Overview
QuickBooks Online is affordable cloud accounting from intuit with strong global reach. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mountain View, CA, USA, it serves Australian businesses.
Affordable cloud accounting from Intuit with strong global reach
AU Compliance Scores
BAS Lodgement5/5
STP Phase 25/5
Payday Super3/5
Modern Awards4/5
GST Handling5/5
Bank Feeds4/5
Modern Awards NoteAdvanced Payroll (powered by Employment Hero) includes full automated Modern Award interpretation — penalty rates, overtime rules, allowances, and automatic age/anniversary-based rate progressions. Available as add-on only, not in base plans.
Pricing (AUD inc. GST)
All prices below are in Australian dollars and include GST. Pricing verified as of 2026-03-17.
Simple Start
$33/mo
AUD inc GST
Entry-level plan with unlimited invoicing, basic expense tracking, and bank reconciliation. Single user only. Often advertised at $16.50/mo (50% off promo for first 3 months).
- Invoices: unlimited
- Bills: basic
- Bank Reconciliation: Yes
- Users: 1
Most Popular
Essentials
$55/mo
AUD inc GST
Adds full bill management, up to 3 users, and time tracking. Unlimited invoices and bills with bank reconciliation.
- Invoices: unlimited
- Bills: unlimited
- Bank Reconciliation: Yes
- Users: 3
Plus
$77/mo
AUD inc GST
Full-featured plan with inventory tracking, project profitability, up to 5 users, and budgeting. Suitable for growing businesses.
- Invoices: unlimited
- Bills: unlimited
- Bank Reconciliation: Yes
- Inventory: Yes
- Users: 5
Payroll add-on Advanced Payroll add-on available separately — includes STP Phase 2, Modern Award interpretation, and super management. Contact QuickBooks for pricing.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 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)
- Phone support at 1800 046 038 with Australian-based agents (Mon-Fri 8am-6:30pm AEST)
- STP Phase 2 compliant since February 2022 — one of the earliest adopters
- Advanced Payroll add-on (via Employment Hero) provides full Modern Award interpretation
- 750+ app integrations globally with growing AU marketplace
- 30-day free trial with full feature access, no credit card required
Cons
- Data hosting location unclear — Intuit won't confirm AU data centres, which is a concern for data sovereignty
- Bank feed coverage still catching up to Xero (50+) and MYOB (130+) — Big 4 confirmed, Open Banking expanding
- Advanced Payroll with Modern Awards is a paid add-on, not included in base plans
- Payday Super readiness not explicitly confirmed by Intuit for AU product
- US-owned company with global focus — AU-specific feature development may lag behind Xero and MYOB
- 50% promotional pricing can mislead on true ongoing cost ($33/mo, not $16.50/mo)
Bank Feed Compatibility
QuickBooks Online supports automatic bank feeds from expanding Australian financial institutions.
| Bank | Feed Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Bank | Direct | Active |
| Westpac | Direct | Active |
| ANZ | Direct | Active |
| NAB | Direct | Active |
Who Is QuickBooks Online Best For?
- Budget Conscious Small Business
- Sole Trader
- Simple Accounting
- Freelancer
QuickBooks Online may not be the best fit for:
- Data Sovereignty Required
- Complex Payroll Without Addon
- Large Team 10 Plus
QuickBooks Online Alternatives
If QuickBooks Online doesn’t quite fit your needs, consider these alternatives for Australian businesses:
- Xero — Australia's most popular cloud accounting platform. From $35/mo inc. GST.
- MYOB — Australia's original business management platform. From $35/mo inc. GST.
- FreshBooks — Invoicing-first accounting for freelancers and sole traders. From $27/mo inc. GST.
- Zoho Books — Affordable cloud accounting with a genuinely free plan. Free plan available.
- Reckon One — Australian-built cloud accounting with flat-rate payroll. From $24/mo inc. GST.
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Migration Guides
Step-by-step switching guides involving QuickBooks Online for Australian businesses.
ModerateModerateModerate
How to Migrate from QuickBooks to Xero
2-4 hours · 8 steps
How to Switch from Spreadsheets to Accounting Software
3-6 hours · 8 steps
How to Migrate from MYOB to QuickBooks
2-4 hours · 8 steps
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