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Accounting

QuickBooks vs Xero: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of QuickBooks and Xero. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Xero starts at $25/mo, making it $10/mo cheaper than QuickBooks ($35/mo). Neither offers a free plan.

Last updated: June 1, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated June 1, 2026
Try QuickBooks freeAffiliateTry Xero freeAffiliatePrice updated 14d agoPrice updated 8d ago
Best Value

Xero - Xero starts at $10/mo lower ($25/mo vs $35/mo).

QuickBooks vs Xero: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureQuickBooksXero
Starting Price$35/mo$25/mo
Number of Plans43
Free TierNoNo
Pricing Modelper-seatper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Xero is the more affordable option, starting at $25/mo compared to QuickBooks' $35/mo. Both are Accounting tools with 7 combined pricing plans and 43 features compared.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Accounting needs.

Pricing Plans
QuickBooks
QuickBooks
Try freeAffiliate
Xero
Xero
Try freeAffiliate
Tier 1
Simple Start
$35/month
$420 / year
Includes
  • 1 user
  • Income & expenses
  • Invoicing
  • Basic reports
  • Mileage tracking
Start with Simple Start
Early
$25/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Send quotes and 20 invoices†
  • Accept online invoice payments^
  • 5 bills
  • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Capture bills and receipts with Hubdoc
  • View real-time reports
  • W-9 + 1099 management
  • Sales tax
  • Visualize performance with basic graphs
  • 30 day cash flow forecast
  • Make online bill payments††
Start with Early
Tier 2
EssentialsPopular
$65/month
$780 / year
Includes
  • 3 users
  • Bill management
  • Time tracking
  • Multi-currency
  • Enhanced reports
Start with Essentials
Growing
$55/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Send invoices and quotes
  • Automate bill entry and track bills
  • Auto-reconcile bank transactions (Beta)
  • Visualize performance with graphs
  • 60 day cash flow forecast
  • Customize performance dashboards
  • Tailored financial health scorecards
Start with Growing
Tier 3
Plus
$99/month
$1188 / year
Includes
  • 5 users
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project profitability
  • Class & location tracking
Start with Plus
Established
$90/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 180 day cash flow forecast
  • Analyze KPIs and ratios
  • Use multiple currencies
  • Track projects
  • Claim expenses
  • Benchmark against the industry
Start with Established
Tier 4
Advanced
$235/monthCheapest
$2820 / year
Includes
  • 25 users
  • Batch invoicing
  • Custom user roles
  • Dedicated support
  • Workflow automation
Start with Advanced
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QuickBooks

Cloud accounting software for small businesses covering invoicing, bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll

View all QuickBooks plans

Xero

Cloud-based accounting platform with unlimited users on every plan, designed for small businesses and accountants

View all Xero plans

Frequently Asked Questions: QuickBooks vs Xero

Is QuickBooks cheaper than Xero for accounting?
QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $15/month; Xero Standard is $17/month (annual billing). Both are similarly priced at entry level. QuickBooks Plus ($40/month) vs Xero Advanced ($80/month) shows QuickBooks is half the price for mid-tier users. For small businesses, QuickBooks is generally cheaper; for larger teams needing advanced features, costs converge or favor QuickBooks.
What are the main cost differences between QuickBooks and Xero?
QuickBooks charges per business file (you need separate subscriptions for multiple companies). Xero includes multiple company support at higher tiers. QuickBooks' Simple Start is cheap ($15/mo) but limited; Xero's Standard tier ($17/mo) is more feature-rich. QuickBooks can be cheaper for sole proprietors; Xero scales better for growing accountancy firms managing multiple clients.
Which is cheaper for a small contractor with one business?
QuickBooks Simple Start ($15/month) is the cheapest option. Xero Standard ($17/month) is $2 more but includes unlimited invoices and users. For simple bookkeeping, QuickBooks is slightly cheaper. For teams or if you'll outgrow it quickly, Xero is better value at $2/month premium with more features included.
Does either offer a free accounting software tier?
Neither QuickBooks Online nor Xero offers a free tier-both require paid subscription from day one. QuickBooks Online has a 30-day free trial. Xero offers a 30-day free trial. Both are paid from go-live. For truly free accounting, Wave (owned by Waveapps) is an alternative, but its features are more limited than QuickBooks or Xero.
Which is better value for multiple company management?
Xero Advanced ($80/month) manages unlimited companies in one subscription. QuickBooks requires separate subscriptions per company ($15 × number of companies). For accountants managing 10+ client files, Xero is dramatically cheaper. QuickBooks is better for solo businesses; Xero is better for firms.
AI Recommendations

Sources

  1. QuickBooks Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
  2. Xero Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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