Xero vs MYOB (2026): Which Is Better for Your Business?

MYOB is cheaper than Xero once you employ people, and its Lite and Pro plans suit owners who want a low price and unlimited invoices. Xero is the better choice if you rely on connected apps, trade in foreign currencies or want payroll included without a per-employee fee. With five employees, MYOB Pro costs $930 a year on annual billing and Xero Comprehensive $1,284 (standard prices, October 2026).

Verdict based on the published prices and plan limits below, checked on xero.com/au and myob.com/au on 18 October 2026. ASBG has no commercial relationship with either vendor and has not tested them hands-on.

Name the MYOB product first

"MYOB" needs a product name before the comparison is useful. MYOB Business Lite and Pro are browser products. AccountRight Plus and Premier add a Windows workflow and different operational capabilities. Solo is a phone-only app for sole traders that tracks GST but does not lodge BAS, and MYOB says it cannot be changed to another plan later.

Choose the named plan that covers your invoices, employees, bank accounts, currencies and stock. There is no reliable rule that one brand is always cheaper or automatically keeps every business compliant. For full price lists, see our Xero pricing guide and MYOB pricing guide.

Xero vs MYOB: 15-point comparison

Prices in AUD including GST, checked 18 October 2026. "Edge" is ASBG's judgement on that row alone.

What does each cost a year at 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 staff?

Illustrative, prices including GST checked 18 October 2026. MYOB includes payroll at $5 per employee a month, the rate from 1 November 2026, billed monthly even on annual billing. MYOB's annual offer is 70% off Lite or 50% off Pro for the first 12 months, and payroll is never discounted. Xero's offer discounts the base plan only. Base plans only; excludes add-ons and payment fees.

At standard prices MYOB is $129 a year cheaper with no staff (Lite against Ignite), $501 cheaper with two employees, $354 cheaper with five and $486 cheaper with ten, comparing MYOB's annual billing with Xero. The gap is smaller on MYOB's monthly billing. A sole trader whose volume fits Xero Ignite pays only $24 a year more with Xero than with MYOB Lite billed monthly ($444 against $420), and with one employee Ignite is $36 a year cheaper than Lite billed monthly ($444 against $480).

MYOB on monthly billing, standard prices. The 1 November rise adds $24 a year per employee on Lite or Pro.

Payroll: calculate at your actual headcount

Xero includes payroll in every plan, capped by the number of people paid in a calendar month. You cannot buy an extra payroll seat below Ultimate 100, so the third person on Grow moves you to Comprehensive (+$29 a month), and the sixth moves you to Ultimate 10 (+$36). MYOB Lite and Pro charge per employee paid each month instead, with no plan jump until Lite's two-employee limit. AccountRight Plus and Premier include unlimited payroll, so on annual billing AccountRight Plus becomes cheaper than Pro plus payroll at 15 employees.

MYOB counts each employee once per calendar month, using the pay run's date of payment; an owner paid through payroll counts, and zero-dollar pays do not. Xero also counts people paid each month, so a short-term casual can push you over a plan limit.

Write the complete quote at today's headcount and at the size you expect after the next hires. Include any owner on payroll, setup, support and payment services. Neither vendor lists automated award interpretation in its plans, so rostered, award-based teams should also price a workforce app or read our payroll software comparison and rostering software guide.

Both workflows still need correct employee records and review. A product's payroll capability does not establish that your particular pay run is accurate. Ask who checks corrections and how the resulting accounting entries are reconciled. Both support Single Touch Payroll and automated super, which matters under the payday super rules that began on 1 July 2026.

Category winners

• Price with no staff: MYOB Lite ($315 a year on annual billing), unless your volume fits Xero Ignite and you would pay MYOB monthly.
• Price with staff: MYOB, at every headcount on annual billing and from two employees on monthly billing. With one employee, Xero Ignite is cheaper than MYOB Lite billed monthly if your volume fits Ignite's caps.
• Payroll simplicity for small teams: Xero, because payroll sits inside the plan with no per-head fee.
• Payroll for growing teams: MYOB, because Pro has no employee cap and AccountRight includes unlimited payroll.
• Entry-level limits: MYOB for invoices (unlimited on Lite); Xero for bank accounts (Lite allows two).
• Multi-currency: Xero, from $107 a month against $210 for MYOB Premier.
• Inventory: MYOB AccountRight, with stocktake and unlimited items; Premier for multiple locations.
• Projects and time: Xero Projects from $143 a month, or MYOB AccountRight time billing from $165.
• Connected apps: Xero.
• Desktop software: MYOB AccountRight, the only Windows option of the two.
• Billing flexibility: MYOB, with annual billing and 10 days' cancellation notice against Xero's monthly-only billing and one month's notice.
• Free trial: Xero, 30 days against 14.

