Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform built for small and medium businesses, accountants and bookkeepers. It combines online invoicing, bank reconciliation, expense claims, payroll, multi-currency accounting, inventory and reporting in a single secure dashboard accessible from any browser or mobile device.
Trusted by over 4 million subscribers worldwide, Xero is especially popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada. The platform connects with 1,000+ third-party apps and supports MTD-ready VAT submissions in the UK, which makes it a strong fit for compliant, scalable finance operations.
Send professional invoices, accept Stripe and PayPal payments, and automate reminders so you get paid faster.
Secure live feeds pull transactions from 21,000+ banks worldwide so your books are always up to date.
Machine-learning bank rules auto-match transactions, slashing the time spent reconciling each month.
Snap receipts on the go with Hubdoc and Xero apps; data is extracted and posted to the right account.
Submit MTD VAT returns and RTI payroll filings directly to HMRC, fully compliant out of the box.
Trade globally with real-time exchange rates and FX gain/loss reporting on Comprehensive plans.
Connect Stripe, Shopify, HubSpot, Gusto, A2X and hundreds more from the Xero App Store.
Invite your accountant, bookkeeper and team at no extra cost with granular role-based permissions.
Xero gives every small business the same powerful financial toolkit that large companies enjoy. From the moment you sign in you get a clean dashboard with cashflow snapshots, outstanding invoices and bank balances in one place.
The platform automates day-to-day bookkeeping with bank feeds, machine-learning bank rules and automatic invoice reminders, freeing you to focus on growing the business rather than chasing paperwork.
These curated Xero tutorials walk you through bookkeeping basics, beginner workflows, credit notes and a complete overview so you can hit the ground running.
Xero covers the entire small-business accounting lifecycle, from issuing the first invoice to filing taxes and running payroll, with services that grow alongside your company.
Xero offers four straightforward US pricing plans, with optional add-ons for expenses and project tracking. All paid plans include core accounting features and unlimited users:
Lite: $7/month — simple bookkeeping for micro-businesses and side hustles. Send 5 invoices and quotes, accept online invoice payments, reconcile bank transactions, capture bills and receipts with Hubdoc and view real-time reports.
Starter: $29/month — good for sole traders, new businesses and the self-employed. Send quotes and 20 invoices, accept online invoice payments, enter 5 bills, reconcile bank transactions, Hubdoc capture, real-time reports and a 30-day cash flow forecast.
Standard: $50/month — accounting tools for the self-employed and growing businesses. Everything in Starter plus unlimited invoices and bills, auto-reconcile (Beta), bulk reconcile, 60-day cash flow forecast, performance graphs, customisable dashboards and KPI analysis.
Premium: $75/month — good for established businesses of all sizes. Everything in Standard plus multi-currency support, 180-day cash flow forecast, tailored financial health scorecards and industry benchmarking.
Optional add-ons available across paid plans: Claim expenses from $4/month and Track projects from $7/month. A 30-day free trial is available, and Xero is currently offering 80% off your plan for the first 3 months. Pricing varies by region — UK, Australia, NZ, Canada and EU markets use local currencies and slightly different feature mixes and plan names.
Across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot, Xero maintains a strong rating of around 4.4/5. Reviewers consistently praise the clean interface, bank feed automation, app marketplace and how easy it is to collaborate with an accountant in real time (source: public G2 and Capterra reviews).
Some users note that running payroll outside the UK or AU may require add-on apps, but they agree that the core bookkeeping experience is among the best available for small businesses (source: public Trustpilot and Capterra reviews).
Xero has streamlined our entire bookkeeping process. The bank feeds, automated reminders and integration with our payment processor save us hours every month. Working with our accountant in real time is the icing on the cake.
Switching from QuickBooks to Xero felt like a breath of fresh air. The interface is clean, the App Store is enormous, and MTD VAT submissions are practically one-click. Highly recommended for UK small businesses.
The mobile app and Hubdoc receipt capture are excellent for tracking expenses on the go. Phone support is limited but email response times are reasonable and the help centre is very well stocked.
If Xero doesn’t fit your needs, popular alternatives include QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Wave and Zoho Books. Each offers strong small-business accounting features, with Xero leading on app integrations and unlimited users.
Quick answers to common questions about Xero pricing, regions, payroll, VAT and integrations.
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