MYOB vs KeyPay — Australia 2026
MYOB vs KeyPay payroll comparison for AU businesses. Modern Award interpretation, STP Phase 2, Payday Super status & pricing.
Quick Verdict
Both excel at Modern Awards; KeyPay edges on Payday Super
MYOB and KeyPay both score 5/5 on Modern Award auto-interpretation, but KeyPay is confirmed Payday Super ready while MYOB is still roadmapped for Q2 2026. KeyPay's per-employee pricing ($4/employee/mo) can be cheaper than MYOB's bundled plans for smaller teams, and its direct super clearing house is well-regarded by accountants. MYOB wins if you want payroll integrated with accounting and phone support.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MYOB | KeyPay |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Melbourne, VIC | Sydney, NSW |
| Entry Price | $35/mo | $4/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. | Payroll-only — BAS via accounting integration (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks) |
| STP Phase 2 | compliant | compliant |
| Payday Super | ready | ready |
| 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. | Industry-leading Modern Award auto-interpretation with pre-built Awards covering hospitality, retail, healthcare, aged care, cleaning, manufacturing, and more. Automatically calculates correct base rates, penalty rates, overtime, allowances, and leave loading based on employee classification and hours. Auto-updates when Fair Work changes Award rates. Requires Plus plan ($6/employee/month). |
| Bank Feeds | Big 4 + 130+ banks | N/A |
| Data Hosting | AU | AU |
| AU Support Hours | Mon-Fri 7am-7pm AEST | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST |
| Phone Support | Yes | No |
| Integrations | 350+ apps | 30+ 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
KeyPay Plans
Standard
$4/mo
per employee
- ✓Employees: unlimited
- ✓Clients: unlimited
Most Popular
Plus
$6/mo
per employee
- ✓Employees: unlimited
- ✓Clients: unlimited
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
KeyPay
BAS Lodgement0/5
STP Phase 25/5
Payday Super5/5
Modern Awards5/5
GST Handling0/5
Bank Feeds0/5
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)
KeyPay
Pros
- Best-in-class Modern Award auto-interpretation covering 100+ Awards with auto-rate updates — eliminates the #1 source of payroll errors
- STP Phase 2 compliant (ATO-certified since June 2022) and confirmed Payday Super ready for July 2026
- Multi-client dashboard purpose-built for accountants/bookkeepers managing 20+ client payrolls from a single login
- Automated super payments to all major AU funds via built-in KeyPay Super clearing house — no third-party gateway
- Transparent per-employee pricing: $4/employee (Standard) or $6/employee (Plus with Awards) — no hidden fees or minimums
- AU-made, AU-hosted (AWS Sydney), ISO 27001 certified, with mandatory 2FA and encrypted data at rest
Cons
- Payroll-only — no invoicing, BAS lodgement, or general accounting; requires Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks alongside
- No phone support on any plan — email and chat only during Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST business hours
- Per-employee pricing adds up for larger teams: 50 employees on Plus = $300/month, 100 employees = $600/month
- UI is functional but dated compared to modern SaaS design — the interface prioritises capability over aesthetics
- Now part of Employment Hero — long-term product direction and potential feature consolidation creates strategic uncertainty for standalone KeyPay customers
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 KeyPay
KeyPay is best suited for businesses that need accountant bookkeeper, multi client payroll, complex modern awards.
Choose KeyPay if you are:
- Accountant Bookkeeper
- Multi Client Payroll
- Complex Modern Awards
- Hospitality Payroll