Australia · QuickBooks alternative
The QuickBooks Australia alternative without per-user tiers
HelloBooks Pro is A$30/month per entity with unlimited users — QuickBooks Plus is A$65/month at 5 users, plus a separate payroll add-on. BAS, STP Phase 2, Super, AI categorisation, multi-currency, inventory — all included on Pro.
HelloBooks vs QuickBooks Online (Australia)
| Feature | HelloBooks | QuickBooks Online AU |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (AUD) | Free Plan; Pro A$30/mo per entity, unlimited users | Simple Start A$33/mo (1 user); Essentials A$60/mo (3 users); Plus A$84/mo (5 users); Advanced A$125/mo |
| BAS lodgment | Direct BAS lodgment to ATO via SBR; G1-G24, 1A-1B, W1-W5 populated from ledger | BAS lodgment supported via SBR |
| STP Phase 2 payroll | STP Phase 2 included; all required fields, lodges at each pay run | QuickBooks Payroll AU separate add-on: A$5 + A$5 per employee per month |
| SuperStream-compliant super | Clearing-house lodgment, ABN / USI validation, quarterly schedule | Super via QuickBooks Payroll AU add-on |
| AI categorisation | Built-in AI agent, 95%+ accuracy on AU bank descriptions, every plan | Intuit ships six named agents, five GA since 1 Jul 2025, and made the AI bank feed default on 8 May 2026 — human-in-the-loop, and agent availability varies by plan and region |
| AI cost vs the plan price | AI categorisations bundled in Pro — AI never costs extra for a typical SMB | Pay up to a higher tier just to reach the deeper AI automation |
| Per-user fees | Unlimited users on Pro at A$30/mo per entity flat | Simple Start 1 user; Essentials 3 users; Plus 5 users; per-tier seat counts |
| Multi-currency | Live FX rates with gain / loss postings, included on Pro | Locked to Essentials (A$60/mo) and above |
| Project tracking | Included on Pro | Project tracking on Plus (A$84/mo) and above |
| Inventory tracking | Inventory with GRN and stock alerts, and 3-way matching, on Business; multi-warehouse on Scale | Inventory on Plus and above |
| Data export at cancellation | Free CSV / IIF / QBO export, 90-day read-only window | Limited export; lock-in risk reported on migration off |
AU migration runbook (from QuickBooks Online AU)
- 1
Export from QuickBooks
Gear → Export Data. Choose the date range and download the .QBO + CSV bundle: chart of accounts (with GST codes), customers, suppliers, items, opening balances, transactions. 5-15 minutes for a typical AU SMB.
- 2
Import into HelloBooks
Settings → Import → QuickBooks. Upload the .QBO + CSVs. The mapping screen aligns QuickBooks account names to the HelloBooks chart and preserves GST tax codes (GST, GST-free, Input-taxed, Export) before commit.
- 3
Verify trial balance + BAS preview
Reports → Trial Balance: confirm totals match QuickBooks closing balances. BAS → Submission Preview: confirm G1-G24, 1A-1B, W1-W5, 5A-5B for the next period match QuickBooks's prepared BAS.
- 4
Connect AU bank feeds
Settings → Bank → Add. Sign in for CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac, Macquarie, Bendigo, Bankwest, ING. 24 months of history pulled and run through AI categorisation.
- 5
Re-link ATO authorisation for BAS + STP
Settings → ATO → Authorise. Link BAS lodgment + STP Phase 2 access via myGovID + RAM. Pay Super clearing-house re-links for SuperStream lodgment.
- 6
Move employees + super funds
Employees in QuickBooks Payroll AU come across to HelloBooks with YTD pay, tax, super, leave intact. Super funds with ABN / USI / member numbers preserved. Next pay run lodges STP from HelloBooks.
AU QuickBooks switch — frequently asked
Try the QuickBooks Australia alternative — free
Free Plan, no credit card. Pro at A$30/month per entity with unlimited users, AI categorisation, BAS, STP Phase 2, Super included.
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