AI bookkeeper · No bank rules · Plaid feeds · India GST native · Pricing verified 2026-05-20
Xero is a strong cloud accounting platform — especially in Australia, UK, and New Zealand. But if you operate in the US, India, or across borders, HelloBooks is the AI-first alternative that replaces bank rules with an AI agent, ships multi-currency on every plan, and runs native India GST.
Free Plan for freelancers, Pro at $9.99/mo with unlimited users, every feature on every plan. CSV migration from Xero with AI-assisted account mapping.
1. AI bookkeeping vs bank rules
Xero relies on you (or your accountant) writing bank rules to automate categorization. HelloBooks deploys AI agents that learn your vendor and payee patterns from the first month — no rule-writing, no manual setup. The AI also runs OCR on bills, suggests journal entries, and flags anomalies 24/7.
2. No feature gating — everything on every plan
Xero gates multi-currency, projects, and expenses behind the $78/mo Established plan (verified 2026-05-20). Xero Early caps you at 20 invoices a month — a deliberate growth trap. HelloBooks Pro is $9.99/mo flat with multi-currency, multi-entity, expenses, projects, and 3-way matching on every plan including Free.
3. Better US bank connectivity
Xero uses Yodlee for US bank feeds. Plaid (which HelloBooks uses) covers 11,000+ US banks with real-time feeds. Yodlee’s May 2024 multi-day outages broke many Xero users’ bank feeds; the same operational risk exists today. For US-focused businesses, this is decisive.
4. India GST that actually works
Xero’s India GST support is limited. HelloBooks runs India GST natively — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2A/2B reconciliation, e-invoicing with IRN generation, TDS compliance across Forms 24Q/26Q/27Q. Built in India by a team that ships GST features alongside the global product.
The 15 differences that drive switching decisions. For the full side-by-side with 22 rows, see the detailed HelloBooks vs Xero comparison.
| Feature | HelloBooks | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (verified 2026-05-20) | Free Plan + Pro at $9.99/mo (unlimited users, all features) | Early $15 (20-invoice cap) / Growing $42 / Established $78 |
| AI Categorization | AI agent — learns vendor/payee patterns automatically | Bank rules — you write them or your accountant does |
| AI Bill Capture (OCR) | Built-in document extraction service, AI category suggestions | Hubdoc (separate upload-and-forward tool, no AI categorization) |
| Anomaly Detection | Yes — 24/7 monitoring with journal-entry suggestions | No autonomous anomaly detection |
| Invoice Limits | Unlimited on every plan | 20/month on Early; unlimited on Growing+ |
| Multi-Currency | Every plan with auto FX gain/loss | Established plan only ($78/mo) |
| Multi-Entity | Every plan with consolidated reporting | Separate Xero org per entity, no consolidated reporting |
| 3-Way PO Matching | Built-in (PO, Bill, GRN) | Not a core feature; via Hubdoc / 3rd party |
| US Bank Connections | 11,000+ via Plaid (real-time) | Fewer US banks via Yodlee |
| India GST + e-invoicing | Native (GSTR-1/3B, 2A/2B match, IRN, TDS) | Limited |
| UK MTD | Native | Native (Xero is strong in UK) |
| Australia BAS | Native | Native (Xero is strong in AU) |
| CPA Practice Management | Built-in (free for accountants) | Xero HQ (Practice Manager bundled with Partner program) |
| App Marketplace | 30+ integrations and growing | 1,000+ apps (a genuine ecosystem advantage) |
| Free Plan | Yes — 500 AI credits, 3 users, all features | No (30-day trial only) |
Xero auto-suggests but it’s rule-based. You spend a Saturday a quarter tuning rules. HelloBooks uses AI that learns from your corrections — within 4-6 weeks, categorization is near-autopilot and the only edits you make are exceptions.
You don’t use projects or expenses much — but multi-currency is gated to Established. HelloBooks Pro is $9.99/mo with multi-currency on every plan. The math runs against Xero as soon as you cross a border.
GSTR reconciliation, e-invoicing, IRN — Xero’s India coverage is thin. HelloBooks ships GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2A/2B match, e-invoicing with IRN generation, and TDS compliance natively. If your bookkeeping crosses into India, this is the wedge.
Xero’s US bank feeds run on Yodlee, which had multi-day outages in May 2024 and limited US bank coverage. HelloBooks uses Plaid with 11,000+ US banks and real-time feeds. For US-only businesses this is the operational difference between a clean month-end and chasing missing transactions.
HelloBooks supports Xero CSV migration. Export Chart of Accounts, customers, suppliers, invoices, and trial balance from Xero; import into HelloBooks with AI-assisted mapping. The 6-step migration on the HelloBooks vs Xero compare page details the exact path.
CSV-based migration with AI-assisted account mapping. 6 steps. No data loss — keep an archive export from Xero for compliance.
Step 1
Sign up free
Create your HelloBooks account at no cost — Free Plan includes 500 AI credits/month and full reporting.
Step 2
Export from Xero
In Xero: export Chart of Accounts (CSV), Customer list, Supplier list, Invoice history, and Trial Balance for the cut-over date.
Step 3
Import into HelloBooks
Use the HelloBooks CSV importer. The AI suggests account mappings — review and accept or correct.
Step 4
Connect your bank
Plaid (US) for real-time feeds, or country-specific bank integration for India/UK/AU/CA.
Step 5
Run AI categorization
Let the AI categorize history and learn patterns. Spot-check the first 50; AI improves from corrections.
Step 6
Cut over
When books match your manual work, switch off Xero. Keep an archive export from Xero for compliance.
Need help with the migration? Find a HelloBooks-friendly CPA at hellobooks.ai/find-an-accountant — free public directory, no paid placement.
Free Plan with 500 AI credits/month, full reporting, and bank connection. No credit card. Run AI cleanup on your Xero CSV exports in an afternoon.