Hnry alternatives for Australia's self-employed — seven options, honestly compared
Hnry is a well-regarded payroll-style tax service — and it is not the only way to run self-employed finances. Whether your priority is predictable cost, income arriving in your own account, or deeper expense intelligence, one of the seven approaches below may serve you better. This guide sets each out honestly, including the circumstances in which staying with Hnry remains the right choice.
The seven alternatives
Different tools solve different halves of the problem — match the tool to the half you actually want help with.
2Fin
The whole year in one app, with a free plan2Fin runs your self-employed tax year on its own, from bank feed to accountant, and your income stays in your own account. Fin reads your bank feed or statements, sorts every transaction into work-related, business or private, gives each its GST treatment and surfaces deductions as they land. It keeps a live refund or owing estimate across your salary, business profit and rental income, an asset register with depreciation, each property’s income and costs, and on ELITE+ prepares your BAS. At year end you hand your accountant the Accountant Pack, or lodge in myTax yourself. Already on Xero or QuickBooks? 2Fin can push the sorted rows there (in beta), and it pairs with Hnry too.
Best for: a salary and an ABN at once, deductions found from real spending, and a price that does not grow with your income.
TaxTank
A fixed yearly price, property-mindedTaxTank is an Australian tax app with a fixed yearly price that keeps your income in your own bank account. It shows a live tax position across sole-trader businesses, salary, property, shares and crypto, and you lodge through your own accountant or myTax.
Best for: a flat yearly fee and a portfolio built around investment property.
Rounded
Invoicing-first bookkeeping for sole tradersRounded leads with invoicing and time tracking built specifically for Australian sole traders — quotes, recurring invoices, payment reminders, and timesheets that turn straight into invoices, with bank feeds and pre-filled BAS figures on its Pro tier.
Best for: sole traders whose workflow centres on invoicing clients and billing by the hour.
Solo by MYOB
A simple sole-trader app from a major vendorSolo packages invoicing, expense capture and tax estimates into a single phone-first app, with the backing of the MYOB ecosystem behind it — a straightforward pick if you want the basics from an established name.
Best for: managing the essentials from your phone, with a clear path into the broader MYOB range as your business grows.
Thriday
Banking and bookkeeping in one placeThriday takes a banking-led approach: transaction accounts with bookkeeping, invoicing and tax planning automated on top, so the admin happens where the money already moves. It suits people happy to open a new account to get that integration.
Best for: running business banking and books in a single product.
Xero
Full accounting softwareXero is full double-entry accounting: bank feeds, invoicing, BAS reporting and a large marketplace of add-ons, usually run alongside a bookkeeper or accountant who works in the same file. It is more than most sole traders need on day one, and the natural home once you employ staff or carry stock.
Best for: a growing business that wants full accounts and an accountant working in the same file.
A registered tax agent
The traditional full-service routeAn accountant or registered tax agent remains the most complete alternative: personal advice, lodgement, and someone accountable for your position. Pairing an agent with software that keeps your records organised year-round usually lowers the bill and raises the quality of the conversation.
Best for: complex situations, personal advice, and lodgement handled by a professional.
Based on publicly available information, reviewed October 2026. Features and pricing change — verify directly with each provider before deciding.
What Hnry's fee comes to, next to a flat price
Hnry takes 1% + GST of your self-employed income, capped at $1,500 + GST a year. 2Fin is a flat monthly price that stays the same however much you earn.
| Self-employed income | Hnry fee a year (AUD, incl. GST) | 2Fin Free | 2Fin Premium | 2Fin ELITE+ (with BAS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $330 | $0 | US$252.54 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$276 a year | US$461.16 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$504 a year |
| $60,000 | $660 | $0 | US$252.54 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$276 a year | US$461.16 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$504 a year |
| $100,000 | $1,100 | $0 | US$252.54 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$276 a year | US$461.16 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$504 a year |
| $150,000 | $1,650 | $0 | US$252.54 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$276 a year | US$461.16 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$504 a year |
| $200,000 | $1,650 | $0 | US$252.54 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$276 a year | US$461.16 in your first year (Fin Launch Ween until 27 Oct), then US$504 a year |
Hnry's fee includes lodgement by its accountants; 2Fin's price does not include an agent if you use one. Hnry from its pricing page, checked October 2026. 2Fin prices are in US dollars, billed monthly: Premium US$23, ELITE+ US$42. Fin Launch Ween, until 27 Oct: 51% off new subscriptions. Premium is US$11.27 a month for your first 2 months or US$108.78 for your first year, ELITE+ is US$20.58 a month for your first 2 months or US$205.80 for your first year, and AUTO+ is US$26.46 a month for your first 2 months or US$271.95 for your first year, then the regular price. See pricing.
Hnry handles your tax for you. 2Fin keeps you in control of it.
Hands-off suits some people. If you would rather see every number and keep your own money, this is what control means in 2Fin.
Your money
Your income lands in your own bank account. 2Fin reads transactions through a read-only feed or a statement you upload, so it never holds or withholds a cent, and you decide when to pay the ATO.
Your numbers
A live refund or owing estimate across your salary, business profit and rental income, after the tax already withheld, with the Medicare levy, LITO and HELP. Every BAS figure traces back to the transactions behind it.
Your records
Take them anywhere: the Accountant Pack, the myDeductions layout or a CSV, to the accountant you choose. Or keep the whole year on your own computer with the Windows app, offline.
