Relentify vs Xero: A Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Xero has built a strong reputation over the past decade as a cloud accounting platform for small businesses. It was one of the first to make bank reconciliation feel modern and collaborative accounting accessible. But as the platform has matured, its pricing has climbed, feature gaps have appeared, and many users feel they are paying more for less.

Relentify was built from the ground up in 2026 to address exactly these frustrations. It is not a reskin of an older product — it is a modern accounting platform designed for how businesses actually work today.

This article compares the two platforms across every dimension that matters: pricing, invoicing, expenses, reporting, multi-entity support, and more.

Pricing comparison

Pricing is where the difference between Relentify and Xero becomes immediately obvious. Xero has steadily increased its prices while restricting features on lower tiers.

| Feature | Relentify (Growth) | Xero (Growing) | |---|---|---| | Monthly price | £29/month | £42/month | | Invoices | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Bill management | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Multi-currency | Included | Growing plan only | | Project tracking | Included | Growing plan only | | User seats | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Bank feeds | Included | Included |

Relentify's entry-level paid plan includes features that Xero locks behind its most expensive tier. Multi-currency support, project tracking, and purchase orders are all available on every Relentify plan. With Xero, you need to be on the Growing plan at £42 per month to access multi-currency, and even then some features like expense claims require add-ons.

For businesses on tighter budgets, Relentify also offers a free Sole Trader plan with unlimited invoicing — something Xero removed years ago when it discontinued its Starter plan's generous limits.

Invoicing

Both platforms handle invoicing well, but the details matter.

Relentify supports unlimited invoicing on every plan, including the free tier. You can create recurring invoices, send automated payment reminders, record partial payments, and convert quotes to invoices in a single click. Invoice templates are customisable, and you can attach files directly to any invoice.

Xero also offers unlimited invoicing on its Standard and Growing plans but limits the Starter plan to 20 invoices per month. Recurring invoices and payment reminders are available, though the workflow for setting up reminders involves more steps than it should. Quote-to-invoice conversion works but requires navigating through several screens.

Where Relentify pulls ahead is in the invoicing workflow itself. Creating an invoice takes fewer clicks, and the preview renders instantly rather than requiring a separate page load.

Bank reconciliation

Bank reconciliation is arguably the most important daily task in accounting software, and both platforms handle it competently.

Xero pioneered cloud bank feeds and its reconciliation interface is well-known. However, over the years it has grown more cluttered. The reconciliation screen now includes multiple panels, suggested matches that are not always helpful, and a workflow that many users find slower than it used to be.

Relentify takes a cleaner approach. The reconciliation screen focuses on one transaction at a time with clear match suggestions, and the ability to create rules that automatically categorise future transactions. The interface is faster because it was built with modern frontend technology rather than being incrementally updated over a decade.

Expense management

Expense management is a significant differentiator between the two platforms.

| Feature | Relentify | Xero | |---|---|---| | Expense claims | Built-in | Requires Xero Expenses add-on | | Mileage tracking | Built-in | Requires Xero Expenses add-on | | Approval workflows | Built-in | Requires Xero Expenses add-on | | Receipt capture | Built-in | Requires Xero Expenses add-on | | Additional cost | Included in plan | £4/user/month |

Xero charges £4 per active user per month for its Expenses add-on. For a team of ten people, that is an extra £40 per month on top of your subscription. Relentify includes expense management, mileage tracking, and approval workflows in every paid plan at no extra charge.

Reporting

Reporting is where many Xero users feel underserved. Xero's built-in reports cover the basics — profit and loss, balance sheet, aged receivables — but customisation options are limited. Creating a report that shows exactly what you need often means exporting to a spreadsheet.

Relentify offers the same standard reports plus additional ones like cash flow forecasting, financial health scores, and consolidated reporting for multi-entity businesses. Custom reports can be built within the platform without needing to export data.

| Report | Relentify | Xero | |---|---|---| | Profit & Loss | Yes | Yes | | Balance Sheet | Yes | Yes | | Cash Flow | Yes | Yes | | Trial Balance | Yes | Yes | | Aged Receivables | Yes | Yes | | Aged Payables | Yes | Yes | | Cash Flow Forecast | Yes | Limited | | Financial Health Score | Yes | No | | Consolidated Reports | Yes | No (requires add-on) | | Custom Reports | Yes | Limited |

Multi-entity management

If you run more than one business, the difference between the two platforms is stark.

Xero requires a separate subscription for each entity. Running three businesses means three separate Xero subscriptions, three separate logins, and no ability to see consolidated reporting across entities without a third-party tool.

Relentify supports multiple entities on a single subscription. You can switch between entities instantly, run consolidated reports across all of them, and manage intercompany transactions without leaving the platform.

Purchase orders

Purchase orders are included in every Relentify plan. You can create, approve, and convert purchase orders to bills with full approval workflows and escalation rules.

Xero includes basic purchase order functionality but only on the Growing plan. The approval workflow is limited compared to what many businesses need, and there is no built-in escalation for overdue approvals.

VAT and tax compliance

Both platforms support Making Tax Digital for VAT in the UK. Relentify calculates your VAT return automatically with a nine-box breakdown, and you can submit directly to HMRC. Xero offers similar functionality, though the VAT return interface has not been significantly updated in several years.

For businesses operating internationally, Relentify's multi-currency support is available on every plan, making it straightforward to handle VAT on cross-border transactions.

Journal entries and chart of accounts

Both platforms support manual journal entries and customisable charts of accounts. Relentify adds the ability to reverse journal entries automatically and lock accounting periods to prevent accidental changes to closed books — features that accountants particularly appreciate.

Integrations and ecosystem

This is one area where Xero still holds an advantage, purely through longevity. Xero's app marketplace has hundreds of integrations built over more than a decade. Relentify's integration ecosystem is smaller but growing, and the platform includes many features natively that Xero users need third-party apps to achieve.

Open Banking connectivity, expense management, project tracking, and purchase order approval workflows are all built into Relentify rather than requiring separate subscriptions to third-party tools.

User interface and experience

Xero's interface was groundbreaking when it launched, but it has accumulated layers of complexity over the years. Navigation can feel inconsistent, with settings spread across multiple sections and some features buried behind unintuitive menus.

Relentify was designed in 2026 with modern UI patterns. Every action aims to take as few clicks as possible. The dashboard provides an immediate overview of your financial position, and navigation is consistent throughout the application.

Who should choose which

Choose Xero if you rely heavily on specific third-party integrations that are only available through Xero's app marketplace, or if your accountant exclusively works with Xero and is unwilling to switch.

Choose Relentify if you want more features for less money, need multi-entity management on a single subscription, want built-in expense management without per-user add-on fees, or simply prefer a faster and more modern interface.

Migrating from Xero to Relentify

If you are considering the switch, Relentify provides migration tools that import your chart of accounts, customer and supplier records, and opening balances from Xero. The process typically takes less than an hour for most small businesses. For a detailed walkthrough, see our migration guide.

The bottom line

Xero is a capable platform that served a generation of small businesses well. But its pricing has outpaced its innovation, and many of the features modern businesses need are locked behind expensive add-ons or higher-tier plans.

Relentify offers more features on every plan, charges less, and was built with the lessons learned from a decade of watching accounting software frustrate its users. If you have been feeling the squeeze from Xero's pricing or limitations, it is worth taking a closer look.