New: HelloTime now integrates with HelloBooks — sync clients, hours, invoices and payroll.
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TL;DR
| Capability | HelloTime | Xero Me |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (entry plan) | AU$3.50 / user / mo (annual) | No separate cost — bundled with Xero PayrollRequires an active Xero plan with Payroll add-on; effective cost is the Xero plan tier. |
| Country focus | AU / IN / Global | AU / NZ / UK |
| STP Phase 2 lodgement | Yes — via HelloBooks Payroll (native sync) | Yes — via Xero Payroll (native handoff inside the same product) |
| Payroll integration depth | Native HelloBooks sync (hours, leave, allowances) | Native Xero Payroll handoff — same vendor, single pay run |
| Project / client time tracking | Yes — projects, tasks, billable / non-billable, utilization reports | Limited — basic timesheet entry; project tracking via Xero Projects (separate add-on) |
| Shift scheduling | Basic shifts and rosters | No — Xero Me is timesheet + leave + payslip only |
| Geofencing / clock-in methods | GPS, web, mobile, kiosk PIN, photo at clock-in | No geofence, no kiosk, no biometric — manual / start-stop timer in app |
| Mobile app | iOS + Android (employee + admin) | iOS + Android (employee-only; admin in Xero web) |
| Leave management | Yes — accruals sync to HelloBooks | Yes — leave requests flow into Xero Payroll accruals |
| AU awards interpretation | Stub — partial, via HelloBooks Payroll | Partial — via Xero Payroll pay templates and earnings rates |
| Accounting integration | Built-in (HelloBooks) — one tenancy, one bill | Built-in (Xero) — same vendor, no connector |
| Standalone use (without paired books) | Yes — works on its own; HelloBooks is optional | No — requires an active Xero + Payroll subscription |
Pricing and feature parity check on 2026-05-13. Vendors update plans frequently — see Xero Me's site for the current list.
No. Xero Me is the employee app for Xero Payroll. It is not sold or used standalone — you need an active Xero subscription with the Payroll add-on for the AU region.
Yes — natively. Approved timesheets, leave balances and allowances flow into HelloBooks Payroll, which lodges STP Phase 2 with the ATO. No CSV bridge.
We export approved timesheets in a Xero-Payroll-compatible format, so customers can keep Xero as the books and payroll engine while moving time tracking off Xero Me. The native, no-connector path is HelloBooks.
Lightly — Xero Me submits time against payroll earnings rates. For project-level reporting, billable / non-billable splits and utilization, Xero customers typically add Xero Projects or a third-party time tool. HelloTime covers all of that natively.
Xero Me itself is bundled into Xero Payroll, so it has no separate per-seat charge. HelloTime starts at AU$3.50 / user / mo (annual). The honest comparison is stack-level: HelloTime + HelloBooks vs Xero (with Payroll) — and the right answer depends on which books and payroll engine you want to live on.
No — Xero Me is a timesheet, leave-request and payslip app. It does not enforce geofences, capture photos at clock-in or run a tablet kiosk. HelloTime supports all three.
If your books are already in Xero and you only need weekly timesheet + leave + payslips, Xero Me is hard to beat — it is bundled. If you need to track project profitability or run shift / kiosk workflows, HelloTime + HelloBooks is the better fit.
HelloTime features
Time tracking, timesheets, productivity insights, leave and approvals — the full product surface.
Learn more →HelloBooks integration
The native payroll sync — STP Phase 2 lodgement, leave accruals and allowances without a connector.
Learn more →Pricing
Per-seat pricing, AU rates, free trial details and volume discounts.
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