LodgeHQ vs Migration Manager

The Migration Manager alternative built for modern Australian migration practices

Built by Awais Nisar, a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2318017), LodgeHQ does what Migration Manager does — with AI document extraction, ImmiAccount auto-fill, a built-in client portal, and workflow automation included in one subscription. Starting at $99/mo — less than half the price of Migration Manager's cheapest advertised licence. A practising agent's tool, not a generic corporate suite.

No credit card. No setup fees. No per-seat charge for your support team.

The pricing gap, at a glance

Both include the core case-management basics. LodgeHQ also bundles AI tools, a client portal, and your whole support team into one flat price.

Migration Manager

$239/licence/mo*
  • • Per-licence pricing (licences are shareable)
  • • A$900 one-off setup & training fee
  • • A built-in client portal not advertised on their public site (as at June 2026)

LodgeHQ

$99/mo
  • • Support staff included (no per-seat)
  • • Client portal included
  • • AI document extraction & drafting included
  • • ImmiAccount auto-fill Chrome extension

Total savings

Save $1,680/year

*LodgeHQ $99/mo vs Migration Manager's cheapest advertised licence — A$239/licence/mo on a 36-month term (A$259 on 24 months, A$339 on 12 months), all ex GST, plus a one-off A$900 setup & training fee. A$239 − $99 = A$140/mo. Pricing verified at migrationmanager.com.au/pricing on 13 June 2026.

Full feature comparison

An honest, line-by-line look at what each platform includes in its base subscription.

FeatureLodgeHQMigration Mgr
Starting monthly price$99$239+/licence
Support staff included (no per-seat)Per licence
Unlimited clients included
Custom pipeline stages
AI compliance tools
Conflict-of-interest detection
AI document extraction (PDF/images)
Passport scan auto-populate
Passport photo crop (35x45mm)
Document converter (PDF, Word, Excel, Images)
PDF tools (merge, compress, split, watermark)
ImmiAccount auto-fill
Client self-serve portal
Built-in e-signatures
CRM & lead pipeline
Email campaigns
Trust accounting
Time tracking & billing
Points test calculator
Occupation search & visa pathways
Scenario modeller
Xero / MYOB sync
Stripe online payments
Webhooks & Zapier
NAATI translation orders
Workflow automation builder
Calendar sync & booking page
WhatsApp messaging
CPD tracking
DHA form auto-fill (7 forms)
Service agreement generator
Client surveys & NPS
Referral partner management
Knowledge base
Mobile-friendly (PWA)
Modern UI

Compiled from Migration Manager's public website as at 13 June 2026. A ✗ means we could not find the feature advertised as included in Migration Manager's base subscription — it is not confirmation that the feature is unavailable. Migration Manager pricing (from A$239/licence/mo, ex GST, on a 36-month term, plus a one-off A$900 setup & training fee) was verified at migrationmanager.com.au/pricing on 13 June 2026. If anything is out of date, please let us know and we'll correct it.

Why agents are switching to LodgeHQ

The reasons we hear most often from migration agents who make the move.

AI that actually helps

Not chatbot gimmicks — real tools that cut hours off every file.

  • ✓ AI compliance checks on every matter
  • ✓ AI document data extraction from passports and PDFs
  • ✓ AI-drafted submissions and email file-note summaries

ImmiAccount auto-fill

Our Chrome extension — live on the Chrome Web Store — pulls client data straight from LodgeHQ and types it into every ImmiAccount field, across every page, every subclass.

  • ✓ One-click install, auto-updates forever
  • ✓ Saves 30–60 minutes per lodgement
  • ✓ ~90% of fields populated — including Form 80 and 482 sponsor module
  • ✓ Included in the base subscription

One subscription, everything included

No surprises on your next invoice. $99/mo buys the whole platform.

  • ✓ No per-seat charge for your support team — admin and support staff included free
  • ✓ No setup fees or onboarding charges
  • ✓ No training fees — docs and tutorials included
  • ✓ Cancel any time, keep your data export

Built by a practising agent

LodgeHQ was built by a MARA-registered migration agent for his own practice — and it's still used there every day.

  • ✓ Built by a MARA-registered agent, not a corporate software company
  • ✓ Still used daily in a live migration practice
  • ✓ Every feature is a real workflow need, not a checkbox
  • ✓ You're the user, not the product
Still under contract with Migration Manager?

Keep it. LodgeHQ pays for itself before you move a single matter.

Three subscriptions many practices already pay for separately are built into LodgeHQ. Cancel them and most of the A$99 is covered before you count a single hour. Everything else on the platform — Engage onboarding, letters, Visa Tools, the client portal, ImmiAccount auto-fill — is the bonus, and none of it needs your in-flight files moved.

