MYOB vs Xero (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MYOB and Xero share a 2.6 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where MYOB grades higher, or ease of use, where Xero does.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MYOB
Australian accounting, GST, BAS and payroll software
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
Which one is for you
Pick MYOB if
- Fits if you're an Australian small business that needs GST, BAS and Single Touch Payroll
- Works for sole traders who want a phone-only app and a business bank account
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're outside Australia, as prices are Australian dollars and the tax is GST and BAS
- Pricey if you need Windows software: AccountRight Plus is A$165 a month at renewal
- Watch out: payroll is A$5 a month per employee on Lite and Pro
- Watch out: unlimited inventory is an A$22 a month add-on
- Watch out: the offer prices run only for the first 3 to 6 months
Pick Xero if
- Fits if your accountant already works in Xero
- Works for businesses where several staff and advisers need to be in the books, as users are unlimited
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you send more than 20 invoices or enter more than 5 bills, since that's where Early stops
- Watch out: the advertised prices are 80% off for 3 months only, then $27, $59 or $97 a month
- Pricey if you need US payroll, at $36 a month plus $6 a person on top
- Pricey if you bill in other currencies, which need Established at $97, or want auto-reconcile on Early, a $5 add-on
- Skip it if you want a free plan to start on, as there isn't one, and taking the free month costs you the discount
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMYOBGood | 2.6GPAXeroGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CA$35 a month for Lite and A$70 for Pro at renewal, after 3 to 6 months at an offer price, with Solo at A$11. Roughly the middle of the category. | CEarly is $27 a month, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, and it stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills. No limits means Growing at $59. Users are unlimited on every plan, so a team costs no more. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial on Pro and AccountRight Plus only. No free plan, and no trial is listed for Solo or Lite. | COne month free on any plan, but you give up the 80%-off-for-3-months offer to take it. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed for the trial. |
| Features | BGST and BAS, invoicing, payments, payroll, bank reconciliation, inventory and AI features. Payroll and extra inventory cost add-ons, but the job is covered. | BBank reconciliation, invoices and quotes, Tap to Pay, bill capture, free ACH bill payments, cash flow forecasts, Syft analytics, the JAX assistant and Gusto payroll. Multiple currencies need Established, but the whole job is here. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You'll connect banks and set up payroll and GST before it saves time. | B4.65 from 1,689 App Store ratings, just under the top band. Auto-reconcile, which takes away the most clicking, is part of Growing and Established and a $5 a month add-on on Early. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows desktop software on AccountRight Plus, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, Square and Salesforce. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus an app store with Gusto, Stripe, Syft, Dext, A2X and Mercury. There's no desktop app, which is what keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | Australian GST, BAS and payroll | small businesses that work with an accountant |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: MYOB and Xero. How we grade
Where they differ
- MYOB also covers inventory.
At a glance
| MYOB | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | A$11 per month for Solo, after a first-3-month offer (A$99 a year if paid yearly) | $27 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial on Pro and AccountRight Plus | One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MYOB | Xero Limited |
| Price read from | myob.com | xero.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MYOB
- Prices are Australian dollars from the Australian site; the page's own offers cut the first months well below the renewal price.
- Payroll costs A$5 a month per employee on Lite and Pro, and unlimited inventory is a A$22 a month add-on.
- Solo is for one user at a time and runs only as a phone app.
- AccountRight Plus and Premier include software to download on Windows computers; Premier pricing is not shown on this page.
Xero
- The advertised prices are 80% off for the first 3 months; plans then renew at $27, $59 or $97 a month.
- Early stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills, and its graphs and cash flow forecast are the basic ones.
- US payroll costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor, and is not offered to Xero's US mobile-only subscribers.
- These are US prices; Xero sells in other countries, including New Zealand, Australia and the UK, on separate regional sites.
Key features
MYOB
- GST and BAS
- Lite, Pro and AccountRight Plus track GST and lodge BAS; Solo tracks GST only. An AI BAS tool is in beta.
