Xero vs Shoeboxed

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Our analysts compared Xero vs Shoeboxed based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Accounting Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Shoeboxed Software Tool

Product Basics

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses. It streamlines bookkeeping tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and payroll, all accessible from any device. Xero boasts user-friendly interfaces and automated features, saving time and simplifying financial management. Popular features include online invoicing with reminders, bank feeds for automatic transaction import, and customizable reports for insights into cash flow and profitability. While Xero caters well to various industries, its strengths lie in freelancer/contractor work, startups, and service-based businesses. Pricing scales with business size and complexity, starting at a monthly subscription for basic accounting needs and increasing with additional features and users. Compared to some competitors, Xero offers a robust mobile app, strong integrations with third-party tools, and a focus on user experience. However, it may lack advanced inventory management or complex accounting functions suited for larger enterprises. Ultimately, Xero's value proposition lies in its ease of use, automation, and scalability, making it a popular choice for small businesses seeking a streamlined and efficient accounting solution.

Pros:
  • Cloud-based access anywhere
  • Easy invoicing and expense tracking
  • Automated bank reconciliation
  • User-friendly interface
  • Mobile app for on-the-go use
Cons:
  • Learning curve for new users
  • Limited inventory management
  • No built-in payroll (separate fee)
  • Higher cost for advanced features
  • Limited phone support
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Shoeboxed is a business document management and online receipt service that helps track expenses by scanning, organizing and categorizing receipts and business cards into a searchable cloud database. It helps small businesses focus more time on core objectives and less on paperwork by turning physical files into digital data. Available through the web app and mobile apps, it aids small businesses and entrepreneurs to get organized and maximize tax deductions.
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$15 Monthly
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$18 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Insights

  • Affordable Payroll: Take advantage of the free trial to see how much time automated data entry can save and assess if the solution is a good fit for the business. Save countless hours on tracking expenses, calculating payments, processing payroll and more.
  • Better Interoperability: Centralize company processes and handle a wide range of functionality with more than 700 add-ons available through the app marketplace. This includes programs for CRM, e-commerce, inventory, invoicing, job tracking, payroll, time and attendance and more.
  • Centralizes Data and Processes: Organize information and put the primary software that handles day-to-day issues all in one place. Manage files to a document library where users can see originals next to updated versions. Send files to stakeholders to ensure a clear flow of information.
  • Saves Time: Eliminate tedious data entry and ensure better data integrity by cutting down on human error. Provide a clear documentation trail to ensure that the business is running ethically and save time hunting for documents when it’s time to verify the information.
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  • Flexible Receipt Capture: Upload images from anywhere through mobile applications or drag and drop from the desktop and send the receipt through email. 
  • Human Verified Data: Use extracted information that gets double-checked by a team of experts. Organize fully searchable and editable data. 
  • Simplified Expense Reports: Export, share or print information with just a few clicks. Use the receipt images to make tax preparation and reimbursement easy and hassle-free. 
  • Better Audit Readiness: Scan and properly categorize documents to ensure they are always ready for the audit. 
  • Secure Data: Store all papers and documents. Use the Secure Socket Layer encryption to protect digital data. 
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  • Payroll Processing: Provide payroll across 50 states. See when payments are due, track them and ensure on time payment. Analyze accounts payable with a quick view, schedule advanced payments and make batch payments.
  • Banking: Connect to the right bank to track and facilitate transactions daily. Keep an eye on the flow of money through a secure connection that goes directly into the solution.
  • Expense Management: Seamlessly track and manage expense claims. Access real-time data and reports that provide insight into patterns and trends. Record costs, see and approve claims, view overall spending and dole out reimbursements. Capture receipts to monitor employee spending and verify costs.
  • Project Management: Integrate with other workflows to facilitate financial project management. Provide a quote for client work before you begin to track time, costs, profitability and other variables for an accurate invoice.
  • Customer History: Use smart lists and contacts to contact details, emails, past sales, emails, invoices, past payments and more when working with a partner or client.
  • Mobile App: Let users track bank transactions, send invoices, access supplier details and more, from any mobile device.
  • Inventory Management: Undertake basic inventory management, including taking inventory, seeing what was bought or sold, look at reports on how well items are doing and get invoices and orders.
  • Gusto Integration: Calculate and pay taxes, deductions and employees through an integration with the accounting software Gusto. Simplify compliance and keep on top of industry updates.
  • Other Capabilities: Processes payment in multiple currencies, calculates sales taxes, tracks purchase orders, manages files and does several other administrative tasks.
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  • OCR and Human Data Verification: Extract receipts and transform them into human-verified data. Digitize and archive them into a single secure location. Convert document digitally into any format and make it editable. Enable automation of specific tasks and get bulk data entry done in minutes. 
  • Online Organization: Ensure that all the images of the receipt are accepted by the Internal Revenue Service and the Canada Revenue Service and keep them audit ready. Ensure all the receipts get scanned, easy to locate and comprehensively categorized. 
  • Expense Report: Create comprehensive expense reports with receipt images from anywhere using the web or mobile app. Ensure accurate and timely expense reporting without paper receipts. 
  • Integration: Eliminate the worry of manual data entry or errors by seamlessly working with other accounting tools like QuickBooks, Evernote, Bench, Working Point, SkyClerk, Abbyy and more. 
  • Automatic Receipts Archive: Import receipts automatically from Gmail so that they are never lost. Archive receipts from any email by sending it to a unique, secure email address. 
  • Business Card Management: Free users from the worry of carrying piles of business cards with the possibility of losing them. Transform business cards into online contacts. Download the database as a CSV file or send it to a CRM program for further communication. 
  • Mobile Apps: Take receipt images from the phone with their free app with receipt and mileage tracker. Get accurate mileage tracking with its phone’s GPS capability. Keep track of business expenses, mileage and billable time. Pull in data automatically and create an expense report. 
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Product Ranking

