MYOB vs FreshBooks — Australia 2026
MYOB vs FreshBooks for Australian business. Compare BAS lodgement, STP compliance, Modern Award support, data hosting & AU pricing.
Quick Verdict
MYOB for AU compliance, FreshBooks for simple invoicing
FreshBooks suits freelancers who mostly need invoicing and time tracking, but it lacks BAS lodgement, Modern Award payroll, and AU-hosted data. MYOB covers full AU compliance including STP Phase 2, BAS via SBR, and integrated payroll with award interpretation. For any GST-registered Australian business, MYOB is the clear choice.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MYOB | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Melbourne, VIC | Toronto, Canada |
| Entry Price | $35/mo | $27/mo |
| BAS Lodgement | Direct BAS lodgement to the ATO via Standard Business Reporting (SBR). Prepare, review, and lodge BAS within MYOB. Supports quarterly and monthly BAS reporting. | FreshBooks does not support direct BAS lodgement to the ATO. You'll need to export GST data and lodge manually via the ATO portal, MyGov, or through your accountant. Not suitable for businesses wanting integrated BAS from their accounting software. |
| STP Phase 2 | compliant | not_supported |
| Payday Super | ready | n/a |
| Modern Awards | MYOB updates award libraries when Fair Work changes rates, but changes must be manually re-applied to employee setup. Deep award interpretation (auto-calculation of penalty rates, overtime, and allowances) requires third-party add-on like QuokkaWorks Award Interpreter from the MYOB marketplace. | No Australian payroll features — Modern Award interpretation is not available in FreshBooks. |
| Bank Feeds | Big 4 + 130+ banks | limited banks |
| Data Hosting | AU | US and EU |
| AU Support Hours | Mon-Fri 7am-7pm AEST | Limited — approximately 7pm-3am AEDT (corresponds to North American business hours) |
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | 350+ apps | 100+ apps |
Pricing Comparison (AUD, Mar 2026)
MYOB Plans
Lite
$35/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bills: basic
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: Yes
Most Popular
Pro
$70/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bills: unlimited
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: Yes
AccountRight Plus
$165/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bills: unlimited
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: Yes
- ✓Multi Currency: Yes
- ✓Inventory: Yes
- ✓Time Billing: Yes
FreshBooks Plans
Lite
$27/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Clients: 5
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: No
Most Popular
Plus
$47/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Clients: 50
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: Yes
Premium
$77/mo
AUD inc GST
- ✓Clients: unlimited
- ✓Invoices: unlimited
- ✓Bank Reconciliation: Yes
- ✓Project Profitability: Yes
AU Compliance Scores
How we scoreScores are out of 5 and reflect depth of compliance support, ease of setup, and ongoing reliability for Australian businesses. Assessed March 2026.
MYOB
BAS Lodgement5/5
STP Phase 25/5
Payday Super5/5
Modern Awards3/5
GST Handling5/5
Bank Feeds5/5
FreshBooks
BAS Lodgement2/5
STP Phase 21/5
Payday Super0/5
Modern Awards0/5
GST Handling3/5
Bank Feeds2/5
Pros & Cons
MYOB
Pros
- 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
- Direct BAS lodgement to ATO via Standard Business Reporting (SBR)
- Payday Super already available to switch on ahead of the July 2026 deadline
- Genuinely Australian-owned, Australian-hosted, Australian-supported
- 14-day free trial to test before committing
- Annual billing discount available (e.g., Pro drops from $70 to $52.50/mo)
Cons
- Smaller app marketplace (350+ vs Xero's 1,000+) — fewer third-party integrations
- Modern Award interpretation requires third-party add-on (QuokkaWorks) for full automation
- AccountRight Plus is expensive at $165/mo for multi-currency and inventory features
- UI feels less modern and polished compared to Xero
- Market share declining — now approximately 20-25% vs Xero's dominant position
- Shorter free trial (14 days vs Xero's 30 days)
FreshBooks
Pros
- 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
- Phone support available at +61 1800 595452 (during North American business hours)
- 30-day free trial with full feature access, no credit card required
- Unlimited clients on Premium plan — scales well for growing freelancers
- Multi-currency invoicing for international freelancers
Cons
- No direct BAS lodgement to the ATO — a major gap for Australian compliance
- No Australian payroll, STP Phase 2, or superannuation features — not for employers
- Limited Australian bank feed coverage — relies on third-party aggregators
- Data hosted in US and EU (Google Cloud) — not AU data sovereign
- Support operates during North American hours (7pm-3am AEDT) — poor for AU daytime issues
- Prices have increased three times since early 2025 — ongoing cost uncertainty
- Lite plan has no bank reconciliation — limiting for actual bookkeeping
Who Should Choose MYOB
MYOB is best suited for businesses that need employer with payroll, phone support needed, au owned preference.
Choose MYOB if you are:
- Employer With Payroll
- Phone Support Needed
- Au Owned Preference
- Hospitality
- Retail
Who Should Choose FreshBooks
FreshBooks is best suited for businesses that need freelancer, sole trader invoicing, consultant.
Choose FreshBooks if you are:
- Freelancer
- Sole Trader Invoicing
- Consultant
- International Freelancer
- Simple Invoicing