Best Bookkeeping Software in Australia (2026): Free & Paid

Short answer: there is no genuinely free full bookkeeping platform for Australian businesses in 2026. Wave — the tool most "free accounting software Australia" lists still recommend — stopped accepting sign-ups outside the US and Canada in November 2020. The realistic options are Zoho Books' limited free tier, a paid platform from A$15–37/month (Reckon, MYOB, Xero, QuickBooks), or free invoicing plus a spreadsheet until you outgrow it.

This guide covers what's actually available, what "free" costs you, and how to tell when you've outgrown the spreadsheet.

Why the free lists are wrong

Search "free accounting software Australia" and you'll get roundups recommending Wave. Wave was excellent and genuinely free. It has not been available to new Australian sign-ups since November 2020.

Several 2026-dated Australian roundups still list it, usually near the top. This is the single most common piece of stale advice in this category — if a list recommends Wave to an Australian reader, it hasn't been checked recently, and you should treat the rest of its recommendations with the same suspicion.

What's actually available in Australia

The A$37 plan that caps you at 20 invoices

Xero Ignite is the most commonly recommended entry plan in Australia, and it limits you to 20 invoices per month. Unlimited invoicing means Grow at A$78/month.

If you're a bookkeeper reading this for clients, it's worth checking their actual invoice volume before recommending Ignite — a weekly-billing cleaner or a tutor with fifteen families will hit that cap immediately and be confused about why invoicing stopped working.

What "free bookkeeping software" really means

Zoho Books has a real free tier for small businesses under a revenue threshold, with caps on users and features. It handles GST and is a legitimate answer to this question — the caveat is that you're entering the Zoho ecosystem, and the free tier exists to move you into it.

Free trials are not free software. MYOB, Xero, QuickBooks and Reckon all offer 14–30 days. Useful for evaluating; not a plan.

Free invoicing is not free bookkeeping. Plenty of tools let you invoice free — InvoiceSonic, Zoho Invoice, Square, Invoicely. None of them reconcile a bank feed or lodge a BAS. If someone tells you a free invoice generator replaces bookkeeping software, they're selling something.

The honest progression for a small Australian business

Stage 1 — under the GST threshold, few expenses. A spreadsheet plus a proper invoicing tool is genuinely fine. Keep every receipt, record income as it lands, and issue compliant invoices with your ABN. Cost: nothing.

Stage 2 — registered for GST, lodging BAS. Now you want software. Bank feeds and automatic GST coding save more time than they cost. Reckon at A$15 or MYOB at A$29 are the value picks.

Stage 3 — employees, inventory, or an accountant doing your books. Xero or MYOB, and take your accountant's preference seriously. Most Australian accountants are Xero-certified, and fighting that usually costs more in billable hours than the subscription difference.

What your bookkeeping software has to get right for the ATO

Whatever you choose, an ATO-compliant tax invoice for sales over A$82.50 including GST needs the words "Tax Invoice", your ABN, the date, a description of what was sold, and the GST amount or a statement that the total includes GST. Sales over A$1,000 also need the buyer's identity or ABN.

If you're not registered for GST, you must not charge it, and your document is an "invoice", not a "tax invoice". Mislabelled invoices are the single most common error accountants report in new sole traders' books — see what to include on an invoice for the full checklist.

Where invoicing tools fit

If your bookkeeping need is genuinely just "send professional, compliant invoices and know what's been paid", you don't need a bookkeeping platform yet.

InvoiceSonic handles ABN and GST fields with an ATO-compliant layout, and you can create and download a PDF without signing up. Free for occasional use, A$19/month for unlimited. We build it — and it does not do bank reconciliation, BAS lodgement, payroll, or expense tracking. When you need those, buy one of the platforms above.

For a fuller breakdown by business type, see accounting software for sole traders and the best free invoice apps in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Is there free accounting software in Australia?
Zoho Books has a genuine free tier with limits. Wave, the most commonly recommended free option, has not accepted Australian sign-ups since November 2020. Everything else offers a 14–30 day trial rather than a free plan.

What is the best bookkeeping software for a small business in Australia?
MYOB Business Lite at A$29/month for value, Xero at A$37 for accountant compatibility, Reckon at A$15 if budget is the deciding factor. All handle GST and BAS.

Can I use Wave in Australia?
No. Wave stopped accepting sign-ups outside the US and Canada in November 2020. Ignore lists that still recommend it.

Do I need bookkeeping software if I'm not registered for GST?
Usually not. Under the A$75,000 threshold with simple expenses, a spreadsheet and a compliant invoicing tool are enough. Register for GST and software starts paying for itself quickly.

What's the cheapest accounting software in Australia?
Reckon from A$15/month, then FreshBooks Lite at A$17 and Saasu at A$20. Zoho Books' free tier costs nothing if you fit inside its limits.

Does free invoicing software handle BAS?
No. Invoicing tools produce invoices. BAS lodgement requires accounting software with GST reporting, or an accountant or bookkeeper.

Prices are advertised entry prices in Australian dollars as at August 2026 and change frequently — check vendor pricing pages. General information only, not tax or financial advice. We build InvoiceSonic, which is mentioned above.