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Software · head to head

Tana vs Xero

Tana logo

Tana

Software

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

Software

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries; 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: Tana covers Outliner interface, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tana and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where Tana and Xero differ
AttributeTanaXero
Starting priceFree$13/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20202006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Zapier

Only in Xero

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

Both cover

  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot Xero
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot Xero
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot Xero

Xero

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

Where each one falls short

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

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

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

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features
    • Supertags
    • Searches
  • Pro$10/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Priority support
    • Extended history

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 Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.
Tana 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 Tana or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. Tana starts at Free and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tana or Xero?
Tana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Tana and $13/month for Xero.
Does Tana or Xero run on more platforms?
Tana runs on Web, Desktop. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Tana for free?
Yes. Tana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xero starts at $13/month.
What is Tana best used for?
Tana is most often used for structured note taking with a graph based supertag data model, automatic meeting capture with ai transcripts and summaries, turning notes into queryable structured databases. Of those, structured note taking with a graph based supertag data model and automatic meeting capture with ai transcripts and summaries are not what Xero is typically brought in for.
What can Tana do that Xero cannot?
Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims. Both handle 2FA.
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