The demand for accounting software has doubled due to the increase in small businesses and freelancers in India. But an all-in-one software like Xero is too expencive and difficult for small business owners and startups.
Let us look into Xeros usability and alternatives that save small businesses in India.
- Who should use Xero?
- What are the problems with Xero?
- Top 7 Xero alternatives to Xero!
- Which accounting software is the best?
Who should use Xero?
- Sole traders
- Startups
- Solopreneurs
- Freelancers
- Small businesses owners
- Established businesses of all sizes
- Accountants
- Bookkeepers
What are the problems with Xero?
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Phone call support is not available.
Xero does not facilitate a phone call support option for its customers. It is a major drawback as there is no 1:1 conversation in person with the technical team to get rid of the issues faced by the users. It provides Email, 24/7 (Live Rep), and Chat options on its customer support page which is not as great as the call option.
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Limited bills and invoices for the basic plans.
Xeros starter pack holds good for sole traders, new businesses, and the self-employed. But even after investing $22 per month, they get an option to send only 20 invoices and enter 5 bills, which is rationally very low even for freelancers and small businesses.
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No option to bulk delete the invoices.
Unfortunately it does not provide an option to delete invoices in bulk, that makes it painful for the users to delete one of them manually.
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Low Technical support capacity at peak times.
The technical support team helps its users most of the time well, but when there is a peak time like the month ends when the demand for support is very high, it fails to cope with its customers.
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Glitches in Bank reconciliation automation.
Xero has automated the bank reconciliation process. It is causing lots of glitches that affect the bank feeds updates. And further, the users must manually collect the bank statements. It is time-consuming.
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Not user-friendly for users with zero accounting knowledge.
As this software is used by people who dont have a lot of experence in accounting, not being user-friendly is a big drawback for it.
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Too expensive!
Xero offers the basic level plan with minimal benefits at $22. As the benefits are minimal, they have to upgrade after a point which again costs them a lot. It is not an ideal option for solopreneurs and small businesses.
Top 7 Xero alternatives to Xero!
1. QUICKBOOKS
FEATURES
Quickbook is a cloud accounting software that offers cloud accounting, invoicing, online banking, and inventory management tools for small business owners.
USABILITY
It is comparatively less user-friendly compared to other accounting tools.
It takes time to understand the navigation of the software. Tracking the historical data is a bit difficult. Also this software is useful for people who have oprations outside india as they are exciting form india.
PRICING
Quickbooks prices itself very high comparatively. It offers pricing models between $25.00 to $180.00 every month, depending upon packages they choose.
SUPPORT
You can expect very little customer support from QuickBooks. There might be a delay in resolving your issues.
2. PROFITBOOKS
FEATURES
ProfitBooks is an accounting software that is a one-stop solution for business owners to handle their accounting and finances.
It helps you creat beautiful invoices, billing and inventory management tools to support small business owners.
USABILITY
It is purely user-friendly software that allows you to customise invoices based on your needs.
ProfitBooks fit best for small business owners, freelancers, Solopreneurs and
startups as it gives relaxation on investment.
PRICING
ProfitBooks works on a freemium model where the startup pack is free forever. The premium model at $15.00 per month Supports Unlimited Users, Invoice creation, Customer management, and product or service tracking.
SUPPORT
It facilitates customer support from Monday to Friday via in-app chat.
Also, it provides 24/7 email support to its users.
3. WAVE
FEATURES
It is a money management accounting software for small business owners. It provides invoicing, payments, accounting, banking, and payroll services. Business owners can use waves to track their income and expenses, create professional invoices, maintain records of banking details, and more.
USABILITY
It is suitable only for small businesses with lesser inventory management and does not hold well for large Businesses.
PRICING
Wave offers both free and paid versions for its customers. Small business owners and freelancers can enjoy free services like Invoicing, accounting, and banking.
The premium models range from $20 to $149 monthly, depending upon the choice of packages.
