Wafeq vs Xero for UAE businesses
Wafeq is MoF-accredited (no. 129932), so you send compliant e-invoices straight from the app. On Xero, you need to set up Casim, a separate provider, in EmaraTax.
14 days free, no credit card needed
Built for UAE compliance from day one
E-invoicing readyOn the UAE Ministry of Finance register, no. 129932.- One appCreate invoices and send them to the FTA from one app, with no provider to appoint.
- From AED 57/monthCovers e-invoicing, VAT returns and Corporate Tax, billed in dirhams.
- Unlimited usersAdd your whole team on any plan.
- 18,000+ companies
- 4.8 average rating
- 1st UAE-built Peppol-certified accounting software
- Arabic-first support
How they compare
Both send UAE e-invoices. Wafeq does it as the accredited provider, bills you in dirhams, and builds in what Xero leaves to apps.
UAE compliance
Who holds the accreditation
A provider you appoint (Casim)
Wafeq itself, MoF no. 129932
UAE e-invoicing
Available, through Casim
Native, Peppol certified, PINT AE
UAE VAT return
Available
Exact FTA format, from Starter
Takeaway: both send UAE e-invoices. The difference is who holds the accreditation: Wafeq itself, or a provider you appoint.
What you actually pay
For a Dubai trading company: 8 users, multi-currency, VAT + Corporate Tax, sending and receiving e-invoices, 300 invoices/month.
Plan for this business
Premium, USD 82 ≈ AED 301/month
Plus, AED 80/month
Multi-currency
Premium only, USD 82/month
Every plan, from AED 57/month
Billing currency
USD only, plus FX and card fees
AED
Total, AED/year
≈ AED 3,611 + FX
AED 960
Takeaway: for this business, Xero costs almost 4× more a year. Its plans are priced in US dollars (converted at 3.67), before FX and cross-border card fees.
What you’d add to Xero
Payroll
Basic pay records; apps for the rest
Included, with employee expense claims
Manufacturing
Up to 4,000 items; apps for the rest
Bills of materials, production orders
Amortization & revenue recognition
Through an app from the Xero App Store
Native schedules in the ledger
Group consolidation
Through an app, such as Syft or Joiin
Built in, with intercompany eliminations
Cost centres and projects
Up to two tracking categories
Cost centres and projects, built in
Custom fields
Through apps from the Xero App Store
On documents and line items
Bill and receipt capture
Through Hubdoc, a separate app
AI inbox, via email or WhatsApp
Exchange rates
Market rates, or set by hand
Pulled from the UAE Central Bank
Takeaway: on Xero, payroll, manufacturing, amortization, revenue recognition and consolidation are each an app to add and connect. In Wafeq, they are one product.
Credentials, side by side
Xero
Third-party ASP- MoF register
- Through Casim A provider you appoint in EmaraTax
- Generates PINT AE
- Through Casim
- Transmits to the FTA
- Over Peppol, through Casim
- UAE VAT return
- Available
Wafeq FZ-LLC
Accredited- MoF register
- No. 129932 Granted 23 Sep 2026
- Generates PINT AE
- Native
- Transmits to the FTA
- Over Peppol
- UAE VAT return
- Exact FTA format
Verified on the MoF register, no. 129932
How your invoice reaches the FTA
Xero
Invoici
Casim
FTA
Xero sends your invoices through Invoici, its e-invoicing platform, and then Casim, an accredited provider you appoint in EmaraTax.
- Wafeq
- FTA
Wafeq serves as both the accounting software and the accredited provider.
Which software is right for you?
Freelancer or solo consultant
Starter · AED 57/month
Everything a one-person business needs to stay compliant.
- UAE VAT return in the exact FTA format
- Billed in dirhams, no FX fees
- Unlimited invoices and users
Small retailer or F&B
Premium · AED 200/month
Stock, sales channels and compliance in one place.
- Inventory and warehouses
- Foodics, Salla and Wio integrations
- Everything in Starter, including e-invoicing
Accounting firm
Wafeq for accountants
Run every client from one place, on an MoF-accredited provider from day one.
- Multi-client dashboard
- Centralised billing in the firm’s name
- 60+ granular permissions
Multi-entity group
Premium · AED 200/month
Run every entity from one login.
- Multiple organisations under one login
- Consolidated statements
Enterprise finance team
Enterprise · Custom pricing
Connect your ERP and automate payables at scale.
- ERP e-invoicing API
- AP automation and advanced reconciliation
- A named account manager
Moving from Xero to Wafeq
- 01Export from XeroYouAccounts, contacts, items, open invoices and your trial balance, as CSV.
- 02We map and upload itOur teamAccounts aligned, UAE tax rates set, cost centres and branches created, and opening balances posted to your cut-off.
- 03Issue your first FTA invoiceYou · typically the same weekOn an MoF-accredited provider from day one.
What transfers
| Data | Transfers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chart of accounts | Yes | Custom mapping where structures differ |
| Contacts | Yes | Full history |
| Items | Yes | Products and services |
| Open invoices and bills | Yes | As live documents, ageing preserved |
| Historical invoices | Yes | As historical records |
| Opening balances | Yes | To your chosen cut-off date |
| Tracking categories | Remapped | Become Wafeq cost centres or projects |
| Bank feed connections | No | Re-authorise in Wafeq — a few minutes per account |
| Xero apps | Rebuilt | Rebuilt through Zapier or the REST API. Our team inventories them with you before the move |
| Fixed asset register | Check | Bring the register; depreciation schedules are rebuilt in Premium |
Invoicing continuity: keep issuing from Xero until opening balances are signed off, then cut over on a date boundary — month end, or VAT period end if you are mid-period.
Pricing
All the essential tools for accounting and compliance
Need more? Enterprise plans add the ERP e-invoicing API, AP automation, the advanced reconciliation engine and a named account manager. Contact sales
Want to keep your current software? We can connect it to UAE e-invoicing as your accredited provider. See our ASP product
Frequently asked questions
Is Xero compliant with UAE e-invoicing?
Yes. Xero includes UAE e-invoicing and VAT returns on its Starter, Standard and Premium plans, and sends invoices through Casim, an accredited service provider each customer appoints in EmaraTax. Wafeq is the accredited provider itself, MoF no. 129932, so your accounting software and your e-invoicing provider are one company.
Which is cheaper, Wafeq or Xero?
For a business that needs multi-currency, Wafeq. Multi-currency is on every Wafeq plan from AED 57/month; on Xero it needs Premium at USD 82/month, about AED 301. Xero also bills in US dollars, so FX and a cross-border card fee apply to every renewal.
Can I migrate from Xero to Wafeq?
Yes. Chart of accounts, contacts, items, open and historical invoices and opening balances all transfer, and our team does the mapping. Xero tracking categories are remapped to Wafeq cost centres or projects — usually an upgrade, since they become real cost-centre objects. Bank feeds are re-authorised in minutes, and Xero marketplace apps are rebuilt through Zapier or the REST API; we inventory those with you before the move.
What about my Xero apps?
We inventory them with you first — most businesses actively use two or three, not twenty. Rebuilt through Zapier or the REST API.
Will I lose my reconciliation history?
No. Historical transactions import as historical records.
Is there a learning curve?
Sheet view works like Excel.
Downtime?
None. Cut over on a date boundary.
We’re mid-VAT-period.
We cut at the period end, so your return isn’t split across two systems.
Start using Wafeq for free
14 days free, no credit card needed · AED 57–200/month
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