Is Wrightly a Xero alternative?

For New Zealand sole traders and small businesses, yes. Wrightly covers the same day-to-day books — invoicing, GST, receipts and bank reconciliation — and keeps your sole-trader IR3 and company IR4 income tax, provisional tax and ACC estimates 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?

Wrightly is free for the basics and $19/month for AI processing, with no per-plan tiers. Xero has no free plan and charges a monthly subscription, so for a solo operator Wrightly is materially cheaper.

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 and NZ tax handled 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 your old software left off, and export your data any time to share with an accountant.

Compare

Wrightly vs Xero

Xero is powerful general accounting software built for businesses of any size. Wrightly is built specifically for New Zealand sole traders and small businesses who want their books and tax handled — without a monthly subscription. Here’s an honest side-by-side.

Feature	Wrightly	Xero
Free plan	Free plan	Paid plans only
Built for NZ sole traders & small business		General accounting
GST returns, filing-ready
Sole-trader IR3 / company IR4, filing-ready	Auto-calculated	Prepared separately
Provisional tax & ACC estimates
Invoicing, quotes & online payments
Receipt capture & expenses
Mileage & vehicle logbook		Add-on
Capital assets & depreciation
Live bank feeds	Coming soon
Payroll for staff
Inventory management	Stock take only
Connect your own AI (Claude / MCP)
Price	$0 · $19/mo	Paid monthly

Comparison is our own summary for a typical NZ sole trader, 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.

Real-time GST

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

TaxGST returnsTwo-monthly

Feb – Mar 2026

Due 7 May 2026

DueMark filed

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 file

Dec 2025 – Jan 2026

Filed 27 Feb 2026

Filed

GST on income

$5,290.00

Claimable GST

$3,110.00

Net GST

$2,180.00

Filed history4

Receipts

Wrightly Plus

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.

AI reads amount, GST and category
Auto-matched to your bank lines
One-click revert if it gets one wrong

ReceiptsMitre 10 MegaAI read

Mitre 10 Mega

12 Apr · 2:14pm

Details complete

Total

$128.40

GST

$16.75

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 IR3 / IR4, GST, provisional tax and ACC handled in one place.
You’d rather start free and pay only for AI data entry.
You want to connect your own AI tools over MCP.

Not sure yet? Wrightly is free to start, so you can bring in a month of receipts and invoices and see your live GST and tax position 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, GST, receipts and bank reconciliation — and keeps your sole-trader IR3 and company IR4 income tax, provisional tax and ACC estimates 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?: Wrightly is free for the basics and $19/month for AI processing, with no per-plan tiers. Xero has no free plan and charges a monthly subscription, so for a solo operator Wrightly is materially cheaper.
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 and NZ tax handled 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 your old software left off, and export your data any time to share with an accountant.

Sort your tax before it sorts you.

Start free

Free for the basics. No credit card.