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XO Report vs Manual Xero Export
Manual CSV export from Xero is free - but is it really? Calculate your true cost and see when automation makes sense.
Manual Export
Strengths
- No subscription cost
- Direct access to raw Xero data
- Full control over what you export
- Works for occasional, simple needs
- No learning curve for new tools
Limitations
- Time-consuming (5-15 minutes per report)
- Data is stale the moment you export
- Risk of copy-paste errors
- Must repeat for each new period
- No formulas - static snapshots only
XO Report
Why Choose XO Report
- Live data that refreshes automatically
- Build reports once, update with one click
- Excel formulas pull fresh data on recalc
- Multi-period comparisons in seconds
- Eliminate manual copy-paste errors
Pricing: Manual export is "free" but costs your time. At $50/hour, 2 hours/month of export work = $100/month - 10x the cost of XO Report.
Choose Manual Export if:
- •You only need Xero data once or twice a year
- •Your reports are very simple (one org, one period)
- •You have team members with time to spare
Choose XO Report if:
- •You update reports weekly or monthly
- •You manage multiple Xero organizations
- •Your time is valuable (and better spent elsewhere)
- •You need accurate, up-to-date data for decisions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is manual export from Xero really free?
There's no subscription cost, but your time has value. If you spend 2 hours/month on exports at $50/hour, that's $100/month - 10x the cost of XO Report's Solo plan.
When does manual export make sense?
Manual export works well if you only need Xero data once or twice a year, or for very simple one-time reports. For regular reporting, automation saves significant time.
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