Switching from Xero?
You'll wonder why you waited.
Faster page loads. Included payroll. Unified multi-client dashboard. Dark mode. And pricing that doesn't increase every year.
Free data migration - No credit card - 30 days free
Seven frustrations Xero users know too well.
Context-switching hell
Managing 50 clients means 50 separate Xero organisations. Open, close, switch, repeat - dozens of times a day. Interlink Accounts shows every client on one unified dashboard with RAG status indicators, deadline tracking, and bank feed monitoring.
£7/employee/month for payroll
A practice running payroll for 15 clients averaging 10 employees pays £1,050/month in Xero payroll surcharges alone. That is £12,600/year just for payroll. Interlink Accounts includes full PAYE, NI, pension, RTI, P60s, and P45s at £0 extra.
Relentless price increases
Xero increased prices in 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024 - each time triggering backlash from loyal customers. The Growing plan has risen from £22 to £36 in five years. Interlink Accounts commits to transparent pricing with a minimum 90 days notice and 12-month grandfathering.
No dark mode - still
Despite years of community requests and competitor adoption, Xero still has no dark mode. Bookkeepers staring at screens for 10+ hours a day deserve better. Interlink Accounts ships with a meticulously designed dark theme from day one.
Sluggish React SPA
Xero's React frontend delivers 1.5-3 second page loads on every navigation. Over a full day of bookkeeping, those seconds compound into minutes of wasted time. Interlink Accounts's server-rendered architecture delivers sub-200ms loads. Every single time.
No built-in AML/KYC
Xero requires separate paid AML tools like Firmcheck (£1.50/check) or SmartSearch. Interlink Accounts includes risk assessment, ID verification, PEP screening, and a full compliance timeline natively - no third-party tools or extra charges.
API rate limiting headaches
Xero's API rate limits (60 calls/minute per tenant) create real problems for practices running automations across many clients. Interlink Accounts has no artificial API throttling for its own integrations - your workflows run at the speed of your data.
Interlink Accounts vs Xero - the complete picture
| Feature | Interlink Accounts | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Page load speed | < 200ms | 1.5-3 seconds |
| Unified multi-client dashboard | ✓ True unified view with RAG status | ✗ Separate organisations per client |
| Payroll | ✓ Included - £0 per employee | £7/employee/month add-on |
| Multi-currency | ✓ All plans | Comprehensive+ only (£42/mo) |
| Unlimited users | ✓ Every plan | Limited by tier |
| Receipt OCR | ✓ Unlimited, included | Hubdoc (20/mo on Starter) |
| Dark mode | ✓ Full dark theme | ✗ Not available |
| Built-in AML/KYC | ✓ Risk assessment + ID verification | ✗ Requires third-party tool |
| CIS (Construction) | ✓ Full CIS300 returns included | ✗ Requires CIS add-on |
| Keyboard shortcuts | ✓ Full system + command palette | ✗ Minimal |
| MTD ITSA readiness | ✓ Polished, tested, day-one ready | ⚠ In development |
| White-label client portal | ✓ Your brand, your colours | ✗ Xero-branded only |
| Time tracking & WIP | ✓ Built-in with live timer | ✗ Requires third-party app |
| Cash flow forecasting | ✓ AI-powered with scenarios | ⚠ Basic (Short-term only) |
| Bank reconciliation | ✓ AI auto-categorisation, invoice settlement, editable rules, batch apply | ⚠ Basic rule matching only |
| Deadline management | ✓ Auto-escalating alerts + calendar | ✗ Not available |
| Pricing stability | ✓ 90-day notice + 12-month grandfathering | ✗ Annual increases since 2019 |
Xero pricing and features verified March 2026. Interlink Accounts features based on current release.
UK Payroll: bring employees & PAYE across
The automated API migration covers your accounts (ledger, invoices, bank history, assets). Xero Payroll employees are imported separately: export a CSV from Xero Payroll, then use Import Employees in the app. Add your PAYE reference and employer defaults under Employer settings.
- Start your free trial and create an organisation.
- Sign in and open Switch from Xero (migration guide at /xero/connect) — see step UK Payroll.
- Export employees from Xero Payroll as CSV, then click Import Employees and upload the file.
- Open Payroll → Employer settings and enter your PAYE reference, staging dates, and pension defaults.
Already using Interlink? Open the migration guide (sign-in required), then jump to UK Payroll.
Calculate exactly how much you'll save.
Drag the sliders. Watch the savings stack up. Then ask yourself why you are still paying Xero.
Your estimated Xero cost
Xero's pricing trajectory tells its own story.
Five years of price increases. Every one a surprise. Every one met with frustration from loyal customers.
Growing plan: £22/mo
Growing plan rises to £26/mo (+18%)
Growing plan rises to £33/mo (+27%)
Growing plan rises to £36/mo (+9%). Payroll increases to £7/employee
Comprehensive+ now £42/mo. Total 5-year increase: +91%
Interlink Accounts launches. Practice Professional: £79/mo flat. Unlimited clients. Payroll included. The Pricing Pledge: 90-day notice minimum, 12-month grandfathering, no feature removal - ever.
