Xero vs MYOB for Australian businesses and the firms that serve them

Prices on 8 November 2026

These are the regular prices after any introductory offer (Xero AU pricing, MYOB AU pricing). Xero says its prices are in AUD and include GST. MYOB's pricing page, and the offer terms we read, don't say either way, so ask before you compare totals. Both were running new-customer discounts: Xero 80% off the first three months, MYOB between 60% and 70% off for three to twelve months depending on the plan.

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Here's a worked example. Take a business with six employees that needs BAS and payroll but no stock. On Xero, Comprehensive covers five people paid. The page says extra charges may apply above that but doesn't price them, so the clean fit is Ultimate 10 at $143 a month. On MYOB, Pro is $70 plus six employees at $5, which is $100 a month. AccountRight Plus is $165 with payroll included. Check GST on the MYOB figures before you decide on the gap.

Payroll and STP

Xero says its payroll is STP Phase 2 compliant, sends super to funds electronically, and prices payroll on employees included each calendar month (Xero Payroll). MYOB says its payroll reports to the ATO through STP. It also points to its Pay Super setting for the rule that, from 1 July 2026, employers pay super at the same time as wages (MYOB Payroll).

BAS lodgement and bank feeds

Every Xero plan, Ignite included, lists "Track GST and lodge BAS". On MYOB, Lite, Pro, Plus and Premier lodge BAS; Solo tracks GST only. MYOB also lists an AI BAS tool, marked beta.

Xero gets bank data from over 21,000 financial institutions, read-only, with the refresh frequency set by the bank and connection type (Xero bank feeds). Its pricing FAQ also mentions "a chargeable direct bank feed", so ask whether your client's bank is one. MYOB Lite allows up to two bank accounts; Pro and AccountRight allow unlimited.

User roles and MFA

Xero's pricing page says no per-user licence fees. In July 2026 Xero renamed its roles. Advisor is now Administrator, Read Only is now Viewer, Invoice Only became four sales and purchases roles, and Standard kept its name. Custom roles don't exist yet (Xero blog, user permissions). MFA has been mandatory for Xero users in Australia since 2018, and for invited users in every region since the end of 2021. People who never log in, such as employees on payroll, are exempt (Xero MFA FAQ).

MYOB's paid plans include unlimited user profiles. Each user has a type (Owner, Online admin, Advisor, File user). Roles limit what they see: Administrator, Accountant/Bookkeeper, Sales, Purchases, Payroll, Banking and Contacts, plus a Field role for the mobile app. Most roles can be set to read only (MYOB manage users). MYOB recommends passkeys, or app 2FA with SMS as backup, and says email 2FA will be phased out in 2027 (MYOB security). Its security page doesn't say 2FA is compulsory.

Inventory

Xero's stock control page says it tracks up to 4,000 finished items (Xero stock control). MYOB Lite and Pro track one location with up to 10 product attributes, and unlimited inventory is a $22 a month add-on. AccountRight Plus adds stocktake and unlimited inventory. Multiple locations need Premier.

Apps

Xero has the Xero App Store. MYOB lists add-ons on its App Marketplace and reviews each one before listing (MYOB developer program). List the apps you already run and check each connects to the plan you're looking at.

Desktop or cloud

Xero's pricing page lists online plans only, and its page for advisors moving clients across is headed "Help your clients move off desktop". MYOB Lite and Pro run in the browser. AccountRight Plus and Premier run on desktop and in the browser. MYOB says you need a Windows computer for setup and for some features, such as multiple currencies, advanced inventory and time billing (MYOB AccountRight).

What changed this year: from 17 June 2026, AccountRight PC Edition no longer supports offline company files. Server Edition is now the only way to open an offline file, and MYOB says it won't receive bug fixes, security updates or new features and may stop working entirely. MYOB recommends moving files online as soon as practical (MYOB, install AccountRight). If a client still runs an offline file, that is a job for this quarter.

Moving between Xero and MYOB

From MYOB to Xero, Xero works with Jet Convert. Its advisor page says you get the Xero subscription, converted data and a checklist within a few business days (Xero conversion for advisors). Jet Convert's listing says many standard conversions are free under a Xero subsidy, with extended transaction history as an extra (Jet Convert on the Xero App Store). Going the other way, MYOB's partner program lists free competitor SME migrations for partners. Either way, agree the trial balance in both files at a cut-over date at the end of a BAS period.

Who each one tends to suit

These are conditions, not verdicts:

• If your payroll headcount is stable and inside a plan band, Xero suits, because each price includes a set number of people paid.
• If your headcount moves around or is small, MYOB Pro charges $5 a month per employee, so you pay for who you have.
• If you hold stock in more than one location, in MYOB that means Premier. Xero tracks up to 4,000 finished items, so past that, or for warehouses, price an inventory app too.
• If someone on the team wants a Windows desktop app, only MYOB AccountRight has one, and the file now has to be online.
• If your accountant or bookkeeper runs one of the two across most clients, that usually decides it, because their templates and trained staff sit there.

Partner programs and offshore staff for accounting firms

Xero's partner program is free. It needs at least one registered accountant at the practice and a staff member who completes Xero advisor certification within 30 days. Status runs Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum (Xero partner program). Partner Hub is included. Tax and Workpapers is free from Bronze. Practice Management is free from Silver and $163.90 a month for Bronze partners and new practices (Xero Partner Hub).

MYOB has four tiers, from Purple up to Diamond. Partners get MYOB Practice Compliance free, covering transaction processing and BAS lodgement, plus one free MYOB Business Pro file for the practice. You take either a wholesale discount of 15% to 30% or a commission of 10% to 17.5%, rising with tier (MYOB partner program).

Both let an offshore bookkeeper have a named login with limited access. In Xero, Standard does the day-to-day work and Administrator stays with your own people. We set this out step by step in how to onboard an offshore bookkeeper in Xero. In MYOB, the practice is the Advisor; invite the bookkeeper as a File user, who can't invite anyone, with the Accountant/Bookkeeper role or narrower. On MYOB plans that charge payroll fees, the Administrator, Accountant/Bookkeeper and Payroll roles can incur them, so decide who runs pays. The rest of the stack is in a cloud accounting stack for an offshore team.

Questions

Is MYOB desktop still available?

Yes. AccountRight Plus and Premier still have a Windows app. Since 17 June 2026, the PC Edition only opens online company files. Offline files need Server Edition, which MYOB no longer maintains.

Does either charge per user?

Neither charges for logins. Xero does charge $5 or $7 for each expenses or projects user above the plan's number. Both charge for payroll by people paid, in different ways.

Next step

If you're weighing up a move, or setting up an offshore bookkeeper in either one, book a call with me. Our team works inside your own file with named logins, and your firm reviews and lodges. You can read how our outsourced bookkeeping service, the Offshore finance desk, works, or how we work with clients week to week.