About us Xero the company

what is xero

Xero is a cloud accounting app that lets you manage your company finances from anywhere in the world. You can do a lot with QuickBooks Online, but all the options may feel like information overload starting out. Can support larger small businesses with dozens of employees; highest-tier plan includes 25 users.

what is xero

Your Xero data is backed up regularly and protected with multiple layers of security. Xero is one of the most popular accounting software platforms available for businesses today. Aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, Xero offers it software as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model which essentially means a subscription is required to access it. The price is usually based on the number of employees that will be accessing it, the services required by the company and also subscription’s length of time. Float is one of the highest-rated Xero apps available on the marketplace.

One-way phone support

You can also send links to contractors that take them to the W-9 forms they must complete. Xero and QuickBooks Online are both powerful accounting software solutions for small businesses. However, when you compare features, QuickBooks Online inches ahead for its stronger feature set, ease of sharing with accountants and customer support. Xero helps transform the data you enter into actionable information at every subscription level. A dashboard provides a summary of your business’s financial health, including total cash in and out, outstanding invoices and overdue bills. Another page dedicated to short-term cash flow charts out how future bills and invoices can affect your bank balance over the next week or month.

FreshBooks is one such option that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s designed specifically for small businesses and offers invoicing, time tracking and expense management. If you’re in the market for accounting software, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there. While Xero and QuickBooks are wildly popular, they’re not the only options available. There are a number of alternative accounting software programs that can offer powerful features and a user-friendly interface. One of the advantages of using Xero is that it can save businesses time and money.

Xero and QuickBooks Online alternatives

Xero is a better option for businesses that need to track project profitability. This is because Xero allows you to see how much each project is costing you in real time and compare that to your estimated profits. Xero is also a better option for businesses that are expanding internationally as it offers multicurrency support. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.

Keep track of your unpaid and overdue invoices, bank account balances, profit and loss, cash flow and bills to pay – plus reconcile bank accounts and convert quotes to invoices. For example, Xero makes invoice creation easy with templates and simple settings that can be used to create recurring invoices. Updates can also be sent to the user when these invoices are read by the recipient, making it easy to determine if they have seen the invoice or not. Xero offers pricing plans to suit businesses of different sizes and stages.

Unlimited users for a low cost

Has robust reporting tools and report customization options, basic inventory tracking in all plans and a capable mobile app; Early plan limits the number of invoices and bills. Business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs often spend a large chunk of time on administration and accounting. Suited for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Xero is an affordable cloud-based accounting software system that streamlines these processes with plans starting at $13 per month. For businesses with limited what is xero cash flow, invoice factoring gives them business financing without approaching a lender or taking out a business loan from a financing company or a traditional bank. Another reason a business might choose this type of financing solution is that it doesn’t impact the business’s credit score, as it is a sale, not a loan. Xero is designed to help small and medium businesses cut down on mundane accounting tasks such as counting up income from various invoices and expenses for the month or week.

  • Xero doesn’t provide a phone number on its customer support page, but a representative will call you if necessary.
  • It also offers Payroll, but this service is an additional fee starting at $45 to $125 per month.
  • If you’re located in the United States, though, there’s a better chance your accountant is familiar with QuickBooks Online than Xero.
  • But this is free for all users worldwide, and all users can easily download the latest version of the software.
  • With a free plan and paid plans starting at $20 per month, Zoho Books has plans for most budgets.
  • Users that are new to bookkeeping won’t be overwhelmed by Xero’s simple and easy-to-navigate layout.

You can customize the reports to include ratios, new blocs, and groups. You can add as many users as you need without worrying about paying extra. With Xero, you can now submit both MTD, and non-MTD VAT returns to HMRC. It also takes care of flat-rate VAT schemes, cash basis, and accrual basis VAT returns. You can also send the customer account statement directly from Xero.

Interactive credit control

This doesn’t mean QuickBooks Online is the right choice for all businesses, though. Xero’s unlimited-users feature makes it a winner among larger businesses and well-established small businesses that require more than five users. It’s also less expensive than QuickBooks Online and a bit easier to use, thanks to its customizable dashboard and simple layout. In the Early plan, the least expensive subscription, you can send up to 20 invoices and schedule up to five bill payments only. That can be limiting, even for freelancers and sole proprietors.

We’re committed to the security of your data and provide multiple layers of protection for the personal and financial information you trust to Xero. Find out more about Xero’s commitments to data protection and data security. If you are transferring payroll from another system in the middle of the financial year – don’t forget to add the opening balances. Another benefit of regular reconciliation is that you’ll be able to use Xero add-on apps much more easily, as your data will be up-to-date. For small businesses that rely on having accurate and helpful inventory tools, I recommend QuickBooks Online or Sage 50 Accounting instead. Xero pricing is designed as per the new startups and small businesses and is pocket-friendly.

Although Xero is targeted mainly at small and medium businesses, the software can be adapted to work with larger corporations as well. In fact, it can easily handle multi-branch companies with hundreds of employees and multiple bank accounts and payment processing systems. Xero also has two advanced reports that provide insight and analysis beyond what the site’s other reports do.

  • There’s an option of using software, but many accounting software have a steep learning curve and can be expensive.
  • Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.
  • As the name of this feature explains, it helps track categories and options in Xero to keep the chart of accounts manageable.
  • Aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, Xero offers it software as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model which essentially means a subscription is required to access it.
  • Xero accounting is the custom-tailored solution for small and medium sized businesses.
  • Set up bank feeds from your accounts so transactions are imported securely into the Xero accounting software each business day.
  • Right to its core, The X-Files is built on mystery, however there’s one secret that most fans aren’t privy to – how exactly the FBI’s ‘weird happenings’ department really got its name.

For unlimited invoicing and bill-paying capacity, you’ll need to upgrade to the Growing plan. Xero doesn’t provide a phone number on its customer support page, but a representative will https://www.bookstime.com/articles/how-to-calculate-shares-outstanding call you if necessary. This is a serious drawback if you want to be able to pick up the phone and talk through an issue or are new to accounting software and have lots of questions.