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Welcome to
The CFO Techstack Market Map

CFO Techstack was founded on a simple idea: to empower in-house finance leaders to scale confidently using Xero. No one pays us to feature on our Market Map, our recommendations are based on insights from our thriving CFO Techstack community of over 5,000 finance leaders.

We focus on four fundamental key categories in the Xero app ecosystem:

1. Accounting Automation
2. Reporting
3. Operations
4. Planning

Within each category, there are subcategories of specialised tools which address specific pain points. Each tool excels in different areas, so we’re here to guide you to the ones that best address particular challenges.

While apps may have features that span multiple categories, our market map categorises them based on their primary strengths. This way, you can easily navigate and find the right solutions tailored to your requirements.

So, what are the leading apps in each category? Let’s get into it.

1. Accounting Automation

Overview:

Intuitive accounting automation for multi-entity Xero users, including intercompany and intra-entity charge automation, intercompany balance sheet recs and cross-entity bank rec.

Best for:

Easy-to-use automation software that reduces month-end manual tasks by 98%.

2. Reporting

Consolidation

Overview:

Automate how you consolidate financial, sales and KPI data with Joiin and create great-looking custom group reporting packs from Xero data.

Best for:

Easy-to-use consolidation software.

Overview:

Accurate information in a readable, understandable format for informed decision-making. Assists businesses and not-for-profits by consolidating multiple Xero entities for comprehensive forecasts and comparisons, enhancing financial management and decision-making.

Best for:

Budgeting and consolidated cash flow forecasting.

Overview:

Xero multi-entity consolidation into Excel, Power BI and Google Sheets, eliminates operational pain by uploading data to multiple Xero entities at once from Excel.

Best for:

Automated reporting and data analytics.

Management Reporting

Overview:

Transform your Sage or Xero data into dynamic, vibrant dashboards and reports. Gain instant insights into cash flow, credit control, sales, and more.

Best for:

Drill-down analysis at the transaction level.

Overview:

Combines insightful reporting, fast cash flow forecasting and actionable financial insights into one refreshingly easy business management solution.

Best for:

Automating beautiful management reports.

Overview:

Integrates Google Sheets with Xero, allowing users to create custom financial reports and automate data updates for more efficient reporting.

Best for:

Custom reporting with Google Sheets.

Overview:

Comprehensive tools for creating reports, interactive dashboards, KPIs, forecasts, consolidated reporting, and managing cash flow enable businesses to visualise and understand their financial data better.

Best for:

An AI-first financial reporting platform.

Overview:

Monitor and stay focused on performance using powerful group-wide benchmarking, reporting, and consolidation.

Best for:

All-in-one reporting and cash flow forecasting.

3. Operations

Data Ingestion

Overview:

Automatically extracts and processes data from bills, invoices, receipts, and bank statements, saving your time and effort.

Best for:

Specifying automation scenarios based on project, location, company branch or department.

Overview:

Automates data extraction from receipts, invoices, and other documents, significantly reducing manual data entry and ensuring accurate financial records.

Best for:

Capturing and extracting data with over 99% accuracy, the highest in the market.

Overview:

Captures and organises financial documents, automatically fetching key data and integrating it with Xero for easy access and management.

Best for:

Value – free with Xero Starter, Standard and Premium plans.

Overview:

Simplifies data capture by automating the extraction of information from various financial documents, reducing manual entry and improving efficiency.

Best for:

Efficiency – saves up to 90% of the time spent on data entry.

Spend Management / AP

Overview:

Combines credit cards, payments, expenses and cash into one integrated experience to give you maximum control and visibility over global spend.

Best for:

Comprehensive spend management for global teams.

Overview:

A complete solution for managing company expenses, including tools for expense reporting, approval workflows, spend tracking, and reporting.

Best for:

All-in-one spend management.

Overview:

Simplifies expense management for businesses, offering smart company cards, expense automation, and real-time visibility over spend to streamline financial operations.

Best for:

User-friendly spend management.

Overview:

Corporate credit card, employee reimbursement and accounts payable solutions in one platform, helping businesses control spend and manage expenses more effectively.

Best for:

Access to rich spend insights based on real-time data.

Overview:

Manages SaaS subscriptions and expenses. Get full visibility on software, cut excess spend and streamline software-related admin.

Best for:

SaaS subscription management.

Overview:

Facilitates international transfers and multi-currency accounts, offering businesses cost-effective solutions for managing global finances.