Hnry, 2Fin and TaxTank at a glance
| Question | Hnry | 2Fin | TaxTank |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | 1% + GST of self-employed income, capped at $1,500 + GST a year | Free plan; paid plans a flat monthly price | A fixed yearly price |
| Where your income lands | A Hnry account; tax is set aside before you are paid | Your own bank account | Your own bank account |
| Who lodges | Hnry’s accountants, included | You in myTax, or your accountant | You in myTax, or your accountant |
| Your tax position during the year | Tax set aside from each payment | Live refund or owing estimate | Live tax position |
Each as it describes itself on its own site, checked October 2026. See 2Fin vs TaxTank for the full comparison.
How Hnry handles expense claims, and the same expense in 2Fin
Both get a business expense onto your return. They differ in who does the sorting and where the money sits while it happens.
In Hnry
- You add the expense in the Hnry app with a photo of the receipt and a short note on what it was for.
- Hnry’s accountants review it to check it is claimable.
- A purchase on the Hnry business card raises the expense for you; you add the details and the receipt.
- Once approved, the expense lowers the tax Hnry sets aside from your next payment.
In 2Fin
- The purchase arrives from your bank feed or statement, whichever card or account you paid with.
- Fin categorises it and tags it work-related, business or private, with its GST.
- Snap the receipt in any language and Fin matches it to the transaction.
- The deduction shows as it lands, and your refund or owing estimate moves with it.
- At year end it is in the Accountant Pack for your agent, or in the myDeductions layout for myTax.
Receipt photos are on 2Fin Premium. Hnry's steps as Hnry describes its app; check the current app for changes.
One year in 2Fin, start to finish, nothing else installed
2Fin connects to Xero, QuickBooks and spreadsheets when you already use them. It also runs the whole year on its own. Here is what that looks like for one person.
July
Mia works three days a week on a salary and designs logos on an ABN. She connects her bank feed, and last year’s spending comes in with it.
Every week
Fin sorts each purchase: the design software is business, the train to the office is private, the work laptop bag is work-related. Receipts are photos on her phone.
Each quarter
Her BAS is prepared from the sorted lines, each figure traceable to the transactions behind it, ready for her to lodge.
All year
The refund estimate counts her salary, the tax already withheld and her business profit, so the number at tax time is not a surprise.
June
She hands her accountant the Accountant Pack: a workbook, a PDF summary and every receipt. No other software touched the year.
BAS statements are on ELITE+. You or your agent lodge. Always confirm eligibility and lodgement obligations with your accountant or the ATO.
When staying with Hnry is the right call
A credible guide acknowledges it: in some situations the best alternative is the service you already have.
- You want zero tax admin — tax set aside every time you are paid, with returns and BAS lodged for you by registered agents.
- You are comfortable having client payments route through a dedicated Hnry account.
- Its percentage-of-income pricing works out well for your income level.
A hybrid approach is also worth considering: Hnry on the income side, an expense-intelligence platform on the deduction side. The two complement each other more often than they compete.
Hnry alternatives — common questions
What does Hnry cost?
Hnry charges 1% plus GST of the self-employed income paid into your Hnry account, capped at $1,500 plus GST a year, and that includes lodging your returns (Hnry’s pricing, checked October 2026). At $60,000 of self-employed income that is $660 a year including GST; from $150,000 it stays at the $1,650 cap.
How do you claim expenses with Hnry?
In the Hnry app you add the expense with a photo of the receipt and a note on what it was for, and Hnry’s accountants review it. A purchase on the Hnry business card raises the expense for you. Once approved, it lowers the tax Hnry sets aside from your next payment.
Can 2Fin run my sole-trader tax year on its own, without Xero or another app?
Yes. 2Fin takes your bank feed or statements, sorts and tags every transaction, matches receipts, keeps the refund estimate, the asset register and your BAS, and ends the year with an Accountant Pack for your agent or the myDeductions layout for myTax. Xero, QuickBooks and Google Sheets are optional destinations, not requirements. Always confirm eligibility and lodgement obligations with your accountant or the ATO.
Does 2Fin take money from my income?
Your income stays in your own bank account. 2Fin reads your transactions through a read-only bank feed or a statement you upload, so it never holds, moves or withholds money. You decide when to pay the ATO, and the live estimate shows how much to put aside.
Does 2Fin tell me how much tax I owe?
Yes. The live refund or owing estimate counts your salary, business profit and rental income, the tax already withheld, the Medicare levy, the low income tax offset and HELP, and it moves as each transaction lands. It runs in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and India, and in the United States for one kind of income at a time. Always confirm eligibility and lodgement obligations with your accountant or the ATO.
Why do people look for an Hnry alternative?
The common reasons are structural rather than quality complaints: Hnry prices as a percentage of income, which grows with your revenue; payments route through an Hnry account rather than your own; and some people only need help with one side of their finances — usually expenses and deductions — rather than a full payroll-style service.
Is there a free alternative to Hnry?
It depends which part you are replacing. Tax lodgement itself is generally a paid, regulated service. The expense side — categorising spending and surfacing deductions — is where free options exist: 2Fin starts free, and you can pay an agent only for the lodgement. Always confirm eligibility and lodgement obligations with your accountant or the ATO.
Can I use one of these tools alongside Hnry instead of replacing it?
Yes, and for many people that is the better move. Hnry handles income-side tax withholding and lodgement; an expense-intelligence tool like 2Fin works the deduction side from your bank feed. They touch different data and solve different problems, so they complement rather than conflict.
Do these alternatives lodge my tax return like Hnry does?
Generally no — and this is the key difference to check. Hnry includes lodgement by registered tax agents. Of the options here, only a registered tax agent lodges for you; the software tools prepare, organise and estimate, and you (or your agent) lodge. Always confirm eligibility and lodgement obligations with your accountant or the ATO.
Begin on the expense side — free
Whatever you decide for the income side, expense tracking and deduction surfacing can begin today at no cost — no card required.
Get 2Fin free →Or read the in-depth 2Fin vs Hnry comparison, and all comparisons.