#3

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Accounting Software

#146

among all
Accounting Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Banking And Cash Management Budget And Expense Management Financial Statements And Revenue Management General Ledger And Chart Of Accounts Integration And Extensibility Inventory Management Journal Entries Mobile Support Multi-company Accounting And Asset Management Platform Capabilities Project Accounting Reporting And Analytics Tax Management 93 97 100 89 89 100 100 83 100 100 79 89 100 90 92 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 4652 reviews
Great User Sentiment 435 reviews
86%
of users recommend this product

Xero has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 4652 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

88%
of users recommend this product

Shoeboxed has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 435 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.4 (17)
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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Xero and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Integration and Extensibility and Mobile Support.

Integration and Extensibility Award
Mobile Support Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Affordable: Of all the reviews that mentioned price, over 70% felt it was well within their price range and felt satisfied.
Good Customer Service: Over 70% of reviews that mentioned the customer support said they received excellent service, especially from their reps.
Excellent Functionality: In more than 50% of all reviews that mentioned features, users were happy with its capabilities. They especially like the integrations, reconciliation process, invoices and accounting functions.
Simple and intuitive interface: Xero's clean layout and straightforward navigation make it easy for users of all skill levels to manage their finances. In over 80% of reviews that mentioned the UI, users said it was easy to navigate.
Automated tasks: Xero automates repetitive tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and bank reconciliation, saving users valuable time and reducing errors.
Mobile app for on-the-go access: Manage your finances and stay up-to-date on your business performance anytime, anywhere with Xero's mobile app.
Customizable reports and dashboards: Gain valuable insights into your cash flow, profitability, and other key financial metrics with Xero's customizable reports and dashboards.
Multi-user access and permissions: Collaborate with team members and advisors seamlessly with Xero's secure multi-user access and permission controls.
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Effortless Expense Tracking: Shoeboxed makes it easy to keep tabs on business expenses by converting receipts into digital data. This simplifies accounting by eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Mileage Deduction Calculation: The mileage tracking feature helps users maximize tax deductions by accurately logging business trips. This eliminates the hassle of manual mileage logs and ensures accurate records for tax purposes.
Organized Digital Records: Shoeboxed provides a central hub for storing receipts and invoices, making it easy to find documents when needed. This eliminates the need for physical storage and simplifies record keeping.
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Limited inventory management: Xero lacks advanced inventory tracking features, making it less suitable for businesses with complex inventory needs.
Learning curve for complex features: While basic tasks are easy, some advanced features like multi-currency accounting can be challenging for non-accountants to navigate. Though the system was widely popular after implementation, users said it was old-fashioned and had a steep learning curve in 20% of reviews that mentioned the UI.
Higher cost for advanced features: Access to advanced features like payroll processing and multi-currency comes at a higher price point, potentially exceeding budgets for smaller businesses.
Limited phone support: Xero primarily relies on email and live chat for support, which may not be ideal for users seeking immediate assistance with critical issues.
Integration limitations: While offering many integrations, some key business tools may not have seamless integration with Xero, requiring workarounds or data duplication.
Invoices: While around 60% of users felt that the invoicing system worked well, around 40% said they had trouble making changes to them once they were saved.
Downgrading Issues: Around 20% of reviews that mentioned price said they had issues while trying to go to a lower pricing tier and often ended up paying a month or more at a higher rate.
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Lack of Customization: Some users have expressed frustration with the lack of customization options for expense categorization. Shoeboxed automatically categorizes expenses, which may not always align with a business's specific accounting needs.
Limited Integrations: Shoeboxed's integrations with other accounting software can be limited, potentially requiring manual data entry for users who rely on specific accounting platforms.
Pricing: Some users find Shoeboxed's subscription plans to be expensive, particularly for businesses with low volumes of receipts.
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Xero’s users say it’s easy to use and has good accounting and bookkeeping capabilities. Most found the price to be acceptable, with some complaints about issues they ran into while trying to switch to a lower pricing tier. More than 70% loved the customer service and felt their representatives were extremely helpful. It has a range of features including band feeds, invoice creation, integrations and reconciliation processes. The reconciliation was particularly popular with over 80% of reviewers who mentioned it describing positive experiences. One issue with the system came in making updates to invoices after they’d been saved. Some users said they were sent prematurely to clients or claimed to have difficulties changing the data at a later date. Many also felt that the implementation process for the new platform was difficult, but that once they learned where things were they felt comfortable. This may be a good choice for small and medium businesses. Larger companies should consider a system that’s able to handle a higher volume.

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Recent user reviews suggest that Shoeboxed can be a valuable tool for small businesses and individuals looking to streamline their accounting processes. Users praise Shoeboxed for its ability to effortlessly digitize receipts and documents, eliminating the need for bulky physical storage. This feature proves particularly useful for individuals who frequently travel or have limited office space. The ability to access financial records from any location with an internet connection is also highlighted as a major advantage. However, some users express concerns about the software's learning curve, finding the initial setup and navigation somewhat cumbersome. Others point out that the expense tracking functionality, while helpful, lacks the robust reporting capabilities of dedicated accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero. Shoeboxed's strength lies in its simplicity and ease of use for basic accounting tasks, making it ideal for freelancers, contractors, and small business owners who need a straightforward solution for managing receipts and generating expense reports. For users requiring more advanced accounting features, integrating Shoeboxed with dedicated accounting software might be a more suitable approach.

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