Australia · Comparison · Last reviewed 2026-05-25
YardGuild vs HirePOS
HirePOS is the cheapest headline price in AU. We're 2× more, and that's the whole story — except when you add up what you actually need to run a yard.
Who HirePOS is
HirePOS is a long-running AU-built hire management app. They've been around since 2003 and a lot of single-location yards use them. The base price is A$89/mo and that's their whole pitch.
When HirePOS is the right pick
If you run one yard, never need SMS reminders, are fine with a desktop-only experience, and your customers don't ask for digital waivers, HirePOS will work and we won't talk you out of it. It's a fair tool for a fair price.
When you'll probably prefer YardGuild
Anyone running more than one yard, anyone whose staff use phones not desktops, anyone whose customers expect a tap-to-sign waiver, and anyone who doesn't want to maintain a separate SMS billing relationship with SMS Express.
The real cost math
Headline pricing is misleading when the headline doesn't include what you actually need. Here's what a 3-yard operator with two staff actually pays.
HirePOS fully loaded
- HirePOS Base
- A$89/mo (1 user, GST inc.)
- Branches module (3 yards)
- +A$11/mo
- Two extra users
- +A$22/mo
- Online Store / customer portal
- +A$55/mo
- API + Zapier
- +A$11/mo
- SMS Express (separate billing, ~500 SMS/mo)
- +A$35-50/mo
- Total
- A$223-238/mo (HirePOS A$188 + SMS Express)
YardGuild Multi-yard
A$299/mo
Includes
- ✓Up to 3 yards (no Branches surcharge)
- ✓Unlimited staff users (no per-seat charge)
- ✓SMS reminders included — no second invoice from SMS Express
- ✓Owner mobile PWA — barcode scan, condition photos, one-tap bond capture
- ✓Tablet waiver kiosk — ACL-compliant e-sign, magic-link to renter's phone
- ✓Auto bond hold + release via PayPal
- ✓GST-compliant tax invoice format built-in
- ✓API access (no separate module to buy)
Feature by feature
| Feature | YardGuild | HirePOS | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline price | A$199 Counter / A$299 Multi-yard / A$379 Pro | A$89 base (1 user) | Competitor |
| Per-user pricing | Flat. Unlimited staff. | Add-on per Admin / General / Driver user | YardGuild |
| Multi-yard / branches | Up to 3 yards included on Multi-yard. Unlimited on Pro. | Branches module +A$11/mo | YardGuild |
| SMS reminders | Included from Multi-yard tier upwards | Requires separate SMS Express account (~A$35-50/mo) | YardGuild |
| Owner mobile app | PWA — installs to home screen, works offline, barcode scan + condition photos | Desktop-first; no native mobile flow | YardGuild |
| Renter waiver e-sign | Built-in tablet kiosk + magic-link to renter's phone, ACL-compliant template | Not built-in | YardGuild |
| Damage bond hold | Auto PayPal authorize on checkout, void on clean return, capture on damage | Manual — record deposit in software, take card details separately | YardGuild |
| GST-compliant tax invoice | Built-in (ATO format >A$82.50) | Built-in | Tie |
| Time in market | New (2026 launch) | Since 2003 | Competitor |
| Native AU support | Built in AU for AU/NZ from day one | AU company, AU support | Tie |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | 14 days | YardGuild |
| Online customer self-serve portal | Included | Online Store module +A$55/mo | YardGuild |
Questions you might be asking
- HirePOS is A$89, you're A$199. Why the difference?
- Because HirePOS at A$89 is the cost of one user with no extras. Once you add SMS, multi-yard, extra staff, online store, and API, you're at A$188-238/mo and you still don't have the mobile owner app or the tablet waiver kiosk. Our A$299 Multi-yard includes all of it. The honest comparison is fully-loaded HirePOS vs YardGuild Multi-yard — and at that point we're about A$60-80 more for considerably more capability. If you don't need SMS or multi-yard or kiosk, HirePOS at the base tier is a fine pick.
- We've used HirePOS for 8 years. What's the migration like?
- Bring us your asset list as a CSV and our import handles it — categories, daily rates, bond amounts, SKUs. Active contracts you finish out in HirePOS; new ones go into YardGuild. We don't try to import historical contracts because the data shapes don't line up cleanly and the historical view in HirePOS keeps working. Most operators run both for a week or two and cut over once a new month starts.
- Do you have an AU office / AU support?
- Support is via chat + email, with response times during AEST business hours. We don't have a phone line. HirePOS has phone support — if that matters to you on day one, it's a real difference.
- Why don't I just stay on HirePOS and add SMS Express?
- You should, if HirePOS + SMS Express does the job. The reason most operators look at switching is the mobile experience — checking in returned gear from your phone with barcode scan and condition photos, vs walking back to a desktop. That's the thing HirePOS doesn't have a good answer for.
- Does HirePOS support GST and ACL waivers?
- GST tax invoices, yes. ACL-compliant digital waivers with signature capture, no — that's a workflow you'd do in DocuSign or on paper separately. Our waiver kiosk is built into the checkout flow so the renter signs on a tablet at pickup.
Try it on your own yard for 30 days
No credit card. Import your assets via CSV, run a few contracts, see if the kiosk and the mobile check-in actually save the time we say they do.