Reckon vs Xero (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Reckon if

• Fits if you're an Australian small business that wants GST and BAS reporting and free data migration
• Works for businesses that want phone support

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you're outside Australia, as it's Australian GST and BAS
• Watch out: first-months prices are far below the renewal prices
• Watch out: payroll has its own plans: Payroll Essentials, up to 4 employees, is A$18 a month at renewal
• Watch out: the pages show a plain $ sign and don't say whether prices include GST
• Pricey if you want inventory with payroll: that's Ultimate at A$92 a month at renewal

Pick Xero if

• Fits if your accountant already works in Xero
• Works for businesses where several staff and advisers need to be in the books, as users are unlimited

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you send more than 20 invoices or enter more than 5 bills, since that's where Early stops
• Watch out: the advertised prices are 80% off for 3 months only, then $27, $59 or $97 a month
• Pricey if you need US payroll, at $36 a month plus $6 a person on top
• Pricey if you bill in other currencies, which need Established at $97, or want auto-reconcile on Early, a $5 add-on
• Skip it if you want a free plan to start on, as there isn't one, and taking the free month costs you the discount

Reckon

• Prices are shown with a plain $ sign on the Australian site and are likely Australian dollars; the page does not say whether they include GST.
• Payroll is optional on Plus and Premium and has its own plan set priced by employee count.
• Offered prices for the first months are much lower than the renewal prices listed as the regular price.
• Reckon also sells separate desktop and hosted products that are not part of these plans.

Xero

• The advertised prices are 80% off for the first 3 months; plans then renew at $27, $59 or $97 a month.
• Early stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills, and its graphs and cash flow forecast are the basic ones.
• US payroll costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor, and is not offered to Xero's US mobile-only subscribers.
• These are US prices; Xero sells in other countries, including New Zealand, Australia and the UK, on separate regional sites.

Reckon

Invoicing and online payments

Create and send invoices and take card payments online through Stripe, with matching invoice and payroll mobile apps.

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Connect bank accounts through Open Banking or direct feeds and reconcile imported transactions.

GST and BAS reporting

Tracks income, expenses and GST in one place, with real-time reports and a customizable dashboard for BAS time.

Payroll

Pays employees and manages leave and super, with Single Touch Payroll reporting and Payday Super stated as covered.

Free data migration

The vendor says it migrates data from other providers at no charge on the Plus and Premium accounting plans.

Phone support

Phone support in business hours, plus email, help resources and webinars, per the vendor's comparison page.

Xero

Bank reconciliation

Match bank transactions to invoices and bills. Auto-reconcile is part of Growing and Established, and a $5 a month add-on on Early.

Invoices, quotes and online payments

Send invoices and quotes with a payment service attached, and take card payments in person with Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android.

Bills and Smart Document Capture

Bills and receipts are pulled into Xero from documents, and standard ACH bill payments in US dollars are included on every plan.

Cash flow forecasts and analytics

Forecasts run 30, 60 or 180 days ahead depending on the plan, and Syft analytics, dashboards and health scorecards are built in.

JAX assistant

Xero's AI assistant answers questions about the business's numbers and handles routine bookkeeping tasks.

Xero Payroll, powered by Gusto

Full-service payroll that calculates, files and pays federal and state taxes across all 50 states, without leaving Xero.

Reckon

• Accounting PlusA$27

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$2.70

  For small businesses, with unlimited users; payroll is optional. Yearly billing is A$298, or A$134.10 for the first 12 months.

• Accounting PremiumA$50

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$5

  For growing businesses; yearly billing is A$552, or A$248.40 for the first 12 months.

• Ultimate PlanA$92

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$9.20

  Includes unlimited payroll and inventory; yearly billing is A$1,016, or A$457.20 for the first 12 months.

• Payroll EssentialsA$18

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$1.80

  Standalone payroll for up to 4 employees; yearly billing is A$199, or A$89.55 for the first 12 months.

• Payroll PlusA$35

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$3.50

  Standalone payroll for up to 10 employees; yearly billing is A$386, or A$173.70 for the first 12 months.

• Payroll PremiumA$65

  per month at renewal, after first 6 months at A$6.50

  Standalone payroll for unlimited employees; yearly billing is A$718, or A$323.10 for the first 12 months.

Xero

• Early$27

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $5.40 a month for the first 3 months. Quotes, 20 invoices, 5 bills, bank reconciliation, sales tax and a 30-day cash flow forecast.

• Growing$59

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $11.80 a month for the first 3 months. No invoice or bill limits, auto-reconcile, dashboards, budgets and a 60-day forecast.

• Established$97

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $19.40 a month for the first 3 months. Adds multiple currencies, project time and costs, expense claims and a 180-day forecast.

Reckon

• Other savings

  90% off the first 6 months monthly

  Monthly plans are 90% off for the first 6 months, for example A$2.70 a month for Accounting Plus, then the regular price.

• Other savings

  55% off the first 12 months yearly

  Yearly plans are 55% off for the first 12 months, for example A$134.10 for Accounting Plus against A$298.

Xero

• Other savings

  80% off the first 3 months

  New US customers buying their first organization pay 20% of the base plan price for 3 months, then the regular monthly price. Add-ons are not discounted.

• Other savings

  Two months of Xero Payroll free

  Xero's payroll page offers two months free to try Xero Payroll, which then costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor.