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Xero
Accounting Software for SMBs
(255)
Functionality
4.3
/5
2.8K
Total features
174
31 categories
Xero features
Common features of Compliance software
Ibrahim B.
E-Learning, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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My experience with Xero can be described as fulfilling, it has simplified my workflow and saved me a lot of time and effort, I no longer spend long hours at the office. This has also impacted positively on my health. I would recommend this software to everyone.
“It’s so clean to apply, even for non-financial human beings” My financial institution transactions are robotically connect to Xero so I don’t have to manually input them myself. I get my Financial statements the first week after the year end Another charming issue of this software is that it is a great idea if a corporation is unfolded across a couple of places with personnel operating in various locations. The accountants from every location can get admission to the financial data of all branches at any moment irrespective of their vicinity or time. As a world main provider of online accounting software program, Xero utilizes world-elegance cloud safety. Your data is appropriately saved in the cloud, and guarded from both Cyber criminals and perils like fire or flood.
The expenses tracking can be formatted to allow multiply currencies to be easily uploaded in batches or real time. No integrated ‘Debtor Chasing’ function so companies will have to manually follow up on their unpaid invoices.
Susan W.
Dairy, 201-500 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Xero is a so helpful financial management tool that helps us run our cash flow very effectively and efficiently. It helps us to have control over how money moves within the organization by tracking the money that gets in and the one that is spent. It helps understand our expenditure and give us clear insights about our financial health.
Xero has all the features that are needed to have a smooth financial management experience. With it, it's easy to generate accurate financial reports that keep us updated on how money is flowing and is being spent. It also keeps us alert on due payments allowing us to clear all our bills early enough to avoid penalties. It also makes it easy for us to follow up on payments from clients by sending them invoices to remind them of due payments.
Am happy that so far i have not been able to experience a single aspect about Xero that has not worked for me.
Mark W.
Printing, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Love it. I have tried the other big one & hated it.
Easy yo use, things make sense and there's plenty of support via help forums, you tube or customer services.
Bank feeds stop working & don't work in real time.
Richard P.
Warehousing, self-employed
Used daily for 1-2 years
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Xero has been an absolute game-changer for my business, and I can't imagine managing my financial tasks without it. I use it daily, and it has become an indispensable tool that streamlines my financial processes. Furthermore, the seamless integration with Link My Books has made it even more powerful and time-saving.
You need to put in some work to learn the process which is hard but trust me long term will pay off 100 times over.
Kenny B.
Translation and Localization, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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It is good for small businesses but as the business grows and so does the exchange of information within the software Xero becomes a pain.
1. It is very easy to maneuver through the system.2. Cost Effective.3. Clean interface that gives you the visibility of your financial position.4. Live Bank feeds and Bank Reconciliation.5. Preparing Purchase Orders/Quotes, Sales Orders/Quotes etc. is relatively easy.
1. It has limitation on transactions that can be handled at one given point of time. 2. The system doesn't have payroll functions.3. The reports that are generated are not detailed oriented they are very basic. 4. It is not possible to customise the reports as per the needs. 5. It is very slow when the volume of transactions is increased. 6. Capable of only pulling out limited transactions at one time, which is very annoying when you have thousands of entries to go through.7. Customer support is not very helpful.
Teri D.
Information Technology and Services, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 6-12 months
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Xero integrates with our existing ticketing/job/CMS software which means we no longer have to double handle invoices created in our CMS into an accounting program. It was easy to learn, easy to use and has made keeping track of all the Accounts side of the business so much easier
The interface is easy to use, intuitive UI and their help guides are brilliant. Having an accountant that also uses the software means end of year, Tax returns and all other "Money" aspects of the business runs smoothly and because I can do so much of it myself my accounting bills are way lower than I had expected.
Their support isn't always helpful. Especially when it comes to email delivery issues. And proper formatting options in the invoicing section to have our Xero emails line up better with our branding would also make a huge difference for us.
Karen S.
Nonprofit Organization Management, 11-50 employees
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I can pull reports on so many things, I just love this software.
The Reconciliation feature is what brought me on board. But I love everything about Xero. I have yet to find a reason to not want to use Xero.
I have yet to find a reason not to want to use Xero. I am constantly telling others to sign up for Xero.
Leslie S.
Nonprofit Organization Management, 51-200 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Accounts payable and receivable automation.Billing and invoicing.
Days are gone when we used to carry out accounting tasks manually. With Xero, I am able to seamlessly automate the entire process of accounting from invoicing, billing to general ledger.
