Xero Software

The best at what it does

Full Disclosure: I am an accountant and I recommend Xero to many of my clients. When the expectations are in alignment with the capabilities of the software, then everyone is happy. People get into trouble with ANY software when they jump in thinking they know what it does and are then disappointed. All accounting and ERP software has limitations and Xero is no exception, but what it does, it does well. It provides payables, receivables, bank reconciliation and general ledger as its core functionality. There is a very capable estimating/quoting/order/ process that ties into AR invoices smoothly. But, the requisition/purchase/inventory side is very, very basic. In fact there are no requisitions and the purchase orders are so limited that I recommend you not use them. The inventory is only what is needed to make the sales side functional. So, if you need strong inventory support, you have to use a third-party add-on designed just for this purpose.

Pros

What is good about Xero are 1) Real-time bank feeds and bank reconciliation - this is what scared the pants off of Intuit and forced them to develop new functionality. 2) Xero fully embraces and enables third-party developers to provide niche solutions that have rich interaction with Xero. 3) The features keep getting better and better quarter after quarter. 4) Perhaps my relationship as a partner skews this, but I've had nothing but excellent support from Xero. I can call someone if I have to, but I almost always get issues resolved through technical support in a timely fashion.

Some of my favorite add-ons for Xero are GeoOp for field services, Deputy which integrates its scheduling, time and attendance functions with Xero payroll, and Float which projects cashflow. The new reporting and the tags are fantastic.

Cons

There are some features I would like to see "sooner," but they are on the roadmap for "later." People jump on Xero because of the price without having a Xero consultant evaluate their suitability for the application - that can create an expectation gap, and that inevitably leads to an unhappy customer. I just hate it when people let their wallet do their thinking for them and then blame the software because it "doesn't do enough."

The payroll is fine. I spoke to the VP in charge of payroll development and he is all about improving the functionality, so it will continue to improve. What is there now is very well designed to be comprehensive and flexible, but there are situations where a third-party payroll like Gusto will make more sense for your organization. They are the first ones to suggest you look at solutions like Gusto, ADP, Paychex and others that integrate seamlessly with Xero.

It is annoying that the tags are limited to two categories, and this won't be revised until they have their design for job costing completed. No word yet on when that will be.

Great, intuitive and easy to use bookkeeping software, lacking for accountants, NO customer services

It is so easy to use but support has to come from Accountants who are not customer service or techies and who are not adequately compensated for their efforts. It is enjoyable to use and definitely does the basics very well.

Pros

For bookkeeping, small and medium-sized businesses this software is a dream. It is the most intuitive and easiest to use of all the accounting software that we reviewed. As an accountant, it is easy to fix user errors and mis-postings. There is a proper audit trail and safety checks built in. There are so many time-saving features like find and recode, repeating bills/invoices/journals, bank rules. The move toward AI is exciting too.

Cons

The reports aren't GAP or IAS compliant so it is no good for reporting, final accounts production or tax. To get accountants interested and recommending Xero in the early days, they promised accountants that Final Accounts Production and Corporation Tax software was in their development queue but it never materialised and they burnt a lot of bridges with accountants when they announced that they had dropped FAP plans. This is why Quickbooks are getting such a big foothold and stealing market share from Xero.

The software is expensive for what it is and you can get a lot more and better for your money with FreeAgent and QuickBooks.

The biggest let down for Xero is that there is no telephone support, at all. Not even call back. You have to email and if you are on the opposite side of the world from New Zealand, it can take a full day to get an inital response and if there is any misunderstanding or info required, it can take days to get your problem resolved. This is really useless and a deal breaker for serious businesses.

Another major failing in Xero is the number of times that the Bank Feed just doesn't work. This is outwith Xero's control and so it can often take months to resolve. This is amateur and best and negligent at worst.

Xero truly puts powerful data in the hands of small business owners

Pros

I have been using Xero for a good number of years now and can only recommend it! The usability is fantastic, the ability to see really clearly how the accounts work is groundbreaking in its field. I love the bank reconciliation and the bank feeds. The automation of data is actually fun and linking it into the add-ons can make life a lot easier and save time and money. It is a great way to keep things simple and clear. I love the advisor features, that you can't break it (although you can make a real mess if not careful). For me the biggest benefit is the clarity of the data and the ability to drill down into virtually anything.

