Do I Need Xero and a Stock App, or One System?
Keep Xero and add a stock app, or run stock and books in one system? Plain UK facts on price, per-user fees and limits, checked on each supplier's page.
Do I need Xero and a stock app, or one system? It depends on how much finance work happens inside your accounting tool (bank reconciliation, VAT returns, payroll) and how much time is lost moving orders and stock numbers between tools.
This page sets out the realistic options, the plain facts on price and limits (each checked on the supplier’s own page on 11 Nov 2026), and where OpsMavix fits. Where a custom build is the better route, we say so.
The three realistic options
- Xero on its own. Xero tracks stock on approved invoices and bills. On its inventory page (checked 11 Nov 2026) Xero says it lets you track up to 4,000 items and suits businesses that sell via invoices, use average cost and buy and sell finished goods. It points to apps for manufacturing, FIFO costing and larger product ranges.
- Xero plus an inventory app. Apps such as Unleashed or Cin7 Core run stock, orders and warehouses, then pass invoices and bills to Xero. Xero keeps the ledger, bank feeds and VAT filing.
- One system for stock and accounts. Orders, stock and double-entry books live in one database, so a sale is entered once. OpsMavix ERP is in this group, as are full ERPs such as Odoo or Microsoft Business Central. A custom-built system is a fourth route when none of these fits how you work.
Plain facts compared
Prices are as shown on each supplier’s page on 11 Nov 2026. Unleashed and Cin7 show US dollar prices on the pages we checked; we have not converted them.
| OpsMavix ERP | Xero (UK) | Unleashed | Cin7 Core | OpsMavix custom build | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | £99.99 a month (Core) or £999.99 a year; no VAT added | £18 a month ex VAT (Ignite); 90% off for the first 6 months for new UK customers | $99 a month (Lite) | $349 a month (Standard), monthly only | £4,950 fixed price for one area |
| Per-user fees | None: one price for the company | “No per-user license fees” (some expense and project users are counted) | 3 users included on Lite; extra users $69 a month | 5 users included on Standard; more available, price not shown | None |
| Setup | Five steps, the day you sign up; CSV imports up to 5,000 rows a file | Not stated on the pricing page | Onboarding from $449 (self-service) to $5,549 (full) | Group, one-to-one or partner-led onboarding; fee not shown | Live in 30 days |
| Free trial | 30 days, every feature; card needed, nothing charged before day 30 | Not stated on the pricing page | 14 days, no card needed | Linked; length not stated | Not applicable |
| Your data | Export all records to one file any time, also after the trial | Not covered on the pages checked | Not covered on the pages checked | Not covered on the pages checked | You own the code and the data |
| Bank feeds and VAT filing | Not built yet | Bank reconciliation and “Submit VAT returns to HMRC” included on every plan | Via Xero or another accounting tool | Via Xero or QuickBooks | Built to scope |
| Integrations | Import, export and REST API on every plan; webhooks on Scale | App store | Xero listed under accounting integrations | Xero and QuickBooks included on all plans | Built to scope |
Sources: OpsMavix ERP pricing, OpsMavix ERP setup, Xero UK pricing, Unleashed pricing, Cin7 pricing, OpsMavix custom builds. All checked 11 Nov 2026.
When Xero plus a stock app is the better answer
Keep Xero and add an inventory app when:
- You depend on bank feeds and HMRC VAT filing. Xero lists both on every UK plan. OpsMavix ERP’s books page lists bank feeds, bank reconciliation and VAT return filing to HMRC as not built yet.
- You run more than one stock location. OpsMavix ERP is not ready for more than one stock location. Unleashed lists multi-warehouse management on its Core and Pro plans, and Cin7 Core lists unlimited inventory locations.
- You sell through Shopify or another online shop and need a ready-made connection. OpsMavix ERP has no ready-made shop connection yet.
- You need payroll, multiple currencies or several bank accounts in the books. None of these is built in OpsMavix ERP yet.
The trade-off is the join. Two systems mean two product lists, two sets of users and a sync that can fail. Our guide to where accounting and inventory systems break covers how to reconcile the two.
When one system is the better answer
One system wins when the work between tools is the problem: orders typed twice, stock values that never match the ledger, invoices raised from a spreadsheet.
In OpsMavix ERP, every shipment, invoice, bill, payment, count and work order posts its own double entry as it happens. Here is a hypothetical example of what that means for one sale.
Hypothetical example: you ship 10 units that cost £14 each and invoice them at £25 each plus 20% VAT.
| Document | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Shipment | Cost of goods £140 | Stock £140 |
| Invoice | Receivables £300 | Sales £250, VAT £50 |
The gross profit of £110 shows in the profit and loss report straight away, without anyone re-keying the sale.
On price, the gap grows with headcount. Hypothetically, a five-person team on Unleashed Lite would pay $99 plus 2 × $69 for the extra users, so $237 a month before Xero and onboarding. OpsMavix ERP Core stays at £99.99 a month whoever uses it, or £999.99 a year, which is £199.89 less than twelve monthly payments.
Where OpsMavix fits
OpsMavix ERP fits a small UK wholesaler, online seller with stock, light assembler or service firm that works from one stock location and wants quotes, orders, deliveries, invoices, purchasing, stock and books in one place. The books include profit and loss, balance sheet, trial balance, aged debts, budgets and an eight-week cash forecast. Your accountant works from the statements you download.
Be clear about its limits today. It is not ready for bank feeds or bank reconciliation, VAT returns filed to HMRC, year-end close, more than one bank account or currency, more than one stock location, production planning by capacity, payroll or HR, a shop till, or a ready-made shop connection such as Shopify. OpsMavix ERP is also new: there are no customer stories yet, and its own books page says no accountant has reviewed the posting rules yet. The sample company needs no card, so you can test it with your own scenarios before you decide.
A custom build fits when you need something the ERP does not do yet, such as several warehouses or a specific shop or Xero connection. OpsMavix builds inventory systems at a fixed price, from £4,950 for one area, live in 30 days, with no per-seat fees, and you own the code and data.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Xero if I use an ERP?
Not always. If the ERP’s books cover your reporting and your accountant can work from its exports, you may not. If you need bank feeds or HMRC VAT filing that the ERP lacks, as is the case with OpsMavix ERP today, you will still need an accounting tool or an accountant who handles those.
Can Xero manage stock on its own?
For simple cases, yes. Xero says it tracks up to 4,000 items and suits firms that sell finished goods on invoices using average cost. For manufacturing, FIFO costing or larger ranges, Xero itself points you to apps.
What is the cheapest way to get stock and accounts in one place?
Xero alone is the cheapest if its stock tracking is enough. For a full system with orders, stock and books together, OpsMavix ERP starts at £99.99 a month for the whole company with no per-user fees and a 30-day free trial.
Does OpsMavix ERP connect to Xero?
Its books page does not mention a Xero connection. It offers export files and a REST API on every plan, and webhooks on the Scale plan, so a connection could be built; a fixed-price custom build is the route if you need one now.
Which should a VAT-registered business choose?
If you file VAT yourself through your accounting software, keep that software for now, because OpsMavix ERP does not file VAT returns to HMRC yet. Speak to your accountant about how the VAT figures will reach HMRC before you switch any system.
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