SUPPORT
Customer support is slightly on the negative side of it. Wave offers a live chat facility to its premium users.
4. FRESHBOOKS
FEATURES
It is an accounting software for Business Owners and Accountants that helps them to be on point in the accounting side of the business. It mainly offers professional invoicing, time-tracking, project management, Accounting, and Bookkeeping tools.
USABILITY
Freshbooks ensures a smooth user experience for its customers. It fits best for solopreneurs and freelancers.
The customizations in invoicing are limited. Also, the bank integration process might take a long time.
PRICING
Freshbooks offers a 30-day free trial option for its customers. And later charges between $7.50 to $27.50 monthly depending upon the package they choose.
SUPPORT
They have a live chat option that pops up along with a call option to solve the issues.
5. ZOHO BOOKS
FEATURES
Zoho Books is a cloud accounting platform that offers to account, invoicing, inventory management, expense tracker, project management, and compliance tools.
USABILITY
It fits best for business owners with a large inventory flow involved.
PRICING
Zoho Books offers both free and paid versions for its customers. Small business owners and freelancers can enjoy the free services that include Invoicing, accounting, and banking.
It offers a wide variety of premium models ranging between $20 to $275 when billed monthly. Business owners can choose the package according to the size and needs of the business.
SUPPORT
Customer support is well defined based on the pricing models the customer chooses.
It provides Email support for free users, Email and Voice support for the standard packages, and added Chat support for high-end pricing models.
6. SAGE ONE
FEATURES
Sage One is cloud-based accounting software for small business owners which provides invoice management and accounting solutions.
It purely offers invoicing, payments, banking, income, and expense management services for customers.
USABILITY
Sage is a user-friendly option for small business owners who solely manage their businesses.
PRICING
Sage One offers a 1-month free trial option for its customers. And later offers two pricing models, $10.00/ month fits freelancers and micro businesses, and the $25/month model is best for small business owners.
SUPPORT
Sage has different support options for products it has to offer. In case you need support, call up the support team immediately.
7. MYOB
FEATURES
MYOB is accounting software that offers products to Track income and expenses, manage professional invoices, Accept payments, Integrate with banks, manage taxes, and a lot more.
USABILITY
Small and medium-sized businesses along with accountants and bookkeepers can use MYOB as their accounting solution.
PRICING
Myob offers a 30-day free trial option for its customers. And later charges between $14.00 to $18.00 monthly depending upon the package that they choose.
SUPPORT
Myob provides access to expert customer support all day.
Which accounting software is the best?
The post-pandemic uptrend in small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelancers in India has outgrown massively and it is going to increase even in the future. And this paved the way to increase the competition amogs the accounting softwares in the market.
Customers now can choose the best in the market which eases out their flow of business at the best price.
Xero is a very high-priced accounting software that gives minimal facilities to its basic version subscribers. Small businesses and freelancers might find it hefty for such limited options.
Quickbooks was a very good option for small businesses, but as it is closing its operations in India very soon customers must choose the best alternative in the market.
Wave is a better fit for businesses involving lesser inventory management and invoicing, but does not provide more functionalities for large business
Zoho is a good option for small and medium-sized enterprises.
ProfitBooks is a show stealer for its free startup plan!
It is the go-to accounting software option for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The user-friendly dashboard makes it popular in the Indian market. It is highly recommended for its high ratings by review websites like Capterra.
Sage one is a good option for solopreneurs and freelancers for its price and facilities it offers.
MYOB is again quite expensive for small businesses, you can choose wisely based on your requirements.
Freshbooks holds good for small businesses and freelancers for its ease of use and budget-friendliness.
Let us know your thoughts on choosing the best alternative amongst these accounting software for your business in the comments below!
Find out how ProfitBooks can help you with your accounting needs! Create your account for free today.
Also Read:-
How to do Accounting for Small Business
What is a Ledger in Accounting?
What Is an Accounting Journal?
Top free accounting software in Australia
