Excel add-ins for Xero and QuickBooks Online, compared.
Which tool you need depends on three things: the ledgers you work in, whether you live in Excel or Google Sheets, and whether you only read your books or post back to them too. Here’s how the main options stack up.
Which are you weighing up?
- XO ReportRead-only Xero reports in a spreadsheetRows vs XO Report
- LiveFlowXero and QuickBooks Online in Google SheetsRows vs LiveFlow
- G-AcconTwo-way sync in Google SheetsRows vs G-Accon
- Xero’s connectorFree, read-only AI access to one Xero entityRows vs Xero’s connector
Or try Rows yourself: request a free trial, no card.
At a glance
Rows next to each tool.
| What you need | Rows | XO Report | LiveFlow | G-Accon | Xero’s connector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | |||||
| QuickBooks Online | No | No | |||
| Zoho Books | Reports | No | No | Not listed | No |
| Microsoft Excel, Windows and Mac | Not listed | No | No | ||
| Google Sheets | No | No | |||
| Any AI tool, over MCP | Rows MCP | Not listed | To read data | Not listed | Claude |
| Several clients from one sign-in | One entity at a time | ||||
| Post data back to the books | After review in Excel | No, read-only | Not yet, listed as coming | From Google Sheets | No, read-only |
| Capture bills and receipts | Capture mode | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | No |
| AI assistant inside the spreadsheet | AI Assist | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | No |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card | Demo on request | 14 days, no card | Free with Xero |
From each tool’s own website, help pages and marketplace listings. Not listed: not mentioned there. We don’t list other tools’ prices, because they change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Rows vs XO Report
XO Report alternative: an Excel add-in that posts back to Xero
XO Report puts live Xero data into Excel or Google Sheets, so you can build profit and loss reports, board packs and management accounts across several Xero entities without exporting. It is read-only and works with Xero only.
Rows covers the same reporting in Excel, then goes further. You can post manual journals, invoices, bills and contacts back to Xero from the same workbook, keep clients on QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books under one sign-in, and ask questions in AI Assist or from your own AI tool over Rows MCP.
See Rows for XeroChoose XO Report if
- You only use Xero
- You only need to read the figures
- Some of your team works in Google Sheets
Choose Rows if
- You also post journals, invoices or bills back to Xero
- Some clients are on QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books
- You want AI in Excel or in your own AI tool
- You capture supplier bills
Rows vs LiveFlow
LiveFlow alternative for Excel
LiveFlow brings live Xero and QuickBooks Online reports into a spreadsheet and offers an MCP connection so an AI tool can read your data. Posting changes back to the ledger is listed as coming rather than live, Excel for Windows and Mac is not listed, and you book a demo rather than start a trial.
Rows runs in Excel for Windows and Mac and posts back to Xero and QuickBooks Online today, with 17 Xero and 11 QuickBooks Online editors that check your entries before anything is sent. It also reads Zoho Books, and you can start a 14-day free trial with no card and no demo.
See Rows for QuickBooks OnlineChoose LiveFlow if
- Your team works in Google Sheets
- You only need to read Xero or QuickBooks Online data
Choose Rows if
- You work in Excel for Windows or Mac
- You need to post back to Xero or QuickBooks Online today
- Some clients are on Zoho Books
- You want to try it yourself before talking to sales
Rows vs G-Accon
G-Accon alternative for Excel
G-Accon is built into Google Sheets. It syncs both ways with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreshBooks, and offers consolidation and scheduled refreshes. It doesn’t work in Excel, and no AI assistant or MCP connection is listed.
If your team works in Excel, Rows gives you live Xero, QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books reports in your own workbooks, posting back to Xero and QuickBooks Online after review, AI Assist inside Excel and Rows MCP for any AI tool.
Choose G-Accon if
- Your team works in Google Sheets
- You also use Sage or FreshBooks
Choose Rows if
- Your team works in Excel
- Some clients are on Zoho Books
- You want AI in Excel or in your own AI tool
- You capture supplier bills
Rows MCP vs Xero’s connector
Xero’s connector is free. Do you need Rows MCP?
Xero’s connector in Claude is free with a Xero subscription, read-only and one Xero entity at a time. Rows MCP works with any AI tool, answers across all your clients on Xero, QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books in one question, and keeps the same figures in Excel to check before anything posts. The full comparison, row by row, is on its own page.
Rows vs Xero MCP in fullChoose Xero’s connector if
- You only use Xero
- You work with one entity at a time
- You only need to read the figures
- You don’t need Excel
Choose Rows MCP if
- You look after many clients
- Clients are on more than one ledger
- You want the figures in Excel to check
- You use Xero Practice Manager
- You report on a group of entities as one
Built-in exports
Or just export to Excel?
Xero, QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books all export reports to Excel for free. That works for a one-off job. For month end it means a new file for every client, every month, out of date as soon as the books change.
Each export is a snapshot. Rows reports refresh in one click, or every time you open the workbook.
Exports and imports run per entity. Rows holds every client under one sign-in.
QuickBooks Online imports mean preparing and uploading a file each time, and Spreadsheet Sync comes only with Advanced and Intuit Accountant Suite. Rows editors work on every plan.
How to choose
How to choose an Excel add-in for your accounting software
Which ledgers do your clients use?
If everyone is on Xero, a Xero-only tool can work. If you also have QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books clients, one tool for all of them saves a second subscription and a second way of working.
Excel or Google Sheets?
Most month end packs and models live in Excel. Check the tool runs in Excel for Windows and Mac, not only in Google Sheets.
Read only, or post back too?
Reporting tools read your books. If you also key journals, accruals or bills, look for posting back with checks before anything is sent.
How many entities?
For practices, the question is whether you can pull and refresh every client from one sign-in and one workbook.
Do you want AI on top?
Some tools add an assistant in the spreadsheet; some connect your AI tool over MCP. Rows does both.
Can you try it first?
Look for a free trial you can start yourself, ideally with no card, and test it on a real month end.
Questions
Questions before you choose.
What is the best Excel add-in for Xero?
It depends on the job. For read-only Xero reports in Excel, XO Report does that. If you also post journals, invoices and bills back to Xero, keep clients on QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books, or want AI in Excel and in your own AI tool, Rows covers all of it from one sign-in.
Is there an Excel add-in for QuickBooks Online that posts back?
Yes. Rows posts journal entries, invoices, bills, customers, vendors and more to QuickBooks Online from Excel, with 11 editors on every QuickBooks Online plan. It checks that debits equal credits and asks you to confirm before anything is sent.
Can I connect Xero and QuickBooks Online in one place?
With Rows, yes. One sign-in holds your Xero, QuickBooks Online and Zoho Books entities, and you switch between them in the Rows pane in Excel.
Does Rows work in Google Sheets?
No. Rows is an add-in for Excel for Windows and Mac. If your team works in Google Sheets, XO Report, LiveFlow or G-Accon are worth a look.
Do these tools work with Zoho Books?
Of the tools on this page, only Rows lists Zoho Books. Rows pulls more than 70 Zoho Books reports into Excel and refreshes them in one click. Posting back to Zoho Books isn’t available yet.
Can I try Rows before I switch?
Yes. Start a 14-day free trial with no card. Every integration and template works in the trial, so you can rebuild one month end pack before you decide.
Try it on one month end.
14-day free trial, no card needed.
Online sign-up opens on 20 November. Until then, email support@rowsapp.com.