FYI vs SuiteFiles
FYI or SuiteFiles? AccountKit works with both
Both are built for firms on Xero and XPM, and we integrate with both. The biggest difference is where your files live: in FYI’s cloud, or in your own Microsoft 365. Here’s how to choose.
WorkflowInteractive preview · sample dataPractice-wide work
Illustrative AccountKit-style view · sample data
Interactive demonstration with sample data, based on the AccountKit interface.
What you’re really choosing
Start with where you want your files to live.
Most of the other differences follow from that one decision: how Outlook works, how XPM connects, and who looks after permissions.
01FYI
FYI keeps documents in its own cloud, built for accountants.
Files are stored on AWS in Sydney and London, and FYI syncs clients, groups and jobs from XPM, with timesheets going back.
See the FYI integration02SuiteFiles
SuiteFiles keeps documents in your own Microsoft 365.
Files live in your SharePoint, and XPM shows your SuiteFiles folders in its Documents tab.
03AccountKit
Whichever you choose, AccountKit puts the client’s files next to their work.
Your document system stays the store of record. AccountKit links each client’s documents to the jobs, tools and correspondence around them.
See document management
Side by side
FYI, SuiteFiles and what AccountKit adds, line by line
The first two columns are the choice. The third is what AccountKit adds on top of either.
| What you’re weighing | FYI | SuiteFiles | AccountKit adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where files live | FYI’s own cloud, on AWS in Sydney and London. Works with FYI Docs | Your firm’s own Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.  Works with SuiteFiles, SharePoint | Files stay in your document system, and AccountKit links to them. Works with AccountKit |
| Built for | Accounting and bookkeeping firms. | Accounting and other professional firms on Microsoft 365. | Accounting and bookkeeping firms on Xero. |
| XPM | Imports clients, client groups, jobs and team from XPM and keeps them in sync, with timesheets going back. Works with Xero Practice Manager | XPM’s Documents tab shows SuiteFiles folders, matched by client name, and prompts folder changes when clients change in XPM.Works with Xero Practice Manager | Client details sync both ways with XPM, and time goes to XPM.Works with Xero Practice Manager, AccountKit |
| Outlook and Office | Add-ins for Outlook and Office, with email AutoFile. | Add-ins for Outlook and Office, built on Microsoft 365. Works with Outlook | Outlook email captured against the client in the correspondence register.Works with Outlook |
| Signing and portal | Connects DocuSign, Adobe Sign, Annature and FuseSign, with a client portal (Collaborate) on a SharePoint site. | Signing and a client portal (Connect) on the Super Suite plan. | Signing requests through FuseSign or Annature, tracked on AccountKit’s e-signing dashboard.  Works with FuseSign, Annature |
| With AccountKit | Link FYI documents to AccountKit tools, browse them by client group, and file finished reports and schedules back to FYI.Works with FYI Docs, AccountKit | Reference your SuiteFiles library from AccountKit’s registers, with your naming conventions kept.Works with SuiteFiles, AccountKit | One view of each client group: jobs, tools, correspondence and documents.Works with AccountKit |
Checked 2 October 2026 against each vendor’s own published pages and the sources below. Products change: if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
Sources (13)
- FYI: about
- FYI: security and reliability (AWS Sydney and London)
- FYI: Xero and XPM integration
- FYI support: Client Collaborate
- FYI support: Email AutoFile
- FYI support: integration with AccountKit
- SuiteFiles: home (built on Microsoft 365)
- SuiteFiles help: Xero Practice Manager integration
- SuiteFiles help: Outlook add-in
- SuiteFiles: client portal
- AccountKit: FYI integration
- AccountKit: SuiteFiles integration
- AccountKit: document management
Making the call
Which fits your firm
Both are good choices for a Xero firm. Pick the one that matches how you already work.
FYI may suit you if…
- You want a document system built only for accountants, with automation.
- You want clients, groups and jobs synced from XPM.
- You’d rather not manage your own SharePoint.
SuiteFiles may suit you if…
- Your firm already runs on Microsoft 365 and wants files in its own SharePoint.
- You want signing and a client portal in the same plan.
- Your team works in Outlook and Office all day.
Either one, with AccountKit, if…
- You want each client’s files next to the jobs and tools that use them.
- You want finished schedules and reports filed to the client’s folder.
- You want one view of the client group, whichever document system you chose.
How it comes together
Whichever you choose, the client’s files sit next to their work
Your document system stays the store of record. AccountKit connects it to XPM, Xero and the jobs in between.
Xero
- XeroYour clients’ booksAccountKit tools post journals to Xero
- XPM in Partner HubTime, billing and WIPClient details sync both ways, time goes to XPM
- Xero TaxPrepares and lodges returnsNo data link: the job for the return runs in AccountKit
Where your team works each day
AccountKit
- Workflow and each person’s daily plan
- Compliance tools: Division 7A, inter-entity loans and more
- Correspondence register for every client
- Client Map of the family group
- Links to every client’s folder
Your document system and the apps around it
- FYIDocuments in FYI’s cloudDocuments linked to tools, finished work filed back
- SuiteFilesDocuments in your SharePointYour library referenced from AccountKit registers
- OutlookClient emailEmails captured against the client
- FuseSign or AnnatureE-signingRequests sent and tracked from AccountKit
A firm that chose the folder structure its team preferred
Keystone Advisory & Tax cut the rework out of Division 7A and simplified its stack.
“It’s about making it easy to find all that information, so having that connection with your clients is still as easy to do.”
- of rework removed each time a Division 7A review comes back with a change
- 1 hour+
- people on the team, including a new starter already “super proficient”
- 12
- years of testing on a single client before the whole stack moved
- 2
From the Xero App Store
What firms say about AccountKit and their other software
★★★★★
…It integrates with all of our software pieces and ensures that there is no duplication of data.…
★★★★★
…From an admin perspective, I am so far really impressed with how integrates with all the different software platforms and finding it a super useful tool for maintaining the accuracy of our database.
5.0 out of 5 from 83 reviews. Read them all on the Xero App Store
Questions
What firms ask when choosing between FYI and SuiteFiles
Does AccountKit integrate with FYI and SuiteFiles?
Yes, both. With FYI, you link FYI documents to AccountKit tools, browse FYI files by client group, and export finished reports, maps and schedules back to FYI. With SuiteFiles, AccountKit references your existing library from its registers. Your document system stays the store of record either way.
Where are files stored in FYI and SuiteFiles?
FYI stores documents in its own cloud, on AWS in Sydney and London. SuiteFiles keeps them in your firm’s own Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.
Which works better with XPM?
They work differently. FYI imports clients, client groups, jobs and team from XPM and keeps them in sync, with timesheets flowing back. SuiteFiles shows its folders in XPM’s Documents tab and prompts folder changes when clients are created or archived. Which suits you depends on how much you want your document system to do.
Does AccountKit sync clients to FYI?
Not directly. Client changes go from AccountKit to XPM, and from XPM to FYI where those are connected. FYI’s own client, cabinet and category permissions still apply.
Do we have to move our files to use AccountKit?
No. AccountKit connects to the library you already have, in FYI, SuiteFiles, SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Workspace.
The heart of your firm
Choose your document system, then bring it next to the work
Start a free trial, connect FYI or SuiteFiles with XPM and Xero, and see each client’s files beside their jobs and tools.
Start a free 14-day trial
Create the account and bring in the client list your firm already works from.
Shape your AccountKit
Choose the tools, views and workflows that match the jobs your team needs to run.
Put it to work
Use AccountKit with real client work and decide what belongs in your practice stack.