Comments on: Xero http://www.nmqb.co.uk UK alternatives to QuickBooks & WorldPay Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:53:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Daveyon http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-730 Daveyon Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:21:07 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-730 Same here. Im looking for an accounting software I love. Currently using quickbooks, I have to use VMware to run QB! I want to use my Mac OS only. Xero is very nice but expensive sine I must use multi currency. Free Agent is a bit ok, but I need to bank in different currencies. I may have to continue with QB until I see something that I can afford. Xero is very tempting but £24 pm does not fit the bill. Same here. Im looking for an accounting software I love. Currently using quickbooks, I have to use VMware to run QB! I want to use my Mac OS only. Xero is very nice but expensive sine I must use multi currency. Free Agent is a bit ok, but I need to bank in different currencies. I may have to continue with QB until I see something that I can afford. Xero is very tempting but £24 pm does not fit the bill.

]]> By: Christina S http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Christina S Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:04:35 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-96 This has been a very useful discussion - thanks all. I am still early in my searche for a new accounts system: I need to change at end March next year as MYOB files will cease to be useable at end 2011 and I want to do the transfer at my year end. I had a look a kashbooks and find their terminology very confusing (maybe having been an accountant in a former life is unhelpful?). I also could not see how I would replace the Jobs code I use in MYOB: I have software sales that I allocate job (product) code to and use that to pull off Job P&Ls so I can calculate the royalties due. I also need to import my web-sales analysis into the accounts...(using Tab delineated files at present) I am not very happy with long term subscriptions either and I am looking at Business Accountz as an alternative at present.... the search goes on This has been a very useful discussion – thanks all. I am still early in my searche for a new accounts system: I need to change at end March next year as MYOB files will cease to be useable at end 2011 and I want to do the transfer at my year end. I had a look a kashbooks and find their terminology very confusing (maybe having been an accountant in a former life is unhelpful?). I also could not see how I would replace the Jobs code I use in MYOB: I have software sales that I allocate job (product) code to and use that to pull off Job P&Ls so I can calculate the royalties due. I also need to import my web-sales analysis into the accounts…(using Tab delineated files at present)

I am not very happy with long term subscriptions either and I am looking at Business Accountz as an alternative at present…. the search goes on

]]> By: Andy Agar http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Andy Agar Tue, 25 May 2010 14:47:49 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-95 Quickbooks has allowed us to run for 13 years and do what WE want. Currently on QB2002 using XP run under the windows 7 virtual machine. QB says that 2008 works ok in windows 7 but it doesn't - at all. Also QB2002 had to be upgraded to QB2006 to get to 2008. At all times QB said it would work and it did not. They did however refund us and hence my quest to put our new venture online. Xero is almost there but does not allow specific costs to be assigned to specific sales invoices. Apart from seeing how profitable my company is/not it has been very useful to do the same for customers. It is also not possible to delete contacts even if they are duplicated and especially as there are no transactions. Still looking.... Quickbooks has allowed us to run for 13 years and do what WE want. Currently on QB2002 using XP run under the windows 7 virtual machine. QB says that 2008 works ok in windows 7 but it doesn’t – at all. Also QB2002 had to be upgraded to QB2006 to get to 2008. At all times QB said it would work and it did not. They did however refund us and hence my quest to put our new venture online. Xero is almost there but does not allow specific costs to be assigned to specific sales invoices. Apart from seeing how profitable my company is/not it has been very useful to do the same for customers. It is also not possible to delete contacts even if they are duplicated and especially as there are no transactions.
Still looking….

]]> By: Jules http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Jules Sat, 15 May 2010 06:30:42 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-94 I have been looking for a decent accounts package for the last 5 years having put up with Quickbooks 2005 which was not very different from any of the previous versions it is poor. Xero fits the bill better than most though I have been considering Kashflow, saasu as mentioned on here and a friend directed me to Arithmo http://www.arithmo.co.uk However Saasu still isn't geared for the UK, Kashflow is less elegant and doesn't sport user level access as mentioned and Arithmo whilst a low cost answer £35/year it is also limited and not there yet. My problem with Xero is the price, being hard nosed about it the price to me is inflated and should be 50% below it's current monthly charge. At between £19- £24 +VAT that is an awful lot of money each month for the software in my opinion. With the Current exchange rate Saasu if it get's it's act together will hopefully provide price competition where none currently exists £15 - £21 including payroll. Kashflow also rings in at £15.99 +vat Xero nice package, ticking the boxes but at a price premium I'm not convinced by. Quickbooks which I dislike, does a job however and spread over 5 years the cost of ownership far outweighs the online equivalents. New to the market businesses may disagree about the cost v ease of use convince me likewise or reduce the price. A BIG thank you to the Author of this review, very well done. I have been looking for a decent accounts package for the last 5 years having put up with Quickbooks 2005 which was not very different from any of the previous versions it is poor.

Xero fits the bill better than most though I have been considering Kashflow, saasu as mentioned on here and a friend directed me to Arithmo http://www.arithmo.co.uk
However Saasu still isn’t geared for the UK, Kashflow is less elegant and doesn’t sport user level access as mentioned and Arithmo whilst a low cost answer £35/year it is also limited and not there yet.

My problem with Xero is the price, being hard nosed about it the price to me is inflated and should be 50% below it’s current monthly charge. At between £19- £24 +VAT that is an awful lot of money each month for the software in my opinion.

With the Current exchange rate Saasu if it get’s it’s act together will hopefully provide price competition where none currently exists £15 – £21 including payroll.

Kashflow also rings in at £15.99 +vat

Xero nice package, ticking the boxes but at a price premium I’m not convinced by.

