A cheaper Xero alternative
Xero is powerful accounting software, and it keeps putting its prices up. Wrightly is a cheaper Xero alternative built for sole traders and small businesses: a real free plan, and a built-in copilot that does your data entry. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Wrightly | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free plan | No free plan |
| Price | Free, plus a low flat monthly plan | Paid monthly, no free plan |
| Built for sole traders, small business & their accountants | Practice tier for firms | General accounting |
| Built-in copilot reads receipts & bank statements | On the paid plan | Add-ons |
| Connect your own AI (Claude / MCP) | ||
| Invoicing, quotes & online payments | ||
| Receipt capture & expenses | ||
| Mileage & vehicle logbook | Paid add-on | |
| Live bank feeds | Statement uploads today | |
| Payroll for staff | ||
| Inventory management | Stock take only |
Comparison is our own summary for a typical small operator, current as of the 2025/26 year. Features and Xero’s plans change over time, so check each provider for the latest.
A copilot that does the data entry, built in
Wrightly isn't a stripped-back ledger; it reads your receipts and bank statements, codes every line, and keeps your books tidy as you go.
Upload a receipt and forget it
Drop in a receipt (a photo or PDF) and Wrightly Plus reads it, categorises it, and matches it to the right bank line. Amount captured, filed away.
- Reads the amount and category for you
- Auto-matched to your bank lines
- One-click revert if it gets one wrong
Total Tools
12 Apr · 2:14pm
Details completeTotal
$132.00
GST
$12.00
Category
Matched bank line
TOTAL TOOLS FITZROY VIC
12 Apr · Bank statement
Send an invoice, get paid online
Put together an invoice or quote in a couple of minutes, email it to your client, and let them pay by card on the spot. Recurring invoices and reminders chase the late payers for you.
- Invoices, quotes and recurring schedules
- Online card payments through your own Stripe account
- Automatic reminders on overdue invoices
Where Xero fits best
- You run payroll for employees.
- You carry stock and need inventory management.
- You manage multiple entities or a larger team.
- Your accountant already works in Xero every day.
Where Wrightly fits best
- You're a sole trader or small business, on your own books.
- You want invoicing, receipts and reporting in one place.
- You'd rather start free and pay a flat plan to automate the data entry.
- You want to connect your own tools over MCP.
Not sure yet? Wrightly is free to start, so you can bring in a month of receipts and invoices and see how it fits before you decide. See pricing.
Wrightly vs Xero questions
- Is Wrightly a Xero alternative?
- For sole traders and small businesses, yes. Wrightly covers the same day-to-day books: invoicing, quotes, receipts, expenses and reporting, with a copilot that does the data entry for you. It starts free, where Xero has no free plan.
- Is Wrightly cheaper than Xero?
- Yes. Xero has no free plan and charges a monthly subscription it has raised repeatedly. Wrightly is free for the basics, with one flat paid plan for the copilot and unlimited invoices, so for a solo operator Wrightly is materially cheaper.
- Does Wrightly have a free plan like Xero?
- Xero has no free plan in any market. Wrightly does: unlimited clients and quotes and five invoices a month, free, with no trial clock. The paid plan adds the copilot and lifts invoicing to unlimited.
- When is Xero the better choice?
- If you run payroll for staff, track inventory, manage multiple entities, or already work closely with an accountant on Xero, its bigger feature set and mature ecosystem are hard to beat. Wrightly is built for solo and small operators who want their own books without that overhead.
- Can I move from Xero to Wrightly?
- Yes. You can set a conversion date and opening balances so Wrightly picks up where Xero left off, and export your data any time to share with an accountant.