Xero pros and cons

Pros

• Payroll, Single Touch Payroll and automated super in every plan, with no per-employee fee up to the plan cap.
• No per-user fees and no bank-account limit listed on any plan.
• Multi-currency from $107 a month.
• The largest app marketplace of the two (1,000+ apps, by Xero's count) and, by Xero's figure, 250,000 accountants and bookkeepers in its partner program.
• Eight plans that scale from one person to 200 people paid, with projects, KPIs and benchmarks on Ultimate and multi-entity consolidation on Ultra.

Cons

• Dearer than MYOB with two or more employees, and dearer than MYOB's annual billing at every size.
• Monthly billing only, and one month's notice to cancel.
• Ignite caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills a month, and invoices created by connected apps count.
• Plan jumps when you hire: one extra person can add $29 to $70 a month.
• Prices rose by $2 to $28 a month on 1 July 2026.
• No Windows desktop option, and award interpretation or rostering needs another app.

MYOB pros and cons

Pros

• Cheaper than Xero for most businesses with staff, and annual billing cuts the base price by 25%.
• Unlimited invoices and quotes on every plan, and unlimited users on Lite, Pro and AccountRight.
• Pro has no employee cap and includes timesheets and rosters.
• AccountRight offers a Windows application, unlimited payroll, stocktake, time billing and job budgets.
• Only 10 days' notice is needed before the end of your billing period to cancel.

Cons

• A confusing range, and Solo cannot be upgraded to another plan.
• Lite allows only two bank accounts and two employees.
• Payroll on Lite and Pro rises to $5 per employee a month on 1 November 2026.
• Multi-currency only on AccountRight Premier at $210 a month.
• A smaller app marketplace (300 to 350-plus apps by MYOB's count).
• A shorter 14-day trial, and annual plans are not refunded if you cancel part-way.

Stock and jobs: distinguish Business from AccountRight

If detailed stock or job work is the reason to consider MYOB, have the vendor demonstrate it in the named product. Don't assume a capability shown in AccountRight is available in Lite. MYOB itself directs businesses needing backorders, item building or tiered pricing to AccountRight.

AccountRight needs Windows for setup and some functions despite browser access. A Mac-based team should test its actual tasks before buying. Use the MYOB Business vs AccountRight guide.

For Xero, test the native workflow first and identify any stock or operational add-on required. A document-capture app is not automatically an inventory-management system. Follow the inventory checklist in both demonstrations.

Feeds, BAS and adviser access

Check your bank and account type rather than relying on a generic claim that one brand has better feeds. In each trial, match a supplier payment to an existing bill and verify that it hasn't created a second expense. Our bank feeds guide explains what to test.

Both Xero and MYOB Business advertise BAS lodgement from the software. Correct setup, reviewed figures, submission and payment remain separate responsibilities. Keep actual lodgement evidence, and see our GST and BAS guide for the rules behind the figures.

Ask your own adviser which product they can support and what the service includes. Broad statements that nearly every accountant prefers one brand do not tell you whether your adviser can help with a particular stock or payroll problem. If you are choosing an adviser too, read hiring a bookkeeper or BAS agent.

Which should you trial first?

Start with the product closest to the work you need. A service business sharing records and using connected apps can begin with Xero and MYOB Business Pro. An owner with fewer accounts and employees can check Lite against the relevant Xero tier. A stock-focused Windows operation should include AccountRight. If QuickBooks is also on your list, see Xero vs QuickBooks and MYOB vs QuickBooks.

Read the Xero workflow guide and MYOB Business Lite vs Pro guide, then repeat a quote, part payment, supplier bill, transfer and report task in both. Our trial checklist gives you the sequence.

Use the comparison and cost calculator to include required extras and migration. A working system with accurate records is not worth replacing solely for a short discount, and both vendors' offers end after three to twelve months.

Key takeaways

• MYOB is cheaper once you employ people: $930 a year with five employees on Pro (annual billing) against $1,284 for Xero Comprehensive.
• Xero wins on apps, multi-currency price, a longer trial and payroll included in every plan up to its cap.
• MYOB's per-employee payroll fee rises from $3 to $5 a month on 1 November 2026; Lite still caps you at two employees and two bank accounts.
• Name the MYOB product: Lite and Pro are browser-based, while AccountRight adds Windows, stocktake, time billing and unlimited payroll.
• Price payroll at current and expected headcount, and compare both on the same billing basis.
• Demonstrate stock, device access and adviser handover before deciding.

Where to get help

• Xero: pricing plans and Xero Central support.
• MYOB: plans and pricing and MYOB support.
• Your bookkeeper or accountant: ask them to assess the trial reports. The switching checklist covers balances, history and the archive if you decide to move.
• Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman: dispute support if you cannot resolve a billing dispute with a software supplier.

Related tasks

Browse more accounting software guides.