Don't use Xero in super complex scenarios and I would recommend that you employ a proper XERO accountant - who actually knows how to use Xero and uses the data when using it though or you will end up paying twice - once for entering the data to xero - and again when the accountant pulls it out into their own software. Overall I would absolutely recommend Xero for people who are more serious than working in spreadsheets but who are turning over £50k-£3m+ with a fairly simple process.

Cons

We have found that Xero does not work well in all scenarios but there are work arounds - the bigger the business and the more complex the processes the less it suits but then if you are bigger/more complex you should arguably be using something else!
Support is not awesome! It can take time and you are often met with unhelpful suggestions. There has been an increased number of 'blips' in the software in more recent months and the support has been almost useless in those cases and I have had to find workarounds. Conversation/instant message support should surely be on the cards?
Another thing that I don't like is the highly evangelical nature of the conferences! It borders on the cultish and if you are not 'in' then you are definitely 'out'! I have not found there to be any benefit to being on the 'directory' for that same reason.

Xero - Leading the way to making accounting much easier for small businesses

I have been a Xero certified advisor for 8 years and actually returned the accounting profession because of Xero after deciding to leave because I felt the industry didn't understand delivering value to clients. Xero has been a catalyst for increasing the speed of change in the industry towards a value proposition model. Although like any system success with does come down to using it properly and being prepared to spend the time to understand how it works and to make the most of it, but Xero has been built so intuitively and they have

Pros

Great design, intuitive, great support files and videos, invoicing features are very good, being able to add files to transactions is a big time saver, the fact that it is a full accounting system is great in its price range, although for more complex features you may need an add-on application for example full stock management and stock control.

Cons

The way the contacts database has been developed could be improved to make importing and exporting data easier, that has improved recently with the addition of client codes field. Also greater flexibility of controlling features a user can access would be great.

Fantastic! I finally have the tools from Xero to drive my company to its greatest potential.

Understanding the numbers! I'm finally educated about my own business, which sounds ridiculous, but so many business owners are creative dreamers that never look at the numbers. Even ones that are successful don't look at the numbers because they feel like it's not necessary - and that's the biggest lie in the world. It's so easy to share the reports with people at all levels in the company, and I feel a fantastic sense of control with the numbers because of Xero.

Pros

Cloud availability, choice between manual or automatic accounting, incredible reports, easy to print, beautiful, fun to use, don't have to be an accountant to use it, fantastic break-down of categories and overhead vs. cost of goods. Shows great percentages - growth overall, percentage of sales per category and percentage of expenses per category - easy to understand the nuts and bolts of your business with Xero and make quick changes to your business model when a problem arises.

Cons

Balance sheet leaves much to be desired - harder to figure out than the rest of the software and difficult to understand in conjunction with the profit and loss. It's not possible to see a comprehensive financial picture - perhaps what makes it so great for non-accountants is its simplicity makes it hard at times to get into the nitty gritty. The billing aspect of Xero is atrocious, just really, really bad. Invoices on "repeat" stay in a strange ticker until you command them to be sent, it creates a lot of problems. Definitely have a separate billing software if you use Xero, especially if your clients are on subscriptions. I wish it integrated better with a growth planning tool - integrates with CRMs fine but doesn't help you look into the next couple of years, or present a future picture to investors.

Xero is an easy and economical replacement for Quickbooks

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the Xero sales rep when determining if I would switch from Quickbooks for Mac (because they decided to no longer support the version I was using). I was trying to decide between Quickbooks Online and Xero and in the end, Xero won. Their price point was spot on and they offered the features I needed without being overly complicated or fancy (I am not an accountant and do not enjoy the bookkeeping / accounting aspect of my business). Xero makes it easy to manage my cashflow, expenses and revenue quickly and easily.

