The Xero alternative that runs the whole business.
Xero is excellent cloud accounting. But sales, projects, support and reporting still live in other apps you pay for — Syniq keeps them on one set of records.
If you only need bookkeeping and you work closely with an accountant, Xero is a mature, trusted choice with deep SARS tax support. Choose Syniq if you are tired of running accounting in one app, your pipeline in another, projects in a third and support in a fourth. Syniq replaces that fragmented, separately-billed stack with one integrated Business OS, while still keeping you SARS VAT compliant in ZAR.
Syniq vs Xero, feature by feature
| Feature | Syniq | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| SARS-compliant VAT and core accountingXero leads | SyniqSARS-compliant tax invoices with VAT on every line, quotes, purchase orders, statements and a ledger. | XeroStrong, mature VAT201 support and one of the largest local accountant and bookkeeper networks. |
| Native CRM and sales pipelineSyniq leads | SyniqLeads, deals, a pipeline board, quotes and deal approvals, on the same records as your invoices. | XeroNo native full CRM; uses a separate CRM app from its marketplace, connected via integration. |
| Project and job deliverySyniq leads | SyniqJobs in list, Kanban and Gantt views, tasks with logged hours, and contract renewals, included. | XeroProjects is a paid add-on for time and job costing; full delivery usually needs a separate tool. |
| Customer support and helpdeskSyniq leads | SyniqTickets, a knowledge base, customer feedback scores, a customer profile and Jira issue sync. | XeroNo native helpdesk; uses a separate support platform connected via the app marketplace. |
| Executive analytics and reportingSyniq leads | SyniqDashboards across finance, pipeline, projects and people, plus a report builder with PDF export. | XeroSolid financial reporting; longer-range forecasting and deeper analytics use the paid Analytics Plus add-on. |
| Pricing modelSyniq leads | SyniqPlans in rands from R 47/mo; Professional and above include all six apps with no per-app fees. | XeroPer-organisation tiers (Starter, Standard, Premium); Projects, Expenses and Analytics Plus are paid add-ons. |
| Users includedXero leads | SyniqOne user on Starter and Professional, five on Business; Enterprise seats are quoted. | XeroAlso includes unlimited users on every plan, billed per organisation rather than per seat. |
| Single source of truthSyniq leads | SyniqOne database across all six apps, so there is no duplicate entry or sync between them. | XeroAccounting is the core; other functions live in connected apps that sync data back and forth. |
| App marketplace and integrationsXero leads | SyniqQuickBooks Online and Jira integrations, with the core functions built in rather than connected. | XeroA large marketplace of 1,000+ apps to extend Xero, if you prefer to assemble best-of-breed tools. |
Why South African teams move from Xero to Syniq
One platform instead of a stack
Accounting, CRM, operations, support, marketing and dashboards live in one system you pay for once.
One client record
The client sales adds is the one finance invoices and support helps. Nothing is re-typed between apps.
Invoices ready for SARS
VAT on every line and your company and banking details on every invoice, in rands or another currency.
No add-on creep
Jobs and dashboards are part of the plan, not paid add-ons; Professional includes all six apps.
Quote to invoice in one flow
Win the deal, run the job and generate the invoice from the accepted quote, without leaving Syniq.
Integrations that matter
Two-way QuickBooks Online sync and Jira issue sync, for the tools your team still relies on.
Moving from Xero to Syniq
Xero
Export your customers
Export your customers from Xero as a CSV file.
Syniq
Import your clients
Head the client column “name”, then upload the file. Clients you already have are skipped.
Syniq
Switch on the other apps
Turn on Sales, Operations and Support, so pipeline, jobs and tickets join the same records.
Syniq
Invoice from Syniq
Send new quotes and invoices from Syniq, and keep your past periods in Xero or with your accountant.
When Xero might still be the better call
If your only need is clean cloud bookkeeping and your accountant or bookkeeper already works inside Xero, it is a genuinely excellent, well-supported choice with deep SARS tax tooling and one of the largest practitioner networks in South Africa. Its app marketplace of over a thousand integrations is also a real strength if you prefer to assemble best-of-breed tools yourself. Syniq earns its place when you want those functions native and unified rather than integrated and separately billed.
Syniq and Xero: questions
Yes, for service businesses, agencies and consultancies that need more than bookkeeping. Syniq issues SARS-compliant invoices and adds CRM, jobs, support and dashboards, so you are not paying for and connecting separate tools around your accounting.
Syniq's tax invoices are SARS-compliant, with VAT worked out on every line, in rands or another currency. Xero is the deeper accounting package — it has VAT201 support; Syniq reads balance sheet and cash-flow reports from QuickBooks Online if you connect it.
Xero relies on its app marketplace for CRM and helpdesk, and on paid add-ons for Projects, Expenses and longer-range analytics via Analytics Plus. Syniq includes CRM, jobs, support and executive dashboards in the plan, with all six apps on Professional and above.
Yes. Syniq syncs with QuickBooks Online both ways and pushes support tickets to Jira as issues, so you can keep the tools your team relies on.
Export your customers from Xero as a CSV file, head the customer column “name” and import it into Syniq. Syniq doesn't import a Xero ledger, so keep past periods in Xero or with your accountant and start new quotes and invoices in Syniq.
It depends on your stack. Xero charges per organisation by tier, then adds fees for Projects, Expenses and Analytics Plus, and a CRM and helpdesk cost extra. Syniq covers those in one plan. See pricing.
See your whole business in one place
Keep SARS-compliant invoicing and bring sales, jobs, support and reporting into the same platform. Start a 14-day free trial.
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