Xero Project Alternatives gives finance teams a starting point for job tracking: time, expenses, invoicing. But for construction firms or any project-led business, it can feel more like a bolt-on than a backbone.
It lacks key functionality:
- No live view of committed spend vs actuals
- No PO to delivery to invoice matching
- No link between site, commercial, and finance teams
According to a recent report by Construction News, over 60% of contractors say their finance teams still rely heavily on spreadsheets to track job costs. In that environment, errors creep in, margins disappear, and admin piles up.
If you’re serious about protecting margins and controlling costs, it’s time to look beyond Xero Projects. Here are four solid Xero Project alternatives, including options for both construction and broader project-led firms.
1) LiveCosts
Best for: Construction firms needing live cost tracking, real-time valuations, and reduced admin.
Pros:
- Tailored for construction workflows (labour, plant, materials, subcontractors)
- Seamless Xero, Sage, QuickBooks integration
- Auto-matches invoices to POs and deliveries
- Live dashboards of job budgets, spend, and profitability
- Fast setup – go live in a day
- Used by 400+ UK and Irish construction firms
Cons:
- Construction-focused; less suited to non-project businesses
- Not a full ERP system (no CRM/HR modules)
Read more: LiveCosts for Construction
2) QuickBooks Online Projects
Best for: SMEs already using QuickBooks who want better job cost tracking.
Pros:
- Built into QuickBooks – no extra tools to learn
- Tracks income, expenses, and time by job
- Simple profitability reports
- Familiar interface for finance teams
Cons:
- No committed cost tracking or PO workflows
- Doesn’t suit complex, multi-stage projects
- No real-time collaboration between teams
Read more: QuickBooks Projects Overview
3) Zoho Books + Zoho Projects
Best for: Project firms needing time, billing and job costing.
Pros:
- Strong time tracking and forecasting tools
- Integrated billing, tasks, and project budgets
- Custom alerts on budget overruns
- Modular setup – scale as needed
- Competitive pricing and cloud-based
Cons:
- Interface can feel too technical for site teams
- No built-in PO or subcontractor invoice matching
- More setup time required
Explore: Zoho Projects and Zoho Books
4) Scoro
Best for: Project-led firms needing full financial oversight – especially outside of construction.
Pros:
- Real-time dashboards on project profitability
- Forecasting, utilisation, and resource planning
- Xero and QuickBooks integration
- Built-in quoting, tasks, billing, and reporting
- Used by consultancies, creative agencies, and service firms globally
Cons:
- Expensive compared to lighter tools
- Setup and training can take time
- Not designed for construction workflows
More info: Scoro Features
If you’re struggling with spreadsheets, missed costs, or late valuations, Xero Projects likely isn’t giving your finance team the control they need. You’re not alone – 7 in 10 construction firms report issues with job costing and project profitability visibility.
- LiveCosts is your best bet for construction: real-time job costs, PO tracking, invoice matching, and instant insights.
- QuickBooks Projects suits smaller firms already in the QuickBooks world.
- Zoho Projects works well for time-and-materials-based billing across multiple jobs.
- Scoro is best for high-volume, service-heavy firms that want all project, resource, and finance data in one system.
These Xero Project alternatives can give your finance team the control, visibility, and efficiency Xero Projects struggles to deliver.