Pros

Xero offered a payroll option that was not expensive and easy to use. That combined with the ease of use and the cloud-based accounting is why Xero is my go to choice for small business accounting / bookkeeping.

Being able to connect your bank account with Xero and import transactions makes it much easier to keep your books up to date. I used to wait all month before entering my transactions into my checking account and it became a big pain in the butt. This is so much easier!

Cons

The fact that you cannot have more than one business in your Xero account is a real bummer. I happen to have more than one business but I'm not willing to buy a subscription for each business. I use one for my most active business for now.

Also, if you don't have payroll for awhile, you are no longer able to submit your tax forms as they are not generated, even though I still need to submit them to the taxing authority.

There is also a headache when it comes to adding in credit card processing fees to invoices for accurate cash accounting. It's awesome that Stripe is integrated and payments are automatically marked to their appropriate invoice, but to get the fee out of the invoice I have to delete the payment, edit the invoice to include the fee amount, and then add the payment back in.

Xero or MYOB?

Xero & MYOB. I love them both - for different reasons. If you're a MYOB lover, do not be afraid of the transition. Simply view Xero as different and you'll be fine. Don't expect to find things in the same dropdown tabs - as it's a different set-up. Once you're familiar, you'll love the ease of use. Very user friendly, not overcrowded on your pages with too much writing, easy to see information (card files for clients) all on one page - very easy to read and find the information you're after. Give Xero a try - I know you won't be disappointed.

Pros

Love the ease of access. We have a team based in Australia, India, & South America - so the online platform is brilliant.
As a previous MYOB user (& lover of MYOB), I was surprised with the ease of transition from MYOB to Xero.
I also really enjoy how easy it is to link client card files noting the company directors, primary contacts, banking details etc. Very easy to view all the information in one place! Love being able to send the BAS' from Xero as well with a click of the button, and being able to modify & tweak great templates is a MUST.

Cons

One thing that is very challenging, is if the Xero team are not getting back to you as promptly as you need, there is NO phone number to talk to someone. This (for the accounting industry) can be a big let down at times. Normally, the Customer Help is very prompt.
Still trying to find an adequate solution so that if I upload a file in my XPM, the rest of my team can view these files. Despite trying and following Xero's suggestions, my team members are still not able to view the documents I've uploaded. We'll get there in the end I'm sure.

I used Xero for reviewing clients' invoices and checking our collectibles.

Pros

I used to be the marketing and accounts assistant for Expert360, and use Xero together with our accountant based on Pakistan. Xero makes it easy for us to send an invoice to our corporate, medium and small business clients. It allows us to view the overdue invoices, which enables us to follow-up on those payables. We were able to see the money that we had collected and the money that still needs to be collected. It also allowed us to track the payables to our consultants. Over all, Xero is an easy-to-use accounting software. It's user-friendly functions and features allows you to instantly view the cash flow of your business.

Cons

One thing that I noticed on the platform is it doesn't allow to create multiple entries from one company. Like we have client A and they have lots of projects with us. We wanted to create like client A1, A2, A3 in the contacts info so that we know who's the one in-charge for each project. But our accountant told us that it would appear in the invoice as client A1, A2, and A3 in the invoice instead of just client A only. He said it would create confusion on the person in-charge for the payments since it's not their usual company name. We contacted Xero about that and they said they will work on the feature and hopefully it will be added in the future. Where you can entire Client A with someone as the contact person and Client A with someone as the contact person. The last time I know you can really just create one contact entry for each client.

Overall great. Recently, shocking!

Pros

Overall, it's a good product. Easy to use. Simple UI though quite dated. It does everything we need it to plus more.

Cons

Until recently, there wasn't much I didn't like. I probably couldn't name anything, apart from the somewhat dated UI - but that's a stretch.

Recently however, Xero have taken a core feature (Expenses) and starting selling it as an add-on, on top of the monthly subscription fee.

Expenses as you may know, and would expect, is 'included' in the monthly subscription and formed part of the core software. There was no additional charge. They've recently updated the Expenses feature (which they should be doing anyway) and now believe that because they've updated it, that warrants it being pulled from core and sold separately as an add-on.

