Running your business

Hnry vs Rounded for sole traders: a fair comparison

Hnry and Rounded are both aimed at Australian freelancers, which is why they end up in the same shortlist, but they solve different problems. Rounded is about getting invoices out and paid and keeping tidy records. Hnry is about never having to deal with tax. This guide compares them on the things that matter to a one-person business, fairly.

Updated 16 September 2026. General information only, not tax advice.

What each one is

Hnry is a registered tax agent service with an app. Clients pay into a Hnry-held account in your name; Hnry deducts income tax, GST if registered, and optionally super and student loan repayments, pays them to the ATO, and pays you the remainder. Expenses are submitted in the app to reduce the withholding. Hnry lodges your BAS and your annual tax return.

Rounded is invoicing-first software made in Australia for freelancers: quotes, invoices, recurring invoices, reminders, online payments, time tracking, expense capture and bank feeds, with GST tracked and BAS figures reported. It keeps your books; it does not lodge anything for you.

Price

Hnry: 1% of income paid through Hnry, plus GST, capped at $1,500 plus GST a year. $70,000 of income costs $700 plus GST; the cap applies from $150,000. Includes the tax return. No fee when you earn nothing.
Rounded: around $19.95 to $29.95 a month depending on plan, so roughly $240 to $360 a year, plus an accountant’s fee for the return if you use one.

At lower incomes the two are close once an accountant is added to Rounded. At higher incomes Rounded plus an accountant is usually cheaper than Hnry’s cap, but does not include the hands-off tax handling. Confirm current pricing on both sites.

How your money flows

Hnry: clients pay Hnry’s account, tax is taken out, you receive the net. You never hold ATO money and never face a tax bill; in exchange, your income routes through a third party and your available cash is always after tax.

Rounded: clients pay your own bank account, Rounded reads it through a feed, and you set money aside for tax yourself. Rounded shows the GST position and your income to help with that, but the discipline is yours.

Invoicing and getting paid

This is Rounded’s home ground. Quotes that convert to invoices, recurring invoices, part payments, automatic reminders, time tracking that flows into invoices, and online payment options; it has spent years on this and it shows. Hnry’s invoicing is competent and does the job, with the payment details pointing at your Hnry account so the tax handling triggers. If invoicing detail is the thing you care about most, Rounded is the deeper tool.

Expenses, GST and BAS

Rounded captures expenses with receipt images and through bank feeds, tracks GST on both sides, and reports the BAS figures for you or your agent to lodge. Hnry applies expenses when you submit them, works out GST as income arrives, and lodges the BAS itself. For a freelancer with a modest number of expenses, either works; for one who wants a full transaction-level record in their own hands, Rounded is closer to a set of books.

Tax return and support

Hnry includes the annual return, prepared by its own tax agents. Rounded does not; you lodge through myTax or pay an accountant, and Rounded’s reports give them what they need. Both offer Australian-based support: Hnry’s is about your tax, Rounded’s is about the software.

Who each suits

Hnry tends to suit: freelancers and contractors who want tax handled end to end, have few expenses, and are comfortable with income through a Hnry account. Anyone who has had a tax bill they had not saved for.

Rounded tends to suit: freelancers whose admin is mostly invoicing and quoting, who want their own books and their own bank account, and who have or will get an accountant for the return.

Some people use both in sequence: Rounded while building up, Hnry once income is steady and the admin becomes a burden, or the reverse when they want more control.

Where FlowFi fits

FlowFi is closer to Rounded than to Hnry: your money stays in your own account, you keep your own books, and your accountant does the return. The difference is the starting point. Rounded starts from invoices and bank feeds; FlowFi starts from an uploaded bank statement, which AI categorises line by line, flagging GST and deductions and preparing each BAS label with a copy-guide for ATO Online. Invoicing with reminders, receipts, mileage and a cash-flow forecast sit around that. Pro is $29 a month or $290 a year, with a 14-day free trial and no card. If the BAS and the categorising are the part you dread, that is what it is built for; if invoicing depth is the priority, compare it with Rounded on a real invoice. See FlowFi vs Rounded and FlowFi vs Hnry.

Prices and features were checked in September 2026 and change often. Confirm current plans on each provider’s website before deciding.

Email me the quarterly BAS checklist

The checklist now, then a few short notes on getting your BAS done. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rounded lodge my BAS?

No. Rounded reports the figures; you lodge through ATO online services or your BAS agent does. Check Rounded’s site for current features.

Can I keep using Rounded for invoicing if I move to Hnry?

You could, by pointing Rounded’s invoices at your Hnry account, but you would be paying for two products where one does the job. Most people consolidate.

Which is better for a freelancer earning under $40,000?

Hnry costs $400 plus GST at that income and includes the return; Rounded costs its subscription plus whatever the return costs you. The choice comes down to whether you want to do the BAS and tax yourself.

General information only, not tax advice. Check your own situation with a registered tax agent or the ATO.