# QuickBooks vs Xero

Source: https://nachonacho.com/compare/quickbooks-vs-xero

Choose QuickBooks if you want a free starting tier or project profitability tools on its Plus plan; choose Xero if you need unlimited users without moving to a higher plan. Both offer online accounting, mobile apps, invoicing, bank reconciliation, and integrations. The deciding differences are user limits, entry-plan limits, and which paid plan includes the tools you need.

## At a glance

| | QuickBooks | Xero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Users | Free 1; Simple Start 1; Essentials 3; Plus 5; Advanced 25. | Unlimited on all plans. |
| Standard monthly price | Simple Start $38; Essentials $85; Plus $140; Advanced $340. | Early $27; Growing $59; Established $97. |
| Free option | Free plan: $0 per month. | One-month free trial. |
| Entry-plan invoice limit | Free: 2 monthly; paid-plan limit not published. | Early: 20 monthly; Growing and Established: unlimited. |
| Entry-plan bill limit | Not published | Early: 5 monthly. |
| Project tracking | Project profitability on Plus and Advanced. | Time and project costs on Established. |
| Multicurrency | Essentials, Plus and Advanced. | Established. |
| Inventory | Inventory tracking on Plus and Advanced. | Inventory on every plan; Inventory Plus optional on Growing and Established. |
| Payroll | Optional payroll add-on. | Optional Xero Payroll powered by Gusto. |
| Integrations | Intuit App Marketplace for third-party apps. | Xero App Store with 1,000-plus apps. |
| Platforms | Web browser; iOS and Android apps. | Web browser; iOS and Android apps. |
| Support | Chat on Free; priority support and training on Advanced. | 24/7 online support on listed plans. |

## Which to choose

### Choose QuickBooks if

- Solo businesses that can work within the QuickBooks Free tier
- Teams of up to five users that want project profitability on Plus
- Businesses that want inventory tracking on Plus

### Choose Xero if

- Teams that need unlimited accounting users
- Businesses sending no more than 20 invoices and entering no more than five bills monthly on Early
- Businesses seeking multicurrency accounting and project tracking on Established

## Verdict

QuickBooks is the better fit for a solo business that can use its free tier, or a business that wants project profitability and inventory tracking on Plus. Xero is the better fit for a team that wants unlimited users on any plan, provided its Early plan’s invoice and bill limits—or the cost of moving to Growing—work for that business. Neither is the better choice for everyone; compare the plan you would actually buy, not just the starting price.

## Questions

### Is QuickBooks or Xero cheaper?

QuickBooks publishes a $0 Free plan and paid plans starting at $38 per month. Xero’s published standard paid price starts at $27 per month. Those starting options have different features and limits, so compare the plans that cover your actual workload.

### Which is better for a team with several accounting users?

Xero is the better fit if unlimited users are the deciding factor: it includes them on all plans. QuickBooks lists one user on Simple Start, three on Essentials, five on Plus and 25 on Advanced.

### What limits apply to the lowest-cost options?

QuickBooks Free permits two invoices per month and one connected bank account. Xero Early permits 20 invoices and five bills per month. QuickBooks does not publish a paid Simple Start invoice limit on its pricing page.

### Can QuickBooks and Xero track project costs?

QuickBooks lists project profitability on Plus and Advanced. Xero lists project time and cost tracking on Established. Choose based on the project tools you need and the price of the plan that includes them.

### Which plans support multiple currencies?

QuickBooks Online supports multicurrency transactions on Essentials, Plus and Advanced. Xero lists multicurrency on Established.

### Is payroll included?

Neither vendor lists payroll as part of the base accounting subscription in this comparison. QuickBooks offers payroll as an optional addition; Xero lists optional Xero Payroll powered by Gusto, with separate pricing.

### Do both products work on a phone?

Yes. QuickBooks and Xero both publish iOS and Android accounting apps. Mobile features may differ from what each product offers in a web browser.

### Are the discounts on this page NachoNacho discounts?

No marketplace discount is included in the plan prices shown here. The prices are the vendors’ published standard monthly prices; promotional prices and NachoNacho offer terms should be checked separately before subscribing.

## Product pages

- QuickBooks: https://nachonacho.com/product/quickbooks
- Xero: https://nachonacho.com/product/xero