Xero Reviews

Pros

When searching for an accounting tool, we found a perfect match of what we pictured as an ideal tool for our needs in Xero. First, it was easy to use and this makes our accounting work very simple. It is so secure so we never have to worry of loosing our data and information. Xero gives us a range of features which helps us to conveniently take care of all our accounting works like billing, invoicing, expenses tracking, financial reporting and more from a single product.

Cons

I never had any distress with Xero. So i have no comments on this part.

Pros

It’s very simple to use. It has all the features that our business requires from an accounting softwares. You can do payroll and VAT all in one place and submit from Xero with one click. It is extremely convenient. It is like another helpful staff in our company.

Cons

Nothing really. Everything about Xero is really good. We are absolutely satisfied.

Alternatives Considered

Sage 50cloud Accounting and Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Xero

Xero is more suitable for a small business.

Switched From

Sage 50cloud Accounting

Pros

XERO certainly provides a number of novel and useful automated functions, especially for business owners.

Cons

XERO software contains far too many errors and non-practical functions, such as payroll. It does work, but the limited functionality means that it doesn't provide the range of reports and information that a business owner would expect.

Pros

Xero is easy to use and shows great potential to small business with ability to provide usefull information in an easy to use format

Cons

The bank screen is a little narrow and I would like the option to have more than 10 items on the screen at one time

Alternatives Considered

MYOB Business

Reasons for Choosing Xero

To streamline reporting

Switched From

Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Xero

Familiarity with product from prior workplaces

Pros

Xero is very user friendly and we found it easy to implement the application into our business. The help sections are really useful too. Auto bank connection is good.

Cons

We had some issues with the bank feed in the early stages of implementation but this may have been more to do with the bank rather than Xero. It soon sorted itself out

Alternatives Considered

Sage Accounting

Reasons for Switching to Xero

cost and ease of implementation

Pros

Generally, Xero is easy to use and if you have one contact per company you shouldn't have an issue. However, if you need to send invoices to different people in the same company/organisation, you need to create a new contact (with a slightly different name as it will say the other one already exists), or, change the contact name and then, after sending the invoice, change it back to the main contact. Neither of these are any good.

Cons

The product itself is fully featured in a way MYOB isn't. HOWEVER, if you have an issue with MYOB you'll get someone on the phone within a few minutes, but with Xero you have to use their knowledge-base then post a request for help. I'm still waiting a phone call I requested five days previously only to be told it will be another two days. What a joke.

Pros

The ease of use is the best feature for me. Finding reports and now with the reworked reports section, you can customize the report almost the way you want.

Cons

What I least like about Xero is after the new reporting tool was implemented, even though, it brought a bunch of good features, the reports have no option to run separate reports to invoices/bills in different currencies.

Pros

Xero is super easy to use. I am not an accountant and have no training in book keeping but the software makes it easy.

Cons

Xero doesn't support local rules and requirements like the way witholding tax works in Thailand. Not idea but there are work arounds.

Pros

Easy to navigate and user friendly. Increase efficiency.

Cons

More interactive display. Nothing else not to like.

Pros

Xero gives you whatever you need, connects you with other departments such as creating a purchase order for employee hiring and instantly send notification to accounting departments, making them match the correct invoice with the correct purchase order. In addition to that, expense tracking an employee is a great feature that lets you to have a helicopter view of it. Can be used in small or large companies, very effective and efficient features.

Cons

Adding new features on the product would not result well if you are constantly changing your systems or procedures.

Pros

I like this software WHEN it works. However, that's generally never the case. My bank feeds haven't been accurate since May of this year. That's five months without accurate transactions and reconciliation.

Cons

This software would be good if it worked. I've gone five months without accurate reports and transactions. Xero blames it on "Yodlee" but never actually tells me that they've pressed Yodlee on this issue. I've had internal Xero employees tell me their [SENSITIVE CONTENT] doesn't care about small businesses and in my experience this is true. I would never recommend this software or company to anyone. The customer service is non existent. I think they have people there to help but when those people tell you the company doesn't care...there's not much you can do. They say they're good for small business but it seems like the [SENSITIVE CONTENT] feels exactly the opposite.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Xero

I chose Xero because they said they were build for small business options. I didn't need everything Quickbooks offered. That was a huge mistake as Xero can't even do the basic things I need (accurate bank transactions).

Pros

Xero is an incredibly comprehensive accounting software that is perfect for small businesses. It has all the necessary features for managing finances and the user interface is easy to use and understand. I love how it can be integrated with other accounting programs and it is constantly being updated with new features and improvements.

Cons

Xero can be quite expensive as compared to other accounting software and the customer support is not always as helpful as one would hope. I have also encountered some glitches that can cause problems when trying to get things done.

Pros

If you're not an accountant, Xero is still simple and straightforward to use. Daily operations are based on the straightforward processes of making payments to suppliers and receiving money. It's the best option for a company of that size. It's simple and straightforward to use this accounting software to keep track of your company's money. This program is something I use constantly.