It demands a lot of integration to suit needs for complex accounting, mainly for global enterprises.
Leanne M.
Staffing and Recruiting, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Solid and simple cloud accounting solution that is easy to navigate and customise. Great that our external accountants and legal support can access online as they need. Seems to be continuously evolving and its reassuring to see ongoing development of the product.
Customisable dashboard is a time saver and ability to customise templates helps with consistency for our company branding. Customisation of user permissions means the bonus of staff being able to enter their own expenses which is a further time saver. Being able to work across multiple currencies now is a plus, albeit I wish we could manually adjust exchange rates being used.
Many advanced features that are standard for longer established accounting software solutions are available, but as "bolt on" packages, so costs can escalate quickly if you need full "bells and whistles". Customer service response can be very slow compared to other cloud software providers we use - in the beginning they were responsive for engagement but over time they're clearly pushing all customers...
Elliot C.
Accounting, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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It has provided a solution for more than 200 of our clients of varying sizes and complexities.
Xero is first and foremost easy to use and benefits from clever AI functionality. Keeping an eye on the business is much easier via Xero as it shows a snapshot of key data on the dashboard. With the available integrations there are very little limitations to its use and it is well priced for the majority of our clients
The Payroll module is quite clunky and better options are out there in our opinion. An enhanced cash flow and adding a forecasting element within the software would help. Making it easier to post customer payments on account would also improve an already good product
Gene M.
Accounting, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Xero give me, an accountant, a tool to provide my clients with that effectively gives them a tool for keeping their daily records in an orderly fashion make my job easier at the end of each month.
Xero have been designed to be used by non-account business folks. However, once the data has been listed an accountant has a great tool to use to finish the company financial records (Monthly, Quarterly & Annually). It is also priced at a rate that works for most business owners.
I really do not know of any areas within the software that I can list as "Least" liked. I do not know of any significant problems which I believe need correcting.
Cody M.
Entertainment, 51-200 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Kanopy has found Xero to serve its needs well, but ultimately we moved on and migrated to NetSuite years later. We still keep Xero though for 1 international subsidiary that we found to be advantageous not to migrate. The mature business with complex operations may not find all needs are met with Xero, especially if the desire is to integrate many other tools/software with the ERP in a bi-directional data flow.
Xero serves well as an "out of the box" accounting system, not unlike Quickbooks. It also has more functionality and use internationally, making it a superior choice to QB if your business operates on a global, multicurrency basis. There are some solid automations which can be implemented with Xero as well, and the canned reporting generally suffices for the majority of basic financial needs.
Xero lacks the open customization options that software like Netsuite or Dynamics offers. For a small business this will often be fine, but a scaling operation looking to automate many functions based on unique business needs may someday find they have outgrown Xero and need to undergo an (often painful) ERP migration.
Verified reviewer
Accounting, self-employed
Used daily for 1-2 years
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Xero is an awesome bookkeeping and accounting software solution for startups and small business owners. It is indeed a good match for business owners who know nothing about accounting in order to keep their books and to properly manage their finances. From my own experience, I found that Xero is very user-friendly and its accounting interface is streamlined, almost seamless, and uncluttered. The...
- Affordable and cost less for startups and small businesses - Includes fixed assets and inventory management in all of its plans - Very user-friendly especially during migration or conversion of data - Allows unlimited users - Friendly 24/7 customer support
- Some countries lack a built-in payroll option. - Customized reporting options are still limited. I wish Xero can allow you to create your own report. - The contact list of customers and suppliers is mixed together and needs to set-up manually to organize.
Rowena J.
Accounting, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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When I first began using Xero, I had heard a lot about it and was skeptical. Surely, no software could be so "all that"! I was introduced to it by a colleague who has converted the whole of her mid-size accountancy practice to it, and literally within a day and a half (which did include watching some of the short but very clear tutorial videos) I was not only up and running, but felt confident using it, finding my way around it, locating and fixing errors etc. It's literally that simple and straightforward. It's also incredibly stable - I think in 3 years it's only been offline (to my knowledge) 3 times, each for a very short period. I've also not found ANY bugs so far - almost unheard of! - and the support is fantastic, even though it's online.
Provided it's set up properly, Xero is probably the most friendly accounting software - to non-accountants that is - of any I've ever come across. Back in the 90's, MYOB revolutionised accounting software for small business, but Xero takes it to a whole new level, by removing so much of the data entry work that takes time, leaves room for errors and is in general a pain, when you'd rather be - you know, running your business. With Xero, it's up to the individual operator how much they want to automate their accounting transactions; if you want to, you can use the really powerful, but still simple tools to do a lot of the legwork for you. If you prefer to do it more manually, that's OK too - it's still simple and very quick and easy to use.
