Choosing Accounting Software in Australia
Picking accounting software in Australia isn’t just about features and price — it’s about ATO compliance and local suitability. We rate every product against AU-specific requirements first, then look at usability, integrations, and value for money. All prices listed are in AUD inclusive of GST and were verified directly with each vendor in March 2026.
Top Pick — Best Overall
Xero
Australia's most popular cloud accounting platform
- Australia's most widely-used accounting platform — your accountant almost certainly knows it
- Deepest bank feed coverage with 50+ AU banks including all Big 4 (CBA, NAB, Westpac, ANZ)
- Direct BAS lodgement to ATO via Standard Business Reporting (SBR) — no need for the ATO portal
From $35/mo inc GST · Read full Xero review →
Runner-Up — Best for Established Businesses
MYOB
Australia's original business management platform
- Australian phone support at 1300 555 666 (Mon-Fri 7am-7pm AEST) — Xero doesn't offer this
- Payroll for unlimited employees included in Pro plan ($70/mo) — no per-employee add-on cost
- 130+ Australian bank feed connections — one of the broadest coverages available
From $35/mo inc GST · Read full MYOB review →
Budget Pick — Best Value Entry Point
QuickBooks Online
Affordable cloud accounting from Intuit with strong global reach
- Cheapest major accounting platform — Simple Start at $33/mo with unlimited invoices (vs Xero Ignite at $35/mo with 20-invoice limit)
- Frequent 50% off promotions — often $16.50/mo for first 3 months
- Direct BAS lodgement to ATO via SBR (often incorrectly reported as export-only by other sites)
From $33/mo inc GST · Read full QuickBooks Online review →
#4 Pick
FreshBooks
Invoicing-first accounting for freelancers and sole traders
- Best invoicing experience in the market — professional templates, automated reminders, online payments via Stripe/PayPal
- Easiest accounting platform to learn — intuitive interface designed for non-accountants
- Built-in time tracking with one-click conversion to invoices — ideal for hourly billing
From $27/mo inc GST · Read full FreshBooks review →
#5 Pick
Zoho Books
Affordable cloud accounting with a genuinely free plan
- Genuinely free plan for businesses under $50K revenue — not just a trial, actually free with bank reconciliation and GST tracking
- Cheapest paid plans among major platforms — Standard from $16.50/mo (annual), dramatically less than Xero ($75/mo) or MYOB ($70/mo)
- Australian data centres in Sydney and Melbourne — genuine AU data sovereignty with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification
From $0/mo inc GST · Read full Zoho Books review →
#6 Pick
Reckon One
Australian-built cloud accounting with flat-rate payroll
- Flat-rate payroll pricing — up to 10 employees for $32/month, not per-employee like Xero or MYOB
- Genuinely Australian-built and ASX-listed (RKN) — incorporated 1987, HQ in North Sydney
- All data hosted on AWS Sydney with AES-256 encryption — full data sovereignty
From $24/mo inc GST · Read full Reckon One review →