QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online starts from $33/mo (Simple Start) on the Simple Start plan. Payroll is not included in the base subscription; it is powered by Employment Hero and priced at $6/emp/mo per employee on top of your QuickBooks subscription. This means the total cost of accounting plus payroll is the plan fee combined with the per-employee payroll charge.

Yes. QuickBooks payroll in Australia runs on the Employment Hero Payroll engine, which in turn uses the KeyPay award interpretation technology. This means QuickBooks users benefit from Employment Hero's Modern Award interpretation and STP Phase 2 compliance without needing a separate payroll platform. The two products sync employee and payroll data automatically to reduce double-entry.

Yes. QuickBooks Online payroll (powered by Employment Hero) is fully STP Phase 2 compliant and reports wages, tax, superannuation, and leave separately to the ATO each pay cycle. Super payments are processed through the HeroClear clearing house, which is designed to meet the Payday Super requirements from 1 July 2026.

Because QuickBooks payroll is powered by the Employment Hero engine, which itself is built on KeyPay technology, it benefits from strong Modern Award interpretation. Pre-built award templates cover penalty rates, overtime, shift loadings, and annual award reconciliations. This makes QuickBooks payroll more capable on awards than Xero's native solution, despite originating from a global platform.

QuickBooks suits Australian small businesses that want an affordable accounting entry point with solid compliance, good reporting, and the backing of a widely recognised global brand. It works well for businesses that are already in the Intuit ecosystem or whose accountant is familiar with QuickBooks. Businesses needing payroll-only or an all-in-one HR platform may find Employment Hero or KeyPay directly offer more value.

Both platforms are STP Phase 2 compliant and integrate accounting with payroll. Xero includes payroll within its plan at no extra per-employee charge, while QuickBooks charges per employee for the Employment Hero payroll add-on. QuickBooks benefits from Employment Hero's stronger award interpretation engine, whereas Xero has a larger local accountant network and more native integrations. Total cost depends on headcount: at low employee counts QuickBooks can be competitive, but the per-employee charge accumulates as teams grow.