Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
Xero report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for small businesses that work with an accountant
Xero is proper small-business accounting with unlimited users on every plan, so your bookkeeper and accountant come in at no extra cost. It reconciles the bank, captures bills, forecasts cash and runs US payroll through Gusto. The snag is Early, the $27 plan, which stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills, so most businesses end up on Growing at $59.
Who Xero is for
- Great if your accountant already works in Xero
- Handy when several staff and advisers need to be in the books, as users are unlimited
- Good for businesses billing or paying in other currencies, on Established
Who Xero is not for
- Tight if you send more than 20 invoices, since that's where Early stops
- Pricey if you need US payroll, at $36 a month plus $6 a person on top
- Skip it if you want a free plan to start on, as there isn't one
Why Xero gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyEarly is $27 a month, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, and it stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills. No limits means Growing at $59. Users are unlimited on every plan, though, which helps once a team is involved.
- CFree plan and trialOne month free on any plan, but you give up the 80%-off-for-3-months offer to take it. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed for the trial.
- BFeaturesBank reconciliation, invoices and quotes, Tap to Pay, bill capture, free ACH bill payments, cash flow forecasts, Syft analytics, the JAX assistant and Gusto payroll. Multiple currencies need Established, but the whole job is here.
- BEase of use4.65 from 1,689 App Store ratings, just under the top band. Auto-reconcile, which takes away the most clicking, is part of Growing and Established and a $5 a month add-on on Early.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, plus an app store with Gusto, Stripe, Syft, Dext, A2X and Mercury. There's no desktop app, which is what keeps it off an A.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Xero's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/xero#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/xero.svg" alt="Xero: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Xero stands among accounting and invoicing tools
Xero's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on features (B, above 13 of 17) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $27 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 10 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Xero’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 17, level with 10
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17, level with 9
- BFeaturesAbove 13 of 17, level with 4
- BEase of useAbove 12 of 17
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 17, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Xero, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Xero you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $324 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing, expense tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Gusto, Stripe and Syft among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Xero’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Xero?
Xero is cloud accounting software for small businesses and their accountants. It reconciles bank transactions, sends invoices and quotes, captures bills and receipts, pays bills by ACH and forecasts cash flow. In the US, payroll is an add-on run by Gusto inside Xero.
Xero is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $27 per month, billed monthly. See every plan
Good for
- Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
- Businesses that work with an accountant who already uses Xero
- Companies that bill or pay in several currencies, on Established
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Xero pricing
- Starts at
- $27 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Early | $27per 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 | $59per 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 | $97per 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. |
Read from xero.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Xero before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savings80% 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.
Stated on xero.com - Other savingsTwo 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.
Stated on xero.com
How people rate the Xero app
4.6
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars83%
- 4 stars9%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star4%
1,689 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Gusto
- Stripe
- Syft
- Dext
- A2X
- Mercury
Xero alternatives
- Xero vs QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
- Xero vs FreshBooks
Free trial · from $23/mo
- Xero vs Zoho Books
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Xero vs Wave
Free plan · from $19/mo
Common questions
Is Xero free?
No, Xero is a paid product, but you can try it first. One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount.
How much does Xero cost?
Xero lists 3 plans. Early: $27 per month, billed monthly. Growing: $59 per month, billed monthly. Established: $97 per month, billed monthly. Prices were read from xero.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Xero work on?
Xero is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Xero offer any discounts?
Xero publicly lists the following: 80% off the first 3 months; Two months of Xero Payroll free.
How is Xero rated?
Xero's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1,689 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Xero have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Xero is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Xero have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Xero is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Xero open source?
Xero is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does Xero integrate with?
Xero's listing names Gusto, Stripe, Syft, Dext, A2X and Mercury. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Xero?
Xero is made by Xero Limited. It dates from 2006.
What are the alternatives to Xero?
The closest alternatives to Xero in our directory are QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books and Wave. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Xero.
How does Xero compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
Xero's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on features (B, above 13 of 17) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Is Xero good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Xero C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $27 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 10 of the 16 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Xero?
To replace Xero you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $324 a year. What you could not make: Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It plugs into other products, Gusto, Stripe and Syft among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.