Best Accounting Software in Malaysia 2026: A Buyer's Guide by Use Case

TL;DR — There is no single “best accounting software in Malaysia”; the right choice depends on your size, whether you need payroll, and whether you want cloud or desktop. For a free or very low-cost start, look at Bukku or Financio. For desktop or an accountant-familiar tool, SQL Account or AutoCount. For several countries, Xero. For accounting with payroll from one vendor, ABSS, SQL or AutoCount. All prices and features below were checked on each vendor’s own website in September 2026.

Disclosure: IntBooks publishes this guide and is in closed beta; it is not ranked below. IntBooks is a Malaysian-built cloud accounting and ERP product with e-invoicing through the MyInvois API, SST-02 preparation, payroll, inventory and POS in one system. It is not yet generally available, so we haven’t included it in the picks. If you’d like to try it, you can request beta access.

What changed in 2026?

Do small businesses need e-invoicing in 2026? Not if annual turnover is below RM3 million: that exemption applies from 1 September 2026 (LHDN statement via Bernama, 30 Aug 2026). The threshold has been raised several times: RM150,000, then RM500,000 (June 2025), RM1 million (from 1 January 2026), and now RM3 million. Businesses below it can still e-invoice voluntarily.

For businesses in scope, the mandate was phased in by turnover:

Phase	Annual turnover	Start date
1	Above RM100m	1 Aug 2024
2	RM25m–100m	1 Jan 2025
3	RM5m–25m	1 Jul 2025
4	Up to RM5m	1 Jan 2026

So e-invoicing support matters a lot if you’re at or near RM3 million, and much less for a micro-business. Everyone still needs proper books, SST handling if registered, and correct payroll.

How we compared

We compared each product on criteria that matter to Malaysian SMEs, using only what each vendor states on its own website:

1. E-invoicing — whether it’s included, and on which plans
2. SST — support for SST and the SST-02 return
3. Malaysian payroll — EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB, built in or as a separate product
4. Deployment — cloud, desktop, or both
5. Users — how many are included
6. Price — the vendor’s published list price in September 2026

Where a vendor doesn’t publish something, we say so rather than guess.

Criteria matrix (as of September 2026)

Software	Deployment	E-invoicing (vendor’s statement)	Malaysian payroll	Published entry price	Pricing page
ABSS	Cloud and desktop	”Certified” for LHDN e-invoicing	Premier Connect includes payroll for up to 3 employees	RM999/year (Accounting Connect)	abssasia.com
AutoCount	Cloud and desktop	Cloud: no additional fee	Separate product (HRMS)	RM70/month (Cloud Lite)	autocountsoft.com
Biztory	Cloud	Entry plan sold as “Plus (E-invoicing)“	Not listed on pricing page	RM690/year (Plus)	biztory.com.my
Bukku	Cloud	All plans	Not listed on pricing page	Free (Launch); RM35/month (Seed) + SST	bukku.my
Financio	Cloud	Quota by plan (25 on Essentials)	Separate payroll plans	RM50/month (Essentials)	financio.co
Million Software	See vendor	Not stated per product	Separate product	Not published	million.my
QuickBooks Online	Cloud	Via Sovos (third party)	See vendor	See vendor pricing page	quickbooks.intuit.com/my
SQL Account	Cloud and desktop	Included in SQL Cloud Essential and Pro	Separate product (SQL Payroll)	RM79/month (Cloud Essential)	sql.com.my
Xero	Cloud	Included in Starter and above	Third-party apps	USD 7/month (Lite)	xero.com/my
Zoho Books	Cloud	Third-party Marketplace extension	Zoho Payroll not offered in Malaysia	See vendor	zoho.com

Prices as of September 2026, from each vendor’s own pricing page. They exclude promotions unless stated, and plan contents differ, so compare the features you need.

Picks by use case

Best for micro-businesses on a tight budget

Bukku has a free Launch plan and paid plans from RM35/month + SST, with unlimited users on every plan and LHDN e-invoicing on every tier (Bukku pricing). Financio Essentials is RM50/month with 20 invoices and 25 LHDN e-invoices a month (Financio pricing).

Best for desktop or offline use

SQL Account and AutoCount both sell desktop accounting alongside their cloud products, and both are widely known by Malaysian bookkeepers. If you’re choosing between them, ask your accountant which one they use: familiarity usually matters more than the feature differences. ABSS also sells on-premise versions, from RM2,299 (ABSS pricing).

Best low-cost cloud from an established Malaysian vendor

SQL Cloud Essential (RM79/month) and Pro (RM109/month) both include LHDN e-invoicing and SST compliance (SQL pricing). AutoCount Cloud Accounting runs from RM70/month (Lite), with no additional fee for e-invoicing (AutoCount Cloud pricing).

Best for businesses in several countries

Xero is sold in many countries, and its Malaysia plans (USD 7 / 29 / 50 / 75 a month) include e-invoicing from Starter up; Xero says it is an MDEC-accredited Peppol service provider (Xero e-invoicing). For Malaysian payroll, it relies on third-party apps.

Best for accounting and payroll from one vendor

ABSS Premier Connect (RM1,399/year, 3 users) includes payroll for up to 3 employees (ABSS pricing). SQL (SQL Payroll Cloud from RM69/month), AutoCount (HRMS from RM720/year) and Financio (payroll from RM75/month) sell payroll as a separate product alongside their accounting.

Best for a growing team on an annual budget

Biztory prices annually: Plus RM690/year (2 users), Growth RM1,290/year (10 users, SST-ready), Pro RM2,490/year (30 users) (Biztory pricing). Bukku’s unlimited users also suit larger teams.

If you already use QuickBooks or Zoho

QuickBooks Online is still sold in Malaysia, with e-invoicing through a third-party integration with Sovos (QuickBooks Malaysia). Zoho Books connects to MyInvois through a paid third-party Marketplace extension (Zoho Marketplace), and Zoho Payroll isn’t offered in Malaysia. Both make sense mainly if you already use them.

The vendors in brief

Listed alphabetically. Each summary uses the vendor’s own website as of September 2026.

ABSS

Sold by Asian Business Software Solutions (MYOB’s own website now lists only Australia and New Zealand). Cloud: Accounting Connect RM999/year (1 user, 500 LHDN e-invoices a month) and Premier Connect RM1,399/year (3 users, 5,000 e-invoices a month, payroll for up to 3 employees). On-premise: ABSS Accounting from RM2,299; Premier from RM3,599 (1 user) (ABSS pricing, ABSS e-invoice).

Good fit if: you want payroll for a very small team included, or on-premise software with a cloud option.

AutoCount

From Auto Count Sdn Bhd. Cloud Accounting: Lite RM70, Basic RM100, Plus RM140, Pro RM180 a month, with e-invoicing at no additional fee; a first-year discount was being advertised. Desktop AutoCount Accounting 2.0 comes in five editions and is described as “LHDN e-Invoice Ready”. Payroll (HRMS, from RM720/year) and POS are separate products (AutoCount, AutoCount Payroll).

Good fit if: your bookkeeper already uses AutoCount, or you want AutoCount’s payroll or POS products alongside it.

Biztory

From Biztory Cloud Sdn Bhd. Annual plans: Plus RM690, Growth RM1,290, Pro RM2,490, and a custom Elite plan (Biztory pricing). Payroll isn’t listed on the pricing page.

Good fit if: you prefer annual billing and need several users.

Bukku

Launch: free; Seed RM35, Grow RM65, Prime RM95, Elite RM135 a month, plus 8% SST, or annual equivalents. Unlimited users on every plan; LHDN e-invoicing on every tier (Bukku pricing). Payroll isn’t listed on the pricing page.

Good fit if: you’re a sole proprietor or micro-business and want a free or low-cost cloud start.

Financio

A product of ABSS. Essentials RM50/month (20 invoices, 25 LHDN e-invoices a month) and Premier RM85/month (unlimited invoices, 5,000 e-invoices). Payroll: RM75/month (up to 30 employees) or RM135/month (up to 200) (Financio pricing).

Good fit if: you issue few invoices a month and want a simple cloud tool.

Million Software

From Million Software Sdn Bhd, Johor. Products include accounting, payroll, POS, stock control and HRM. Prices aren’t published; Million asks you to contact them (million.my). Its e-invoice page explains MyInvois but doesn’t say which products support it, so ask before you buy.

Good fit if: you want a local vendor with a dealer relationship and are happy to get a quote.

QuickBooks Online

Intuit still sells QuickBooks Online in Malaysia (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced). Prices load dynamically, so we couldn’t verify them; see QuickBooks’ pricing page. E-invoicing is through a third-party integration with Sovos (QuickBooks Malaysia).

Good fit if: you or your accountant already use QuickBooks.

SQL Account

From E Stream MSC Sdn Bhd. SQL Cloud Essential RM79/month and Pro RM109/month (Pro adds inventory and multi-currency); both include LHDN e-invoicing and SST compliance. The desktop version’s e-invoice module is a one-time payment. SQL X-Mobile is a browser-based companion app. SQL Payroll (cloud from RM69/month) and SQL POS are separate products (SQL pricing).

Good fit if: you want a widely known local product, desktop or cloud.

Xero

From Xero Limited (New Zealand). Malaysia plans: Lite USD 7, Starter USD 29, Standard USD 50, Premium USD 75 a month (priced in USD; a 50%-off-for-36-months promotion runs for purchases before 31 December 2026). E-invoicing included from Starter; multi-currency on Premium; payroll through third-party apps such as HReasily, Talenox and Deel; 24/7 online support (Xero pricing, Xero payroll).