Cons

Xero is designed for small businesses, therefore it has basic restrictions (journal approvals, etc.). As a company's billing operations reach a certain mass, they outgrow a single Xero instance and require the use of many instances running in parallel to process all of the bills.

Pros

I loved the usability of this software. It was super easy to set up relatively sophisticated accounting with no accounting background. I thought the bank reconciliation was dynamite, and while they still had it, I loved the payroll. When I would eventually get triaged to tech support, the person was so patient, and so helpful it was really great, and they never seemed to mind spending a long time helping to fix some oddball problems that I'd made. Oh yes, loved it that they did the quarterly tax filings for me, but that also went away with the payroll

Cons

One thing about this accounting software - when you have a question their first response is to tell you to have your accountant look at it. I was using this software as a replacement for an accountant, in order to save money, so that advice didn't help much. When you do a google for help, you run into a problem: Xero seems to be doing accounting software for all the english speaking countries,e.g. new zealand, australia, UK, USA and canada. each of these countries has different business formations/corporations, different taxation rules, etc, as well as meaningfully different accounting vernacular. I would end up mnost of the time getting somewhere only to realize I'd pulled up the UK instructions to solve a problem.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Xero

good recommendation from another provider who had a similar size busness. Was SUPER easy to set up, and the account reconciliation was a godsend.

Pros

Xero has everything for startup companies and small businesses. Their software is 10 out 10 on user interface. It was born in the cloud and continues to exceed Quickbooks by a long shot. Most everything Quickbooks has added to its software in the past 10 years, is because Xero did it first.

Cons

The software does not have a tax add-on when compared to Quickbooks (Intuit). They are plenty of integrations to solve this issue but it would be nice to have. Integrating bill payment is more difficult compared to Quickbooks as well.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Xero

Xero has better pricing, pricing options, features (fixed assets module), reporting, integrations, reconciling than its competitors. For example, if you import 500 transactions into Quicks incorrectly, you have to delete them all one by one. You can batch delete data in Xero. Quickbooks also does not have cash vs accrual basis accounting. You literally cannot make accrual journals in Quickbooks.

Pros

Xero is a pretty straightforward product that is effectively almost immediately deployable. Xero's dashboard is not bulky or overwhelming like a significant number of other accounting software tends to be. Xero's help manuals and tutorials were also very useful and are great for helping users quickly refamiliarize themselves with the software. Xero worked well for my law firm for IOLTA (Lawyer Trust Account) reconciliation purposes. With the software linked to your desired account, you can easily reconcile all incoming and outgoing payments and expenses on a given account. Once set up, you literally can log in right after making a purchase to reconcile your accounts without having to fumble through old receipts later to try to remember specific actions that were taken on behalf of a client.

Cons

The only con that I personally experienced with Xero was that I routinely was required to relink and subsequently "resync" my banking account with Xero. Admittedly, this may have been a banking issue and not necessarily a Xero issue. However, when the relinking had to happen, this created a significant amount of issues because I was forced to relink the account, reimport expenses and incoming sums and then ensure that all the amounts had actually synced appropriately from my physical bank account to the Xero software.

Alternatives Considered

Peach Software

Reasons for Choosing Xero

We switched from Quickbooks because the software felt really cumbersome and was not very user friendly to someone that isn't an accounting professional.

Switched From

Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Xero

The price of Xero and the ability to effectively use the software almost immediately made the decision to choose Xero a straightforward one.

Pros

There is a constant improvement of the Xero Blue platform with new integrations coming all the time (like the Karbon integration for contact sync just announced) The Dashboard is highly intuitive and gives an up to date snapshot of the business when you loginThe ability to create reports is highly useful, especially the new update that gives a modern interface with features like budgets for P & L Statements. The ingratiations (an constantly expanding selection)

Cons

Features like HubDoc that come with Xero have not been updated in years. When compared to their competitors like DEXT they are severely lacking in features and usability. Xero invoicing is very basic, no ability for direct debit payments, no engagement letter etc. Document management software like Suitfiles needs to be used, there is currently no direct integration for document management like Karbon has. Integrations into Xero Green (XPM) basic, XPM has not been updated in many years and to an overhaul to compete. Pricing when compared to software like software assistant is more premium.

Alternatives Considered

MYOB Business

Reasons for Choosing Xero

Xero is an online platform that is ahead of the competition in every regard. They are constantly improving and allow the ability to login in from any browser and get to work. Although the price paid per client is significantly higher than this software, the ability to to have everything securely backed up in the cloud and ready to go makes Xero a no brainer for our practice. Features like simple to use reports, dashboard, integration like (DEXT, Ignition, Karbon, XPM, Mailchimp)

Reasons for Switching to Xero

MYOB falls short in every area when it comes to Xero, from the user interface to the easy usability of Xero to the far reaching integration into many platforms. Xero also offers many subscriptions at different price points to it doesn't break the bank.

Pros

Xero provides a clean and straightforward experience. It has plenty of features for most use cases, but provides functionality that is easy for anyone to use from small business owners up. The integrations they provide, both with Open banking, and allowing you to give your accountants access, make it a breeze to correctly handle your finances and avoid time consuming mistakes come the end of the tax year.

