A cheaper Xero alternative
Xero is powerful accounting software, and it keeps putting its prices up. Wrightly is a cheaper Xero alternative built for New Zealand sole traders and small businesses: a real free plan, GST and income tax kept filing-ready, and a built-in copilot to do the grunt work. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Wrightly | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free plan | No free plan |
| Price | Free, or $19/mo + GST | From NZ$35/mo + GST, 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 | |
| GST returns, filing-ready | ||
| Sole-trader IR3 / company IR4 income tax, filing-ready | Auto-calculated | Prepared separately |
| Provisional tax & ACC estimates | ||
| Live bank feeds | Coming soon, 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.
The tax bits Xero leaves to your accountant, built in
Wrightly isn't a stripped-back ledger; it keeps your GST and income tax current as you go, and reads your receipts for you.
Your GST return, already done
Every receipt and invoice updates your GST position the moment it lands. Open the return and the numbers are waiting: collected, paid, and exactly what to pay IRD.
- Live GST-collected and GST-paid running totals
- Sole-trader IR3 and company IR4 kept filing-ready
- No spreadsheets, no month-end scramble
Feb – Mar 2026
Due 7 May 2026
GST on income
$6,180.00
Claimable GST
$3,767.10
To pay
$2,412.90
Every claim in this period is substantiated.
Ready to fileDec 2025 – Jan 2026
Filed 27 Feb 2026
GST on income
$5,290.00
Claimable GST
$3,110.00
Net GST
$2,180.00
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. GST split out, deduction captured, filed away.
- Reads the amount, GST and category for you
- Auto-matched to your bank lines
- One-click revert if it gets one wrong
Mitre 10 Mega
12 Apr · 2:14pm
Details completeTotal
$128.40
GST
$16.75
Category
Claim %
100%
Matched bank line
MITRE 10 MEGA PETONE
12 Apr · Bank statement
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 GST, IR3/IR4 income tax and provisional tax handled 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 New Zealand sole traders and small businesses, yes. Wrightly covers the same day-to-day books (invoicing, receipts and expenses) and keeps your GST, sole-trader IR3 and company IR4 income tax and provisional tax calculated and filing-ready, figures Xero leaves you to prepare separately. 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.