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Proposals · head to head

Cone vs Xero

Cone logo

Cone

Proposals

Proposal to payment software for accounting and bookkeeping firms, with engagement letters and direct debit

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

Accounting

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cone the product is shaped around accountancy engagements, so a freelancer or agency outside professional services pays for engagement letter and compliance features they will never open.; Xero the Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • They diverge on capability: Cone covers Engagement letters, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cone and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where Cone and Xero differ
AttributeConeXero
Starting priceOn request$13/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryProposalsAccounting
FoundedUnknown2006

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cone

  • Engagement letters
  • Electronic signature
  • Recurring billing
  • Direct debit collection
  • Scope creep flagging
  • Service line templates
  • Client onboarding tasks

Only in Xero

  • Bank reconciliation
  • Invoicing
  • Bill payment
  • Expense claims
  • Financial reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project tracking
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cone

  • A bookkeeping practice moving clients from ad hoc invoicing onto signed recurring fee agreementsnot Xero
  • An accountancy firm that needs engagement letter wording attached to every proposal for compliance reasonsnot Xero
  • A practice losing revenue to out of scope work that is never billed because nobody notices itnot Xero
  • Standardising pricing across a firm so that partners stop quoting the same service at different ratesnot Xero

Xero

  • Small business bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliationnot Cone
  • Bill payment and purchase order managementnot Cone
  • Sharing books with an accountant or bookkeepernot Cone

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cone

  • The product is shaped around accountancy engagements, so a freelancer or agency outside professional services pays for engagement letter and compliance features they will never open.
  • Recurring collection depends on which payment rails are supported in your country, and direct debit coverage varies enough that the headline benefit may not apply to your client base.
  • Practice management integration is shallower than the incumbents, so client records often exist in two systems and have to be reconciled.
  • Pricing is not published, which makes it hard to compare against a general proposal tool without entering a sales process first.
  • As a younger vendor in a market that consolidates through acquisition, roadmap continuity carries more risk than choosing an established practice software supplier.

Xero

  • The Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • Invoices created by connected app partners count against the Early plan invoice limit
  • Multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims and industry benchmarking are restricted to the top Established plan at $90 per month
  • Cash flow forecasting is capped at 30 days on Early and 60 days on Growing, with 180 days only on Established
  • Payroll is not included in any plan and costs an extra $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor through Gusto
  • Inventory Plus is a paid optional add-on rather than part of any plan
  • The advertised 90% off applies only to the first 6 months, after which the regular $25, $55 or $90 monthly price auto-renews
  • The introductory discount excludes add-ons, usage charges and payment fees
  • Payment fees apply to online invoice payments and to bill payments other than standard domestic ACH, and are billed on top of the subscription
  • Subscriptions are billed monthly with no annual payment option, and after upgrading you must wait one month before downgrading to a cheaper plan
  • Xero states subscription prices are increasing from October 1, 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

Cone

On request
  • Cone$undefined/year
    • Proposals and engagement letters
    • Electronic signature
    • Recurring billing and direct debit mandates

Xero

$13/month
  • Early$13/month
    • Send 20 invoices
    • Enter 5 bills
    • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Growing$37/month
    • Unlimited invoices & bills
    • Bulk reconcile transactions
    • Short-term cash flow
  • Established$70/month
    • Everything in Growing
    • Use multiple currencies
    • Track projects

Which should you pick?

Choose Cone if

  • You need engagement letters.
  • You also want electronic signature.
Cone review

Choose Xero if

  • You need bank reconciliation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
Xero review

Questions people ask

Is Cone or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. Cone starts at On request and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cone or Xero?
Cone starts at On request and Xero at $13/month.
Does Cone or Xero run on more platforms?
Cone runs on Web. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Cone best used for?
Cone is most often used for a bookkeeping practice moving clients from ad hoc invoicing onto signed recurring fee agreements, an accountancy firm that needs engagement letter wording attached to every proposal for compliance reasons, a practice losing revenue to out of scope work that is never billed because nobody notices it, standardising pricing across a firm so that partners stop quoting the same service at different rates. Of those, a bookkeeping practice moving clients from ad hoc invoicing onto signed recurring fee agreements and an accountancy firm that needs engagement letter wording attached to every proposal for compliance reasons are not what Xero is typically brought in for.
What can Cone do that Xero cannot?
Cone covers Engagement letters, Electronic signature, Recurring billing, Direct debit collection. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cone: Is this only for accountants?

It is designed for accounting and bookkeeping firms. Other professional services firms use it, but general freelancers will find most of it irrelevant.

Cone: Does it handle recurring fees?

Yes, and that is the main reason firms adopt it. Acceptance creates the fee schedule and the collection mandate together.

Cone: How are payments collected?

Through supported card and direct debit providers, whose processing fees apply on top of the subscription.

Cone: What is scope creep flagging?

It compares work performed against the scope agreed in the proposal and surfaces the difference so it can be billed rather than absorbed.

Cone: Is pricing published?

Not in a form that can be quoted reliably. Expect a sales conversation before you can compare it on cost.

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