MYOB vs. Xero

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
MYOB
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
MYOB now has a suite of subscription-based products and a browser-based accounting product that was released in August 2010. On 24 October 2012, MYOB released AccountRight Live - the cloud-enabled version of its flagship product. MYOB competes with Xero and QuickBooks.
$11
per month
Xero
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Xero is an online accounting software product for small businesses and personal finance. Its features beyond general ledger and double-bookkeeping include quotable invoicing, bank reconciliation, purchase order and expense management, and tax management. Third party apps can extend its features further.
$13
per month
Pricing
MYOBXero
Editions & Modules
Solo
$11
per month
Lite
$34
per month
Pro
$63
per month
Premier
$88.50
per month
Account Right Plus
$150
per month
Early
$13
per month
Growing
$37
per month
Established
$70
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
MYOBXero
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPrices in table are in USD and just apply to the US - other markets & prices are listed below: Canada - Starter $18 CAD/month, Standard $45 CAD/month, Premium 5 $58 CAD/month UK - Starter £14/month, Standard £28/month, Premium £36/month AU - Starter $29 AUD/month, Standard $59 AUD/month, Premium 5 $76 AUD/month NZ - Starter $31 NZD/month, Standard $66 NZD/month, Premium $84 NZD/month
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
MYOBXero
Considered Both Products
MYOB
Chose MYOB
I selected MYOB because most of our clients are using this tool, this is the most convenient accounting software for them that's why we adopted MYOB app and MYOB website. We also covered a training for our clients to make them see that this accounting tool is easily to use.
Chose MYOB
I found Xero just a little to plain for my liking, I went with MYOB for my second business as it was easier to do this, and I already knew how it all worked. Xero does have a few features that are pretty good, but overall I think MYOB is a better product.
Chose MYOB
better than Xero in several ways. Easy to use (if you can get it working by yourself without any support)
Chose MYOB
I did a trial run on Xero I had trouble finding how to set up things, the customer support was terrible. The support you get from MYOB when you need it is really good.
Chose MYOB
the feature, reporting are much better than saasu. from developer's perspective, MYOB also allows us to pull the data a lot. Unlike Saasu where it limits the users to retrieve data on daily basis. There is a cost to use MYOB, but definitely worth it.
Chose MYOB
We use deputy for timesheets, and it is much better than MYOB
Chose MYOB
Some of my clients switched to Xero as they were using MYOB ACE payroll before but ACE payroll is a workstation based application which is not supported on Microsoft Server 2016 or Microsoft Server 2019. The only upgrade was the essentials and essentials plus but it was …
Chose MYOB
Better platform, similar pricing, and much better customer communications and service.
Chose MYOB
Not even close. Though I will say MYOB had a budget module where Zoho Books doesn't which is one thing severely lacking in Zoho Books. On the other hand, Zoho Books allows for payment processing integration without trying to get a cut from the process whereas MYOB allowed for …
Chose MYOB
MYOB is not a very good program (technically speaking), is far too slow and cumbersome, has hardly changed in 20 years, is not well supported and is far too expensive for what it is - don't buy it or use it - it is a waste of time and money and will let you down.
Chose MYOB
It was selected only because it works with MAC. I prefer Thomson Reuter softwares. Software like QuickBooks and MYOB allows uneducated clients to manipulate their numbers when they shouldn't. This makes more work for everyone.
Chose MYOB
MYOB may have other options that are cloud based and better for business as they make simple, easy to use software. We used the database version locally on our machines and it was difficult for our sales and accounting as only one person can edit at any given time.
Xero
Chose Xero
Expensify was more than we needed. The free version is fine, but we were getting close to needing the fee paying version, which isn't inexpensive
Chose Xero
I prefer to just say I'm a Xero only practice. U cannot sign up if u do not want to use Xero.
Chose Xero
Pricing was better and quickbook was not recommended by some people we know with business.
Chose Xero
MYOB has always seemed well behind in the functionality. We recently discontinued our DEAR subscription due to astronomical increase in subscription fees. While Xero doesn't do as much in terms of inventory management we can manage without that function for the lower price.
Chose Xero
We selected Xero specifically for accessibility.
Chose Xero
Xero is far ahead in terms of innovations and cost looking at what you get out of Xero.
Chose Xero
Much prefer Xero for user-friendliness and easy to navigate.
Chose Xero
Each of the products I listed had their own list of drawbacks, but the one thing they all had in common, which was right on top of that list of drawbacks, was ease of use. I struggled to get myself accustomed to each system and struggled, but when it came to getting a client to …
Chose Xero
Xero is just as infuriating as Quickbooks. We only use it because the last CFO set it up and it's taking us a while to establish a new accounting platform that will allow us to migrate away from this dumpster fire.
