Xero vs ZipBooks

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Our analysts compared Xero vs ZipBooks based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Accounting Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses. It streamlines bookkeeping tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and payroll, all accessible from any device. Xero boasts user-friendly interfaces and automated features, saving time and simplifying financial management. Popular features include online invoicing with reminders, bank feeds for automatic transaction import, and customizable reports for insights into cash flow and profitability. While Xero caters well to various industries, its strengths lie in freelancer/contractor work, startups, and service-based businesses. Pricing scales with business size and complexity, starting at a monthly subscription for basic accounting needs and increasing with additional features and users. Compared to some competitors, Xero offers a robust mobile app, strong integrations with third-party tools, and a focus on user experience. However, it may lack advanced inventory management or complex accounting functions suited for larger enterprises. Ultimately, Xero's value proposition lies in its ease of use, automation, and scalability, making it a popular choice for small businesses seeking a streamlined and efficient accounting solution.

Pros:
  • Cloud-based access anywhere
  • Easy invoicing and expense tracking
  • Automated bank reconciliation
  • User-friendly interface
  • Mobile app for on-the-go use
Cons:
  • Learning curve for new users
  • Limited inventory management
  • No built-in payroll (separate fee)
  • Higher cost for advanced features
  • Limited phone support
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ZipBooks is a cloud-based accounting and invoicing platform designed for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It works independently or with certified accountants who will prepare monthly financial statements for a user's business.