As a current subscriber, I signed up for the all inclusive package. Having features ripped from the core package and charged for in addtion to the monthly subscription is not on. Especially when no discount or reduction of the monthly subscription cost was offered.

As a SaaS provider, any and all future updates, regardless of how big or small they are, should form part of the monthly subscription.

Choosing an accounting package is a big decision and once you're committed, it's difficult and often costly to change. With Xero now employing this kind of model, I'd caution anyone considering Xero to think again, think hard.

Today it's Expenses, tomorrow it could be something else.

These disgusting tactics employed by Xero are unacceptable.

Overall great, but one flaw to be vary of

I have been using Xero for a couple of years now and am very happy with it. I was with MYOB but had a bad experience when they upgraded their systems to include cloud computing. I have had a look at their new systems, and while they are much improved and worth exploring for someone starting from scratch, I will still stick with Xero.

Pros

My accountants use it extensively so it makes my work and their work integrate so easily which ultimately saves money. Reconciliation is a very labour intensive exercise and Xero cuts a huge amount of time out of this process.

On its own it is quite cheap too. I have an expensive plugin (Tradegecko), but the functionality of that pays for itself. Xero creates the framework of my entire business system.

Cons

If you have a business where you have a large number of transactions coming in for the same value, e.g. if you have magazine subscriptions all for $5 a month each then Xero is not a good option, at all. I did have this problem and it was a total pain. I have corresponded extensively with Xero on this issue and they do not see it as a priority and have said directly that they have no intentions on making improvements. This surprises me as their customer service is generally quite good. There is quite a large thread on the support forums on this topic.

If this is a potential issue for you then here is my advice. Set up a trial account with Xero and MYOB and test both for this important reconciliation feature. If you know what you are doing it shouldn't take too long (or ask someone who knows what they are doing). These systems change and evolve so quickly that by the time you read this review one of them might have improved their system. MYOB has been beaten badly by Xero in the past few years but from what I have seen (I recently exhibited next to them at a show) they have come a long way since I stopped using their system.

A great option

As a firm we switched to xero almost a year ago, and it transformed the way we approach accounting services for clients - for the better. Our own internal accounting became a lot easier and smoother, with the greater collaboration that we needed. But it also changed our clients that we switched over to xero, from other cloud accounting software or traditional desktop software

Pros

There isn’t a lot of cloud accounting software today that can handle the more complex businesses as well as xero.
The automatic bank feeds (they are adding new direct bank feeds constantly),
the integrations with over 700 third party applications
Automatic invoice reminders
Ability to do flexible budgeting and forecasting in xero and report on it
Tracking Categories and reporting on a Category is super easy
Fixed asset register is included and easy depreciation allocation
Unlimted users (great basic permissions - more flexibility lacking)
There is constant updates and upgrades with a solid product improvement pipeline

Cons

Would love a third tracking category
It doesn’t have a delivery note option (although through a complex process you can create one)
Customer statements doesn’t include the standard days outstanding buckets as expected, e.g. debt due currently, 30 day, 60 days etc
Customer prepayments doesn’t appear as credits/negative balances on statements - very confusing to customers
You can’t delete a contact once created (very easy to create a contact), only archive
Would have loved for finance lease (amortisation table) reporting to be set automatically

This has revolutionized our bookkeeping and reduced our accounting fees.

Save time, greater control over my business, fewer errors, save money, more visibility of overall financial health of business. Allows me to work remotely.

Pros

I have no bookkeeping background and was able to easily learn how to use Xero. My business partner and I can login from anywhere in the world and get an up to date picture of our finances, pay invoices, review reports, check profitability and more. Our year end process is much faster and streamlined and we feel like we have much more control over our business. We have integrated data from our POS system (Touch Bistro) using the Shogo Integration tool and allows us to track sales by category alongside costs. We have also integrated Payment Evolution with Xero so we can run payroll and make EFT payments to suppliers directly. Invoices are closed out automatically and remittance notices provided saving time, money and keeping our suppliers happy.

