Lejar vs Xero for Malaysian businesses
Xero is a proven global platform. Lejar is built for Malaysia from the ground up, with the MPERS chart of accounts, bi-monthly SST-02 generation, and up to 6 company ledgers included on Pro under one subscription price. Here is what actually differs in the Malaysian market.
Lejar's AI Inbox drafts the journal entry from a receipt or bill, line item by line item, and you approve it before it posts. Business covers up to 3 company ledgers at RM89 per month and Pro up to 6 at RM169 per month (then RM25 per extra ledger a month), while Xero charges a separate USD-denominated plan for every company, so three Sdn Bhd companies run roughly RM700 per month on Xero, before currency conversion, against RM89 on Lejar Business.
Lejar vs Xero, side by side
| Area | Lejar | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription model | Multiple entities under one plan; Pro covers up to 6 entities (RM25/mo per extra ledger) | A separate paid subscription per organisation |
| Note on Subscription model: Three Sdn Bhd companies on Xero run roughly RM700/mo vs RM89/mo on Lejar Business. | ||
| Pricing currency | Ringgit (MYR) | US Dollars; the Xero Malaysia pricing page lists the region as USD |
| Note on Pricing currency: Xero subscribers carry FX movement and conversion costs each billing cycle. | ||
| Free plan | Permanent free tier: one entity, bank import, invoices, P&L, balance sheet | No permanent free plan; 30-day trial only |
| Note on Free plan: Xero's cheapest paid plan in Malaysia is Lite at around USD 7/mo (limited features). | ||
| Entry paid price (like-for-like Starter tier) | RM39/month (Starter), annual billing gives two months free | Around USD 29/month standard, with a promotional rate for new sign-ups |
| Note on Entry paid price (like-for-like Starter tier): Compared at the Starter tier; Xero Lite is cheaper but more limited. | ||
| MPERS chart of accounts | Built in and pre-loaded, MASB-aligned | Not pre-loaded; manual setup or a third-party CSV template |
| Note on MPERS chart of accounts: Local partners publish workaround MPERS templates for Xero. | ||
| SST-02 return generation | Bi-monthly SST-02 generated from your records (Starter and above) | SST rate tracking and reports; the SST-02 is filed manually via MySST |
| Note on SST-02 return generation: You still submit and pay through the RMCD MySST portal in both cases. | ||
| MyInvois (LHDN) e-invoicing | Live, free on every plan including Free | Supported on paid plans via the Invoici Peppol access point it integrates with |
| Note on MyInvois (LHDN) e-invoicing: Xero is an MDEC-accredited Peppol-Ready Solution Provider, a real edge if you specifically need Peppol network connectivity; both platforms submit MyInvois e-invoices to LHDN. | ||
| Malaysian bank connectivity | PDF statement import for major Malaysian banks (manual upload) | Live direct feeds for CIMB and RHB; no live feed for Maybank |
| Note on Malaysian bank connectivity: Xero's live feeds auto-update but cover fewer banks; import is manual but broader. | ||
| Multi-currency accounting | Included from the Starter plan (RM39/month) | On the Premium plan only (around USD 75/month standard) |
| Note on Multi-currency accounting: Lejar's multi-currency entry point is substantially lower in Ringgit terms. | ||
| Consolidated group reporting | Up to 3 companies under one login on Business (RM89/month), 6 on Pro (RM169/month); combined group reports are on the roadmap | Via a third-party add-on, not the base plans |
| Inventory | On Business and Pro: stock tracking with FIFO or moving-average costing, locations, stocktakes, write-downs, and COGS journals you approve | Tracked inventory on every plan (average cost, COGS posted on invoicing); advanced Inventory Plus is US-only |
| Note on Inventory: Xero includes basic tracking on all plans; Lejar gates stock on Business and Pro but adds FIFO, locations, and stocktakes. | ||
| AI assistant | Ask Lejar, built in | JAX, rolling out by region |
| Note on AI assistant: Availability of Xero's assistant varies by market. | ||
| App marketplace and integrations | New product with core integrations | A mature marketplace of 800+ third-party apps |
| Note on App marketplace and integrations: Xero's ecosystem breadth is a genuine advantage for businesses needing wide connectivity. | ||
Why Malaysian teams pick Lejar
- One subscription for your companies, not a plan each
Lejar Business at RM89 per month covers up to 3 company ledgers, and Pro at RM169 per month up to 6 (then RM25 per extra ledger a month). Xero requires a separate paid plan per organisation, with only a partial discount when several organisations share one subscriber email. A group with three Sdn Bhd companies on Xero typically pays in the region of RM700 per month at current exchange rates, and the gap widens with every entity you add.
