Xero vs Saasu Bookkeeping Software

As Xero and Saasu bookkeepers we often get clients asking what accounting software is best to use. There is no simple answer to this question as each software package has different features, and each business has unique requirements. Two of the software programs that we use the most are Xero and Saasu so we’ve put together a little Xero vs Saasu accounting software comparison. These programs are similar in their application in that they are both cloud-based programs, so here is a comparison of the features of both of these software packages.

Similarities Business Owners Should Consider

Both Xero and Saasu rely upon bank feeds to keep your company file up to date, and this is probably their biggest selling point. The idea that you will save time and money by having the majority of the data entry side of things done for you is a huge drawcard that both programs offer. Both offer invoicing, payroll functions and can compile reports for you as well as having multi-user access and being compatible with either Mac or PC.

Differences

Xero vs Saasu: both are cloud-based products that rely on bank feeds. There are however a number of key differences in functionality and features between Xero and Saasu. While some of these differences are slight and seemingly insignificant at first glance, others may be significant enough to be the deciding factor in choosing one program over the other. So let’s check them out.

Support For Saasu & Xero

Having access to support is vital for many small businesses. This is an important factor to take into consideration when purchasing accounting software. If your company file is not maintained correctly then it becomes a more time consuming and confusing task, which increases the risk of ‘messy’ books and errors in reporting, which will almost always end up costing the business more in the long run.

Xero offers online support only, although as a representative of Xero made us aware that you can request a call back for urgent problems by sending through a message via the usual communication channels. Regardless of your level of subscription, the response time for support queries is generally between approximately 24 – 48 hours.

Saasu has no support at all in their lower pricing tiers, but with the higher priced packages telephone support is available, so the more you pay, the better the support options available. Saasu also has online tutorials to help with the setup of the company file and for basic troubleshooting, regardless of which package you are subscribed to.

For both systems, it is also important to remember that if outsourcing your more advanced bookkeeping tasks to a professional bookkeeper, they should be fluent enough with the accounting software to be able to do simple troubleshooting with you and offer some basic support in managing your company file anyway.

Pricing

One of the larger differences between Xero and Saasu is the core design of their pricing schedule. Where Xero offers similar packages across the board, with pricing increases for the number of transactions and employees etc, Saasu’s pricing varies depending on what features you’re requiring. For example, a small business with few clients that need to be able to have access to support, maintain inventory levels or use multi-currency functions would pay much more with Saasu than they would with Xero. However, the packages provided by Saasu have a lower starting price and telephone support is an option at the higher levels.

The free trials also differ between the two systems, with Saasu offering a time-limited trial of the complete program, whereas Xero’s free trial is limited by the number of transactions performed, seemingly irrespective of the time lapsed since beginning the trial.

Payroll

Both programs have capabilities to set up payments and export across to the bank to be paid for regular payruns, calculate superannuation and other entitlements and cross reference Tax File Numbers with the ATO in order to streamline the payroll function, making the task of payroll more fluid and much easier to manage.

Both systems allow payslips and payment summaries to be produced and emailed to employees and for payment summaries to be compiled and easily sent to the Taxation Office at the end of the financial year. The reporting capabilities of Saasu, however, are much more limited than those of Xero. For a small business with few employees, this may not be an issue, but for a large corporation with many employees and a higher incidence of leave and more complex payroll requirements, Saasu may not provide the adequate reports required.

Purchases & Payables

Xero has a process specifically created to track employee reimbursements, where employees have made purchases on behalf of the company. These expenses can be entered by the employee with an uploaded copy of the receipt into Xero which awaits approval from management to finalise payment.  Xero also has the ability to import invoices directly into your system from suppliers who invoice with Xero, saving time with data entry. These invoices simply require approval from a draft copy before they become active. Streamlining the purchase process like this makes keeping up to date with your payables much simpler than has been traditionally experienced.

Saasu has a feature whereby warranties, serial numbers and other paperwork can be filed electronically with the relevant receipts, making it much easier to locate important documents when the need arises. While not a bookkeeping related task as such, this will save administration time in not having to search through mountains of paperwork to find a single document.

Saasu vs Xero: have the ability to adequately manage and keep record of your accounts payable which makes the decision as to which software to use come down to differences in extra abilities as listed above.

Invoicing

The creation of invoices in Saasu is a more complex process than in Xero, however Saasu offers the ability to create quotes and easily convert these to invoices – a feature which Xero does not currently have. Saasu is geared more towards bookkeepers and accountants than to business owners when it comes to tax codes etc, whereas Xero has been created with the business owner in mind in this area. Saasu vs Xero: both have the ability to create automated recurring invoices for regular clients who are invoiced the same amount on the same date regularly.

Reporting

Both programs offer fairly basic level reporting capabilities, with Xero offering a wider range of reports available than Saasu. Both however, have the capability to export data to Excel in order to manipulate and create custom reports through Excel. This does require a broader than average understanding of business principles, but is fairly base level knowledge for most good bookkeepers or accountants who have a reasonable grasp of Microsoft Excel.

Conclusion

In maintaining an unbiased opinion, we at Darcy Bookkeeping & Business Services like both programs. As you can easily see, both programs have their advantages over the other, and it really does come down to the individual business requirements. The best advice we could give to someone deciding between the two systems is to discuss the requirements of your business with a bookkeeper or accountant who uses both programs on a regular basis.

More information on Xero go to the Xero website and more information on Saasu go to the Saasu website. Alternatively you can take the time to speak to a professional bookkeeper at Darcy Bookkeeping & Business Services who can help you make the decision as to which accounting software would be best suited to your business.