Xero is cloud-based accounting software that offers a real boost in terms of features and functionality. Based in New Zealand, the multifaceted package currently comes in three versions and is aimed at small, medium and large businesses. With a regularly updated look and feel and new features added all the time, even during the coronavirus pandemic, Xero continues to expand its popular appeal and now enjoys a healthy following. If you have a growing business that needs dynamic accounting capabilities and the ability to add multiple users, the latest version of Xero needs further investigation. Xero sits alongside competitors like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Kashoo, Zoho Books, ABC Self Assessment, and Kashflow.
Xero starts at the board phase before completing his menu options (Image credit: Xero)
Xero subscription options:- 1 month plan: € 9 per month (total cost € 9)
Award
Xero appears to be changing its pricing structure and strategy in the coming months. Currently, if you want to sign up for the service in the US, the Early plan costs €11 per month. This allows you to get 5 invoices and quotes, allows you to enter 5 invoices and reconcile 20 bank transactions. Then the Growing plan costs €32 per month and allows you to send invoices and quotes, enter invoices and reconcile bank transactions. Xero's set plan, on the other hand, costs $62 per month, and in addition to the set features, it includes multiple currencies, expenses (claim capture and management), as well as projects, allowing for time tracking and tracking. Project Cost Calculation . Xero is available in many other territories, so a look at its website will reveal other cost changes, as well as the price of various additional extras that bolster its capabilities.
As you fill in the categories, a comprehensive overview of your business takes shape (Image credit: Xero)
Features
Xero certainly doesn't skimp on features and even more seem to appear out of nowhere as you dive deeper into its hidden depths. Everything revolves around the Xero dashboard area, but we also love the easy way Xero allows you to create a new part of your cloud-based experience with a simple "+" button on the right of the screen. Here you can generate invoices, invoices, purchase orders and more with a single click. Since this is a cloud-based service, you also get automatic and secure backups, automatic bank feeds, and the ability to add any additional users you may have on your team. In addition, Xero has an impressive ability to integrate with over 800 apps that enhance the feature set and allow you to include inventory management, billing, time tracking, expenses, and more, in addition to the features that come with the basic package.
Logging into your bank accounts yields even more detail for your business (Image credit: Xero)
As a cloud-based service, Xero works naturally as long as you're connected to the Internet and using one of the most popular web browsers. You'll find Xero to be just as sharp if you choose to use its app-based editions, which are available for both iOS and Android devices. In fact, the Xero experience on a tablet or smartphone seems to be a good one overall, especially given the depth of its data entry points.
Xero provides comprehensive details on all aspects of your business, including billing (Image Credit: Xero)
Ease of use
Xero has been well designed and if, for example, you choose to try out their demo site, which can be found once you've signed up, there's even help while you work. At the same time, Xero has become quite a meaty package, and as a result, it has many different areas that you'll need to familiarize yourself with. Some parts of the experience require time and patience to master. Even then, you can tend to find yourself a bit bogged down, such is the powerful array of features on offer. In that sense, the built-in help will pay dividends when you use it to navigate one of the trickier aspects of cloud-based design. Things start at the dashboard, which is just that; the area that allows you to move around the other sections of the site and from which you can manage overall progress. The layout is, at first glance, fairly straightforward with a user experience that provides quick and easy access to basic features. These are found via a top menu that houses not only the dashboard, but also Business, Accounting, and Contacts options. To the right of the screen are less visible but equally useful features, including help, as well as search and notification buttons. Navigate through these root menus, however, and you'll discover countless tools to address all aspects of your business.
Xero also has an impressive reconciliation area with the interface (Image credit: Xero)
Support
To its credit, Xero has many help and support options available to you. There are handy built-in options that can help you fix minor issues you may encounter during installation. This is especially useful thanks to the question mark in the right corner of the interface, which provides a quick dialog to solve many common queries. The main Xero website is also the source of many helpful videos and other material providing basic solutions and troubleshooting for most, if not all, trouble spots you may encounter along the way. There is also an animated community area that improves the overall usability of the Xero experience.
The very attractive appearance of Xero projects also leaves a lasting impression (Image credit: Xero)
Final verdict
Xero does a great job of combining a nice modern user interface with a great collection of accounting features and functions. For the money making it a pretty formidable package and with its cloud-based reliability and go-anywhere feel, plus the ability to expand its capabilities with app plugins, Xero is impressive on most fronts. . While the obvious lack of live support isn't always the best part of it all, there's a lot to like about this service. If you take the time to learn the ins and outs of Xero, you'll find that it soon begins to reward you by producing a complete and elegant picture of your business and its innermost inner workings.