InvoiceCharlie vs Xero
InvoiceCharlie compared with Xero for sole traders and small businesses in New Zealand and Australia: what each costs, what each is for, and when Xero is the right answer.
Written by us, about a competitor — read it that way.
Everything below about Xero is taken from what they publish themselves, checked on 18 October 2026. Prices and plans change; check theirs before deciding. Their pricing page.
Where Xero is the better choice
- Xero is full accounting software: bank feeds, reconciliation, GST returns, bills and, on the larger plans, payroll. If you do your own books, you need something like Xero and we are not a replacement.
- Most New Zealand and Australian accountants already work in Xero, which makes year-end simpler.
- A huge ecosystem of add-on apps connects to it.
Where InvoiceCharlie is the better choice
- If invoicing is all you need, the cost is very different: your first 10 invoices are free, then $1 each capped at $12 a month (USD), or $99 a year with 500 invoices a month included.
- Nothing to set up before your first invoice — no chart of accounts, no bank feed.
- Your accountant can still have everything: Reports export a file in Xero's own Sales Invoices import layout.
Side by side
| InvoiceCharlie | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Invoicing and getting paid | Accounting, including invoicing |
| Entry price | Free for 10 invoices, then $1 each (USD) | Ignite, NZ$37 a month excl. GST after the introductory period |
| Invoices on the entry plan | No monthly limit on the pay-as-you-go plan; $12 a month at most | Ignite includes 20 invoices |
| Bank feeds, GST returns, payroll | No | Yes (payroll from Grow) |
| Hand-off to your accountant | CSV in Xero's import layout | Your accountant works in it directly |
Xero's New Zealand pricing page lists four plans, billed monthly, prices excluding GST: Ignite $37 a month (includes sending quotes and 20 invoices), Grow $89, Comprehensive $117 and Ultimate $135, with an introductory discount for the first three months. Online invoice payments carry payment fees.
Which should you pick?
If you keep your own books or file your own GST, Xero earns its subscription and we would not try to talk you out of it. If your accountant does the books and you just need invoices out and money in, you can invoice here for a fraction of the cost and hand your accountant a file Xero reads directly.
Try it on one real invoice
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