Cons

Some of the reporting features don't show the information that I need - for example the sales tax report. I also find it frustrating that I can't integrate my online banking with Xero - we use a credit union so this might be the bank's issue. Some of the navigation is not great. For example the search feature can be a little fussy and when you complete an action you don't get returned to the page you left.

Xero is awesome, albeit expensive when running multiple entities

We've moved from another software 4 years ago and have not looked back. Bank feed setup is easy, recon is a breeze. There are lots of add-ons which can assist with specific needs and there are tons of integrations with sales force and other big guns. The only issues I see is pricing. If you run multiple entities (i.e. for service companies or trusts) the subscription cost adds up quickly. This is because the most basic plan is essentially useless (5 bank transactions a month... if that's all you need, you don't run a business). Compared to emerging competitors pricing is very high. Another issue, if you rely on it, is email support only. While responses come back within 1 to 3 days, players like Intuit have live chat support, which is amazing at their price point. All in all, Xero is a solid solution for us though and while we've moved some (nonpayroll) entities off it and onto QuickBooks, it remains our accounting mainstay for the core operations entity. Hope this helps.

Pros

easy to use
ticks all boxes for SME accounting
many integration

Cons

price, in particular, once you need multiple add-ons
email support only
slow load times (this should be fixed once they moved from Rackspace to AWS apparently)

Perfect replacement for Quickbooks - Highly Recommended

Pros

I've used Intuit Quickbooks since 1995. I used to upgrade it about every 10 years, and eventually went with a monthly subscription to take advantage of upgraded features, notably auto-connecting with my online bank accounts. Unfortunately, QB would not connect with Paypal so I decided to abandon it.
I searched for a replacement, checked out FreshBooks (which really isn't an accounting program, it's just an invoicing program -- sort of useless) and came upon Xero. I signed up for a free demo account and really liked it particularly because it connects to my bank and Paypal seamlessly.

I like it for its reporting, and easy to get at everything that I need. I run a marketing agency and it's just about a perfect fit. Easy email-invoicing, with easy connections to online payments through Paypal (Quickbooks tries to force you to use their merchant account). I set up my clients one at a time as I invoice them each month, email the invoice (with a PDF attachment) with a link to pay with a card, and the software tracks the payment and credits the client's account immediately.

Cons

One of the downsides of using XERO vs Quickbooks is that finding accountants that can handle the files is relatively rare. And I'm wondering if it will connect with tax prep software with no problems. (That was ONE saving grace of Quickbooks is that it would import your financials into their tax prep program).

Complete true accounting online

Prior to Xero I was using a PC-based app. It lacked any connectivity and all data had to be manually imported and exported. I needed to automate as much of my day-to-day business operations as possible, and Xero was a big part of that. It integrates with my CRM and time-tracking app, and takes in my online payment processing. Reconciliation takes a minute or two every couple of days. It has enabled me to reduce my after-hours office time significantly.

Pros

Xero is a new-generation online accounting app built from the ground up for online usage. The interface is mostly intuitive and easy to navigate. The underlying framework is true double-entry accounting with all the power that provides, but you don't have to go there to get daily work done, as a rule. There is a vast array of integrations available to add leverage to your company dataflow. Support is good and rarely needed. The app is very well documented and supplies detailed help articles for most operations.

Cons

The pricing is not bad but I feel it is a little high for a one-person business. They offer a time-tracking add-on but it is an additional 50% of the app cost per month, and this is a feature many competitors throw in for free. Like all web-based apps, your enjoyment in using it will depend in part on the quality of your internet connection.

Good software, terrible support and company

General use of the software is good. The company and technical support made me consider going back to Quickbooks online. Instead I switched to Freshbooks. Great technical support. They answer within 4 rings. Very knowledgeable and patient. 10 out of 10 for support.

