Crypto tax in Australia is no longer optional to figure out. The ATO's data-matching program pulls transaction records directly from local exchanges, and every disposal, trade, or DeFi interaction can trigger a capital gains tax (CGT) event. Two tools dominate the local market: Koinly and CryptoTaxCalculator. Both promise ATO-compliant reports, both integrate with Australian exchanges, and both handle far more than a simple buy-sell ledger. But they are built with different priorities, and the wrong choice can cost you hours of manual work or real dollars in missed deductions.
This comparison covers pricing, ATO-specific features, DeFi and NFT handling, ease of use, and where each tool tends to fall short. The goal is to help you pick the right one for your situation, whether you are a buy-and-hold investor with a handful of trades, an active trader running hundreds of transactions, or a DeFi user navigating wrapped tokens and liquidity pools.
The core difference in philosophy
Koinly is the older of the two and has a global user base spanning dozens of countries. Its Australian localisation is strong, but the product was designed to serve many tax jurisdictions. CryptoTaxCalculator, by contrast, was founded in Australia and built from the ground up for ATO compliance. That origin shapes how each tool classifies transactions, handles edge cases, and presents your final tax report.
CryptoTaxCalculator uses a more granular transaction-type system, often auto-labelling DeFi interactions as income, capital gain, fee, or staking reward before you even review them. Koinly also auto-classifies, but its defaults can occasionally mismatch ATO treatment, particularly for DeFi wrapping events and liquidity pool exits. For straightforward portfolios, the difference rarely matters. For complex DeFi users, it can mean significant reclassification work.
Pricing: what you actually pay
Both tools offer a free tier that lets you import transactions and see your gains without generating a downloadable report. You pay when you need the tax report itself.
Koinly's paid plans in Australia start at around AU$59 per year for up to 100 transactions, rising to AU$199 for up to 1,000 transactions and AU$399 for up to 3,000. A trader plan covering unlimited transactions sits above that. Pricing is charged annually and covers one financial year; prior years cost extra.
CryptoTaxCalculator prices by the number of transactions per financial year as well. Its entry tier starts at roughly AU$49 for up to 100 transactions, with plans at AU$149 for 1,000 transactions and AU$299 for 10,000. The higher transaction caps at mid-tier are a meaningful advantage for active traders. Both platforms regularly offer EOFY discounts, so it is worth checking around May and June.
ATO compliance and report quality
Both tools generate reports formatted for the Australian tax year (1 July to 30 June) and apply FIFO (first-in, first-out) costing by default, which is consistent with standard ATO guidance. Both also support the 12-month CGT discount for assets held longer than a year, correctly halving the taxable gain on qualifying disposals.
Where CryptoTaxCalculator stands out is in its handling of the ATO's evolving DeFi guidance. The platform has published detailed documentation on how it treats wrapped tokens, liquidity pool events, and staking rewards in line with the ATO's position that most DeFi transactions are taxable disposals. It also correctly identifies certain coin-to-coin trades as CGT events, something that trips up some users on other platforms.
Koinly's reports are clean and readable, and its summary tax report is well-suited to handing off to an accountant. However, some Australian users report that DeFi events require more manual review to ensure they match ATO treatment. You should always have a registered tax agent or accountant review any crypto tax report before lodging, regardless of which tool you use. Neither platform constitutes personal tax advice. If you want a deeper look at how the Koinly platform works in practice for Australian users, our dedicated review covers the full feature set and workflow.
Exchange and wallet integrations
Both tools integrate with the main Australian exchanges: CoinSpot, Swyftx, BTC Markets, Independent Reserve, and Binance Australia (historical data). Integration quality varies by exchange; API imports are generally cleaner than CSV uploads, which can require manual column mapping.
Koinly supports over 700 integrations globally, including most major DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and Layer 2 networks. CryptoTaxCalculator's integration count is lower but covers virtually everything an Australian user is likely to encounter, and its DeFi chain support (Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, and others) is robust. Both tools allow manual CSV import as a fallback for unsupported platforms.
DeFi, NFTs, and staking
This is where the tools diverge most clearly. CryptoTaxCalculator was built to handle complex on-chain activity, and it shows. It can ingest a wallet address directly from supported chains and classify transactions without manual input in most cases. Its handling of liquidity pool additions and removals, yield farming income, and NFT mints and sales is more mature, and its transaction-type taxonomy aligns closely with how the ATO currently treats these events.
Koinly handles DeFi well for common use cases but occasionally requires manual intervention on more exotic transaction types. For Australians with heavy DeFi exposure, CryptoTaxCalculator is generally the stronger choice. For those whose activity is primarily exchange-based with some staking, either tool will do the job.
For broader context on how the ATO views DeFi activity and why correct classification matters, the ATO's crypto data matching program is worth understanding before you generate any tax report.
Ease of use
Koinly's interface is widely regarded as the more polished of the two. Onboarding is smooth, the dashboard is clean, and the tax summary page gives you a clear top-line view of your gains and losses before you pay for anything. For beginners or users who want a low-friction experience, Koinly is generally easier to navigate.
CryptoTaxCalculator's interface is functional but denser. It exposes more detail by default, which experienced users appreciate but can overwhelm newcomers. The transaction review screen is particularly powerful once you understand the classification system, but the learning curve is steeper.
Customer support is a point of difference. CryptoTaxCalculator offers live chat during Australian business hours and has a reputation for responsive support on edge-case tax questions. Koinly's support is primarily email and ticket-based, with response times that can stretch during peak EOFY periods.
Which tool is right for you?
For most Australian crypto investors, the choice comes down to portfolio complexity. If your activity is primarily buying and selling on AUSTRAC-registered exchanges, with some staking on the side, Koinly's polished interface and accountant-friendly reports are hard to beat. If you are deep in DeFi, regularly interact with smart contracts, or need maximum confidence that your ATO classification is correct without hours of manual review, CryptoTaxCalculator's Australian-first design gives it an edge.
Price is rarely the deciding factor at the entry level. Both tools are affordable relative to the cost of getting your crypto tax wrong. At higher transaction volumes, CryptoTaxCalculator's broader transaction caps at mid-tier pricing make it better value for active traders.
Whichever tool you choose, cross-check your report with the ATO's published guidance on crypto assets and, where the numbers are material, have a registered tax agent review the output. The best crypto tax software for Australians is ultimately the one you will actually use correctly. For a broader look at how the leading options stack up, our best crypto tax calculator for Australians roundup covers additional tools and edge-case scenarios worth knowing about before you commit.
This article is general information only and does not constitute personal tax advice. Consult a registered tax agent for advice specific to your situation.