Xero Accounting Solution Reviews

“flexible dashboard and useful automation”

Pros

Navigating the dashboard is really easy and I like that it can be customized to fit the way the business works. The ability to automate tasks is especially helpful when a big part of your revenue comes from repeat customers. It's also one of the few tools that offers direct PayPal integration which adds a lot of convenience.

Cons

It does run into limitations when it comes to scaling. If the organization grows too large or you need to manage a high volume of accounts, it can start struggling to keep up.

“fantastic dashboard and setup”

Pros

Getting started with this software was almost plug-and-play which made the setup process incredibly simple. The dashboard is excellent, with widgets that are well organized and easy to access. Reconciliation is handled efficiently and the project tracking plus automatic updates help keep everything current without extra effort. Customer support has also been very responsive and available whenever needed. It also integrates well with payroll which is a big plus.

Cons

One downside is that the mobile app still is not comprehensive enough since transactions are handled in a separate mobile application. Inventory management support is also fairly limited which can be restrictive depending on your needs.

“remote collaboration and stripe wins”

Pros

Having a cloud-based accounting system has been a big plus for us especially since team members can work together remotely without any hassle. Another feature that's been really valuable is the Stripe integration which lets us accept credit card payments directly.

Cons

A few features feel less user friendly than what you get with competing products. There are also times when I am unable to edit existing data so I end up having to void an invoice and create it again from scratch.

“clean interface and beginner-friendly”

Pros

Getting started with Xero was simple and the setup process didn't take much effort. The interface is beginner-friendly, visually pleasant and comfortable to work with. On top of that the functionality is really good overall.

Cons

Few settings don't seem customizable and feel hardcoded. Because of that, a manual workaround is sometimes needed though it's not a major inconvenience.

“Great fit for our business”

Pros

Xero has been a really good fit for our business and is simple to work with. It integrates with Dance Biz and automatically reconciles bills, invoices and expenses which saves us a lot of time.

Cons

Getting used to it took a bit of time at first but once I became familiar with it, it felt simple and quite easy to use.

“accounting tasks made effortless”

Pros

Handling day to day accounting with this has been very easy, from invoicing and expense tracking to payroll and preparing and lodging activity statements. It's also simple to share access with my accountant which helps a lot. The automatic bank feeds make reconciling accounts fast and hassle-free.

Cons

Nothing specific comes to mind as it covers everything I need to manage my business accounting.

“reliable automation for accounts”

Pros

Xero's automation made account preparation feel much more dependable and easy. The bank feeds run consistently and setting up rules for recurring transactions helps automate a lot of the routine work so it often takes just one click to confirm an entry. I have also been able to connect WooCommerce, Amazon and eBay which has helped me handle VAT properly and keep international sales and purchase transactions accurate.

Cons

Like most new accounting software, there's some technical detail to learn at the beginning which is pretty normal. That said the help articles are good and really useful during the setup stage.

“Helpful support always”

Pros

I find it easy to use and whenever I had questions, the support team was very helpful. It also integrates really well with Link My Books.

Cons

I honestly haven't run into any issues. It has amazing features and the reports are useful and available whenever needed.

“fantastic invoicing and team visibility”

Pros

Xero is pretty easy to work with. It has really simplified our invoicing, given the right team members proper access and helped everyone stay informed about what's going on financially. It's also very convenient to share with our accountants and the social enterprise discount was a thoughtful bonus.

Cons

Getting the most out of project management took a bit of guidance from our accountant especially since we wanted to handle it effectively without paying for additional features.

“user friendly accounting for beginners”

Pros

The product is very user friendly and you don't need advanced accounting knowledge to work with it. Even someone with no accounting background can pick it up and manage it without much trouble.

Cons

A few features are still missing especially in inventory management. For example, businesses with stock kept in two different locations cannot properly manage two separate storages and there are a few other gaps that could make day to day work more convenient.

“bookkeeping made effortless”

Pros

Running a business without something like Xero in 2021 honestly seems hard to imagine. It makes bookkeeping incredibly simple and as someone who started out knowing very little about accounting, I have learned a lot just from using it.

Cons

The thing that would make it even better is support for handling VAT across multiple countries.

“multicurrency billing that just works”

Pros

Since most of our clients are overseas, invoicing in their local currency is a must and Xero handles that really well. It helps us keep the books organized and accurate especially with its integrations across bank feeds and popular wallets/fintech platforms like PayPal, Payoneer and TransferWise so our accounts stay up to date all the time. We also rely heavily on the tracking fields. Xero lets you set up two tracking fields and apply them to invoices, expenses, bills and even individual line items. That has been incredibly useful for monitoring project-based work and it's how we managed that process long before Xero introduced its separate project accounting feature which comes at an extra cost. It also integrates with payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, GoCardless and others which makes paying invoices much more convenient for clients. Even without an accounting background, it's still very approachable to use once you start working through all the features.

Cons

One downside is the UI changes they've made especially around invoices and expenses. Existing users were lucky to keep expenses free but new users now have to pay for that feature and each person submitting expenses requires an added fee. It would make a lot more sense if they allowed a small number of users, at least two, to use expenses for free before applying charges.

“clear finances and affordable value”

Pros

It is easy to use. The software helped me reclaim previously paid VAT and keep a clear view of income and expenses without much hassle. I'd definitely recommend it.

Cons

I really don't have any complaints. It's been excellent and I can see myself using it for a long time. It's user friendly, accurate and reasonably priced for any startup so there's honestly nothing to criticize.

“helpful support and clear layout”

Pros

Whenever I have a question, support gets back to me quickly. The interface is easy to navigate and does a good job separating the different types of income and expenses.

Cons

The mobile app still feels underdeveloped, to the point that I usually avoid using it. Customizing inventory is also difficult.

“feature-packed with excellent integrations”

Pros

The tool comes with a very wide range of features and integrations and the included free Hubdoc account is a nice bonus. For partners, there are also Xero Ledger and Xero Cashbook options which make it even more affordable for clients who only need a simpler setup.

Cons

There is a bit of a learning curve at the beginning since the workflows are fairly different from what you get in other accounting software so you need to spend some time getting familiar with how it works.

“powerful integrations and reporting add-ons”

Pros

It integrates really well with add-ons which makes reporting much more advanced. The integrations with AI tools like ReceiptBank and Approval Donkey also perform very well.

Cons

The project reporting itself isn't especially strong. It's frustrating that the project tabs show more detail than what you can actually pull into the report.

“bank sync keeps everything organized”

Pros

Integrating my business bank account was easy and it helped me get both my financial records and overall business data organized very quickly.

Cons

The payroll module works well and is a great option for smaller businesses but for larger payrolls, more specialized payroll software tends to be a better fit.

“receipt uploads are a win”

Pros

Uploading expenses into Xero is really easy and being able to store photos of receipts instead of hanging on to piles of paper receipts is a huge plus.

Cons

A frustrating limitation is that there are still certain things it cannot handle and it seems to be the same with most software like this. For example, you cannot send a quote and then, once it's accepted, issue an invoice requesting a percentage deposit. That's a big drawback because a lot of trade businesses like ours work that way.

“Useful features and simple setup”

Pros

It's really easy to use and connecting it with my accountant felt very simple too. There are also plenty of features available, along with many apps to choose from.

Cons

Keep in mind that its cost can climb pretty quickly once you start adding extra apps to connect with Amazon, eBay or your website.

“clean design and simple workflow”

Pros

Using it is really easy and the interface had a clean, modern look that made it pleasant to work in.

Cons

The customer support was terrible. There was no way to speak with someone right when you needed help as you had to send an email, wait for a response and then set up a time.