Chose Xero
In my opinion, the main competitor to Xero is QuickBooks but I migrated from QuickBooks to Xero because I was looking for an accounting software with an interface easier to use.
Chose Xero
Xero lacks the AR invoice payment processing capability of all the titles listed above. I view Xero as an application for Mom and Pop grocery stores where sophisticated, business critical software isn't a requirement. As a small manufacturing business, in my opinion, the lack …
Chose Xero
Xero is much more user friendly and easier to use.
Chose Xero
SAP Concur is very heavyweight, and is appropriate for a large enterprise Expensify scales to whatever size the business is. In my opinion, Xero is only appropriate for a very small company
Chose Xero
Xero is easily to use than other accounting software.
Chose Xero
Just much easier to use than any other
Chose Xero
Wow, I have used so many accounting systems over the last 30 years! Your above options don't even list them. I've used systems like AccPac, TurboCash, WaveApps, and more. The answer to the first question explains why I prefer Xero.
Chose Xero
MYOB was tricky to navigate and got out of control really quickly compared to Xero. Xero has much cleaner interface and just works much better in my opinion
Features
MYOBXero
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
26% above category average
Xero
7.5
Ratings
3% below category average
Pay calculation10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files10.00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management10.00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Reimbursement management10.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
27% above category average
Xero
8.4
Ratings
10% above category average
API for custom integration10.00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Plug-ins10.00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
18% above category average
Xero
7.1
Ratings
16% below category average
Single sign-on capability10.00 Ratings5.50 Ratings
Role-based user permissions10.00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
Xero
8.7
Ratings
10% above category average
Dashboards10.00 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Standard reports10.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Custom reports10.00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
9.1
Ratings
16% above category average
Xero
7.3
Ratings
6% below category average
Accounts payable10.00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Accounts receivable10.00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Cash management10.00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Bank reconciliation10.00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Expense management10.00 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Time tracking6.00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Fixed asset management10.00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Multi-currency support10.00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Multi-division support10.00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Regulations compliance10.00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Electronic tax filing5.10 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Self-service portal6.30 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Global Financial Support10.00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers10.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting10.00 Ratings4.40 Ratings
Localizations10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations10.00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting2.80 Ratings2.40 Ratings
Configurable Accounting10.00 Ratings2.80 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework10.00 Ratings3.30 Ratings
Standardized Processes10.00 Ratings3.60 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
31% above category average
Xero
6.7
Ratings
9% below category average
Inventory tracking10.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Automatic reordering10.00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Location management10.00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Manufacturing module10.00 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
MYOB
10.0
Ratings
26% above category average
Xero
6.2
Ratings
22% below category average
Pricing10.00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Order entry10.00 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Credit card processing10.00 Ratings6.30 Ratings
Cost of goods sold10.00 Ratings6.30 Ratings
Order Orchestration10.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility10.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Order exception Resolution10.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Best Alternatives
MYOBXero
Small Businesses
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
MYOBXero
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.5
(0 ratings)
7.1
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.2
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.0
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
1.0
(0 ratings)
7.2
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
MYOBXero
Likelihood to Recommend
For a smaller business who isn't interested in having more than one user I think MYOB can serve them well. But if they want multiple users or are using virtual assistants there are better cloud based apps that are much more affordable and have far greater enhancements as well as integrations
Read full review
I am a massage and physical therapist. We are not a fancy business but business admin can take a lot of time and effort. Xero came recommended to me by colleagues in the sector. You raise invoices, you get paid. and you pay your bills. These are all daily scenarios for most businesses and Xero does this particularly well. Since my accountant can query my records directly, this greatly saves on bookkeeping time when it is time to do the company returns.
Read full review
Pros
  • MYOB is very easy to navigate and find the correct information.
  • The Help section was very straight forward and very easy to learn.
  • MYOB was a great accounting tool for our business as it provided the accountant, sales, etc all of the information they need all in one place.
Read full review
  • Repeating invoices (most of my business is monthly recurring invoices) - it does these very well.
  • Reporting - particularly being able to dig into the different lines of the P&L statement.
  • Tracking categories - I assign a category to every line of every invoice so it's easy to see how much has been sold of each type of service every month and year, and compare them to previous periods.
Read full review
Cons
  • [In my opinion,] horrible interface to import data
  • [In my opinion,] user interface stuck in 1995
  • Needs improvement to usability
  • Contestant price increases
  • [In my opinion,] new in-app advertising is annoying
  • Countless different windows to do simple tasks like onboard an employee
  • [In my experience,] too slow
Read full review
  • Multiple addresses for singular contacts.
