Compare
vsXPunctual vs Xero
Xero is solid, general accounting software for all kinds of small business. Punctual is built for businesses that work client by client, so it links your money to your clients and projects, and gets you paid without card fees.
The short version
Choose Punctual if you get paid across currencies, fronts client costs, and wants to see profit per client. Choose Xero if you want the biggest accountant and app ecosystem, and your needs are more general.
Side by side
| What matters to your business | Punctual ✓ | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Get paid by bank transfer, no card fee | Yes, built in and matched | Not the focus |
| Profit per client and project | Yes, live | Not without add-ons |
| Multi-currency | Yes, on every plan | Only on the top tier |
| Pay bills and freelancers | Yes | Yes |
| Live view without month-end | Yes | Partly |
| Bill client ad spend cleanly | Yes | Tag only, still inflates books |
| Whole team included | Yes | Yes |
| Price that won't jump | Locked | Raised most years |
Choose Punctual when…
- You get paid in more than one currency and don't want to pay for Xero's top tier to do it.
- You want to see real profit per client, not just what you billed.
- You buy ads for clients and need that spend kept clean.
- You want a live view of your finances, not a month-end wait.
Choose Xero when…
- You want the largest ecosystem of accountants and third-party apps.
- You're a simple, single-currency business that doesn't bill clients by project.
- Your accountant insists on it.
The pain of getting this wrong
Pick a general tool and you'll keep gluing on a project tracker, a portal, and a spreadsheet to answer 'which clients make me money?' The glue is where the errors and the wasted evenings live.
Switching
Moving off Xero takes an afternoon
01
Bring your history
Connect your banks and import contacts, open invoices and balances from Xero. Punctual pulls in your recent months of transactions.
02
Punctual rebuilds your books
Transactions are matched and categorised on arrival; you review the short list it wasn't sure about. Your P&L is current by the end of the day.
03
Run both for a month
Keep Xero alive alongside Punctual through one month-end if you want the safety net, then cancel it.
Most switches happen over one afternoon, and the 30-day free trial covers a full month-end.
Fair questions
Asked before switching
Do I still need my Xero add-ons?
Mostly no. The project tracking, client portal and profit reporting most businesses bolt onto Xero are built into Punctual. Keep your PM tool if your team loves it, because Punctual replaces the money glue, not your task board.
Can I move my data over from Xero?
Yes. Connect your bank accounts and bring your contacts, open invoices and balances across, and Punctual reads your recent history and builds your books from it. Most businesses do the move in an afternoon.
Will my accountant be able to work with Punctual?
Yes. Punctual keeps real double-entry books with a proper profit and loss and balance sheet, and every number traces to its transactions. Invite your accountant free: seats are always included.
What does Punctual cost?
US$79 a month covers your workspace and your first company, and each company after that is US$39. Yearly is ten months for twelve. Every feature and your whole team are included, we take no cut of your payments, and there is a 30-day free trial.
Is my data locked in?
No. Export your books and records any time, in formats your accountant can use. Leaving easily is part of the deal, and it keeps us honest.
Start free
It's --:-- in Singapore.
Your books could be up to date by --.
Connect your accounts and see your own numbers the same day. Your card is not charged until day 30.
30 days free · Your data stays yours · Cancel anytime