AI bookkeeping · BAS · STP Phase 2 · Multi-currency every plan · ~half Xero Standard · Verified 2026-05-21
Xero is AU's home turf with the largest advisor network. Honest concession. The case for HelloBooks: AI bookkeeping replaces Xero's bank rules, multi-currency on every plan (Xero gates to Premium $95/mo or Ultimate $135/mo), and roughly half the cost of Xero Standard with unlimited features.
1. Xero is AU's home turf — and we still win on AI and price
Honest concession: Xero dominates Australia with the largest advisor network and a mature BAS / STP workflow. But Xero relies on bank rules for categorization; HelloBooks ships AI agents that learn vendor patterns from week one. And HelloBooks Pro is roughly half the cost of Xero Standard (AUD$70/mo) with unlimited features.
2. AI bookkeeping vs Xero bank rules
Xero needs YOU (or your accountant) to write rules. HelloBooks deploys AI categorization, OCR bill capture, anomaly detection — autonomous from day one. Especially valuable for AU trade businesses and franchises with high transaction volumes.
3. Multi-currency on every plan
Xero AU gates multi-currency to its top tier (Premium AUD$95/mo or Ultimate AUD$135/mo, verified 2026-05-21). HelloBooks ships multi-currency on every plan including Free. For AU exporters and import businesses, the math runs against Xero fast.
4. STP Phase 2 via HelloTime — no Xero Payroll surcharge
Xero Payroll Australia is included on Standard+ plans up to a per-employee cap. HelloBooks ships STP Phase 2 via the HelloTime integration (Meru Suite sister product) at flat pricing — useful when employee count grows past the Xero cap.
5. AU + India + US + UK + CA on one platform
Xero is strong in AU/UK/NZ but weak in India GST and US sales tax. HelloBooks runs all five jurisdictions from one chart of accounts — useful for AU SMBs with Indian back-office, US clients, or UK operations.
| Feature | HelloBooks | Xero AU |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (verified 2026-05-21) | Free Plan + flat-AUD Pro (~half Xero Standard) — see /au/pricing | Starter $32 (20-invoice cap) / Standard $70 / Premium $95 / Ultimate $135 |
| Invoice Cap | Unlimited on every plan | 20/month on Starter; unlimited on Standard+ |
| AI Categorization | AI agent — autonomous | Bank rules — manual |
| AI Bill OCR | Built-in document extraction | Hubdoc (separate upload-and-forward tool) |
| Anomaly Detection | Yes — 24/7 monitoring | No autonomous detection |
| BAS Lodgement | Native | Native (mature) |
| STP Phase 2 | Via HelloTime (Meru Suite); flat pricing | Xero Payroll included on Standard+ up to employee cap |
| SuperStream | Native | Native |
| GST Tracking (10%) | Native | Native |
| Multi-Currency | Every plan | Premium ($95) and Ultimate ($135) only |
| Multi-Entity Consolidation | Every plan | Separate Xero org per entity, no consolidation |
| Project Profitability | Every plan | Premium / Ultimate only |
| CPA Practice Management | Free for CPA Aus / CA ANZ members | Xero HQ — bundled with Partner program tiers |
| AU Accountant Network | Growing /find-an-accountant (CPA Aus / CA ANZ verification) | Xero Advisor Directory (market-leading in AU) |
| App Marketplace | 30+ integrations | 1,000+ apps (honest concession — Xero wins on ecosystem) |
| India GST | Native | Limited |
Free Plan with 500 AI credits/month. BAS, STP Phase 2, multi-currency — all on every plan.