- Invoicing and payments
- Send unlimited quotes and invoices, take online payments, and use Tap to Pay on Solo, which carries a per-transaction fee.
- Payroll
- Single Touch Payroll, superannuation and leave are handled in payroll, charged at A$5 a month per employee on Lite and Pro.
- Bank connections and reconciliation
- Connect up to 2 bank accounts on Solo and Lite, and unlimited ones on Pro and AccountRight Plus.
- Inventory
- Lite and above track inventory at one location; unlimited inventory is a A$22 monthly add-on on Lite and Pro.
- AI features
- The page lists Ask Iris, smart reconciliation and invoice reminders; several are marked beta or limited to certain plans.
Xero
- Bank reconciliation
- Match bank transactions to invoices and bills. Auto-reconcile is part of Growing and Established, and a $5 a month add-on on Early.
- Invoices, quotes and online payments
- Send invoices and quotes with a payment service attached, and take card payments in person with Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android.
- Bills and Smart Document Capture
- Bills and receipts are pulled into Xero from documents, and standard ACH bill payments in US dollars are included on every plan.
- Cash flow forecasts and analytics
- Forecasts run 30, 60 or 180 days ahead depending on the plan, and Syft analytics, dashboards and health scorecards are built in.
- JAX assistant
- Xero's AI assistant answers questions about the business's numbers and handles routine bookkeeping tasks.
- Xero Payroll, powered by Gusto
- Full-service payroll that calculates, files and pays federal and state taxes across all 50 states, without leaving Xero.
Plans
MYOB
SoloA$11
per month at renewal, after a 3-month offer (A$99 a year)
Phone-only app for one sole trader: unlimited quotes and invoices, GST tracking, Tap to Pay and a business bank account. First 12 months A$12 on yearly billing.
LiteA$35
per month at renewal, after a 6-month offer (A$315 a year)
Browser-based, up to 2 bank accounts, GST and BAS lodgement; payroll for up to 2 employees at A$5 a month each.
ProA$70
per month at renewal, after a 6-month offer (A$630 a year)
Unlimited bank accounts and users, standard reports and orders; payroll is A$5 a month per employee.
AccountRight PlusA$165
per month at renewal, after a 3-month offer
Adds Windows desktop software, comprehensive reports, unlimited payroll at no extra cost and priority support.
Payroll OnlyA$20
per month at renewal, after a 3-month offer
Standalone payroll for up to 4 employees with Single Touch Payroll reporting to the ATO; first 3 months A$2 a month.
Xero
Early$27
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $5.40 a month for the first 3 months. Quotes, 20 invoices, 5 bills, bank reconciliation, sales tax and a 30-day cash flow forecast.
Growing$59
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $11.80 a month for the first 3 months. No invoice or bill limits, auto-reconcile, dashboards, budgets and a 60-day forecast.
Established$97
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $19.40 a month for the first 3 months. Adds multiple currencies, project time and costs, expense claims and a 180-day forecast.
Ways to pay less
MYOB
- Other savings
Solo: A$12 for the first year
New buyers of Solo on yearly billing pay A$12 for the first 12 months, then A$99 a year.
- Other savings
Lite and Pro first-term discounts
Lite is 50% off for 6 months on monthly billing, or 70% off the first year on yearly; Pro is 70% off for the first 6 months.
- Other savings
Plus and Payroll Only introductory prices
AccountRight Plus is 60% off for the first 3 months, and Payroll Only is A$2 a month for the first 3 months.
Xero
- Other savings
80% off the first 3 months
New US customers buying their first organization pay 20% of the base plan price for 3 months, then the regular monthly price. Add-ons are not discounted.
- Other savings
Two months of Xero Payroll free
Xero's payroll page offers two months free to try Xero Payroll, which then costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MYOB or Xero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MYOB starts at A$11 per month for Solo, after a first-3-month offer (A$99 a year if paid yearly), and Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, MYOB or Xero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither MYOB nor Xero has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do MYOB and Xero run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only MYOB lists a Windows app. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.