Billing & Invoicing Software · Accounting Software

Xero vs QuickBooks Online

Both are billing & invoicing software and accounting software. The short answer: choose Xero if you are small businesses and accountants in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; choose QuickBooks Online if you are small businesses in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

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Xero logo XeroQuickBooks Online logo QuickBooks Online
Best forSmall businesses and accountants in the UK, Australia and New ZealandSmall businesses in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
Free planNo (trial may exist)No (trial may exist)
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesBilling & Invoicing Software, Accounting SoftwareBilling & Invoicing Software, Accounting Software
Strengths
  • Clean, fast reconciliation
  • Unlimited users on plans
  • Big integration marketplace
  • Large accountant and app ecosystem
  • Strong reporting
  • Good bank integrations
Watch out for
  • Payroll availability depends on country
  • Lower plans cap some transactions
  • Availability and features vary by country
  • Costs rise with add-ons
Visit XeroVisit QuickBooks Online

Which should you choose?

Xero: Cloud accounting platform known for bank reconciliation, invoicing and a large app marketplace.

QuickBooks Online: Widely used cloud accounting software with invoicing, expenses, bank feeds and an accountant ecosystem.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all billing & invoicing software compared.