The Xero Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Xero in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Xero
The Insider’s Guide
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from Xero’s own pages.
Made by Xero Limited · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Xero’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Xero’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 10 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Xero, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It reconciles the bank, captures bills, forecasts cash and runs US payroll through Gusto.
- 1
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.
- 2
Paid plans start at $27 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $27 per month, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 10 of 17
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Xero at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $27 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Xero Limited, since 2006
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 1,689 ratings
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Early 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | One 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. |
| Features | B | Bank 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. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.65 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$27
A month to start
Xero is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $27 per month, billed monthly.
Users are unlimited on every plan, though, which helps once a team is involved.
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.
Trying it first
One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount
Read from xero.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on xero.comOther 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.
Stated on xero.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, invoicing, reports, bookkeeping, expense tracking, payroll.
Multiple currencies need Established, but the whole job is here.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Gusto
- Stripe
- Syft
- Dext
- A2X
- Mercury
Xero is made by Xero Limited, and has been around since 2006.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
10/17
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
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
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17
- BFeaturesAbove 13 of 17
- BEase of useAbove 12 of 17
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Xero is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books and Wave
The 4 tools Xero is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.6GPA
FreshBooks
Free trial · from $23/mo
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking.
- 3.4GPA
Zoho Books
Free plan · from $15/mo
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Xero also covers payroll.
- 2.4GPA
Wave
Free plan · from $19/mo
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses.
- Wave has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Xero’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Xero Limited. Prices change, so check xero.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Xero, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/xero
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Xero: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/xero
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/xero/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after Xero, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Odoo Insider's GuideBusiness app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Xero’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Xero is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Xero Limited. Prices and plans change: check xero.com before you buy.