Cons

Having used Xero for many years, there is not much that I have found that I don't like about the system. Sole traders may find the 20 invoice a month restriction limiting, but that only applies to the Starter subscription. The prices of the others are more than reasonable to validate upgrading which gets you unlimited invoices. On occasion there will be bank feed issues, at which point you might be left wondering why your balances don't match. Finding out there is an issue with the feed from your particular bank is not obivous, but can be found by clicking through to their "Why is this different" page. From my experience this is the only con, and it is quite minor.

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks

Reasons for Switching to Xero

Having had a trial with both Xero and FreshBooks, I much prefered the user interface and experience of Xero. Ultimately it was the ease of use that won me over.

Pros

Xero manages the whole accounting of business straight forward. Particularly automating the process of bank reconciliation is amazing time saver, it connects to banks and credit cards. Moreover, it effectively and easily integrates with other cloud based software which enhances usability of Xero.

Cons

Process of bank reconciliation has been automated but the process got glitches causing bank feeds stopped and entity has to restore to importing bank statement manually which takes time and attempts more than once. Inventory management needs improvement. Customer support is not perfect comparatively. It is not user friendly for those who have little accounting knowledge.

Pros

Xero is very easy to navigate around and is user friendly. Even a non-finance employee is able to use Xero. The product is able to integrate seamlessly with a school management system importing invoices and contacts which are managed in the school management system. The integration is almost automatic and does not require a user to sync. AMAZING PLATFORM!

Cons

Nil - Honestly there is nothing I dislike about Xero.

Alternatives Considered

MYOB Business

Reasons for Choosing Xero

MYOB was not able to integrate with a school management system.

Switched From

MYOB Business

Reasons for Switching to Xero

Integration, Ease of use, ease of navigation, reporting

Pros

customer service is great, even for an SMB like ours, we get good response times and knowledgeable people. the system is very easy to use and has great functionality for managing our sales and supplier invoices so that we can keep track of our cashflow accurately. Apps library is great and has everything that we need.

Cons

certain functionality around automation and AI is not there but can be added via connected apps.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Quickbooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Xero

needed more functionality and fewer manual processes

Switched From

Sage Accounting

Reasons for Switching to Xero

Allowed for a more flexible account and functionality was better than other solutions and better connected to other apps and services

Pros

It has some good features but unfortunately they are overcome by the poor ones.

Cons

There are so many negatives, it's hard to know where to start
They can't be contacted so if you have a problem, you'll have it for a long time (or maybe forever)
VAT retrun period can't be closed. So someone can amend an invoice or bill or add one in to a previous VAT period, which of course screws everything up
You can't set a date for stock to arrive. When you make the order, the system assumest that it's now in stock!
You can't save two customers with the same name! They will tell you to add a special character to duplicate names! Unbelievable but true!
There are no delivery notes/packing slips. They tout a "workaround" but be warned, it's exactly 10 extra clicks so it's really not an option if you need this feature
If you want to send a document after preparing it, first you have to save it, wait for it to save, it takes you out to a main screen, you have to click back into it and then send it (if you send directly, it will send a draft document only)
Invoice, quotation, calendar functions are jumpy and extremely diffult to edit. This applies to all browsers, incognito modes, etc., it's just a really bad editor.
If you enter a contact's account, system brings open documents to the top even if these are quotes which are no longer needed. Invoices, quotes, payments are then all muddled up together is it's very hard to see what you want. Extremely badly designed in this regard.
If you create a Draft invoice, it takes a sequential number. This screws up your sequences.

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.

Pros

I appreciate that Xero is responsive and simple to use for everyone, as it does not necessitate a great deal of prior experience. Once connected to the Internet, the user will be able to connect with all of his bank accounts, both those through which he wishes to make payments and those to which he wishes to transfer money, and monitor and follow them accurately and professionally, as well as track and report on them. It is extremely adaptable to a wide range of requirements, including those of freelancers and huge corporations. Furthermore, it serves as a vital database for all financial data, as it will allow you to download documents and invoices quickly and easily, and also through the phone application, where it is sufficient to scan documents and invoices in order to enter information from them into the system and schedule payments quickly and easily. I particularly appreciate the reports that are generated by Xero since they are comprehensive in that they include all of the financial transactions that occurred during the time period under consideration.

Cons

there are no noteworthy issues. The issue of dealing with recurring payments does not operate as expected, as you must occasionally complete the procedure manually.

Pros

I have been using Xero for accounting for quite some time now, and overall, I am quite satisfied with the software. The best thing I like about Xero is how easy it is to use. The interface is intuitive, and the software is designed to be user-friendly, even for those who are not accounting experts. It makes managing my financials a breeze and saves me a lot of time. The software has a wide range of features and integrations that allow me to keep my business finances organized and up to date.

Cons

However, the one thing that I do not like about Xero is its pricing. It is quite expensive compared to other accounting software in the market. While I understand that Xero offers a lot of features, I believe that the pricing could be more affordable, especially for small businesses like mine