Fathom
Fathom is a reporting and forecasting platform that connects directly with Xero, pulling your financial data into management reports, three-way cash flow forecasts, and KPI dashboards that go well beyond what Xero's native reports produce
Everything on this page comes from connecting, configuring, and building reports in Fathom with Xero - across advisory clients, franchise groups, multi-entity businesses, and owner-operators who need board-ready numbers without a CFO on payroll. This is what we have learned
What Fathom does
Features
Connect Fathom to Xero and it reads your accounts, budgets, and tracking categories - then turns them into reports and forecasts a business owner can act on Build your templates once. Refresh from Xero each month. Boards and business owners get consistent numbers without anyone rebuilding a spreadsheet
Three-way forecasting
Builds P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow forecasts from a single model. The three-way link is what matters - a cashflow forecast that does not tie to the balance sheet is not worth much
Management reporting
Custom templates for monthly packs, board reports, and investor updates. Pulls direct from Xero so the numbers are always the source of truth - no manual re-entry, no version control headaches
Multi-entity consolidation
Combines multiple Xero organisations into a single consolidated view. Useful for franchise groups, holding structures, and any business running separate Xero files for separate entities
KPI dashboards
Tracks the metrics that matter - not just accounting line items. Revenue per head, gross margin by division, debtor days, cash runway. Configurable per business rather than locked to a template
Benchmarking
Compares your business against industry peers. Useful for owners who want to know whether their margin profile is typical or whether there is a structural problem hiding in the numbers
Divisional analysis
Breaks performance down by tracking category - so a business running multiple locations, departments, or revenue streams can see contribution by division rather than a blended total
Best for
- advisory clients who need more than Xero's standard reports
- business owners focused on cash position, not just profit
- franchise and family groups running multiple Xero organisations
- businesses using tracking categories for divisional reporting
- boards and investors who need structured monthly reporting packs
Integration mapping
Shared data between Xero and Fathom
Fathom reads from Xero - it does not write anything back. There are no two-way syncs and no risk of Fathom changing anything in your accounts. What you see in Fathom is a read-only view of your Xero data, refreshed on each sync
Financial Data
Planning
Organisation
Getting started
How to connect Fathom to Xero
Authorise Fathom with your Xero organisation, let it import your financial data, then configure your KPIs, budgets, and reporting templates
Before you start
- reconcile your Xero file before connecting - Fathom pulls whatever is in Xero, including coding errors
- confirm Xero Advisor access to authorise the connection
- if you want actual vs budget reporting, enter budgets in Xero first - Fathom has no native budgeting tool
- for multi-entity consolidation: Advisor access to each Xero organisation you plan to connect
Create your Fathom account
- go to fathomhq.com Start free trial - 14 days, no credit card required
- choose Business (your own organisation) or Advisor (managing multiple clients) confirm your email to activate
Authorise your Xero organisation
- in Fathom: Add Organisation select Xero
- log in at Xero's authorisation screen select your organisation Allow access - Fathom receives read-only access only
- Fathom imports historical data - allow a few minutes for the initial sync
Things to know
What to watch out for
Fathom is a well-built product, but there are a few things that will catch you out if you go in without knowing them
Your Xero data quality determines everything
Fathom reports on your data, it does not clean it. Messy accounts, inconsistent tracking categories, or unreconciled months produce reports that look polished but mean nothing
Forecasting is powerful but easy to break
There is no undo if you wipe forecast amounts - you start again. Tax variables can drift unexpectedly and driver-based models across multiple departments hit limits fast
Reports are structured, not freeform
The report editor works within Fathom's own building blocks, which suits most users. If you need a custom P&L layout or data from outside Xero, expect workarounds
The balance sheet is the weak link
P&L analysis and KPI reporting are where Fathom earns its place. Balance sheet mappings and ratios lag behind - if your business is asset-heavy or balance-sheet-driven, that gap will matter
Pricing
What Fathom costs
Business owner model
Per Xero organisation - pay per entity you connect
Advisor model
Per advisor seat - unlimited organisations, considerably cheaper for multi-client use
Free trial
14 days, no credit card required
Frequently asked questions