TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Access PeopleHR

    Score5.9 out of 10
    N/AWith users among 7,000+ companies, Access PeopleHR is a cloud-based HR and payroll software designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Its features enable SMBs to manage their workforce and automate more of their HR processes.

    $3

    per month per user

    Xero

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AXero is an online accounting software product for small businesses and personal finance. Its features beyond general ledger and double-bookkeeping include quotable invoicing, bank reconciliation, purchase order and expense management, and tax management. Third party apps can extend its features further.

    $13

    per month

    Pricing
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Editions & Modules
    Starter
    £3
    per month
    Core
    £5.50
    per month
    Pro
    £8
    per month
    Elite
    £9.50
    per month
    Early
    $13
    per month
    Growing
    $37
    per month
    Established
    $70
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Prices in table are in USD and just apply to the US - other markets & prices are listed below: Canada - Starter $18 CAD/month, Standard $45 CAD/month, Premium 5 $58 CAD/month UK - Starter £14/month, Standard £28/month, Premium £36/month AU - Starter $29 AUD/month, Standard $59 AUD/month, Premium 5 $76 AUD/month NZ - Starter $31 NZD/month, Standard $66 NZD/month, Premium $84 NZD/month
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Considered Both Products
    The Access Group
    No answer on this topic
    Xero
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    40%
    Would buy again
    2 Answers
    93%
    Would buy again
    160 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    153 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    40%
    Happy with the feature set
    2 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    160 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    131 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    149 Answers
    Features
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    6.6
    7 Ratings
    22% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data6.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history5.87 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration6.96 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting4.66 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management5.27 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    5.7
    5 Ratings
    36% below category average
    Xero
    7.5
    73 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pay calculation4.95 Ratings8.065 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors4.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration4.05 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Direct deposit files7.02 Ratings7.249 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management6.35 Ratings7.141 Ratings
    Reimbursement management4.94 Ratings7.054 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    6.1
    7 Ratings
    30% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Approval workflow6.27 Ratings00 Ratings
    Balance details6.07 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment6.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    6.0
    7 Ratings
    32% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    View and generate pay and benefit information5.77 Ratings00 Ratings
    Update personal information6.67 Ratings00 Ratings
    View company policy documentation6.47 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee recognition5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    View job history5.97 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    7.3
    4 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets7.34 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    5.3
    7 Ratings
    36% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Report builder6.37 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-built reports4.67 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data4.95 Ratings00 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    7.7
    6 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    New hire portal6.36 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    7.0
    5 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Corporate goal setting5.65 Ratings00 Ratings
    Individual goal setting5.65 Ratings00 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance tracking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    7.3
    6 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Performance plans9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review status tracking5.25 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review reminders8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency5.24 Ratings00 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Create succession plans/pools8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate ranking9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate development8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    6.0
    6 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Xero
    -
    Ratings
    Job Requisition Management6.26 Ratings00 Ratings
    Company Website Posting3.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting3.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts5.16 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    8.0
    169 Ratings
    6% above category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings7.979 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings8.1156 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    7.1
    213 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings5.572 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.7211 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    8.3
    241 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.3237 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.9239 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.9212 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    8.3
    251 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings7.9229 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.1234 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings7.7217 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings8.6244 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings7.8224 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings6.387 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.7152 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.9149 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings7.4129 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.3131 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.6134 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings7.7153 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.884 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.881 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.040 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings10.039 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings10.090 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.033 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings10.059 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.033 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.059 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    6.3
    119 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings7.1115 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.224 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.229 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.016 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Access PeopleHR and Xero
    Feature
    Access PeopleHR
    -
    Ratings
    Xero
    7.3
    89 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pricing00 Ratings10.062 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings10.056 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings6.358 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings6.366 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings6.121 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.124 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.117 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    4.6
    (7 ratings)
    8.3
    (266 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.7
    (38 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.3
    (192 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.1
    (12 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.6
    (40 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.6
    (13 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.1
    (3 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.4
    (150 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (8 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.5
    (4 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Access PeopleHRXero
    Likelihood to Recommend
    The Access Group
