Xero vs QuickBooks Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Xero | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $25/mo | $38/mo |
| Number of plans | 3 | 5 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | flat-rate | per-seat |
Early
- Send quotes and 20 invoices†
- Accept online invoice payments^
- 5 bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with basic graphs
- 30 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
Growing
- Send invoices and quotes
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 60 day cash flow forecast
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
Established
Popular- 180 day cash flow forecast
- Analyze KPIs and ratios
- Use multiple currencies
- Track time and costs for projects
- Employee expense and mileage claims
- Benchmark against the industry
- Make online bill payments (International)
Free
- 1 user
- No accountant access
- Track income and expenses
- Send 2 invoices per month
- Run profit & loss report
- Connect 1 bank
- Chat support
Simple Start
- 1 user
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run general business reports
- Automated bookkeeping
- Invoice and get paid
- Automate bill pay with free ACH
Essentials
- 3 users
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run enhanced reports
- Add employee time to invoices
- Integrate third-party data into KPIs and dashboards
- Collect leads from a custom form on your website
Plus
Popular- 5 users
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run comprehensive reports
- Plan budgets
- Track project profitability
- Track and manage inventory
- Track classes and locations (40)
Advanced
- 25 users
- With access for 3 accountants
- Free 1099 e-filing and approval workflows with Bill Pay Elite**
- Construction financials solution
- Advanced project financials
- Customize user permissions and access
- Automate workflows
- Sync data with Excel
- Batch invoices and expenses
- Get priority support and training
Xero vs QuickBooks FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Xero starts lower at $25/mo, compared to $38/mo for QuickBooks.
- Can I use either one for free?
- QuickBooks has a free plan. Xero doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Xero uses flat-rate pricing, while QuickBooks goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Xero: Xero sits mid-pack against QuickBooks and FreshBooks — not the budget option, not the enterprise play, just a straightforward all-in-one for small business owners who want unlimited users without per-seat penalties. That no-free-trial, no-freemium stance is a bet that the 90%-off intro offer converts better than a trial funnel. QuickBooks: QuickBooks sits at the premium end of small-business accounting software, especially once you're past Simple Start — $85-140/mo is a big step up from competitors like Wave or even FreshBooks at similar tiers. They're leaning on brand trust and accountant ubiquity to justify the premium, targeting businesses that want the default choice their bookkeeper already knows.
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