If you are on MYOB Advanced (now sold as MYOB Acumatica) or have been quoted for it, the realistic alternatives in Australia are: staying and fixing the integrations and reporting around it; Xero or MYOB Business with separate, connected job or stock systems; Oracle NetSuite; Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central; Acumatica bought directly through an Acumatica reseller; or ERPNext running operations alongside Xero or MYOB. Each suits a different kind of business. Before you choose, though, check where the pain actually comes from. In many mid-sized businesses the ledger is fine. The problem is the gaps between MYOB Advanced and the other systems, or a process that no software will fix on its own.
First, work out what you are actually unhappy with
People look for alternatives for different reasons. The common ones are:
- Month end is slow and painful. The finance team spends days pulling numbers together, fixing mismatches and rebuilding spreadsheets.
- The reports don't answer the questions you ask. You can see the profit and loss, but not profit by job, customer, site or product without exporting and reworking the data.
- People retype data between systems. Orders, timesheets, job costs or stock movements come from other software and are keyed in by hand, or imported from spreadsheets.
- The implementation never really finished. Modules were bought but not set up, or were set up for how the business worked three years ago.
- The cost doesn't feel justified for how much of the system you actually use.
- The system genuinely doesn't fit. For example, you need manufacturing, multi-currency or multi-entity features in a way it doesn't handle well for your business.
Only the last two are clearly about the product. The first four usually come from how the system is connected and set up, and they follow you to the next system if nothing else changes. We cover this in more detail in fix the process before you buy the software.
The realistic alternatives in Australia
A plain description of each option. It isn't a ranking, and vendor prices depend on users, modules and who is quoting. For a sense of what drives MYOB's own pricing, see MYOB Acumatica pricing: what drives the cost.
1. Stay on MYOB Advanced and fix what's around it
Often the cheapest and least risky option. MYOB Advanced is a capable mid-market system with Australian payroll, tax and reporting. If the problems are retyping, slow reporting or spreadsheets beside the system, the fix may be:
- an integration between MYOB Advanced and your CRM, job system, warehouse or ecommerce platform, so data moves automatically
- a reporting layer (such as Power BI) that pulls from MYOB Advanced and your other systems, so you get one set of numbers
- finishing the set-up: tidying the chart of accounts, dimensions, approval workflows and the modules you paid for but never used
- fixing the process, so data goes in once, in the right place, by the right person
Suits: businesses where the core accounting works and the frustration is everything around it. Our MYOB Acumatica and EXO page covers the integration and reporting work.
2. Xero or MYOB Business, plus connected job or stock systems
Some businesses moved up to MYOB Advanced earlier than they needed to, or bought more system than they use. If your operations are fairly simple and most of the complexity sits in one area, such as jobs, stock or projects, a lighter accounting system paired with a specialist operations app can work well. Examples are Xero or MYOB Business with a job management, inventory or field service app that connects to it.
The catch is that you now have two or more systems, so the connection between them matters. Someone has to decide which system is the master for customers, items and prices, and what flows into the accounts and when.
Suits: businesses with straightforward accounting and one main operational need. Watch for: multi-entity reporting, complex costing and approval workflows, which are harder to do well across separate apps.
3. Oracle NetSuite
NetSuite is a cloud ERP that covers finance, inventory, order management, CRM and more in one system. It is often considered by businesses with several entities, overseas operations or plans to grow quickly. It is sold and implemented in Australia through Oracle and its partners.
Suits: growing businesses with multiple entities or currencies that want one platform. Watch for: implementation effort and ongoing licence costs, which are usually higher than smaller systems, and how much customisation you'll need. Our MYOB Advanced vs NetSuite comparison goes through the two side by side.
4. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central is Microsoft's ERP for small and mid-sized businesses. It covers finance, purchasing, sales, inventory and projects, with manufacturing options. It fits naturally if your business already relies heavily on Microsoft tools. In Australia it is sold and implemented through Microsoft resellers, and Australian payroll is typically handled by a separate payroll system connected to it.
Suits: businesses comfortable in the Microsoft world that want a broad ERP with a large reseller and add-on ecosystem. Watch for: payroll, and how much depends on add-ons from third parties.
5. Acumatica bought directly
MYOB Acumatica is built on the Acumatica platform. Acumatica also sells its own product in Australia through Acumatica resellers. This is worth asking about if you want an industry edition or a reseller that specialises in your sector. The underlying platform is related, so the main differences are usually the edition, the reseller, how payroll is handled and the support arrangement.
