XERO ALTERNATIVE · 2026
A Xero alternative for owners who only need clean books.
Xero is a full accounting platform. ConsulBooks does the one job most small service businesses actually need: connect your accounts, categorize every transaction with saved rules and AI, ask you only about the unclear ones, and hand your accountant a finished package. $12 per month, no chart of accounts to build.
SWITCH IF THIS IS YOU
You want books, not a platform
- Your books are mostly bank and card transactions
- Xero setup stalled at the chart of accounts
- You invoice rarely, or not from your accounting tool
- Your accountant just needs a clean yearly package
- You want a short weekly review, not a dashboard
STAY ON XERO IF
You need the whole back office
- You invoice customers and chase receivables daily
- You pay bills and manage suppliers in the same product
- You need multi-currency or inventory
- You need many users with granular permissions
- You rely on a wide third-party app ecosystem
SIMPLICITY, MEASURED
No account codes before you can start.
Xero asks you to configure a chart of accounts, tax rates, invoicing and apps before the product is useful. ConsulBooks starts at the bank connection and ends at the export. Saved vendor rules run first, AI covers the rest with a confidence score and a plain reason, and only genuinely uncertain items reach your review queue.
Compare QuickBooks, Xero and ConsulBooksSECURITY
Bank credentials never touch ConsulBooks.
Plaid handles institution sign-in, connection tokens are stored encrypted, records are isolated per workspace, and an authenticator code is required before a financial workspace opens. More on our security page.
HOW IT COMPARES
Priced and built for one job, not ten.
Regular U.S. list prices, checked . Each row links to a sourced comparison that also says when the other product is the better choice.
- ConsulBooks Starter$12/mo
Connect accounts, AI categorizes, one-download accountant package.
See plans - QuickBooks Simple Start$38/mo
Full suite: invoicing, payments, payroll add-ons, chart of accounts setup.
Full comparison - Xero Early$25/mo
Full platform with usage limits on the entry plan.
Full comparison - FreshBooks Lite$23/mo
Invoice-led; bank reconciliation starts on a higher plan.
Full comparison
See all comparisons or read the comparison methodology. Product names are trademarks of their owners; ConsulBooks is not affiliated with them.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you leave Xero.
Is ConsulBooks a full Xero replacement?
For owner-operated service businesses whose books are mostly bank and card activity, yes. If you need invoicing, bill pay, multi-currency, inventory, or projects inside the same product, Xero remains the better fit.
How does the price compare to Xero?
ConsulBooks Starter is $12/month. Xero's U.S. plans start higher and rise quickly as you add features. Business is $24 and Growth is $49 here, and yearly billing takes 10% off any plan.
Do I have to build a chart of accounts?
No. ConsulBooks starts from a small working set of categories and learns your vendor rules as you approve decisions, so there is no account-code setup before you can use it.
Can I move my Xero history over?
Yes. Export transactions from Xero as CSV, or use OFX/QFX from your bank, and import them here with duplicate protection.
What does my accountant receive?
Revocable read-only access to an Advisor portal plus a yearly package with P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, general ledger, and transaction CSVs.
How to switch from Xero or QuickBooks
What to export, how to import history, what your accountant needs, when to cancel.
Read the migration guide SIDE BY SIDEConsulBooks vs Xero
A sourced, dated comparison including where Xero remains the better choice.
See the comparisonSIMPLER BOOKS, LOWER BILL
Move your bookkeeping to something smaller.
Starter is $12/month, and yearly billing saves 10%.
Get started