A morning in the life of a bookkeeper.
Same bookkeeper. Same 30 clients. Two very different experiences.
With Xero
- 8:30 Open browser. Log into Xero Practice Manager.
- 8:35 Switch to first client org. Wait for page load (2.1s). Check bank feed.
- 8:38 Switch to second client org. Wait (1.8s). Check bank feed.
- 8:41 Switch to third client. Wait. Reconcile 4 transactions.
- 9:05 Checked 8 of 30 clients. Open Dext in separate tab to match receipts.
- 9:15 Back to Xero. Lost track of which client you were in. Re-navigate.
- 9:20 Open SmartSearch in another tab for AML check on new client.
- 9:45 Run first payroll. Navigate to Xero Payroll. Wait for it to load.
- 10:15 Finally through 15 of 30 clients. Still haven't checked deadlines.
- 10:30 Open spreadsheet to track HMRC deadlines manually.
With Interlink Accounts
- 8:30 Open Interlink Accounts. One dashboard. All 30 clients. RAG status at a glance.
- 8:31 Sort by "needs attention". Three clients flagged red. Click first one (120ms load).
- 8:33 Reconcile flagged transactions. AI has already categorised 90% of them.
- 8:36 Back to dashboard (instant). Click second red client. Resolve unreconciled items.
- 8:40 All 30 clients reviewed from one screen. Zero context-switching.
- 8:42 Anomaly detection has flagged a duplicate invoice - dismiss in one click.
- 8:45 Run payroll for 3 clients. Built-in. No add-on. No extra cost.
- 8:55 Check deadline calendar - all deadlines auto-tracked with alert escalation.
- 9:00 Done. All 30 clients reviewed, reconciled, payroll complete.
Migrating from Xero is effortless.
Connect Xero once and we import your accounts automatically — no CSV for the ledger, invoices, or bank history. UK Payroll uses a quick CSV export from Xero Payroll for employees; see UK Payroll import.
Connect your Xero
One-click OAuth connection. Read-only access. Your Xero data is never modified. Takes 30 seconds.
We import your accounts
Chart of accounts, contacts, invoices, bills, bank transactions, reconciliation history, fixed assets — imported automatically in 15-30 minutes. Payroll employees: CSV import after sign-in (details).
Run in parallel
Run both systems for one VAT period. Compare your VAT return figures. Gain complete confidence before committing.
Switch fully
Cancel Xero when you're ready. Your data is already in Interlink Accounts. No rush. No pressure. No lock-in.
The Interlink Accounts Migration Guarantee
- Free automated data migration from Xero - every time, for every client
- Dedicated migration specialist available via email and phone during your transition
- Full parallel running period - take as long as you need to gain confidence
- Complete data export at any time - your data is always yours, no lock-in
- If anything doesn't migrate correctly, we fix it - personally, within 24 hours
We managed 42 Xero organisations. Forty-two separate logins, forty-two sets of bank feeds to check, forty-two contexts to switch between every single morning. Migrating to Interlink Accounts gave us our mornings back. One dashboard, every client, every deadline, every bank feed. The payroll savings alone - over £800 a month - paid for the entire platform five times over.
Common questions about switching from Xero
Yes. Our migration connects via Xero's official API and imports accounting data automatically: chart of accounts, contacts, invoices, bills, bank transactions, reconciliation history, and fixed assets. UK Payroll employees and PAYE employer references are not included in that API feed — export your employee list from Xero Payroll as CSV and use Import Employees in the migration guide, then save PAYE details under Payroll → Employer settings.
Bank feeds connect directly to your bank via Open Banking - they are not tied to Xero. Once you connect your banks in Interlink Accounts (takes about 60 seconds per bank), your feeds will flow into the new platform immediately. We support all major UK banks including the CMA9 and challenger banks.
The automated data import typically completes within 15-30 minutes depending on data volume. We recommend running both systems in parallel for one VAT period (usually one quarter) before switching fully. Most practices complete the full transition within 4-6 weeks.
Absolutely - we actively recommend it. Run both systems for one VAT period, compare your VAT return figures, and switch fully only when you are completely confident. There is no pressure and no time limit on your free trial.
Your Xero subscription is entirely separate. We recommend keeping it active during your parallel running period, then cancelling it once you have confirmed everything matches. Xero allows you to export all data before cancelling.
Your data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). We never store your Xero credentials - the import uses Xero's official OAuth2 API with read-only access. Your original Xero data is never modified or deleted.
After you sign up, open Switch from Xero (Migration guide), go to the UK Payroll step, and click Import Employees. Upload the CSV export from Xero Payroll — we map names, NI numbers, tax codes, pensions, student loans, and bank details. Enter your PAYE reference and employer details under Payroll → Employer settings.
Make the switch. We'll handle everything.
Free data migration. 30-day free trial. No credit card. Dedicated migration support. The only risk is staying with Xero.
Questions? Call us: 0845 838 1877 - Mon-Fri 9am-6pm