Pros

I previously used quickbooks pro, but found their product too expensive and the support was also not very good. I switched to Xero, because of the price and the quality of the software

Cons

Support is only via email. They initially respond within the promised time frame, but 9/10 times the answer is not relevant to the question asked. It's like they don't read the question, or the initial techs are inexperienced. So after wait on average 4 hours for a response, you have to wait long for a reply to any subsequent answer, which is 9/10 times not relevant to the question. So, in my experience you have little if no support for the software. Then, mid year they suddenly drop their payroll feature off their software and announce you can run your payroll through this other company. Wonderful. Suddenly the total cost of accounting has now doubled because Xero didn't decrease their price and it now costs the same amount again to run payroll. A company that does this in my opinion does not show much integrity.

One of the absolute cutting edge, super-easy on the eyes, full function bookkeeping apps

Accounting and bookkeeping are my business, so being able to demo such an aesthetically pleasant app that integrates so well is a real boon. Clients take immediately to the UI and we've genuinely had a 90% on-board rate with Xero. We've tried other Apps, but we won't be working with any other software. There's really there's nothing out there we'd rather recommend. I have found their CS to be first rate, (despite my Account Manager statement), and this end of any accounting SAAS is absolutely vital. Xero has set the standard for over a decade and it's a testimony to their Devs that they're growing steadily despite their giant competition.

Pros

Smooth-running and numerous integrations with other essential business management apps
Reasonably priced for small business
Has integrated inventory and billing through PayPal and Stripe

Cons

I'm a very loyal user and my company has grown up shoulder-to-shoulder with Xero's growth. There's very few wrinkles from an accountant's POV. I find startup clients sometimes get confused with the "Easy-to-Use-And-Setup" spiel - it certainly is for a bookkeeper familiar with the app! In general, the dashboard apps in this industry can belie their many-layered nature.

Almost makes accounts fun

Over all though I love xero - it's made my accounting much faster and because my accountant has access too , any challenges or questions on my product or project codes can be quickly resolved by sending her a note from within the system.

Pros

I love that xero does everything for both my businesses on the same dashboard - I can just toggle between the 2. The invoices look great and are well recieved by my corporate clients making me look professional and bigger than I am. The VAT is calculated for the quarter at the click of a button and I can even post directly to HMRC from within xero. Most of all though it tells me that I've done a good job each time I get my reconcilations done - which always makes me smile.

Cons

Sometimes there can be challenges with the bank feeds - when they're running at their best it's wonderful the accounts are updates in real time but sometimes they get a bit cranky and take ages to upload - I don't think it's all xeros fault - I think sometimes it's the software that does the connecting but either way, it's the only thing that sometimes causes me grief.

Xero is my accounting software of choice for all my clients

Xero, along with several add-ons have allowed me to realize my dream of having and growing my business while having the location freedom to travel and escape from the Canadian winters! It has also allowed me to grow my business to serving clients all across Canada and the USA which is something that would dnot have been possible using the software and business model I had previously.

Pros

I love that it is a fully functional accounting package that is cloud-based. It allows me and my clients to work from anywhere and still keep our numbers and business running smoothly. Since my business focuses mainly on Entrepreneurs running businesses online the amazing suite of integrations makes thins so much "easier" for my clients on a day to day basis.

Cons

The only "con" that I have is that it is a subscription-based service and that it can be pricey for new businesses starting out. Their base packages that I have access to as an accountant are good for other types of businesses but for an online based business no matter how small, the transaction limit for the smaller packages is waaaay to small.

Makes the bookeeping process logical and easy to follow

If you’re a small or startup business owner and haven’t any understanding of bookkeeping, try watching some of the better youtube videos, especially those done by bookkeepers and accountants on basic theory and practice. Take your study seriously and cross-reference information. Then watch the Xero videos available, not just from the company itself but also from accountants and bookkeepers. Good luck and welcome to the 21st century of online bookkeeping!

Pros

Xero has an interface that's easy to read and to navigate. The setup process is well presented and the support is good in response to tickets and also in their excellent training programs.
Once you’ve understood how the flow of importing transactions and bank feeds, reconciling and generating reports is presented, you can keep your bookkeeping well ahead of any competitor’s product.

Cons

Any bookkeeping software requires some knowledge, training and experience in the theory and process of accounting. Xero is no exception, despite what may be claimed.
Having said that, Xero is the least difficult to comprehend of the better softwares available.