Payroll software · Australia · Head-to-head
MYOB vs Xero Payroll (AU)
Two Australia payroll software options, compared side by side for Australia trades.
Which should you choose?
MYOB and Xero Payroll (AU) are both Tier S: our check found each one's prices published on its own website, so you can compare their costs before talking to sales. The tier is not a quality ranking: weigh the pros, cons, pricing and Australia-specific notes below against your trade and region.
MYOB
Tier S · Published pricesAccounting and payroll software for Australian and New Zealand businesses since 1991, with payroll as an add-on, bundled or standalone
MYOB has sold accounting, payroll and business management software to Australian and New Zealand businesses since 1991 and says more than a million people in the two countries use it. Private equity firm KKR has owned it since 2019. Payroll is an add-on to MYOB Business Lite and Pro, included in AccountRight Plus, or sold on its own as MYOB Business Payroll Only for up to 4 employees.
Pros
- + Standalone Payroll Only plan for up to 4 employees
- + AccountRight Plus includes payroll for unlimited employees at no extra cost
- + Single Touch Payroll reporting to the ATO and automated super contributions
- + Timesheets and rosters synced to pay runs on Pro and AccountRight Plus
Cons
- − Per-employee payroll fee on Lite and Pro, rising from $3 to $5 a month from 1 November 2026
- − Payroll caps: 2 employees on Lite, 4 on Payroll Only
- − Payroll Only rises from $15 to $20 a month from 1 November 2026
- − Intro discounts last 3-12 months, so the ongoing price is much higher
Australia note
MYOB says its payroll reports pay to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll, automates super contributions (with a Pay Super setting for the Payday Super changes) and syncs timesheets and rosters from the MYOB Team app. From 1 November 2026 Payroll Only rises to $20 a month and the per-employee payroll fee to $5 a month, both including GST, per MYOB's price notice.
Xero Payroll (AU)
Tier S · Published pricesPayroll built into Xero's Australian plans: STP Phase 2 reporting and super payments, with payroll for 2, 5 or 10 people by plan
Xero Payroll is built into Xero's Australian accounting plans rather than sold as a separate add-on: Grow includes payroll for 2 people, Comprehensive for 5 and Ultimate 10 for 10, with larger Ultimate tiers. Xero, headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, says 5 million customers use its software worldwide. Its Australian head office is in Melbourne, with offices in Brisbane and Sydney.
Pros
- + Payroll included in the plan price, with no separate payroll subscription
- + STP Phase 2 reporting to the ATO each payday
- + Super calculated and paid from each pay run for Payday Super
- + Xero Me app for payslips, leave requests and timesheets
Cons
- − Payroll headcount is capped by plan: 2 on Grow, 5 on Comprehensive, 10 on Ultimate 10
- − Extra charges may apply above the included number of people, and they are not listed on the pricing page
- − No award-interpretation feature described; Xero points users to the Fair Work Ombudsman
- − Payroll requires a Xero accounting plan
Australia note
Xero says its payroll handles Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting to the ATO each payday and calculates and pays super in each pay run for Payday Super, which started on 1 July 2026, at no extra cost. For award obligations it points users to a payroll specialist or the Fair Work Ombudsman rather than automating award rules.
More Australia options
See all Australia payroll software vendors and the rest of the Australia directory.