Suits: businesses that like the platform but want a different edition, partner or support model. Watch for: confirm exactly what is and isn't included, particularly Australian payroll and localisation.
6. ERPNext for operations, alongside Xero or MYOB
ERPNext is an open-source ERP that can run operations: inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, projects, CRM and workflows. We only recommend it alongside an accounting system, not instead of one. Xero or MYOB keep the accounts, payroll and tax, and ERPNext handles the operational side, with the two connected.
Suits: businesses whose accounting is fine but whose operations have outgrown spreadsheets, and who want flexibility in how their workflows are set up. Watch for: it needs proper set-up and an integration with your accounts. See ERPNext with Xero or MYOB for how that split works.
Check the gaps before you switch
A new system costs more than the licence. There's the implementation, the data migration, retraining, rebuilding integrations and reports, and the disruption to month end while everyone learns new screens. Worth paying when the system is genuinely wrong for you; an expensive way to fix a problem that sits between systems.
Before you sign a quote for any alternative, it helps to answer these questions:
- Where does data get retyped? List every place someone copies data from one system to another, or into a spreadsheet.
- Which reports are built outside the system, and why? If it's because data from another system has to be combined, a new ERP may not solve it.
- What did you buy but never set up? Unused modules and half-finished workflows are common, and they are often quicker to finish than to replace.
- What would the new system do differently, specifically? If the answer is "the same things, but newer", the gain is probably small.
- What happens to your history? Decide how many years you need in the new system, and how you'll access the rest. Our post on outgrowing Xero or MYOB explains full history versus opening balances.
If those answers point to integration, reporting or process, staying on MYOB Advanced and fixing the gaps is usually the better move. If they point to something the system can't do for your business, then a switch is worth scoping properly.
How to compare the alternatives fairly
If you do decide to look around, compare like with like:
- Ask each vendor or reseller to demonstrate your own scenarios, such as a typical order, job or month-end close, not a generic demo.
- Get the total cost over several years: licences, implementation, integrations, reporting, support and training.
- Ask what integrations they will build and who maintains them. This is where projects most often go over budget.
- Ask about Australian payroll, Single Touch Payroll and GST for every option, and where they aren't built in, what connects.
- Talk to the people who do the work, not only those who sign off.
Our guide to choosing business software has more on shortlisting, vendor questions and managing implementation risk.
Where Kenomont fits
We aren't selling any of these systems. Our work is the data, integration, reporting and process around them: mapping how work and data actually move through the business, connecting the systems you keep, migrating data when you do move, and setting up reporting so the numbers agree. That makes us useful before a decision, when you need to know whether the problem is the system or the gaps around it.
If you want a written picture before you commit, the $5,000 Process & Systems Audit maps your processes and systems and produces a written report. Implementation or integration work is scoped and given a fixed quote after a free initial chat.
Frequently asked questions
Is MYOB Advanced the same as MYOB Acumatica?
Yes. MYOB has renamed MYOB Advanced to MYOB Acumatica. It is built on the Acumatica platform, with MYOB's Australian and New Zealand localisation, payroll and support. Many people still search for and refer to it as MYOB Advanced.
What is the main competitor to MYOB Advanced in Australia?
The systems most often compared with it are Oracle NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, with Acumatica (bought directly) as a related option. For smaller or simpler businesses, Xero or MYOB Business with connected operational apps is also a realistic comparison.
Is poor reporting a reason to change from MYOB Advanced?
Not necessarily. Poor reporting is often caused by data sitting in other systems or spreadsheets, or by a set-up that doesn't capture the detail you need. A reporting layer that combines MYOB Advanced with your other systems can fix that without changing the ledger.
Can we go back from MYOB Advanced to Xero or MYOB Business?
It can be done, and it sometimes makes sense when a business bought more system than it needs. You would usually move opening balances and a limited history, then connect a specialist app for jobs or stock. Check carefully what features you would lose first, especially multi-entity reporting and approvals.
Where does ERPNext fit as a MYOB Advanced alternative?
ERPNext runs operations such as stock, purchasing, manufacturing and projects, with Xero or MYOB keeping the accounts. It is never a substitute for the accounting system; the accounts always stay in Xero or MYOB.
Talk it through before you switch
Changing ERP is a big decision. If you are weighing MYOB Advanced against the alternatives, or wondering whether the problem is really the system, book a free initial chat and we'll help you work out where the pain is coming from.