Xero is constantly adding and refining its software. Inventory control is an area I'd like to see strengthened, but that's already way ahead of where it was a couple of years ago. Similarly processing payments in advance. But these are relatively small niggles which for the majority of small businesses don't present any issue.
Kathryn H.
Arts and Crafts, self-employed
Used weekly for 1-2 years
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It's been easier to use Xero than I expected, but I had a nasty surprise at tax time when I realized the default accounts/descriptions for expenses did not correlate 1:1 to IRS categories. (I should have checked this more closely when I set up my accounts because it's a New Zealand company, and the previous product was local.) This means I will need to double-check all my transactions for 2018 and...
Professional double entry software at a very affordable price Accommodates both cash and accrual accounting Links to financial institutions to get transactions Uses standard importer recognized by the financial institutions instead of just trying to log in remotely (and triggering fraud alerts) Can match multiple invoices to a single deposit transaction imported from bank Can keep using Xero as company grows
Pre-existing expense categories/descriptions don't map 1:1 with IRS definitions, so I'm having to go back to all my receipts to make sure expenses are entered in proper accounts because I didn't realize this when I switched More difficult to focus on specific expense categories to check transactions Have not been able to import historic data from previous app (possibly because it's not double entry) so I am still paying the subscription on that software to retain access to my data No integration with Craftybase, so I have to enter supply purchases and customer invoices there independently
Jenny B.
Retail, self-employed
Used weekly for 6-12 months
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I was reluctant to pay the extra costs to move to Xero from my previous cheaper package but I am more than happy that I finally made the switch. It is a fraction of the cost of having a book-keeper to pay and I feel so much more confident that my accounts are working correctly. The option of additional plugins aid the automation for syncing with software such as woocommerce and amazon, ebay etc. It is a shame that they are additional costs but I would prefer that I had the option to integrate than not, and they are great time savers, which is the biggest help for small business owners.
Xero has a lot of automated features that make the process of accounts preparation easy and reliable. The bank feeds work smoothly and it is easy to set up rules to make the process automated on regular transactions - just a click to confirm entry. I have been able to integrate woocommerce, amazon and ebay transactions to ensure I am correctly treating VAT and International orders and purchases correctly.
As with any new accountancy software, there is a bit of technical detail to get your head around but that is probably to be expected. There are good help articles that are useful for the set up phase.
Andrew W.
Marketing and Advertising, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Since starting with Xero over six years ago, we couldn't be happier. We've centralised all our financial activity into one platform, which is great for non-finance people like myself!
Xero makes managing the finances for a business really straightforward. The user interface is intuitive and it centralises all my accounts information. One of my favourite features is the the dashboard, which is clear and customisable, and gives a great summary of the position position at any time. The software also integrates really well to other platforms for things like receipt capture and detailed business analysis.
I'm really happy with how it performs, however, our bookkeeper still does some levels of manual reporting, which he finds easier in Excel, than in Xero. The integration of BA tools does negate this issue.
Adam H.
Computer Software, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Xero has allowed us to get a real, detailed view on the financial situation within our company from one place. With a comprehensive setup, it can provide real value from day one.
Xero has transformed our financial management and provides us with all the real time data we could imagine, and where it lacks, integrations take over. While more "accountancy" friendly than some of the more simple products, once you work with your accountants to get this right, you won't regret it. The detail, features and holistic approach to managing company finances means that we are using this every day and with pleasure.
The interface is being updated, and it is needed as it is a little old fashioned in its design. That said, it is clean and clear and otherwise we love everything about Xero.
John D.
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 1-2 years
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We've been using Xero for about two years now. There have been a few hiccups along the way but for the most part things have been ok. Recently however, we've had a problem with our bank feed uploading into Xero in order to reconcile transactions. We first encountered this issue on 2/10/18. We informed Xero and they said they would look into the issue. A couple of weeks went by without hearing anything...
The service accomplishes most of what it was intended to do albiet at a bit of a learning curve for the new user.
There is no customer service support number to call. Bank feeds do not work properly. IOS app is mising some functionaility
William E.
Accounting, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 1-2 years
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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...
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...
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...
Anna L.
Accounting, 11-50 employees
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I use Xero in two roles in my life, one as an employee and the other for the accounting software for my husband's business. In my work New Zealand schools use this software as it is relatively easy to learn, quite intuitive and uses cloud accounting, enables document uploads for accountants to view etc. Once well set up it is also fast to use on a day to day basis. At home I assist my husband to reconcile our business transactions for our accountant. We don't have to go in to the accountant's office or email invoices etc as we can upload them to Xero for him to see. You can set up the dashboard to get an overall view of your business and how much money is owed to you, and bills you owe, how you are tracking month to month, and the balances of your accounts you have linked to Xero.
I like the ease of reconciling because once you get set up and code a few items it remembers them for next time for a faster job (you still have to check them to see if they are correct first). I find it fun and satisfying to reconcile in Xero as it is quite visual, you see several lines waiting to be reconciled and then as you work through the transactions, coding them and clicking on the middle...
It is not the software's fault exactly, but because reconciling is so easy there is a temptation to accept what Xero suggests for a transaction and reconcile to this account, instead of pausing and really checking if the code is the best one. Xero is first and foremost a business accounting software, so the reports it can generate may not be exactly what other users of the software need, like schools for example, who may need a Xero add-on to get what they most need in regards to reports.
Jacquie W.
Computer Software, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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From day one, I was absolutely on my own setting this up. We were a new company and did not have anything to import from another product. There was no, and still is no, customer support at all. There is a help center where you can search and search to find an answer to your question(s). As long as the product is working, you will do ok once you figure it all out. However, if something stops functioning,...
After six years of use, I am comfortable using Xero when it is working.
Read your reviews on the customer service aspect of this product. It doesn't matter how well a product is rated when there is zero customer service. All the negatives you read about their customer service are TRUE. We have used Xero for 6.5 years and it was six years before I ever got to message with what seemed to be a human. There is no phone number to call nor is there live chat. You can submit a customer support ticket but good luck getting a timely response or a response at all. You can ask the "community" for help but a reply from the Xero community may never come.
Nayari C.
Information Technology and Services, 10,001+ employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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It is a software that allows the automation of routine tasks such as bank reconciliation has freed up valuable time, allowing me to focus on strategic financial analysis and achieve better decision making. With Xero I can generate personalized reports and in real time it gives me a clear vision of the company's financial performance, which makes it easier to identify areas for improvement and growth opportunities. Honestly, it is a system that greatly facilitates my duties as Finance Manager.
Since I've been using Xero, I've really liked it, as it has proven to be an exceptional solution for optimizing our financial management. It has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows me to quickly access key financial data such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flows. It has an automated bank reconciliation feature, which is a real plus, because it saves us time and ensures the accuracy of our financial records. It has characteristics that are key to our objectives.
Xero is an almost perfect system, because it can have limitations in terms of customization. Some of the advanced reports and features may require technical knowledge or expert assistance. Another disadvantage is its integration with other business systems, which can be difficult in some cases and cause data synchronization difficulties.
Ra N.
Information Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Overall, my experience with Xero has been extremely positive. I found the transition to the platform smooth and straightforward. The intuitive user interface allowed me to get started with the software quickly without the need for extensive training. I’m now able to easily manage invoices, payments, and track expenses. The integrations with banks and payment apps enabled me to automate financial processes. The reporting and dashboards helped me make better decisions to grow my business. I'm very happy with choosing Xero as my accounting solution, and would recommend any startup to consider it.
What I liked most about Xero was its user-friendly interface. The dashboard is simple and streamlined, allowing me and my accounting team to use the software smoothly even without extensive accounting background. I also enjoy the mobile access on phones and tablets, enabling me to manage accounting tasks anywhere. Additionally, the seamless integration with other banking and invoicing apps is great. Overall, Xero is easy to use and helpful for handling the day-to-day accounting of my business.
What I liked least about Xero was the limited custom reporting options. While Xero provides many standard financial reports, the ability to customize reports or create more complex accounting reports is restricted. So sometimes I need to export data to Excel to build custom reports. It also lacks advanced support for inventory or manufacturing accounting. But overall, Xero covers my needs as a small business for now, and I expect the platform will continue improving over time.
Sue W.
Health, Wellness and Fitness, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 1-2 years
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Now that I am up and running I really like it. The nominal structure is very different to Sage Line 50 but the principles are the same. I was advised by multiple accountants to choose Xero or Sage online above Quickbooks
Online means that we can share information across the team as we do not work from a central office.
I did need an expert to help me set up Xero and make sure all the data was imported correctly. We bought in around 10 hours of expert help to get us started.