TradeTally vs Xero
Xero is a New Zealand-founded cloud accounting platform used by UK accountants and small businesses. It includes double-entry bookkeeping, bank feeds, invoicing, and a large app marketplace. That scope can be more than a sole trader needs for invoicing and expense tracking.
Xero
£15–£55/month
Founded 2006 · Small businesses, accountants, bookkeepers
TradeTally
£12/mo
Built for UK sole trader tradespeople
Feature comparison
| Feature | Xero | TradeTally |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Included | ✓ |
| Quoting | Included | ✓ |
| Expense tracking | Included | ✓ |
| Receipt scanning | Included | ✓ |
| SA103F export | Not included | ✓ |
| Mobile app | Included | ✓ |
| MTD submission support | Included | Not available |
| Bank reconciliation | Included | ✓ |
| Payroll | Included | ✓ |
| Multi-currency | Included | ✓ |
| Inventory management | Included | ✓ |
| Time tracking | Not included | ✓ |
Where Xero wins
- Huge ecosystem of 1,000+ third-party integrations
- Excellent bank reconciliation and automatic bank feeds
- Strong multi-currency support for international businesses
- Well-established with UK accountants and bookkeepers
Where TradeTally wins
- No one-click SA103F export: requires accountant or manual extraction
- Not designed for on-site mobile use by tradespeople
- No trade-specific expense categories or job-focused workflows
- Receipt scanning requires the separate Hubdoc add-on
- No purpose-built UI for non-accountants working from a van
Common questions
Is TradeTally cheaper than Xero for sole traders?
Yes. TradeTally Professional is £12/month compared to Xero Growing at £37/month. That saves you over £300 a year for the features sole trader tradespeople actually need: invoicing, expenses, and SA103F export.
Can TradeTally replace Xero for a self-employed tradesperson?
For most sole trader tradespeople, yes. TradeTally covers invoicing, quoting, expense tracking, receipt scanning, and SA103F-ready tax exports. You only need Xero if you require features like payroll, multi-currency, or double-entry bookkeeping.
Does TradeTally have bank feeds like Xero?
TradeTally focuses on manual expense entry and receipt scanning: the workflow most tradespeople prefer when logging costs from merchants and suppliers on the go. If automatic bank reconciliation is essential, Xero may suit you better.
Switch from Xero to TradeTally
Built for UK sole trader tradespeople — quotes, invoices, receipts and tax records in one place. Start the 14-day free trial, no card required.