  • Limit unit price decimals to 2 digits, currently shows 3 or more after the decimal on invoices.
  • Discounted rates for multiple entities within the same group e.g. if you have a group of 3 or more companies looking to move to Xero, incentivize those clients with discounted monthly rates.
  • Easier way to reconcile loan accounts across multiple entities.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
We have been looking in to other cloud based accounting options.
Read full review
In addition to the matters covered in this review, my reason for renewing this product is that Xero's functionality and the constant updates that the company provides, makes the software even more business friendly. The software therefore builds a brand loyalty among customers.
Read full review
Usability
Still 10 for me, I have no problem at all using this toll even it hangs sometimes, I need to log in again to refresh it and it always ask to update the MYOB app. i Also like the security of this platform, iT always asks for the code (before logging in.
Read full review
As a standalone software, it allows users to fulfill most of the basic functions (e.g. transaction input and report generation) simply and conveniently. It also allows for multiple APIs to help augment various tasks that accounting-adjacent (e.g. claims processing). The cloud based model and portability to mobile devices allows tasks to be carried out in a more convenient way.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
We have been actively using and 100% Xero based for our ecommerce accounting practice for over 4 years. There has on been one real outage for more than 5 minutes. Xero was open and transparent about the outage, what they were doing to resolve the issue, and provided 15 minute updates. Showing how they care about their customers and partners. Plus, showing that their customers care too, were understanding, and went surfing or in our case took a nap. Couldn't run our business without Xero as a partner.
Read full review
Performance
No answers on this topic
The product is pretty stable in performance. However, sometimes the links to bank feeds are not available which can be frustrating if you need to update the application for important transactions. I currently have to manually upload credit card transactions so that is not ideal and makes for manual errors or duplication.
Read full review
Support Rating
MYOB accounting software basically works but looks and functions like 1998. Unfortunately their Antipiracy licensing system is absolutely TERRIBLE and verging on nearly criminal, scam! You must CONFIRM each and every data file and when it doesnt work you have to PAY THEM to fix their own file protection issues. If you dont pay them, they hold your data hostage as your company accounting information file becomes READ ONLY. Permantly, unless you pay them. This is a total extortion SCAM. I cannot believe a company can operate this way. With a lot of better product available... i dont imagine MYOB is going to survive much longer.
Read full review
Always respond and keep issues open until you are satisfied with the result. Generally good responses, in the past, I had some support responses that were really basic and really annoying. They type where "have your tried restarting your computer" style of answers. Well, of course, I went through all the basics before contacting them. Duh, but I suppose not everyone does. Otherwise, it would be a 10. The last year has shown a marked improvement in the support responses however.
Read full review
In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
The format was great; someone was there to ask questions or help if you were stuck.
Read full review
Online Training
No answers on this topic
All of Xero's training is online and available for anyone (business owner or accountants) to learn and become experts in their system. There is a range of content from product training to real world webinars from their partners. Xero is beautiful accounting software and their training is the same.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
If it can be done, time the implementation near a new fiscal year so you can start clean. Otherwise, you have to go back and do historical data from the beginning of the fiscal year, which can be brain draining.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
I found Xero just a little to plain for my liking, I went with MYOB for my second business as it was easier to do this, and I already knew how it all worked. Xero does have a few features that are pretty good, but overall I think MYOB is a better product.
Read full review
MYOB has always seemed well behind in the functionality. We recently discontinued our DEAR subscription due to astronomical increase in subscription fees. While Xero doesn't do as much in terms of inventory management we can manage without that function for the lower price.
Read full review
Scalability
No answers on this topic
I have yet to fully stress test the product given the size of the company where I am using it. I am sure as we scale to more customers, more vendors and more reporting requirements, I will have a better understanding of what it is capable of in terms of bandwidth and processing
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Made a life a lot easier by removing a lot of separate entries in multiple excel sheets
  • With all of the relevant information in one place, it is easier to process payments.
  • Most of the business only have one person doing the payroll compared to the team effort.
Read full review
  • Xero is a basic accounting system that performs basic accounting tasks easily and accurately. For that, it provides a positive impact on our day to day accounting operations.
  • Because of Xero's basic structure, I feel it lacks some of the sophistication that some users want and need. The ability to create unique custom reports would enhance the impact Xero would have on meeting business objectives by providing current and useful accounting information.
  • In my opinion, Xero's lack of focus on their customers - their users - is a real issue with me. In my opinion, those of us that are in the trenches that work with the system on a daily basis have to deal with the shortcomings of the system with the knowledge that Xero support refuses to address the operational issues that make their user's lives difficult. I feel if Xero would focus on truly making their software better from a users point of view, it has the potential to be a great system.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Xero Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of