If you’re a Xero user, you’ve already taken a big step towards simplifying your finances. But did you know you can take things even further? The Xero App Store is home to over 1,000 integrations designed to help small businesses and advisors automate admin, improve visibility, and grow with confidence.
That said, more choice often brings more confusion. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the options or unsure what to trust, you’re not alone. Finding your way in the Xero App Store might seem daunting, but it can significantly benefit your business.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to navigate the Xero App Store, what to look out for, and how to find the perfect app for your business needs.
What Is the Xero App Store?
The Xero App Store is Xero’s official marketplace for third-party software that integrates with your Xero account. From time tracking to inventory management and cash flow forecasting, it’s a powerful ecosystem built to extend what you can accomplish with Xero.
You can access the Xero App Store online or directly through your Xero account by pressing the 9 dots in the right-hand corner. Each listing includes:
- App overviews
- Screenshots
- User Reviews
- Pricing
- Integration details
Apps are organised by category, industry, and business size, and you can filter results to zero in on what’s most relevant to you. Start by exploring categories that match your business needs in the Xero App Store.
When Should You Use it?
The Xero Apps Store is your go-to if you:
- You’re spending too much time on manual admin
- You’ve outgrown spreadsheets for things like Project Management or Inventory
- You need deeper reporting or real-time data across different departments
- You need specialist tools for your industry (such as e-commerce or manufacturing)
- You’re scaling and need better systems and automation
The app store is there to help you create an app stack, that integrates your systems with your finances. When seeking out apps, the Xero App Store can provide solutions tailored to your business’s unique requirements.
How to Navigate the App Store (Step-by-Step)
Here’s a simple process to follow when you’re exploring the Xero App Store:
Start with the problem
Understand the problem that you and your business are currently facing. Who is it affecting and what is the cost of this problem? Are you struggling with Project Management? Late Invoices? Payments? That’s your starting point. To truly understand the problems your business is facing, you should bring in key members of your team for their thoughts and opinions. These will be the day-to-day users of any tool you bring in, and they need to understand the reasoning behind the change a new tool brings!
Use the filters
Xero offer multiple levels of filters from Industry to category to country. Refine your search until you can build a shortlist of apps that could be a good fit for your business.
Compare your shortlist
Once you have developed a shortlist, make sure to sit down with your team to review your findings. Team members may have experience with shortlisted tools and be able to add key insights into why a tool should or shouldn’t feature in your shortlist.
Read the reviews and try before you buy!
Look for real-world feedback, especially from businesses like yours. Pay attention to both positive trends and common complaints. To do this you can utilise many platforms but we recommend the App Store, Trustpilot, and LinkedIn.
Many apps offer free trials, typically 14-days or 30-days or demos. Don’t start a trial until you are ready to commit to properly testing out the platform with a real-world workflow. The last thing you want is to sign up to a tool that doesn’t fit all of your requirements!
Don’t go it alone
If you feel stuck or unsure, reach out to a digital consultant or implementation partner who knows the ecosystem inside-out. The job of digital consultants, like Hyphen Digital, is to understand the challenges that SME businesses face and which apps can help solve those problems with expertise from the Xero App Store.
Common App Categories in the Xero Apps Store
To help you get oriented, here are some popular categories and what they’re typically used for:
When to Get Help (and Why It’s Worth It)
Choosing the right app might seem simple, but we see too many businesses waste:
- Time – Wasting time trialing systems that don’t fit your current workflow or requirements
- Money – On ineffective subscriptions that aren’t used or can be consolidated
- Energy – Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
That’s where we come in.
At Hyphen Digital, we specialise in helping businesses like yours select and implement the right Xero apps to streamline operations and boost productivity by leveraging the resources in the Xero App Store.
If you use it right, the Xero App Store can be the most powerful tool in your business
The Xero App Store can be a game-changer for your business. Whether you want to save time, scale faster, or get better visibility, the right app is out there, you just need to know how to find it.
Need help choosing or setting up a Xero App?
Read more about our Advisory, Implementation, Support, Training and Migration services, or book a free consultation
