The Software Leader's Guide to Xero

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Xero has evolved from a simple online ledger into one of the world’s most trusted cloud-based accounting platforms. It empowers small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers to simplify finances, streamline operations, and stay on top of their numbers—all in real time.

Its powerful ecosystem supports hundreds of integrations and a robust developer platform, enabling software builders and fintech companies to extend its core capabilities and reach a global user base.

What is Xero?

Xero is a cloud accounting software platform built for small and medium-sized businesses. It handles key financial tasks like invoicing, payroll, expense tracking, and bank reconciliation. By moving accounting to the cloud, Xero eliminates the need for clunky desktop software and offers real-time access to financial data anytime, anywhere.

Founded in New Zealand in 2006, Xero now serves millions of users worldwide and connects with more than 1,000 banks and financial institutions.

The Xero Ecosystem

Xero’s real superpower is its open ecosystem. The Xero App Store features over 1,000 third-party apps—from CRM tools and payment gateways to inventory systems and point-of-sale platforms. This allows businesses to tailor Xero to their needs and integrate seamlessly with other services they already use.

Developers can build on Xero’s API to create custom solutions or commercial apps for the global SMB market. Whether you're solving a niche industry pain point or building a broad fintech solution, Xero offers a rich environment for innovation.

What is the Xero API?

Xero’s API allows developers to interact with its core financial and business features programmatically. This includes access to:

Invoices & Payments

Contacts & Customers

Bank Transactions

Payroll (in select regions)

Projects & Time Tracking

With RESTful endpoints, modern authentication (OAuth 2.0), and comprehensive documentation, the Xero API enables developers to build scalable integrations for a wide range of use cases.

Developing with Xero

To start building, developers can register for a Xero Developer account and create an app in minutes. The API supports JSON payloads and is language-agnostic—whether you’re using Node.js, Python, or .NET, it just works.

Xero’s sandbox and demo company tools make testing safe and fast. Plus, their developer portal includes SDKs, sample code, and tutorials to accelerate development.

Publishing on the Xero App Store

If you're building an app you’d like to offer to Xero's customer base, you can apply to list it on the Xero App Store. This includes:

Registering your app

Going through a partner onboarding process

Meeting Xero’s integration and security requirements

Providing marketing materials, support documentation, and pricing details

Once approved, your app can be discovered by thousands of businesses looking for new tools—and Xero offers tools for usage tracking, user feedback, and app analytics.

Is Your Product a Fit for Xero?

If your product automates business workflows, helps manage money, or adds clarity to operations, there’s a good chance it belongs in the Xero ecosystem.

Great use cases include:

Expense management

Payment processing

E-commerce accounting integrations

Inventory and logistics

Professional services automation

To succeed, your app should solve a real business problem, integrate smoothly with Xero, and deliver a frictionless experience to small business users.

The Takeaway

Xero is more than accounting software—it's a platform for innovation. With a powerful API, a vibrant app marketplace, and millions of loyal users, Xero gives developers and software companies everything they need to build, launch, and scale financial tools for the real world.

If you're looking to turn your product into a trusted financial solution, Xero offers the infrastructure, visibility, and support to help you make it happen.