Best for:

Cost-effective international transfers.

Overview:

Smart corporate cards, reimbursements and easy-to-use software for Australian businesses, helping streamline expense reporting and control.

Best for:

All-in-one, easy-to-use spend management for SMEs in Australia.

Overview:

Automates AP and global mass payments, providing businesses with a scalable solution for managing accounts payable.

Best for:

Scalable AP automation for growing businesses.

Overview:

All-in-one purchasing and AP platform. Features include 100% accurate line-item data extraction, automated bookkeeping, supplier statement reconciliation, 3-way matching, advanced procurement approvals, and multi-currency support, helping businesses streamline purchasing and accounts payable workflows.

Best for:

Comprehensive purchasing and AP automation.

Overview:

Global payments and finance automation platform for managing supplier payments, payroll payments, and employee expenses.

Best for:

10x faster payment runs.

Overview:

Enhances control over AP and AR with customisable approval workflows, ensuring compliance and accuracy in financial processes.

Best for:

Customisable approval workflows.

Billing / AR

Overview:

Automates billing, subscription management, collections, and reporting for B2B SaaS companies.

Best for:

Subscription and billing management.

Overview:

Automates recurring payments and direct debits, making it easy for businesses to manage subscriptions and collect payments.

Best for:

Automated direct debit management.

Overview:

Helps businesses automatically chase and collect late payments, track debtors and improve their working capital.

Best for:

End-to-end AR automation.

Payroll

Overview:

Comprehensive HR software, payroll and benefits platform that automates recruitment, HR, payroll and benefits, and ensures compliance with regulations.

Best for:

All-in-one platform for HR, payroll and benefits.

Overview:

Simplifies global payroll and compliance, making it easy for businesses to manage payroll for international teams while staying compliant with local laws.

Best for:

Global payroll and compliance for international teams.

Overview:

From workforce planning, onboarding, HRIS, to engagement, payroll, and offboarding, streamline your entire people and payroll workflow with Pento and HiBob.

Best for:

Automated people and payroll workflows for UK companies.

FX

Overview:

Simplifies international payments and FX transactions, providing businesses with efficient and cost-effective solutions for managing global finances.

Best for:

Significant savings on foreign currency transactions.

Overview:

Offers tools for managing FX risks and hedging, helping businesses protect against currency fluctuations and optimise their FX strategies.

Best for:

Effective FX risk management.

Manufacturing / Inventory

Overview:

Makes enterprise-level inventory management, manufacturing, sales integration, reporting, and automation accessible to all businesses.

Best for:

Scalable inventory and order management solutions.

Overview:

Advanced inventory management, providing businesses with detailed insights and control over their inventory processes.

Best for:

Easy-to-use supply chain and inventory management software.

4. Planning

FP&A

Overview:

A comprehensive FP&A platform that enhances financial planning and analytics through automation and integration with existing spreadsheets and data sources, providing deeper insights and better control over financial data.

Best for:

Using AI to automate repetitive tasks.

Overview:

A powerful tool for financial modelling, scenario planning, and forecasting, enabling businesses to explore different financial outcomes and make data-driven decisions.

Best for:

Detailed 3-way forecasting.

Overview:

A financial modelling tool designed to simplify the creation and management of complex financial models and forecasts. Its intuitive interface allows users to build, share, and analyse models without needing advanced spreadsheet skills.

Best for:

User-friendly financial modelling.

Overview:

A 3rd generation FP&A platform leveraging Excel and PowerBI for powerful and intuitive reporting, modelling and planning.

Best for:

Dashboards and complex business models.

Cash Flow Forecasting

Overview:

A user-friendly platform for cash flow forecasting, allowing businesses to easily predict future cash flow and plan accordingly.

Best for:

Simple and intuitive interface.

Overview:

Cash flow forecasting that provides projected cash flows, detects potential financial risks in advance, and offers visual forecasts, enabling businesses to make informed and sustainable decisions.

Best for:

Helping project-based companies manage their cash.

Overview:

Robust tools for cash flow management, offering real-time forecasting and monitoring to help businesses stay on top of their finances and make informed financial decisions.

Best for:

Real-time monitoring and forecasting functions.

Want to speak with an app ecosystem expert?

For more assistance building a best-in-class tech stack for your specific needs, get in touch with a CFO Techstack certified advisor in our advisor directory.
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