MoneyWorks

What MoneyWorks does

MoneyWorks, developed by Cognito Software Ltd, is a New Zealand-headquartered accounting and ERP software suite serving over 40,000 businesses across at least nine countries (NZ, Australia, US, Canada, UK, Eurozone, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa). Founded in 1992 and privately held, the company sells a native desktop product line spanning MoneyWorks Cashbook and Express (entry-level, Windows-only) and MoneyWorks Gold (the full-featured cross-platform flagship), with multi-user and server capabilities delivered via MoneyWorks Datacentre and an optional fully-hosted cloud service called MoneyWorks Now. The platform is built on a proprietary native database architecture — explicitly not a browser-based app — with native binaries for macOS (64-bit Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows (64-bit Intel/ARM64). It includes an embedded cross-platform scripting language (MWScript) with a single-step debugger, a REST API on port 6710, platform automation via AppleScript and COM/VBS, and — as of version 9.2.5 in July 2026 — a Model Context Protocol server that exposes MoneyWorks data to local desktop AI such as Anthropic Claude, without transmitting data externally.

The functional surface covers cashbook, general ledger, accounts receivable/payable, budgeting, fixed assets, quoting and order tracking, job costing, inventory with batch and serial tracking across multiple locations, multi-currency, bills of materials, and an extensible report writer and forms editor. Regulatory coverage includes UK Making Tax Digital for ITSA (2026 production), UK MTD for VAT, Singapore GST InvoiceNow (IMDA-approved, with Advanced Ordering accreditation in progress), and NZ/AU tax compliance and BAS reporting. Integration partnerships span Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Stripe, PEPPOL e-invoicing, FileMaker/Claris, Microsoft Office, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Thunderbird.

Commercially, MoneyWorks operates a direct-to-consumer, product-led model: a 45-day free trial is downloaded directly from cognito.co.nz with no IT staff required, and customers buy either a perpetual licence (first year of updates included, optional low-cost annual maintenance thereafter) or a monthly subscription, with cloud-hosted access via MoneyWorks Now available on the same terms. Multi-company support is included at no extra cost. Pricing is jurisdiction-adjusted and, per company disclosures, has risen only ~21% over the last decade compared with reported increases of 100-250% at Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks. The customer base is horizontal SMB, with no enterprise anchor accounts disclosed and no external funding, acquisitions, or public-market activity identified.

Name

MoneyWorks

Legal name

Cognito Software Ltd

Website

https://secure.cognito.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MoneyWorks is a native cross-platform desktop accounting and ERP software suite by Cognito Software Ltd (NZ, est. 1992), serving 40,000+ small and medium businesses across nine countries via self-serve perpetual or subscription licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Accounting Software

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Treasury, Cash Management & Liquidity Tools (Sweeps, Cash Concentration) (FSAGAAAG), Expense Tracking & Financial Dashboards (FSAGADAB), Corporate Treasury & Supplier Payments (AP, Mass Payments) (FSAMAKAL), Payroll, Contractor Payments & SME HR Finance (FSAGAJAI)

Keywords

• Desktop accounting software
• Small business accounting
• ERP software
• Multi-user accounting
• Cross-platform accounting

Headquarters

HQ city

Takapuna

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Perpetual Software License: Customers purchase a perpetual license with first year of updates included free. Low-cost annual maintenance option keeps users current with the latest features.
2. Monthly Subscription: Monthly subscription option with no up-front cost, all updates included. Cloud subscription also available with hosted service.
3. Software Maintenance: Optional maintenance program for perpetual license holders to continue receiving updates after the first year.
4. MoneyWorks Services: Paid services including bank feeds (NZ and Australia), invoice automation, e-invoicing modules, and support services. MTD for ITSA provided as a MoneyWorks Service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MoneyWorks is a native desktop accounting and ERP software suite, sold in tiered editions (Cashbook, Express, Gold, Datacentre) for Windows and Mac, with an optional fully-hosted cloud variant called MoneyWorks Now. The suite delivers general ledger, accounts receivable/payable, budgeting, fixed assets, job costing, inventory, multi-currency, GST/VAT compliance, bank feeds, e-invoicing via PEPPOL, and — as of version 9.2.5 — optional AI integration via Model Context Protocol with local desktop AI such as Anthropic Claude.

