Why Is MYOB So Slow?
The common causes, what to check yourself, and what to do when it keeps happening
- 20+ years connecting business systems
- Works with Xero, MYOB and the systems you already use
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Short answer: when MYOB runs slowly or freezes, the cause is usually one of five things: a company file that has grown for years, the computer, network or internet connection it runs over, add-ons syncing in the background, heavy reports run during the day, or MYOB being used for work it wasn't built for.
The first four can usually be checked and fixed without changing systems. The fifth is the one to watch: if your team has built workarounds to make MYOB do job costing, stock or reporting it wasn't designed for, the slowness is a sign the business has outgrown how it uses MYOB.
Common Causes
A company file that has grown for years
Every invoice, bill and payment since the file was created is still in it. Very large item, customer or job lists and years of history make searches, reports and saving slower.
Where the file lives and how you connect
An AccountRight file on an old office computer or a shared network drive is only as quick as that machine and network. Online files and browser-based MYOB depend on your internet connection, especially when several people work at once.
Add-ons and integrations syncing in the background
Apps that push or pull data from MYOB all day can slow it down, particularly if they resend everything or keep retrying records that fail.
Heavy reports run during the day
Big reports across many years, accounts or jobs take time. Running them while the team is entering transactions makes everyone wait.
Using MYOB for work it wasn’t built for
Detailed job costing, stock across many locations, production or project tracking often get forced into MYOB with workarounds: extra accounts, huge item lists and exports to Excel and back. That makes the file bigger and the work slower.
What to Check Yourself
- Check MYOB’s service status and your internet connection first
- Make sure everyone is on the current version of MYOB
- Check which add-ons are connected, and switch off any you no longer use
- Run large reports outside busy hours
- Ask your accountant or MYOB support about archiving old years
- If the file lives on an office computer, check that computer and the network it sits on
When It's Not Really MYOB
If the checks don't help, look at what the team does around MYOB. Spreadsheets for stock or jobs, reports rebuilt by hand each month, the same details typed into MYOB and another system: these are signs the business needs more than a faster computer. The usual options:
- Connect the systems around MYOB so jobs, stock and sales flow in automatically. MYOB API integration
- Move reporting out of MYOB into reports built from MYOB and your other systems. Xero and MYOB reporting
- Run operations in a system built for them, with MYOB keeping the accounts. ERPNext alongside MYOB
- Move to a larger system when the business has genuinely outgrown it. MYOB Acumatica and EXO or MYOB to Xero migration
Comparing options? See Xero vs MYOB, or go back to other signs your systems are costing you time.
MYOB Speed FAQs
What can I do if MYOB is running slowly or keeps freezing?
Start with the simple checks: MYOB’s service status, your internet connection, whether everyone is on the current version, and whether an add-on is syncing in the background. Then look at the company file itself: years of history, very large item or customer lists and heavy reports all slow things down. Your accountant or MYOB support can help with archiving old years. If it still drags, the problem is usually how MYOB is being used, not MYOB itself.
Is AccountRight slower than the online version of MYOB?
They behave differently. AccountRight company files kept on a local computer or office network depend on that computer and network; online company files depend on your internet connection and how much has to sync. Browser-based MYOB Business depends mostly on your connection. Which feels faster depends on your set-up, file size and how many people use it at once.
Should we move from MYOB to Xero because it’s slow?
Not just for speed. Moving accounting systems is a real project, and if the slowness comes from workarounds, such as job costing, stock or reporting being forced through the accounts, those problems follow you to Xero. Fix the cause first. If you do decide to move, plan the conversion properly.
Can integrations make MYOB slower?
Badly built ones can, especially if they sync large amounts of data often or retry failed records over and over. A good integration sends only what has changed, logs every record and alerts someone when something fails.
When is it time to look beyond MYOB?
When the slowness comes with other signs: staff keeping stock, jobs or approvals in spreadsheets beside MYOB, reports rebuilt by hand each month, or several entities consolidated in Excel. That usually means the business needs systems connected around MYOB, or a move to a larger system such as MYOB Acumatica, rather than a faster computer.
MYOB Slowing Your Team Down?
Tell us what's slow and what your team works around. We'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix or a sign you've outgrown how you use MYOB.
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