It's also available as an iOS app with credit card processing, chart of accounts, business listings, machine learning, time tracking, team management and other capabilities that are specifically designed for the app.
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Affordable Payroll: Take advantage of the free trial to see how much time automated data entry can save and assess if the solution is a good fit for the business. Save countless hours on tracking expenses, calculating payments, processing payroll and more.
  • Better Interoperability: Centralize company processes and handle a wide range of functionality with more than 700 add-ons available through the app marketplace. This includes programs for CRM, e-commerce, inventory, invoicing, job tracking, payroll, time and attendance and more.
  • Centralizes Data and Processes: Organize information and put the primary software that handles day-to-day issues all in one place. Manage files to a document library where users can see originals next to updated versions. Send files to stakeholders to ensure a clear flow of information.
  • Saves Time: Eliminate tedious data entry and ensure better data integrity by cutting down on human error. Provide a clear documentation trail to ensure that the business is running ethically and save time hunting for documents when it’s time to verify the information.
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  • User-Friendly Interface: Users don't require a master's degree in accounting to operate ZipBooks because its features and interface are intuitive, making it easy to use no matter the level of experience.  
  • Affordable: ZipBooks offers four payment options with distinct features such as free, smarter, sophisticated and the accountant plan offers adjustable pricing. This makes it a viable option for anyone with a small budget, such as small businesses or freelancers trying to get their careers off the ground. 
  • Knowledgeable Experts: ZipBooks' certified bookkeepers can provide users with financial advice and recommendations when assisting with accounting practices. 
  • Record and Document Tasks: Keeping track of every task, project and file can be cumbersome. Thanks to ZipBooks, users can create and allocate responsibilities to specific projects so everything is chronicled and accessible in one place.  
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  • Payroll Processing: Provide payroll across 50 states. See when payments are due, track them and ensure on time payment. Analyze accounts payable with a quick view, schedule advanced payments and make batch payments.
  • Banking: Connect to the right bank to track and facilitate transactions daily. Keep an eye on the flow of money through a secure connection that goes directly into the solution.
  • Expense Management: Seamlessly track and manage expense claims. Access real-time data and reports that provide insight into patterns and trends. Record costs, see and approve claims, view overall spending and dole out reimbursements. Capture receipts to monitor employee spending and verify costs.
  • Project Management: Integrate with other workflows to facilitate financial project management. Provide a quote for client work before you begin to track time, costs, profitability and other variables for an accurate invoice.
  • Customer History: Use smart lists and contacts to contact details, emails, past sales, emails, invoices, past payments and more when working with a partner or client.
  • Mobile App: Let users track bank transactions, send invoices, access supplier details and more, from any mobile device.
  • Inventory Management: Undertake basic inventory management, including taking inventory, seeing what was bought or sold, look at reports on how well items are doing and get invoices and orders.
  • Gusto Integration: Calculate and pay taxes, deductions and employees through an integration with the accounting software Gusto. Simplify compliance and keep on top of industry updates.
  • Other Capabilities: Processes payment in multiple currencies, calculates sales taxes, tracks purchase orders, manages files and does several other administrative tasks.
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  • Accountant Access: Users can easily share information with accountants and financial experts with ZipBooks' accounting accessory. This tool enables users to effortlessly track routine transactions and extend completely accurate data for filing taxes, preparing financial reports and asking for sound financial advice to their accountants. The accounts receivable feature enables users to monitor invoices and payments so the money they make and amounts they owe will promptly update in their accounts receivable reports. Users can also review what their clients have already paid, outstanding amounts and the normal amount of time it takes them to pay. Transactions made outside of ZipBooks can be added manually for full accuracy. 
  • Oversee Accounts Receivable: The accounts receivable tool enables users to review their accounts receivable history while also providing smart insights on which particular accounts are paying in a rational timeline. This module also extends an elaborate list of customers who make late payments so users can establish more payment reminders. Users can also create a snapshot of general payment trends in a given year for proper budgeting.  
  • Perform Accurate Bank Reconciliations: Users can employ the bank reconciliation extension in the accounting tool to automatically transfer transaction information into their ZipBooks account so they can always see the most current account balance. This function also allows users to sort and study transactions by placing a checkmark on each transaction that appears on users' bank statements. ZipBooks will even monitor transactions that aren't verified so users will always stay in the know about their finances. Other extensions included within the accounting tool include bank connecting, auto-categorization, chart of accounts, project accounting and tagging. This tool is also supplied with several reports such as aging, balance sheet, general ledger, income statement, taxes invoiced and trial balance. 
  • Regulate Billing Processes: ZipBooks' billing management accessory allows users to choose regular or subscription-based invoicing for constant billing to fit their needs. Users can personalize their invoices with logos, particular colors and contact information. This tool can also trace customer payments, invoice history, overdue balances and collected taxes and alert users when an invoice has been paid. The credit card processing extension enables users to accept payments from every major credit company from approximately 22 various countries. Users can also take digital payments from Square and PayPal.  
  • Initiate Concurrent Bills: Thanks to the recurring billing function, users can set up future payments and never worry about them getting to the right customer again. There are dynamic features users can adjust to instantly autofill invoices with precise customer information. This function can immediately bill customer credit cards on a monthly basis and securely store credit card information. Other functions that come with the billing module include estimates, invoices, customer management, mobile access, multi-currency, reminders, saved items, team management and time tracking.  
  • Machine Learning Insights: ZipBooks' machine learning function of the intelligence module is similar to adding a supercomputer to a user's team because it blends work with research to immediately pick a category for each transaction. The more users work with the machine learning tool, the more it can learn about the way they chronicle and sort their transactions until it can auto-categorize. If there's a classifying error, users can make the correction and the extension will learn from its mistakes. The machine learning function will also categorize every bank transaction that a user imports and provide a confidence score based on their accounting knowledge and history.  
  • Thorough Business Wellness Check: Users can implement the business health score extension to check and finetune the health of their business that will aid in making better business decisions. This function can search for concurrent clients, punctual payments, sales growth and repeating revenue. Other helpful functions within the intelligence accessory include invoice quality score, recommendations and smart search.  
  • Manage Billable Expenses: To get reimbursed for expenses users' business accrue for customers such as paint supplies needed to paint a house or parts to fix a car, users can develop a transaction, mark it as billable and add the name of the client to be billed with the billable expenses function in the expense management tool. The expense will be added to the customer's invoice. The vendor management extension enables users to view expense histories, keep vendor contact information updated, and review payments owed. When users attach a bill or expense to a vendor's name, ZipBooks will instantly pinpoint general contacts as vendors. If users no longer use someone as a vendor but want to keep their contact information handy, they can easily change the name back to contact. Other functions included in the expense management module include receipt saving and split categories. 
  • Deliver Review Invitations: ZipBooks' growth accessory's reviews extension enables users to automatically or manually send invitations via email or text message to clients to review their business online. Users can employ ZipBooks' widget component to share customer reviews onto their website. This extension also allows users to reply to customer reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and other platforms. 
  • Locate and Manage Search Ranks: The ranking function in the growth module permits users to see where their business ranks in search results based on specific keywords customers may use when searching for a business, service or product on maps, computers or mobile search apps. Users can accordingly add keywords for more insight and install parameters to identify searches within particular target areas. This function also allows users to track the progress of their rankings such as rising, falling or consistencies. Other extensions within the growth accessory include widgets and business listings.  
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Product Ranking

#3

among all
Accounting Software

#33

among all
Accounting Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Banking And Cash Management Budget And Expense Management Financial Statements And Revenue Management General Ledger And Chart Of Accounts Integration And Extensibility Inventory Management Journal Entries Mobile Support Multi-company Accounting And Asset Management Platform Capabilities Project Accounting Reporting And Analytics Tax Management 93 97 100 89 89 100 100 83 100 100 79 89 100 90 92 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 4652 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 300 reviews
86%
of users recommend this product

Xero has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 4652 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

92%
of users recommend this product

ZipBooks has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 300 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

4.4 (17)
5.0 (15)
4.3 (339)
4.8 (78)
4.33 (2132)
4.5 (93)
4.3 (1877)
4.5 (99)
4.3 (287)
4.1 (15)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Xero and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Integration and Extensibility and Mobile Support.

