Another key difference between the two companies is the maximum number of users it allows. Xero has no limit to how many users can access data, whereas QuickBooks limits this to 40 with its Enterprise plan. Xero offers this through Hubdoc so you can access your documents online. QuickBooks offers receipt and document organization with its mobile app as well as the online version. For an additional $50, add a Bookkeeping setup with a Live Bookkeeper.
Some of QuickBooks’ most popular app integrations include the payment app BILL, the line of credit solution Fundbox, and the expense management platform Expensify. Wave Accounting is a free accounting solution for very small service-based businesses, contractors, freelancers and consultants. If you can’t justify paying for QuickBooks Online or Xero or they have too many features your business doesn’t need, Wave might be an ideal alternative. It has comparable invoicing features, but lacks an audit trail and doesn’t integrate with third-party apps. Xero’s financial reporting features start with its interactive reports and budgets, updated in real time throughout the week. You can set specific KPIs, and can jump to detailed transactions when you need more info.
Check out our FreshBooks review if invoicing tools are a top priority for your business. We were especially impressed with Xero’s built-in Gusto payroll integration. When we tested Xero, this seamless integration powered the entirely automatic updating of our accounting records when we ran payroll through Gusto. We also liked Xero’s built-in integrations with the payment processor Stripe, the CRM HubSpot, the email marketing platform Mailchimp and the e-commerce platform Shopify.
Introducing QuickBooks Online
The software must have features that allow users to set sales tax rates, apply them to invoices, and enable users to pay sales tax liability. The A/P section focuses on vendor management, bill management, bill payments, and other payable-related transactions. A/P features include creating vendors and bills, recording purchase orders and converting them to bills, creating service what type of account is the dividends account items, and recording full or partial bill payments. We have an extensive history of reviewing small business accounting software, and we stay up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements. Our first-hand experience, guided by our internal case study, helps us understand how the different products compare with each other and how they work in real-world scenarios.
- FreshBooks can be a good option for freelancers and contractors looking for an affordable, simple accounting software.
- There are no manual uploads needed, and you can set up secure, encrypted feeds from any number of different bank accounts.
- If you pay VAT, work with suppliers or are a growing business, you can take your pick from Essentials (up to 3 users) or Plus (up to 5 users).
- While the two both offer similar features, such as tax management, financial reports, integrated payroll, inventory and file storage, the two are not without their differences.
- Both services are available on all the most common devices and browsers.
A helpful guide on how to invoice overseas customers, for small UK businesses looking to expand internationally. The Online version has a monthly subscription charge, rather than a hefty upfront fee. It’s also cloud-based and designed for use on the move, so you can access it from your laptop, smartphone or other mobile device.
Xero vs. QuickBooks Online: Finding the Right Accounting Solution for You
From the desktop suite, you can set custom rules for categorizing all expenses. You can add billable expenses to the invoices you send clients via mobile or desktop. Xero is also ideal if you’re seeking accounting software that grows with you. All Xero accounts allow unlimited users; many other platforms cap user allotments. You can upgrade to a higher tier when the time is right, not when you meet an arbitrary upper limit.
Run an international business, or planning to expand your operations overseas from the UK? In this guide, we’ll compare Xero and QuickBooks head to head, looking at the pros and cons, features, fees and much more. Every business needs a good system for its accounts, from the smallest startup to the biggest multinational − not to mention freelancers. Help is accessible from any data-entry screen, and a demo company is available for those who want to enter practice transactions without worrying about messing up their own data. Xero’s accounting functionalities are fairly simple to navigate, so it’s likely these resources will be sufficient if and when something goes wrong. All of these things can cause extreme frustration, and you’ll need the assistance of product support to solve these problems.
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It also offers a 30-day free trial so you can test drive the software before committing to a paid plan. If you need to give accounting access to more than five people, Xero could be the better option for you. QuickBooks Online’s most popular Plus plan tops out at five users; its highest-tier Advanced plan allows up to 25 users, but that plan is expensive at $200 per month. In contrast, all Xero plans offer unlimited users and its highest-tier Established plan is a more affordable $70 per month. 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.
You can use QuickBooks to run roughly two dozen prebuilt accounting reports, whether using the mobile or desktop QuickBooks version. Additionally, with QuickBooks Plus and Advanced, you can create custom reports. Across all pricing plans, you can also create custom tags for your reports. For example, you can’t use Xero to accept tips via invoices as you can with QuickBooks. On top of that, you can only convert quotes, not estimates, to invoices in Xero. This disappointed us, but not as much as the narrow client payment options available.
The Contacts category lets you manage all contacts, from customers to suppliers to contractors, from one location. Reporting in Xero is solid, with a variety of financial statements and management reports available. QuickBooks Online’s customer support is better than https://accountingcoaching.online/ Xero’s since you can interact with an agent through a phone call. You can’t initiate a call, but you can submit a ticket and wait for an agent to call you. QuickBooks Online came out on top for features, ease of use, customer support but Xero wins in pricing.
It’s tempting to go for the cheapest plan, but this could mean having to pay extra for the add-on features your business needs. With the QuickBooks app, you can stay on top of all your business finances and accounting from your phone. Available for free on iOS and Android when you’re a QuickBooks Online customer, the app offers instant access to your QuickBooks dashboard, including accounting reports, invoicing and much more. For those on the go, Xero has a mobile app accounting tool for both iOS and Android devices, though the app does not give you access to all of the features found in the full version. You can import data such as customers into Xero, but you’ll have to download the CSV file template in Xero in order to import the data correctly. Xero’s invoice entry screen, seen above, is clean and uncluttered with easy look-up options available for most fields.
We also like that QuickBooks is transparent about features and pricing online. Unlike some other vendors, QuickBooks leaves no questions about what you get for your dollar. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Xero’s support and learning portal, Xero Central, offers access to a searchable database categorized by topics like ‘Inventory’ or ‘Reporting and Tracking,’ among others.
Premium includes scheduling for jobs and shifts, real-time reporting, custom alerts, and time-off management. Elite offers all of Premium’s features, plus a project activity feed for better control, project estimates that can be easily compared with actuals, geofencing, and support for timesheet signatures. QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for larger or fast-growing businesses, with six times the capacity of other QuickBooks tiers.
Users of both apps have been generally happy with their experience, although some Xero users reported issues with bugs, crashes and lack of key features. While QuickBooks dominates reporting, Xero excels in the customization of invoices. You can also create and assign specific templates to specific people so that email and invoice templates are automatically provided for each customer. Both QuickBooks Online and Xero use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to automate workflows to some extent. Businesses can integrate a scalable SaaS third-party AP automation solution to access more advanced automation and global payments capabilities.