    It's simple to use even for non-technical employees, making it very simple to install even for a workforce that hasn't grown up in the digital age, and for that People HR is the best option to fit in. I haven't got in any situation yet where I see People HR as less appropriate except Applications Tracking Systems as I have never worked on that module much.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    The only time I wouldn't be suggesting it is to consultants or solopreneurs. I think it's too overwhelming unless you are experienced or have a background related to finance. So it's not that the product isn't powerful, it's that it can be too powerful. For all other size businesses it really is what you need to use to make life simple to track everything in your business. It definitely saves me time by having it all in one place and not multiple spreadsheets etc
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    The Access Group
    • Complex reporting is made easy through the reporting capabilities of the system. We have been using reports for the past year and absolutely trust the accuracy of the data produced. The reports are generated easily through the system and can be exported into an editable Excel spreadsheet which is great.
    • The self-service of data is great for freeing up HR time. Employees can update their personal information themselves quickly and easily.
    • The App is a great feature of People HR. A large proportion of our employees work in our warehouse and as such don't have their own computer at work. The app allows those employees easy access to the system on the go.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • The bank feed integration makes reconciling transactions easy
    • Once you load a template for your invoices, every client gets a professional looking invoice
    • Bill paying and tracking of payments is also easy; you load your bill into Xero, pay it through the bank, and when the transaction is completed it comes through on bank feeds. If you need to query when a bill was paid, it is all there in Xero
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    The Access Group
    • The UI could do with being more Up to date, i find it easy to use but is quite cartoon like.
    • More Details for skills is required, I have some certifications but the system does not recognise the Brand
    • Emails that are sent out could use an overhaul as they don't stand out as much as i think they should
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • Having different email addresses for different parts of a customer's business (eg invoices and statements to different places)
    • Easily seeing the text of emails that have been sent through Xero
    • More easily archiving old pay items. Our HR software updates rates when awards are updated which means a lot of old pay rates are in the system and they have multiple clicks to archive each one. Clicking the ones to archive in bulk and then just click archive for all would be much more efficient.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    In addition to the matters covered in this review, my reason for renewing this product is that Xero's functionality and the constant updates that the company provides, makes the software even more business friendly. The software therefore builds a brand loyalty among customers.
    Read full review
    Usability
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    As a standalone software, it allows users to fulfill most of the basic functions (e.g. transaction input and report generation) simply and conveniently. It also allows for multiple APIs to help augment various tasks that accounting-adjacent (e.g. claims processing). The cloud based model and portability to mobile devices allows tasks to be carried out in a more convenient way.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    We have been actively using and 100% Xero based for our ecommerce accounting practice for over 4 years. There has on been one real outage for more than 5 minutes. Xero was open and transparent about the outage, what they were doing to resolve the issue, and provided 15 minute updates. Showing how they care about their customers and partners. Plus, showing that their customers care too, were understanding, and went surfing or in our case took a nap. Couldn't run our business without Xero as a partner.
    Read full review
    Performance
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    On a good day, things worked but after upgrades, things began to slow and or not work at all at times. I coined the moving circle while I waited as the "Xero Wheel of Death". Sometimes it never stopped and force quitting was necessary.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    Always respond and keep issues open until you are satisfied with the result. Generally good responses, in the past, I had some support responses that were really basic and really annoying. They type where "have your tried restarting your computer" style of answers. Well, of course, I went through all the basics before contacting them. Duh, but I suppose not everyone does. Otherwise, it would be a 10. The last year has shown a marked improvement in the support responses however.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    The format was great; someone was there to ask questions or help if you were stuck.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    All of Xero's training is online and available for anyone (business owner or accountants) to learn and become experts in their system. There is a range of content from product training to real world webinars from their partners. Xero is beautiful accounting software and their training is the same.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    If it can be done, time the implementation near a new fiscal year so you can start clean. Otherwise, you have to go back and do historical data from the beginning of the fiscal year, which can be brain draining.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    The Access Group
    Prior to initially taking out our PeopleHR contract i reviewed many HR systems and PeopleHR seemed the best option as it seemed to have the most functionality for the best price. However that was many years ago now and since being a customer of PeopleHR and now going with Timetastic, i wouldn't recommend PeopleHR. The costs have increased substantially but there hasn't been any significant improvements in the software that we've seen/utilised. There's also a lot of system issues that seem to occur frequently. Not to mention the service has taken a total nosedive since PeopleHR were taken over by Access. Whilst Timetastic is a much more basic system and really just a holiday planner, the cost is cheaper than anything I've seen on the market. For the more HRIS functionality, we've opted to utilise our O365 and create a Sharepoint HR Management Site which is much more cost effecitve us and we can avoid having to deal with Access which is a huge plus
    Read full review
    Xero
    Each of the products I listed had their own list of drawbacks, but the one thing they all had in common, which was right on top of that list of drawbacks, was ease of use. I struggled to get myself accustomed to each system and struggled, but when it came to getting a client to even try and use it was when the true struggle started. Just found it easier to make use of Xero from the very beginning.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    The Access Group
    No answers on this topic
    Xero
    I have yet to fully stress test the product given the size of the company where I am using it. I am sure as we scale to more customers, more vendors and more reporting requirements, I will have a better understanding of what it is capable of in terms of bandwidth and processing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    The Access Group
    • PeopleHR has reduced the amount of holiday queries coming through to the HR Team. This has saved us around 2 hours per week.
    • PeopleHR has increased visibility to line managers of their team and indirect reports for holiday / time management.
    • The ATS has enabled us to automate responses/templates to all candidates applying for roles, send updates, reject, invite to interview etc. in a much quicker time frame. This has reduced hours of work writing emails per week.
    • PeopleHR has given more responsibility and ownership to our managers to do their roles.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Xero
    • Xero is a basic accounting system that performs basic accounting tasks easily and accurately. For that, it provides a positive impact on our day to day accounting operations.
    • Because of Xero's basic structure, I feel it lacks some of the sophistication that some users want and need. The ability to create unique custom reports would enhance the impact Xero would have on meeting business objectives by providing current and useful accounting information.
    • In my opinion, Xero's lack of focus on their customers - their users - is a real issue with me. In my opinion, those of us that are in the trenches that work with the system on a daily basis have to deal with the shortcomings of the system with the knowledge that Xero support refuses to address the operational issues that make their user's lives difficult. I feel if Xero would focus on truly making their software better from a users point of view, it has the potential to be a great system.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Access PeopleHR Screenshots

    Screenshot of Access PeopleHR DashboardProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshot

    Xero Screenshots

    Product screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshot