QuickBooks vs Xero 2024: Which Software Is Better for You?

We’re upfront about pricing, and provide full details of our pricing plans and optional extras. Where a feature is listed as an add on (like Xero Payroll, Xero Projects, Xero Expenses and Analytics Plus), its pricing depends on the number of users who use the add on each month. QuickBooks is available both online and via desktop and is ideal for businesses that outsource their accounting tasks to a bookkeeper or accountant.

5 million customers

Compare the features, pricing plans, and add-ons available with both QuickBooks and Xero to find the best accounting solution for your business. FreshBooks is one such option that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s designed specifically for small businesses and offers invoicing, time tracking and expense management. If you’re in the market for accounting software, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there. While Xero and QuickBooks are wildly popular, they’re not the only options available. There are a number of alternative accounting software programs that can offer powerful features and a user-friendly interface.

Manage your cash flow, track expenses, accept payments online, and much more – all without leaving Xero. Xero, FreshBooks and QuickBooks all offer 30-day free trials and extensive features for online support, including a live chat, email support and a knowledge base. All three of these offer the ability to scale their accounting for larger businesses and both Xero and QuickBooks offer specific training for accountants. These companies offer Gusto integration for the same price—$40 per month and $6 per month per person. On the other hand, FreshBooks may be a better fit for freelancers and solopreneurs, as the capabilities are how to create a strategic fundraising plan that you’ll actually stick to easier to navigate. Business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs often spend a large chunk of time on administration and accounting.

It is incredibly user-friendly and easy to navigate, so if you are a sole proprietor looking for basic accounting software, FreshBooks will meet your needs at a relatively low cost. Its basic plan is in line with QuickBooks Simple Start, at $15 per why is a debit a positive month. A Live Bookkeeper cannot begin cleaning up your past books until they receive the required supporting documentation, which your bookkeeper will request from you after your first meeting. Once your bookkeeper receives all the necessary documentation, they’ll typically complete your cleanup within 30 days.

Life before Xero was a nightmare. Using a spreadsheet took a ridiculous amount of time.

To keep things organized, Xero logs every action users make and compiles the history of every transaction. Xero may be harder to learn than a simpler invoicing platform like Square Invoices or Zoho Invoice. Keep in mind that the ability to use multiple currencies in the software and invoice is limited to the company’s highest tier, at $70 per month. If using multiple currencies is a priority to you, consider other platforms that offer this capability at a lower cost. Zoho, for example, is accounting software with a free invoice platform that allows you to bill in multiple currencies.

Xero offers this through Hubdoc so you can access your documents online. QuickBooks offers receipt and document organization with its mobile app tax formula to determine adusted gross income and taxable income from gross income as well as the online version. QuickBooks also offers Payroll, but this service is an additional fee starting at $45 to $125 per month. Xero is a better option for businesses that need to track project profitability.

Features that automate your admin

This is because QuickBooks only allows up to 40 users for its highest-tiered plan, and even then, some plans require every user to pay for their own account. Xero is ideal for businesses that keep a team of bookkeepers or accountants in-house. Although you can track expenses, QuickBooks Simple Start doesn’t enable users to pay bills. FreshBooks starts at $19 per month after the signup discount and incorporates standout features like team roles and time tracking on all plans. The basic plan allows users to send unlimited invoices and estimates and track unlimited expenses up to 5 clients, so if you have more clients than that, you’ll need to upgrade. Unlike many other competitors that cap the number of users per plan (looking at you, QuickBooks), Xero offers unlimited users even on the lowest tier plan.

1. Xero is a cloud-based accounting software product that’s easy to use and integrates with more than 1,000 apps.
2. On the other hand, FreshBooks may be a better fit for freelancers and solopreneurs, as the capabilities are easier to navigate.
3. If your bank doesn’t already have a connection, you can import PDF statements.
4. Its basic plan is in line with QuickBooks Simple Start, at $15 per month.

Unlimited users

This is beneficial to small businesses that need multiple people to be able to log into the accounting software and don’t want to pay extra or upgrade to get more seats. Xero has a mobile app, Xero Expenses, that allows you to snap pictures of receipts and create an expense instead of having to manually enter all the information. This feature is available on all pricing plans; which I appreciate since some accounting software charges extra for mobile receipt capture. Employees can submit a reimbursement request as soon as their receipts are uploaded, and the business owner can track expenses totals by category as they are submitted (Figure C). Xero offers the option to add full service payroll support from Gusto to any plan. This Gusto-Zero integration starts at $40 per month plus $6 per employee.