Xero Practice Manager

Xero Practice Manager is a practice-management product for accounting and bookkeeping firms in Xero’s partner program. It is a strong fit for firms that want job coordination, time capture and billing tied to Xero; its price is organized by user count, so growing teams should compare the tiers against their staffing needs.

Overview

The product now sits within Xero Partner Hub, bringing practice management together with client and compliance tools. Its central advantage is a connected workflow: staff can coordinate jobs, record time, prepare invoices and report on recoverable costs while client and invoice information syncs with the firm’s Xero accounts. Xero Tax and Xero Workpapers, powered by BGL, are included at no extra cost with the subscription.

Key features

Job management covers staff assignments, schedules, availability, deadlines and milestones. Practices can configure statuses, categories, templates and workflows, then produce branded quotes and engagement letters. This gives firms room to align the system with their own processes, though that flexibility is most useful to practices prepared to configure it; Xero’s partner consulting team can help with setup.

Time can be recorded by duration or with start-and-stop timing. Users can turn it into progress or final invoices using fixed prices, rates and markups, linking work capture to billing. Standard reports, editable samples and custom reports cover jobs, time, costs, productivity and recoverable costs, useful for monitoring delivery and billing performance.

Invoices and client details sync with a firm’s Xero accounts, and paid invoices are reflected in Partner Hub. The Xero App Store connects practice apps for document management, proposals and client onboarding. Xero also offers migration options for client, tax and practice data. It states that the product is certified compliant with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and encrypts information in transit and at rest.

Pricing

A free plan is available to practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum partner level. For other practices, the paid tiers are based on user count: 1 user costs 65 NZD a month, 3 users costs 99 NZD a month, and up to 10 users costs 149 NZD a month. Prices exclude GST. The smaller tiers suit firms whose team fits within those seat limits; the 10-user tier covers larger teams at a higher monthly price. Xero also offers a 14-day trial.

Platforms

Xero Practice Manager is a web product. Firms that need a listed desktop or mobile platform should consider another option.

Who it's for

This is aimed at accounting and bookkeeping practices in Xero’s partner program, particularly those looking to connect job management and billing with Xero accounts. Practices outside that program, or those prioritizing a platform beyond the web, are less natural fits.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Job assignments, capacity visibility, deadlines and milestones bring core workflow coordination into one system.
• Pro: Time records can feed invoices, while invoice and client data sync with Xero accounts.
• Pro: Xero Tax and Xero Workpapers are included at no extra cost with the subscription.
• Con: The free plan is restricted to Silver, Gold or Platinum partner-level practices.
• Con: The paid tiers cap seats at one, three or up to 10 users, which may constrain firms whose teams exceed those limits.
• Con: The web-only platform may not suit buyers who need desktop or mobile access.

Alternatives

Compare accounting practice management software if you want to review the category more broadly. Canopy is worth considering for firms seeking Android or iOS access alongside web, with CRM and client management, document management, eSign, a client portal and automated task workflows. CCH Axcess Practice is another paid option, with Android, iOS and web platforms; pricing is by quote. IRIS Practice Engine is a paid web and API option. Practice CS offers web and Windows access, with pricing requiring contact with sales. Task Session may suit firms wanting self-hosted or web access and a yearly Starter plan at $59 a year, renewing at $99/year. TaxDome is a paid option with Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows platforms. FYI offers iOS, macOS, web and Windows access and an Intermediate plan at A$30 a month per user, excluding GST, with a five-user minimum. Nomi is a paid alternative with Android, iOS and web access, including a Self Assessments plan at £4 a month plus VAT.

Verdict

Choose Xero Practice Manager if your accounting or bookkeeping practice is in Xero’s partner program and you want job workflow, time capture and invoicing connected to Xero accounts, with tax and workpaper tools included. Look elsewhere if you need a desktop or mobile platform, or if the available user-count tiers do not fit your team.