Xero Practice Manager alternatives
Before you replace XPM, check what you’d give up
If XPM feels like it’s missing pieces, you have two paths. You can move your jobs, time and billing to a new system, or keep XPM where it’s strong and add what it doesn’t do. Here are both, side by side.
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 what’s actually missing, not with the whole system.
Partner Hub has a lot of XPM firms taking a fresh look at their setup. Xero says jobs, time, billing and pricing carry over, so the useful question is what your team needs that XPM doesn’t give them.
01What XPM does well
XPM is your time, billing and WIP record, linked to Xero Tax.
Practice Management is free for Silver partners and above, and it connects jobs to tax returns from one client record.
02Replacing it
Most alternatives replace XPM’s jobs, time and billing rather than add to them.
Karbon, TaxDome, Uku and Financial Cents mostly connect to the Xero ledger, so you’d move your practice records across.
03Adding to it
Adding to XPM keeps that record and fills the gaps around it.
AccountKit syncs client details with XPM both ways and sends time to it, then adds workflow, compliance tools, correspondence and documents.
See what syncs with XPM
Side by side
Replacing XPM next to keeping it and adding AccountKit
Both paths are reasonable. This is what each one means for the work your team does every week.
| What you’re weighing | Replace XPM with another system | Keep XPM and add AccountKit |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs, time and billing | They move to the new system, which in most cases connects to the Xero ledger rather than to XPM. | XPM keeps time, billing and WIP. AccountKit runs the workflow, and time syncs to XPM.  Works with Xero Practice Manager, AccountKit |
| Xero Tax | Returns stay in Xero Tax (free from Bronze partner status), but jobs are no longer linked to them from an XPM client record. | Jobs in XPM stay linked to returns in Xero Tax. Works with Xero |
| Workflow | Usually why firms look. Most alternatives lead with workflow and automation. | Status flows, work types, recurring templates and a daily plan for each person, in AccountKit.Works with AccountKit |
| Email and documents | Depends on the system you choose. | Outlook email captured against the client, and SharePoint, OneDrive, FYI or SuiteFiles folders linked to it.    Works with Outlook, SharePoint, FYI Docs, SuiteFiles |
| Compliance tools | Check each system’s own feature list. | Division 7A, inter-entity loans, equipment finance and more, posting journals to Xero.Works with AccountKit, Xero |
| Your other apps | Apps that use XPM as their client list need reconnecting. Xero lists 24 apps that connect to XPM. | Your other XPM apps keep working as they do now.Works with Xero Practice Manager |
| Cost | The new system’s own per-user pricing. | Practice Management is free for Silver partners and above (A$163.90 a month for up to 10 users otherwise). AccountKit is from AUD $55 a user a month.Works with Xero Practice Manager, AccountKit |
| The change itself | A migration of clients, jobs, templates and history, and retraining for the team. | Connect AccountKit to XPM and Xero. Nothing moves out of XPM.Works with Xero Practice Manager, 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 (15)
- Xero AU: Partner Hub plus Practice Management, features and pricing
- Xero UK: Partner Hub plus Practice Management
- Xero NZ: Partner Hub plus Practice Management
- Xero US: Partner Hub plus Practice Management
- Xero blog: Introducing Xero Partner Hub
- Xero developer changelog: Practice Manager API 3.1
- Xero App Store: apps that connect to Xero Practice Manager
- Karbon help: Xero Practice Manager integration
- Ignition: Xero Practice Manager integration
- FYI support: XPM workflow jobs overview
- Financial Cents help: integrate Xero
- Uku: Xero integration
- IRIS Senta: Xero integration
- AccountKit: Xero Practice Manager integration (what syncs)
- AccountKit: pricing
Making the call
Which path fits your firm
Neither is wrong. It depends on what isn’t working today.
Replacing XPM makes sense if…
- You want time, billing and WIP out of Xero’s tools entirely.
- You’re below Silver partner status, so XPM isn’t included for you.
- Your team is ready for a full migration and retraining.
Keeping XPM and adding AccountKit makes sense if…
- Time, billing and the link to Xero Tax already work for you.
- What’s missing is workflow, daily planning, compliance tools or one view of each client.
- You’d rather not migrate history or reconnect your other XPM apps.
How it comes together
Keep XPM, and bring everything else to the same place
You work in AccountKit. XPM keeps time and billing, Xero keeps the books and Xero Tax lodges. Everything else connects in.
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
Microsoft 365 and compliance apps
- OutlookClient emailEmails captured against the client
- SharePoint or OneDriveYour files, where they areEach client links to its folder, permissions kept
- Microsoft TeamsWhere the team talksClient notes and tool updates sent to Teams
- CAS 360 or NowInfinityCompany complianceAnnual reviews and ASIC payments shown with the client
A firm that got one overview of its whole team
Wheelhouse Advisory turned firm-wide visibility into more hires and higher fees.
“It has just done a whole 360 on our whole entire firm. Everyone loved the overview of not just their own workflow, but everyone in the firm.”
- more staff hired, using the workflow overview to see where
- 3–4
- months since workflow moved into AccountKit
- 18
- people working from one overview across two teams
- ~25
From the Xero App Store
What firms say about adding AccountKit to XPM
★★★★★
…It fills the holes in Xero and XPM that accountants need to be in business.…
★★★★★
…Sync's really well with XPM and other integrations, and support from Matthew, Paul and the team is first class - great communicators.…
5.0 out of 5 from 83 reviews. Read them all on the Xero App Store
Questions
What firms ask about XPM alternatives
Is Xero Practice Manager being discontinued?
No. Xero is moving XPM into Xero Partner Hub as Partner Hub plus Practice Management, and says core features and pricing stay the same. It has retired a few features (Leads, Suppliers and Purchase Orders) and is moving connected apps to version 3.1 of its Practice Manager API.
What are the main alternatives to XPM?
Firms commonly look at Karbon, TaxDome, Financial Cents, Jetpack Workflow and Uku, and Senta by IRIS in the UK. Most connect to the Xero ledger rather than to XPM. Ignition and FYI are usually used alongside XPM rather than instead of it.
Does AccountKit replace XPM?
No. XPM keeps your time, billing and WIP. AccountKit syncs client details both ways with XPM and sends time to it. AccountKit’s workflow jobs stay in AccountKit, which is where your team plans and runs the work.
What does XPM cost?
Partner Hub plus Practice Management is free for Xero Silver partners and above. Otherwise it’s a flat fee for up to 10 users: A$163.90 a month including GST in Australia, £99 ex VAT in the UK, NZ$149 ex GST in New Zealand and US$149 in the US. Check Xero’s page for your region.
Will our other apps keep working if we keep XPM?
Yes. Xero lists 24 apps that connect to XPM, AccountKit among them, and they keep using XPM as their client list. Replacing XPM means checking each of them.
The heart of your firm
Keep what works in XPM and add what’s missing
Start a free trial, connect XPM and Xero, and see your client list with workflow, tools and documents around it.
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.