How Meridian compares.
Here is how Meridian compares with your own spreadsheets on privacy, Australian tax and mortgage offsets.
Side by side. Privacy, Australian tax and mortgage offsets.
| Capability | Meridian | Your own spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy and security | ||
| Data storageWhere your financial records live | 100% on your deviceEncrypted SQLite vault (256-bit). Meridian servers never store your finances. | Usually unencryptedKept on your drive or in a cloud drive. |
| Bank feed safetyPassword handling and fraud protection | Read-only Open BankingRegulated CDR consent or offline CSVs. Never asks for bank passwords, so your fraud protections stay intact. | Manual onlyDownload statement CSVs by hand each month. |
| Biometric lockQuick desktop unlock | Biometric unlockQuick-unlock key held in your system keychain (Touch ID on Mac). No cloud authentication keys. | None |
| Australian tax and income | ||
| 2026–27 tax rates and Medicare surchargePAYG withholding and MLS tiers | Built-in ATO calculation2026–27 ATO brackets, Medicare levy, and MLS tiers 1 to 3 based on your private hospital cover. | DIY formulasManual lookups that need updating when tax rates change. |
| HECS repayments and Division 293Student debt and the 15% super tax | Repayment income worked outWorks out compulsory HECS repayments and flags Division 293 tax before the bill arrives. | Complex manual tables |
| Negative gearing and property taxDeductions and the effect on your PAYG tax | Full property scheduleCalculates rental deductions, includes the depreciation from your schedule, and estimates the effect on your PAYG tax. | Manual spreadsheet tracking |
| Capital gains tax discountsSelling ASX shares, ETFs or property | Automatic 50% CGT discountTracks parcel cost bases (FIFO or HIFO), 12-month holding thresholds and capital losses. | Manual parcel tracking |
| Wealth and mortgage | ||
| Mortgage offset savingsInterest your offset balances save | Offset-aware interestWorks out the interest saved by multiple 100% offset accounts against principal-and-interest repayments. | Manual formulasNeeds manual updates when your rate or balance changes. |
| Offset versus investingPay down the home loan or buy ASX ETFs? | Built-in comparisonCompares the tax-free offset return with pre-tax ETF returns at your own tax bracket. | Custom formulas needed |
Try Meridian on your own accounts.
Free during the beta on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Windows planned.