QuickBooks it's your plan plus three employees at $6. All as at October 2026, at standard prices.

What about stock and multi-currency?Link to this section

Stock tracking. Xero has it on every plan. MYOB has 1 location on Business Lite and Pro (unlimited stock is an add-on), unlimited stock on AccountRight Plus and unlimited locations on Premier. QuickBooks starts on Plus.

Multi-currency, for invoicing or paying in other currencies. Xero has it from Comprehensive, QuickBooks from Essentials, and MYOB on AccountRight Premier only.

If you sell overseas or import stock, these two lines can decide the plan for you, so price the plan you'll actually need, not the cheapest one.

What are the price traps?Link to this section

• Invoice caps. Xero Ignite allows 20 invoices and 5 bills a month. Grow and up have no limit.
• Per-employee payroll fees. MYOB's goes from $3 to $5 an employee from 1 November 2026. QuickBooks charges $6 an employee.
• Intro deals. All three offer new customers a discount or trial. Xero's runs until 2 November 2026, for example. Budget for the standard price, because that's what you'll pay from then on.
• Features further up the range. Bills start on QuickBooks Essentials, none of the three has multi-currency on its cheapest plan, and MYOB Business Lite connects only 2 bank accounts.

Where does Billbook fit?Link to this section

Billbook is accounting software with a free plan that isn't a trial. Invoices and bills are unlimited, and multi-currency and stock tracking are free too.

• Your bank lines come in from a statement file (CSV or OFX), and bank rules and Find matches do most of the reconciling.
• Your BAS is worked out from your books. You lodge it yourself in the ATO's online services and record it in Billbook. Our guide on lodging your BAS yourself walks through it.
• Your payouts from Shopify, Square, PayPal and Afterpay come in from their files, free. See how to record payouts.

Everything it does is on the features page.

How do I switch?Link to this section

From any of the three, export your trial balance and general ledger (or the nearest reports) and drop them into Billbook. It brings across your accounts, balances and history, and checks the totals match to the cent. Customers, suppliers and products can come in from spreadsheets.

Our switch pages cover each one, starting with switching from Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks. The step by step is in the help docs: move from other software. Prices for everything are on our pricing page, and every comparison is on compare.