  • ✓ Nothing to migrate: sign, book, search and onboard from day one
  • ✓ Engage takes 20–25 minutes of admin off every client onboarding (our own practice's figure)
  • ✓ When your term ends, import your book in one upload and add A$140 a month to the saving
Start alongside Migration Manager — free for 14 days

Cancel these, keep the change

  • E-signatures

    DocuSign Standard, from A$37 per user a month

    A$37/mo

  • Occupation search & points

    Anzscosearch Professional, a month

    A$29/mo

  • Online bookings

    Calendly Standard, US$12 a seat a month billed monthly

    A$17/mo

Typical total, before any hours saved

A$83/mo

Against LodgeHQ at A$99 a month. Pay for higher tiers, or for PDF tools or a newsletter platform too, and it is already ahead. Your own figures, and the hours, are worked out for you in the app.

Vendor prices from docusign.com/en-AU, anzscosearch.com and calendly.com, read 9 September 2026; US-dollar plans converted at about A$1.40.

How to migrate from Migration Manager

A practical, honest migration path: self-serve, previewed before anything is created, and reversible.

  1. 1

    Export your data from Migration Manager

    Build the export kit in Migration Manager's report builder (Reports → User-Defined Reports) and export each report to Excel. LodgeHQ hands you a checklist naming every report column to tick, so nothing is left behind.

  2. 2

    Import into LodgeHQ

    Upload the whole kit at once and preview exactly what will be created before anything is imported — clients, matters, family members, visa and travel histories, and every file note with its full text. Changed your mind? Undo the run and it removes exactly what it created. Your documents stay where they are, in Migration Manager's documents folder on your own drive, so there is nothing to move.

  3. 3

    Run both in parallel for a week

    Start lodging new matters in LodgeHQ. Keep Migration Manager read-only for your in-flight files until you're ready to switch fully. Most practices are operating entirely on LodgeHQ within 5–10 days.

  4. 4

    Cancel Migration Manager

    Once every active matter is live in LodgeHQ, cancel your old subscription and bank the savings. We're happy to help with the transition — email support@lodgehq.com.au.

Nothing is retyped: the importer brings your book across, and Undo removes exactly what it created. Most practices are working fully in LodgeHQ within a week.

Frequently asked questions

I'm locked into Migration Manager for another year. Is there any point starting now?

Yes — and you don't have to move a single matter. E-signatures, online bookings, occupation search and the points calculator, Engage onboarding, letters, Visa Tools and the client portal all work from day one alongside Migration Manager. Many practices pay for e-signatures, occupation search and bookings as separate subscriptions — around A$83 a month at the vendors' standard prices (September 2026) — so cancelling those covers most of LodgeHQ's A$99 before you count any time saved. In our own practice, Engage takes 20–25 minutes of admin off each client onboarding. When your Migration Manager term ends, import your book in one upload and bank the A$140 a month difference.

How long does it take to switch from Migration Manager?

Most practices are fully operational on LodgeHQ within a week. You can sign up, explore every feature during the 14-day free trial, and start lodging new matters immediately. Your Migration Manager book comes across with the self-serve importer: preview exactly what will be created, import, and undo if anything looks wrong. Nothing is retyped.

Can I export my data from Migration Manager?

Yes. Migration Manager exports its data as Excel reports (Reports → User-Defined Reports), and LodgeHQ has a self-serve importer built for exactly those files: upload them, preview what will be created — clients, matters, family members, visa and travel histories, file notes — then import, with an undo if you need it. You do not have to guess which report columns to tick either: LodgeHQ gives you a checklist naming every one of them, report by report, and what each becomes. Your client documents stay where they are, in Migration Manager's documents folder on your own drive, so there's nothing to move. Prefer to hand the whole thing over? Our team does the migration for you at no cost.

Is LodgeHQ MARA compliant?

LodgeHQ is purpose-built for MARA-registered agents. It includes conflict-of-interest detection, consumer guide tracking, file note generation, CPD logging, trust accounting, and a full audit trail. It is designed to help you stay organised and audit-ready under the Code of Conduct.

Do you support ENS, partner, student and other visa types?

All of them. LodgeHQ is not locked to specific subclasses — 186 ENS, 820/801 partner, 500 student, 482, 189, 190, 491, 600, 407, 485 and every other visa type. Smart questionnaires adapt to the visa type automatically, and the ImmiAccount extension works across every subclass form.

Does LodgeHQ have trust accounting?

Yes. LodgeHQ includes a full trust account ledger with receipts, disbursements, transfers, and reconciliation. Invoices can draw from trust, and you get audit-ready trust statements out of the box.

Are there hidden fees, per-user charges, or setup costs?

No. LodgeHQ is $99/mo (AUD + GST) per agent, with unlimited admin & support staff included free. Additional registered agents are $99/mo each. Unlimited clients. No setup fees, no training fees, no onboarding charges. The Chrome extension and every feature is included. SMS is an optional add-on (A$40/month + GST for 150 outbound Australian texts a month); document conversions have a fair-use cap of 100/mo, then $0.15/conversion.

Ready to switch?

Start your 14-day free trial of LodgeHQ. Full access to every feature. No credit card. Import your Migration Manager data when you're ready.

Start your 14-day free trial

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