Integration and Extensibility Award
Mobile Support Award

ZipBooks stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Affordable: Of all the reviews that mentioned price, over 70% felt it was well within their price range and felt satisfied.
Good Customer Service: Over 70% of reviews that mentioned the customer support said they received excellent service, especially from their reps.
Excellent Functionality: In more than 50% of all reviews that mentioned features, users were happy with its capabilities. They especially like the integrations, reconciliation process, invoices and accounting functions.
Simple and intuitive interface: Xero's clean layout and straightforward navigation make it easy for users of all skill levels to manage their finances. In over 80% of reviews that mentioned the UI, users said it was easy to navigate.
Automated tasks: Xero automates repetitive tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and bank reconciliation, saving users valuable time and reducing errors.
Mobile app for on-the-go access: Manage your finances and stay up-to-date on your business performance anytime, anywhere with Xero's mobile app.
Customizable reports and dashboards: Gain valuable insights into your cash flow, profitability, and other key financial metrics with Xero's customizable reports and dashboards.
Multi-user access and permissions: Collaborate with team members and advisors seamlessly with Xero's secure multi-user access and permission controls.
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Free Plan: ZipBooks offers a free plan that includes unlimited invoices, the ability to accept digital payments, and basic reporting features, making it a cost-effective solution for freelancers and small businesses with basic accounting needs.
User-Friendly Interface: The platform is known for its intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, allowing users to quickly create professional invoices, track expenses, and manage their finances without extensive accounting knowledge.
Time Tracking: ZipBooks includes time-tracking tools that enable users to accurately record billable hours for projects and clients, simplifying the process of generating invoices based on actual time spent.
Integrations: ZipBooks integrates with popular payment gateways like PayPal and Square, as well as other business tools such as Slack and Google Calendar, streamlining workflows and reducing manual data entry.
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Limited inventory management: Xero lacks advanced inventory tracking features, making it less suitable for businesses with complex inventory needs.
Learning curve for complex features: While basic tasks are easy, some advanced features like multi-currency accounting can be challenging for non-accountants to navigate. Though the system was widely popular after implementation, users said it was old-fashioned and had a steep learning curve in 20% of reviews that mentioned the UI.
Higher cost for advanced features: Access to advanced features like payroll processing and multi-currency comes at a higher price point, potentially exceeding budgets for smaller businesses.
Limited phone support: Xero primarily relies on email and live chat for support, which may not be ideal for users seeking immediate assistance with critical issues.
Integration limitations: While offering many integrations, some key business tools may not have seamless integration with Xero, requiring workarounds or data duplication.
Invoices: While around 60% of users felt that the invoicing system worked well, around 40% said they had trouble making changes to them once they were saved.
Downgrading Issues: Around 20% of reviews that mentioned price said they had issues while trying to go to a lower pricing tier and often ended up paying a month or more at a higher rate.
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Limited Integrations: ZipBooks may not integrate with all the applications a business uses, potentially leading to manual data entry and reduced efficiency.
Scalability Concerns: Some users have expressed concerns about ZipBooks' ability to handle the needs of larger businesses or those with more complex accounting requirements as they grow.
Customer Support: While ZipBooks offers support, some users have reported challenges in obtaining timely or comprehensive assistance for their inquiries.
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Xero’s users say it’s easy to use and has good accounting and bookkeeping capabilities. Most found the price to be acceptable, with some complaints about issues they ran into while trying to switch to a lower pricing tier. More than 70% loved the customer service and felt their representatives were extremely helpful. It has a range of features including band feeds, invoice creation, integrations and reconciliation processes. The reconciliation was particularly popular with over 80% of reviewers who mentioned it describing positive experiences. One issue with the system came in making updates to invoices after they’d been saved. Some users said they were sent prematurely to clients or claimed to have difficulties changing the data at a later date. Many also felt that the implementation process for the new platform was difficult, but that once they learned where things were they felt comfortable. This may be a good choice for small and medium businesses. Larger companies should consider a system that’s able to handle a higher volume.

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ZipBooks: Accounting made easy. ZipBooks is a cloud-based accounting software that helps small businesses manage their finances, but how does it stack up against the competition? Users appreciate its ease of use and affordability, making it a great choice for those who are new to accounting software or have a limited budget. The platform offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, and basic reporting, which are essential for many small businesses. However, some users have noted that ZipBooks lacks more advanced features found in other accounting software, such as inventory management and in-depth financial reporting. Additionally, customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it helpful while others have experienced challenges. One of ZipBooks' unique features is its integration with popular business apps like QuickBooks, Google Drive, and Salesforce, allowing for seamless data transfer and increased efficiency. The software also includes project management tools, which can be beneficial for businesses that need to track time and tasks. ZipBooks offers a free starter plan, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious businesses. Paid plans provide additional features, such as payroll integration and reputation management. Overall, ZipBooks is a solid choice for freelancers and small businesses that prioritize ease of use and affordability. However, businesses with more complex accounting needs or those requiring extensive customer support may want to explore other options like QuickBooks Online or Xero.

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