Good fit if: you operate in several countries or your accountant works in Xero.

Zoho Books

Zoho’s Malaysia pricing page wasn’t available when we checked; see the global pricing page, which lists a free plan. MyInvois is through a paid third-party extension, and Zoho Payroll is offered only in the US, UAE and India (Zoho Books payroll).

Good fit if: you already use other Zoho apps and don’t need Malaysian payroll.

Not included: tools built for other countries’ tax systems, such as Wave (priced in USD and CAD).

What to avoid

1. Buying for a mandate you’re not in. If your turnover is below RM3 million, e-invoicing is voluntary for now. Choose on bookkeeping, SST and payroll needs, and check the software can e-invoice when you grow.
2. Desktop-only software for a remote or hybrid team. If staff need access from home or a phone, check the vendor’s browser or mobile option.
3. Ignoring statutory update speed. EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB rules changed several times in 2024–2026. Ask how quickly the vendor applied them.

E-invoicing: what to check before you sign

If you’re in scope, the software should:

1. Submit e-invoices to LHDN for validation before you give them to the buyer (not just produce a PDF)
2. Produce consolidated e-invoices monthly, issued within 7 days after month-end, and keep single transactions above RM10,000 out of consolidation (from 1 January 2026)
3. Handle credit, debit and refund notes against the original e-invoice
4. Handle rejection and cancellation, which are allowed within 72 hours of validation
5. Check the buyer’s TIN before submission
6. Support non-MYR invoices with the exchange rate LHDN requires

Source: LHDN e-Invoice Specific Guideline. Failing to issue a required e-invoice is an offence under section 120(1)(d) of the Income Tax Act 1967: a fine of RM200 to RM20,000, up to 6 months’ imprisonment, or both (LHDN offences).

Pricing: total cost of ownership

The sticker price is only part of the cost. When you compare, add up:

• The base subscription or licence, and whether prices include SST
• Extra users
• E-invoicing, if it’s an add-on or has a monthly quota
• Payroll, if it’s a separate product
• Setup, data migration and training
• Annual maintenance or upgrade fees for desktop licences

How to switch accounting software

1. Pick your cut-over date — usually the first day of a financial year or month
2. Export from your current system — chart of accounts, customers, suppliers, inventory and a trial balance
3. Set up the new system — chart of accounts, tax codes, bank accounts, user permissions
4. Import opening balances — the trial balance at the cut-over date, not the full history
5. Run a parallel month — process the first month in both systems and reconcile
6. Cut over fully — keep the old system available for historical lookups

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free accounting software in Malaysia?

Bukku’s Launch plan is free and includes LHDN e-invoicing (Bukku pricing). Zoho Books also lists a free plan globally, but MyInvois needs a paid third-party extension.

Which accounting software supports MyInvois in Malaysia?

According to their own websites in September 2026: SQL Account (SQL Cloud), AutoCount (Cloud), Bukku, Financio, ABSS and Xero (Starter and above) include e-invoicing, and Biztory sells an e-invoicing plan. QuickBooks Online uses a third-party integration (Sovos), and Zoho Books a paid third-party extension. Million Software doesn’t state which products support it.

Do I need e-invoicing if my turnover is below RM3 million?

No. From 1 September 2026, businesses with annual turnover below RM3 million are exempt, though LHDN encourages voluntary adoption (LHDN statement via Bernama). You still need proper books for tax.

How much does accounting software cost in Malaysia in 2026?

From free (Bukku Launch) to around RM35–RM180 a month for local cloud plans (Bukku, Financio, AutoCount Cloud, SQL Cloud), with annual options from RM690/year (Biztory Plus) and RM999/year (ABSS Accounting Connect). Xero is USD 7–75 a month. Payroll is usually extra.

Can I switch from SQL Account or AutoCount to a cloud system?

Yes. Both have cloud products of their own (SQL Cloud, AutoCount Cloud Accounting). To move to another vendor, export your chart of accounts, customer and supplier lists and a trial balance, and cut over at the start of a month or financial year.

Which accounting software do Malaysian accountants know best?

SQL Account and AutoCount are long-established in Malaysia and many bookkeepers use them. Ask your own accountant which tool they prefer to work with; it will save you time and fees.

Final recommendation

• Micro-business, free or low-cost cloud → Bukku or Financio
• Established local vendor, low-cost cloud with e-invoicing → SQL Cloud or AutoCount Cloud
• Desktop or offline, accountant-familiar → SQL Account or AutoCount
• Accounting plus payroll for a small team → ABSS Premier Connect, or SQL / AutoCount with their payroll products
• Several countries → Xero

Whatever you choose, check the current price and e-invoicing terms on the vendor’s own page before you sign. If you spot anything out of date here, email us and we’ll correct it.