Product overview

MoneyWorks is a unified accounting and ERP software suite by Cognito Software, available in both desktop native app and cloud-hosted forms. The product range consists of three desktop tiers: MoneyWorks Cashbook (basic, 32-bit Windows), MoneyWorks Express (entry-level), and MoneyWorks Gold (full-featured flagship). Multi-user and server capabilities are provided by MoneyWorks Datacentre, which can be self-hosted or accessed via the fully-managed MoneyWorks Now cloud service. All products share core accounting modules (Cashbook, General Ledger, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Budgeting, Fixed Assets, Inventory, Job Costing, Multi-Currency, GST/VAT). Gold and Datacentre additionally support AI capabilities via MCP integration with Anthropic Claude (from v9.2.5), REST API, MWScript scripting, and optional Services modules for bank feeds, invoice automation, e-invoicing, and eCommerce. The product runs natively on both Mac (Intel/Apple Silicon) and Windows (Intel/ARM64), with data fully owned by the user.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MoneyWorks Gold Full-featured native desktop accounting and ERP application for SMBs, available on Mac (64-bit Intel/Apple Silicon) and Windows (64-bit Intel/ARM64). Includes Cashbook, General Ledger, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Budgeting, Fixed Assets, Quoting & Orders, Job Costing, Inventory with batch/serial tracking, Multi-Currency, Bills of Materials, GST/VAT/HST compliance, bank feeds, e-invoicing via PEPPOL, and optional AI integration via MCP from v9.2.5.
• MoneyWorks Express Entry-level accounting software with a reduced feature set compared to MoneyWorks Gold, available as a 32-bit Windows application for smaller businesses that do not yet need the full Gold feature set.
• MoneyWorks Cashbook Basic 32-bit Windows cashbook accounting application for small businesses needing fundamental cash and bank management.
• MoneyWorks Datacentre High-performance server solution that enables network sharing of MoneyWorks databases for up to 100 concurrent users, exposes the MoneyWorks REST API, supports server-side scripting and scheduled tasks, and can be self-hosted on-premises or on a customer-managed cloud VM.
• MoneyWorks Now Fully hosted cloud service provided by Cognito that runs MoneyWorks Datacentre on the vendor's servers and is accessed via the moneyworks://now/ URL scheme, providing all Datacentre features without the customer needing to operate their own server.
• MoneyWorks Services Suite of opt-in paid add-on services for MoneyWorks, including automated Bank Feeds in NZ and Australia, PDF invoice and purchase order automation, PEPPOL e-Invoicing for NZ, Australia, UK, and Singapore, and integrations with BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, and Stripe. UK Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) is delivered as a MoneyWorks Service and went into production in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40,000 companies worldwide use MoneyWorks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability10 records

Feature10 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QuickBooks (Intuit): QuickBooks is the global SMB accounting category leader, offering desktop (QuickBooks Desktop) and cloud variants that compete head-on with MoneyWorks in SMB accounting, invoicing, payroll, and tax-compliance workflows.
• FreshBooks: FreshBooks is a cloud SMB accounting platform targeting freelancers, service businesses, and small companies with invoicing, expense, and time-tracking — directly comparable to MoneyWorks Express/Gold for service-based SMBs.
• Sage: Sage offers Sage Business Cloud Accounting and Sage 50/100 for SMBs and accountants globally, with feature parity in GL, AR/AP, invoicing, multi-currency, and tax compliance that closely overlaps with MoneyWorks.
• Xero: Xero is the leading cloud-based SMB accounting platform in Australia/New Zealand and globally, competing directly with MoneyWorks for the same small business and accounting advisor segments with overlapping feature sets (GL, AR/AP, invoicing, bank feeds, GST/VAT).
• Wave Accounting: Wave is a free/affordable cloud accounting and invoicing platform for very small businesses, serving a similar entry-level SMB segment as MoneyWorks Cashbook and Express.
• MYOB: MYOB is a dominant SMB accounting and payroll provider in Australia and New Zealand, offering desktop and cloud products that overlap with MoneyWorks' SMB and accountant/bookkeeper segments in AU/NZ.

Regional players

• Reckon: Reckon is an Australia-focused SMB accounting and legal practice software provider, comparable to MoneyWorks as a regional desktop/cloud accounting peer for AU-based SMBs and accountants.
• Saasu: Saasu is an Australia-focused cloud accounting platform targeting SMBs with invoicing, bank feeds, BAS, and tax compliance — a regional peer to MoneyWorks in the Australian market.

Broad incumbents

• NetSuite (Oracle): NetSuite is a leading cloud midmarket ERP with financial management, inventory, and multi-currency — overlapping with MoneyWorks Gold/Datacentre at the upper end of MoneyWorks' market.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a midmarket cloud ERP/SMB accounting platform with GL, AP/AR, inventory, and multi-currency, competing with MoneyWorks Gold for growing SMBs and cross-platform Windows-heavy customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MoneyWorks