The Problem
Why teams leave Xero
User limits force higher tiers
Basic inventory management
Limited customization and automation
Reporting is basic without add-ons
Multi-entity requires separate subscriptions
What We Build Instead
Your custom finance & erp tool
Accounting platform that scales with your growth
Advanced inventory and order management
Multi-entity with consolidated reporting
Custom financial workflows and automations
Advanced reporting and analytics dashboards
Unlimited users on your infrastructure
The Math
Xero vs. custom build
Based on 15 seats at $20/seat/month, with ~10% annual SaaS price increases.
Keep paying Xero
Build with 86 SaaS
3-year savings with 15 seats
-$42,495
-358% less than Xero
Pricing Breakdown
Xero tier pricing vs. one-time custom build
Compare what you pay per seat across Xero's tiers against a single investment in software you own forever.
| Tier | Monthly/Seat | Annual/Seat | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/mo | $13/mo | Invoicing & quotes, Bank connections, 5 invoices/month, Xero app store |
| Standard | $42/mo | $36/mo | Unlimited invoices, Bill payment, Multi-currency, Project tracking |
| Premium | $78/mo | $66/mo | Multi-currency, Expense claims, Projects, Analytics plus |
| Custom Build by 86 SaaS | $25,000–$50,000 one-time | $0/seat | Unlimited users, full ownership, no recurring fees |
Migration Timeline
From Xero to ownership — week by week
A structured migration plan to move off Xero in 6-12 weeks with zero downtime.
Discovery & Audit
1 weekAudit accounting setup, bank connections, and reporting needs
Architecture & Design
1-2 weeksDesign scalable accounting platform with advanced features
Core Development
3-6 weeksBuild accounting engine, invoicing, bank reconciliation, and reporting
Data Migration & Testing
1-2 weeksMigrate chart of accounts, transactions, and validate bank feeds
Deployment & Training
1 weekLaunch platform and train accounting team
Total build time
6-12 weeks
Feature Comparison
What you keep, what you skip, and why
A transparent comparison of Xero features vs. your custom-built alternative.
| Feature | Xero | Custom Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing & Quotes | |||
| Bank Reconciliation | |||
| Accounts Payable | |||
| Multi-currency | |||
| Financial Reporting | |||
| Project Tracking | |||
| Expense Claims | |||
| Payroll Integration | |||
| Xero App Store | Direct integrations for your specific tools | ||
| Multi-entity Support | Full multi-entity without separate subscriptions | ||
| Advanced Reporting | Custom reports without add-on tools |
Your custom build focuses on the features your team actually uses — typically 15-20% of what Xero offers — built exactly for your workflow.
How It Works
From Xero to ownership in 6-12 weeks
Free Audit
We analyze your Xero usage and identify exactly which features your team actually uses.
Scope & Build
We build your custom finance & erp tool with only the features you need. 6-12 weeks.
Deploy & Migrate
We deploy to your infrastructure, migrate your data from Xero, and train your team.
You Own It
Full source code, documentation, and optional maintenance retainer. No vendor lock-in. Ever.