Comparison guide
Handl + MYOB: Built for Australian Agencies
Built to Work Together
If you're an Australian agency or freelancer on MYOB, you don't need to ditch it. MYOB handles your accounting, GST, BAS, payroll — all the compliance stuff your accountant depends on. Handl handles the part MYOB doesn't: the relationship between you and your clients when money is moving. Quotes with digital sign-off, milestone-based invoices, automated payment chasers, change order management. When a client pays through Handl, it syncs back into MYOB automatically. You get a clean billing workflow on the front end and clean books on the back end — without running two completely separate systems manually.
Written by Darren Clark — Founder of Handl — 20+ years building software and running agencies
Last updated 11 June 2026
Quick verdict
MYOB handles Australian accounting and compliance. Handl handles the agency billing layer. They're designed to work together, not compete.
Side by side
How they stack up
Handl
Best for: Australian agencies and freelancers who want professional client-facing billing — milestone invoices, change order approvals, automated reminders — without giving up MYOB for their accounting and tax compliance.
MYOB
$34–$150
per month (AUD)
Best for: Australian businesses that need robust accounting, GST/BAS compliance, payroll, and a platform their Australian accountant already knows and trusts.
- Business Lite: basics + GST
- Business Pro: + payroll
- AccountRight Plus: advanced
- Single Touch Payroll
- BAS/GST compliance
- Australian accountant standard
Feature by feature
Handl vs MYOB: feature comparison
| Feature | Handl | MYOB |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone-based billing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Automated payment reminders (AI) | ✅ | ❌ Manual only |
| AI-native (not bolt-on) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Client portal | ✅ | ❌ |
| Quote / proposal builder | ✅ | ✅ Basic quotes |
| Digital signatures | ✅ | ❌ |
| Change order management | ✅ | ❌ |
| Revenue forecasting | ✅ | ✅ Limited reporting |
| PM tool integrations (Jira, Asana, Monday) | ✅ | ❌ |
| MYOB integration | ✅ Native sync | ✅ Is MYOB |
| Time tracking integrations | ✅ Harvest, Hubstaff, Toggl | ❌ Limited |
| Multi-currency | ✅ | ✅ (AccountRight) |
| Project health scoring (AI) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Full double-entry accounting | ❌ By design | ✅ |
| Bank reconciliation | ❌ By design | ✅ |
| GST / BAS compliance (AU) | ❌ By design | ✅ |
| Payroll (AU) | ❌ By design | ✅ |
| Single Touch Payroll (AU) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free trial | ✅ 7-day free trial | ✅ Free trial available |
| Starting price | From $29/mo USD | $34/mo AUD (Lite) |
| Per-seat pricing | ❌ Plan tiers — Agency $199/mo = unlimited users | ❌ Per company |
A closer look at MYOB
MYOB is the dominant accounting software for Australian small businesses. It has deep roots in the Australian market — BAS lodgement, GST handling, Single Touch Payroll, ATO compliance — all built in and regularly updated as legislation changes. Australian accountants know MYOB. If you walk into a bookkeeper's office in Melbourne or Sydney and say "we're on MYOB," they'll nod and get to work without asking questions.
The Business Lite plan ($34/month AUD) covers the basics for small operations — invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, GST. Business Pro ($63/month) adds payroll and deeper reporting. AccountRight Plus ($150/month) is for more complex businesses with inventory, detailed job costing, or multi-entity needs.
Where MYOB stops is the agency-client relationship layer. There's no milestone billing workflow, no client portal, no change order process, no AI-driven payment reminders. MYOB records and reconciles. It doesn't help you structure how you bill clients or chase late payments automatically.
Handl fills that gap and syncs the results back into MYOB — so your accounting stays clean without double handling.
Strengths
What are our strengths?
- Milestone billing designed for project-based agencies — bill by phase, not just by month
- AI-driven payment reminders that chase clients automatically, without the awkward email
- Client portal where clients approve quotes, sign change orders, and pay — all in one place
- Change order management with digital signatures — documented scope changes, not verbal ones
- PM integrations connect billing to project delivery (Jira, Asana, Monday.com)
- Time tracking integrations bring in hours from Harvest, Hubstaff, or Toggl
- Project health scoring flags cashflow and scope risk early
- Plans from $29/month USD — the Agency plan caps at $199/mo with unlimited users, so no per-seat cost as the team grows
- Native MYOB sync — payments flow into your books automatically
- Australian market leader — accountants and bookkeepers know it cold
- GST, BAS, and ATO compliance built in and kept current
- Single Touch Payroll for Australian payroll obligations
- Solid bank reconciliation with major Australian banks
- Desktop (AccountRight) and cloud options — flexibility for teams with legacy setups
- No lock-in contracts
- Trusted for 30+ years in the Australian market
- Multi-entity support at higher tiers
Which one is for you?
When to choose each tool
You're an Australian agency or freelancer already on MYOB — or heading that way for compliance reasons — and the billing side of your business is still messier than it should be. You're invoicing manually at the end of a project instead of billing by milestone. You're chasing clients on email. You're handling scope changes with a verbal nod and a prayer. Your change orders are informal and your payment timeline is unpredictable.
Handl doesn't replace MYOB. It adds the workflow layer on top: structured quoting, milestone billing, digital sign-off on changes, automated payment reminders, and a client portal that makes the whole process feel professional. When a client pays through Handl, it goes straight into MYOB. Clean books, no manual reconciliation.
For Australian agencies billing $5k–$50k+ per month in project work, that workflow gap is where revenue leaks. Handl from $29/month USD is a reasonable fix.
You need Australian accounting software. That's MYOB's job, and it does it well. If you're setting up your accounts for the first time, lodging BAS, running payroll under Single Touch Payroll obligations, or if your accountant has asked you to get onto MYOB — that's the right call. Handl doesn't do any of those things and doesn't try to.
Solo operators with very simple billing needs might find MYOB's Solo plan ($5.50/month AUD) covers enough of the basics to get by. But most agencies doing real project work will hit its limits quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Handl and MYOB together?
Yes — Handl integrates natively with MYOB. Invoice and payment data syncs automatically so your books stay accurate without manual data entry.
Does Handl replace MYOB?
No. Handl handles client-facing billing — proposals, milestone invoicing, payment reminders, client portal. MYOB handles accounting — BAS, GST, payroll, bank reconciliation. Use both for the complete picture.
Is Handl compliant with Australian tax requirements?
Handl generates invoices with ABN, GST amounts, and all required Australian invoice fields. The tax compliance and lodgement side is handled by MYOB once the data syncs across.
Does MYOB have milestone billing?
No. MYOB has standard line-item invoicing. You cannot tie invoices to project phases or trigger billing when deliverables are completed.
What if my accountant only uses MYOB?
That is fine — Handl pushes data into MYOB. Your accountant sees clean, accurate financial data in the tool they already know.
The verdict
For Australian agencies, the question isn't "MYOB or Handl" — it's "MYOB plus what?" Your accountant needs MYOB. Your clients need a professional billing experience. Those are two different problems.
MYOB handles GST, BAS, payroll, and gives your accountant what they need at tax time. Handl handles the bit your clients see — the quote, the milestone invoice, the payment reminder, the "here's what we agreed to add to scope and here's the updated cost" change order. When the client pays, Handl pushes the transaction into MYOB automatically.
If you're running a digital agency, web studio, or design practice in Australia and you're still chasing payments manually or handling scope creep with informal emails, adding Handl to your MYOB setup is the straightforward fix. Try the 7-day free trial — no lock-in.
Reclaim your time
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