Question 1

Why switch from Xero to HelloBooks in the US?

Accepted Answer

Three reasons US customers cite most: 1) Xero Early caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month — most growing US SMBs blow through that in week one and have to jump to Growing ($55) or Established ($90). HelloBooks Pro at $39.99 is unlimited. 2) Xero discontinued its US payroll product in 2018, so US customers run Gusto separately and reconcile back; HelloBooks integrates Gusto natively. 3) AI categorization on HelloBooks is included on every plan; Xero is still rule-based.

Question 2

How does the Xero-to-HelloBooks migration work?

Accepted Answer

Export your Xero data (Reports → Export → Xero Tax Standard format) and import into a new HelloBooks workspace in one step. Chart of accounts, customers, suppliers, items, opening balances, and historic transactions come across. The mapping screen lets you adjust Xero account codes to your preferred HelloBooks chart structure. Typical US SMB migration completes in under an hour.

Question 3

Does HelloBooks support Xero's project tracking workflow?

Accepted Answer

Yes — project tracking and job costing are included on Business at no extra charge. Xero Projects is a separate $7/user/month add-on on top of the base plan; for a 5-person team that's $35/month additional. On HelloBooks, projects, tasks, time entries, and project-level P&L roll up to the GL automatically.

Question 4

Is the pricing comparison still accurate?

Accepted Answer

Verified against publicly listed Xero US pricing as of 2026. Xero raised US pricing in 2024 and again in 2025. HelloBooks pricing has held stable since 2024. Specific plan numbers in this comparison reflect Xero's current US list pricing.

Feature	HelloBooks	Xero
Starting price (USD)	Free Plan; Pro $39.99/mo, unlimited users	Early $25/mo (20 inv, 5 bills); Growing $55/mo; Established $90/mo
Transaction limits on entry tier	Unlimited on every tier including Free	Xero Early caps at 20 invoices + 5 bills per month
Plaid bank feeds	11,000+ US banks included on Free Plan	Yes — included
AI categorization	Built-in AI agent, 95%+ accuracy, every plan	Limited rules-based categorization; no LLM agent
1099-NEC tracking & e-file	Free Plan up to 3; unlimited on Pro	Track1099 add-on via Xero App Marketplace, per-form fee at filing
US payroll	Gusto integration (rollout schedule on /integration/gusto)	Gusto add-on subscription required, Xero Payroll discontinued in US
Per-user fees	Unlimited users on Pro at $39.99/mo flat	Per-user pricing on all tiers
Project tracking + job costing	Included on Business	Xero Projects add-on at $7/user/month on top of plan
Multi-currency	Included on all paid plans	Established tier only ($90/mo)
Data export at cancellation	Free CSV/QBO/Xero export, 90-day read-only window	Yes

HelloBooks vs Xero for US small businesses

Free plan vs free plan: HelloBooks and Xero

HelloBooks vs Xero (US)

HelloBooks Free vs Xero, which has no free tier

US Xero switch — frequently asked

Try HelloBooks free next to Xero