Quickbooks which I dislike, does a job however and spread over 5 years the cost of ownership far outweighs the online equivalents. New to the market businesses may disagree about the cost v ease of use convince me likewise or reduce the price.

A BIG thank you to the Author of this review, very well done.

]]> By: Online BeanCounter http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-93 Online BeanCounter Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:38:36 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-93 Sounds like Xero fits the bill for you.... and you did the legwork. Any follow reviews to report? Sounds like Xero fits the bill for you…. and you did the legwork. Any follow reviews to report?

]]> By: CarryTheOne http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-92 CarryTheOne Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:55 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-92 I had a look and they now have support for adding payments - and added it only a few days after your last comment! I had a look and they now have support for adding payments – and added it only a few days after your last comment!

]]> By: NMQB Admin http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-91 NMQB Admin Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:10:55 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-91 Had some great support from Xero regarding their API - unfortunately it's not yet in a state where we can make use of it. From Tony at Xero: <blockquote>We are busy putting the final touches on a developer preview of the Xero developer API v2. This will be released in a few weeks. This will have support for adding payments to approved invoices via our API. Please note that any invoices added via our API are entered as drafts and these still have to be manually approved before you can add payments. API v2 will require you use OAuth to connect with our API. Our developer preview release won't support non expiring tokens (tokens will expire after 30 minutes) , we'll offer a longer term option soon.The challenge we have at the moment is we have no way of notifying a user that invoices have been entered into their Xero account via the API. Using the draft status is handy so invoices can be verified before they are approved. We realise this is a limiting factor and only supports certain cases. We're working hard on implementing a notification system - once that's up and running we should be well placed to offer you the ability to enter approved invoices via our API. We hear you loud and clear - this has been our most requested feature by developers.</blockquote> So the problem for us is that as we generate invoices using our own app, we won't have a way of fully automating the invoice creation & approval process until Xero address this issue: http://xero.uservoice.com/pages/5528-xero-api/suggestions/72870-be-able-to-approve-and-send-invoices-via-the-api I'm pretty confident that Xero will get there, but for now, that's a show-stopper for us integrating with them - back to the drawing board I guess. Probably for now, we'll continue to use KashFlow and somehow fudge the multi-currency support - or do that part of our accounts manually - bah :( Had some great support from Xero regarding their API – unfortunately it’s not yet in a state where we can make use of it.

From Tony at Xero:

We are busy putting the final touches on a developer preview of the Xero developer API v2. This will be released in a few weeks.

This will have support for adding payments to approved invoices via our API. Please note that any invoices added via our API are entered as drafts and these still have to be manually approved before you can add payments.

API v2 will require you use OAuth to connect with our API. Our developer preview release won’t support non expiring tokens (tokens will expire after 30 minutes) , we’ll offer a longer term option soon.The challenge we have at the moment is we have no way of notifying a user that invoices have been entered into their Xero account via the API. Using the draft status is handy so invoices can be verified before they are approved.

We realise this is a limiting factor and only supports certain cases. We’re working hard on implementing a notification system – once that’s up and running we should be well placed to offer you the ability to enter approved invoices via our API.

We hear you loud and clear – this has been our most requested feature by developers.

So the problem for us is that as we generate invoices using our own app, we won’t have a way of fully automating the invoice creation & approval process until Xero address this issue: http://xero.uservoice.com/pages/5528-xero-api/suggestions/72870-be-able-to-approve-and-send-invoices-via-the-api

I’m pretty confident that Xero will get there, but for now, that’s a show-stopper for us integrating with them – back to the drawing board I guess. Probably for now, we’ll continue to use KashFlow and somehow fudge the multi-currency support – or do that part of our accounts manually – bah :(

]]> By: NMQB Admin http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-90 NMQB Admin Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:25:18 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-90 We did take a look at the Xero API and it's looking hopeful. There's already a Ruby wrapper for the Xero API: http://github.com/tlconnor/xero_gateway/network This is cool for us because our internal systems are written in Ruby on Rails and this wrapper means it'll be quicker and easier to integrate them with Xero. On the downside, the API does not currently support payments, although this looks like its coming soon: http://xero.uservoice.com/pages/5528-xero-api From a usability point of view, Xero does look like it's the best out there. Our accounts people love it and it has a nice budget feature which lets us compare actual performance against a budget - that'll save us lots of spreadsheet work hopefully. I'm optimistic that Xero will get their API more fully featured - if they do, I think this will be the app of choice for us. We did take a look at the Xero API and it’s looking hopeful. There’s already a Ruby wrapper for the Xero API: http://github.com/tlconnor/xero_gateway/network This is cool for us because our internal systems are written in Ruby on Rails and this wrapper means it’ll be quicker and easier to integrate them with Xero.

On the downside, the API does not currently support payments, although this looks like its coming soon: http://xero.uservoice.com/pages/5528-xero-api

From a usability point of view, Xero does look like it’s the best out there. Our accounts people love it and it has a nice budget feature which lets us compare actual performance against a budget – that’ll save us lots of spreadsheet work hopefully.

I’m optimistic that Xero will get their API more fully featured – if they do, I think this will be the app of choice for us.

]]> By: Titus http://www.nmqb.co.uk/online-accounting-applications/xero/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Titus Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:39 +0000 http://www.nmqb.co.uk/?page_id=383#comment-89 Great website and very useful for deciding outside of Sage and Quickbooks. They really are terrible to integrate with, I couldn't agree more. Did you manage to try the Zero API? Great website and very useful for deciding outside of Sage and Quickbooks. They really are terrible to integrate with, I couldn’t agree more. Did you manage to try the Zero API?

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