Xero Accounting Solution Reviews

“online-native accounting with mobile access”

Pros

After looking for software that fit a small business but still offered the features larger companies need, Xero turned out to be a really good match. Some competitors felt confusing and not truly built for online use, while this one seems much more user‑friendly and web native. Plus being able to use it on mobile is also a big plus.

Cons

One thing I'd change is access to the multi-currency tools for smaller users. Right now, that feature is locked behind the top subscription tier which doesn't make much sense when you only deal with a small amount of foreign currency transactions.

“clear reports with instant insight”

Pros

One of my favorite things about Xero is how customizable the reports are and how clearly everything is presented. I can tailor them to exactly what I need and they're simple to read which lets me see how my business is doing right away.

Cons

The CIS feature has been the frustrating part. Since I started using it, I have run into more errors than I ever had back when I was relying on my old spreadsheets.

“better inventory tracking value”

Pros

Compared with QuickBooks/QBO, it does a better job with inventory accounting. Being cloud-based means it's available whenever I need it and the pricing is also a little lower than QBO.

Cons

At the same time, just about everything feels harder to do than it does in QBO. That said, I cannot fully tell whether it's harder simply because the workflow is different or because of the software's actual capabilities since I haven't used it nearly as much as QBO.

“instant vendor payment alerts”

Pros

One thing that really helps with Xero is the instant alerts it sends whenever there's a mismatch between invoices, purchase orders and account details during vendor payments.

Cons

The mobile app could use more customization options especially when compared with QuickBooks.

“Proven helpful for us”

Pros

Since we manage projects and track time in Teamwork, having Xero connect well with it has been really helpful. The integration works nicely and makes invoicing clients much simpler for us.

Cons

Payroll, sick leave and other leave calculations can be a bit tricky at times which can lead to some confusion. On the plus side, customer support is easy to reach whenever help is needed.

“quick setup and useful reports”

Pros

It is pretty easy to use and pulling reports on a regular basis has been just as simple.

Cons

I'd really like a bit more control over how the reports look especially when it comes to things like fonts, colors and other formatting options.

“comfort and availability that deliver”

Pros

Using Xero feels convenient and comfortable and it's always available when I need it.

Cons

There really isn't much to dislike. It pretty much covers everything my company needs it to do.

“widely adopted with strong integrations”

Pros

It connected well with most other applications and pretty much every accountant in Australia already knew Xero. It really felt like the dominant option in the market.

Cons

The biggest downside was the price. It was already expensive and then the subscription cost increased constantly around twice within less than a year after signing up. I also couldn't bill clients in multiple currencies unless I paid extra for a higher-tier plan. On top of that the platform felt quite complicated to use and I never really got comfortable with the interface.

“friendly accounting for small businesses”

Pros

This tool is easy to use and it doesn't require any special training to use effectively. The data integration works well and helps simplify day to day tasks. It's an amazing fit for small businesses.

Cons

The cash flow feature isn't very effective so some of the work still has to be handled manually by the company.

“Bank feeds are amazing”

Pros

The platform is very user friendly and the bank feeds are easily one of my favorite features.

Cons

User permissions feel too limited though. I cannot give my colleague access to inventory to help me out without also giving her visibility into bank transactions which isn't ideal.

“online-first with strong API coverage”

Pros

Being fully online was the biggest reason we chose this tool and that part has worked really well for us. Another major plus is the API coverage which is close to complete and was a big deciding factor for our team too.

Cons

That said, the API feels a bit outdated and sometimes has awkward workarounds to get things functioning properly. The system also starts to feel sluggish once you have years of data and millions of records although that could just be specific to our setup. I am also not very impressed with the reporting tools. They feel pretty old at this stage so I end up depending on Fathom or other reporting platforms when I need to really break down and analyze the data.

“strong fit for global accounting”

Pros

Right out of the box, Xero works really well as an accounting system, in a similar way to QuickBooks. It offers broader functionality and better international support which makes it a stronger option than QB for businesses working across countries and currencies. It also includes some useful automation features and the standard reports are usually enough to cover most basic financial requirements.

Cons

That said it does not offer the same level of open customization you get with platforms like NetSuite or Dynamics. For many small businesses, that may not be a problem but companies that are growing and want to automate more around specific workflows could eventually hit its limits and realize they've outgrown it, leading to what can be a difficult ERP migration.

“broken cash coding and useless support”

Pros

I disliked the whole experience. They keep changing features that were working perfectly and end up ruining them. Cash coding used to be excellent but then they updated it and broke it.

Cons

Automated feeds never work properly, they are constantly buggy and the mess they create can take hours or even days to clean up. Customer support is a joke as well. They just send canned replies that rarely, if ever, answer the actual question. The lack of care and attentiveness from support is appalling.

“billing and finance done right”

Pros

The billing workflow, AP, AR and financial analysis features all work really well and cover the key accounting tasks I need.

Cons

Up to this point, we haven't run into any issues with the software.

“powerful browser accounting with integrations”

Pros

Using Xero has been very easy thanks to its user friendly interface. Since it's browser-based it's convenient to access from anywhere and the wide range of plugins plus a reliable API make it even more flexible and useful.

Cons

It's disappointing that security features like SSO were still missing in 2022. The invoice OCR is also quite limited and without extra logic, features or workflow support, submitting invoices ends up being a very manual process.

“Smooth app integrations”

Pros

The way it integrates with different applications is a big plus.

Cons

There's still room for the software to keep improving. We try to use the system's full range of functions and it always ends up working out in the end.

“kind support, poor usability”

Pros

There honestly wasn't much that worked well for us. The support team was polite and tried to help but in the end the system just wasn't useful and there wasn't a whole lot they could really do.

Cons

Using this tool was frustrating all around. It wasn't user friendly, hard to understand, too easy to make mistakes and even the interface didn't look good. Someone recommended it to us and I was honestly surprised anyone suggested that we should we try it. As it just did not fit our needs so we switched to QuickBooks.

“practical on desktop and mobile”

Pros

I use the software on both my computer and my phone which makes it very convenient day to day.

Cons

The purchase cost is quite high. Platforms like this bring a lot of value to businesses that need strict inventory control and stock management so a lower price would make it more accessible for small companies.

“Payroll made easy”

Pros

Xero is incredibly easy to use. The whole platform seems simple, the interface is very user friendly and it's genuinely helpful day to day. We especially enjoy how effortless payroll and bank reconciliations are.

Cons

One notable limitation is the inventory functionality which feels fairly restricted. It also doesn't allow purchase orders to be split after goods have been received. It works really well for digital businesses but manufacturers or product-based companies will likely need additional add-on solutions.

“secure cloud accounting favorite”

Pros

Using Xero has been a very positive experience. The interface is user friendly and I can access it from anywhere on any device which makes managing accounts much more convenient. It also seems safe and secure so I am confident that office information is well protected. The software makes it simple to keep track of invoices and profits and overall it's very easy to use. You don't need advanced accounting knowledge or a strong background in accounting principles to work with it effectively.

Cons

At this point it covers all of my accounting needs so I don't really have any complaints about the software.