- Ringgit pricing with no FX exposure
Lejar prices entirely in Ringgit. Xero Malaysia bills in US Dollars, so subscribers carry exchange-rate movement and conversion costs on every billing cycle. There is no MYR option published on Xero.
- MPERS and SST-02 built in, not configured after the fact
Lejar ships with a pre-loaded MPERS-aligned chart of accounts and generates the bi-monthly SST-02 return from your records on the Starter plan and above. Xero does not pre-load an MPERS chart of accounts, and while it tracks SST rates and produces SST reports, the SST-02 form itself is filed manually through the RMCD MySST portal.
- A permanent free plan for micro-businesses
Lejar has a free tier that covers one company ledger, bank-statement import, invoices, bills, and the profit-and-loss and balance sheet, with no trial expiry. Xero has no permanent free plan; its cheapest paid plan in Malaysia is the Lite tier at around USD 7 per month, with a 30-day trial on the higher tiers.
- Move off Xero with a built-in import tool
Lejar includes a dedicated Xero data-import tool: a guided matching step maps your Xero accounts onto the MPERS chart, then your opening balances and open accounts-receivable and accounts-payable items come across. A Xero trial balance exports in ringgit only, so foreign-currency opening figures are entered in a short guided step afterwards. Switching does not mean rebuilding your books from scratch.
- Line-item AI extraction, not manual entry
Lejar's AI Inbox reads a receipt or bill and drafts the journal entry, with quantity, unit price, and SST extracted line by line, then holds it in a review queue until you approve it. Xero's line-item AI extraction for Malaysia is not documented in the sources we verified, so getting a document into a transaction commonly means manual entry or a separate OCR add-on.
Lejar vs Xero: common questions
How much does Xero cost for multiple companies in Malaysia?
Xero requires a separate subscription for each legal entity. At Xero’s Standard rate of around USD 50 per month per organisation, three Sdn Bhd companies cost roughly RM700 per month at current exchange rates, before any promotional discount. Lejar Business covers up to 3 company ledgers for RM89 per month, and Pro up to 6 for RM169 per month (then RM25 per extra ledger a month).
Does Xero bill in Ringgit or US Dollars in Malaysia?
Xero Malaysia bills in US Dollars; its pricing page lists the region in USD, with no Ringgit option. Malaysian subscribers pay currency-conversion costs on every cycle and carry exchange-rate movement. Lejar prices entirely in Ringgit.
Does Xero generate SST-02 returns in Malaysia?
Xero tracks SST rates and produces SST summary and audit reports, but it does not generate or submit the SST-02 form to the RMCD MySST portal; that step is manual. Lejar generates the bi-monthly SST-02 return from your records on the Starter plan and above. You still submit and pay through MySST in both cases.
Does Xero support MyInvois e-invoicing, and does Lejar?
Both do. Xero supports MyInvois e-invoicing on its paid plans at no separate add-on cost, connecting to LHDN through the Invoici Peppol access point it integrates with, and Xero is an MDEC-accredited Peppol-Ready Solution Provider, a real edge if you specifically need Peppol network connectivity. Lejar also submits MyInvois e-invoices directly to LHDN, free on every plan including Free, after a one-time appointment of Iterate Ventures Sdn. Bhd. as your MyInvois intermediary.
Does Xero have a free plan in Malaysia?
No. Xero offers a 30-day free trial but no permanent free plan, and its cheapest paid plan is Lite at around USD 7 per month with limited features. Lejar offers a permanent free plan covering one company ledger, bank-statement import, invoices, bills, and the profit-and-loss and balance sheet, with no expiry.
Does Lejar support MPERS accounting standards?
Yes. Lejar ships with a pre-loaded MPERS-aligned chart of accounts based on MASB requirements. Xero does not pre-load an MPERS chart of accounts for Malaysian organisations; its default setup uses a generic global template that must be reconfigured or imported from a third-party template.
Can I migrate my data from Xero to Lejar?
Yes. Lejar includes a built-in Xero data-import tool: it walks you through matching your Xero accounts onto the MPERS chart, then brings over your opening balances and your open accounts-receivable and accounts-payable items, so you do not rebuild your books by hand. A Xero trial balance exports in ringgit only, so foreign-currency opening figures are entered in a short guided step after the import.
Is Lejar suitable for a holding company with several Sdn Bhd subsidiaries?
Yes. Lejar Pro at RM169 per month is built for this structure: up to 6 company ledgers (then RM25 per extra), multi-currency accounting, fixed-asset depreciation, and API access under one subscription, with combined group reports on the roadmap. Xero requires a separate paid plan for each entity and consolidated reporting through a third-party add-on.