Top Xero Competitors:
The Best Xero Alternatives for Your Business
Since its launch in 2006, Xero has grown to over 700,000 subscribers worldwide, making it one of the fastest growing small business accounting solutions on the market. The cloud-based product is sold in various packages with capabilities increasing as packages scale.
Some of the biggest differences between the various editions include:
- Starter: Unlimited users and access for unlimited accountants/bookkeepers. Can create and send five invoices, enter five bills and reconcile 20 bank transactions. Does not include payroll.
- Standard: Everything in Starter, plus unlimited invoicing, billing and reconciling bank transactions. Plus purchase orders and payroll for 5 employees.
- Premium 10: Everything in Standard, plus support for multiple currencies and payroll for 10 employees.
- Premium 20: Everything in Premium 10, but supports payroll for 20 employees.
Premium 100: Everything in Premium 10, but supports payroll for 100 employees.
Each plan includes 24/7 free online support and free iPhone and Android mobile applications. Additionally, businesses can configure the solution to support their unique industry needs through integrations with over 500 applications available in the vendor’s add-on marketplace.
Reviewers on Software Advice praise Xero’s ease-of-use, range of functionality and intuitive design. Yet despite these merits, Xero may not be the best solution for your business. That’s why we’ve put together the following list of Xero alternatives so you can find the best accounting system for your organization.
Note: Accounting is a horizontal industry with products designed to serve organizations of all sizes. However, as Xero targets small businesses, we’ve refined our list to focus on those best suited to small and midsize businesses (SMBs).
(Click on a link below to jump directly to that section.)
Most Asked-About Xero Alternatives
Our “most asked-about” category includes products that prospective buyers are searching for online in comparison with Xero (for example, “Xero vs. QuickBooks”).
Note: you can learn more about our Alternatives methodology here.
QuickBooks Online
Our first Xero competitor is QuickBooks Online. Intuit’s cloud-based accounting solution helps small businesses capture income and expenses, create and send invoices and share financial statements with accountants and bookkeepers.
The platform is available in three editions, with functionality increasing as packages scale. Features include:
- Simple Start: Create and send unlimited estimates and invoices, track income and expenses. Includes mobile access, one user license and over 20 financial reports.
- Essentials: Everything in Simple Start, plus the ability to set up recurring invoices and postdated payments. Includes three user licenses and over 40 financial reports.
- Plus: Everything in Essentials, plus the ability to create and send purchase orders, manage inventory and create budgets to forecast future spending. Includes five user licenses and over 60 financial reports.
Perhaps the biggest difference between QuickBooks and Xero is payroll: Xero includes payroll within the platform while QuickBooks customers can purchase payroll as an add-on.
For a detailed analysis of these accounting solutions, head over to our QuickBooks Online vs. Xero comparison.
FreshBooks
The next Xero competitor on our list is FreshBooks. Another cloud-based solution, FreshBooks helps small business owners stay on top of billable hours, create professional-looking invoices, capture expenses and generate financial reports.
The accounting system is sold in various plans. The biggest differences between editions include:
- Sprout: Unlimited invoicing, time tracking, expense management and financial reporting. Bill up to five clients.
- Seedling: Everything in Sprout, plus bill up to 20 clients.
- Evergreen: Everything in Sprout, plus bill up to 200 clients.
- Mighty Oak: Everything in Sprout, plus bill unlimited clients.
Each plan also allows for invoice customization with company logo, the ability to set up recurring invoices, accept online payments, send payment reminders and receive notification that invoices have been viewed. Additionally, FreshBooks users have access to phone and email support and an extensive add-on marketplace.
Again, payroll remains the key sticking point between accounting platforms: While users have access to payroll services within Xero’s platform, the service is available to FreshBooks users only through a partner.
For a side-by-side comparison of these accounting products, check out our FreshBooks vs. Xero page.
Top User-Rated Xero Alternatives
Our “top user-rated” category features highly rated accounting products on Software Advice that serve SMBs. At the time of publication, Xero has a user-rating of 4.0 out of five stars and nearly 30 reviews.
Wave
Wave is our top user-rated Xero competitor, with 4.5 out of five stars and 16 reviews. Users remark on the product quality and give the vendor high marks for customer support. One user states:
“User friendly, easy to setup and navigate. I am a sole proprietor and use a Mac, and the software is compatible with it. Which is great!” - Perry from State Farm
Wave is designed specifically for small businesses with fewer than 10 employees, as well as freelancers, consultants and solo entrepreneurs. Its key selling point is that its accounting and invoicing services are completely free due to partnerships with companies such as American Express and Microsoft, who advertise within the app.
Free services include unlimited invoicing, financial reporting and expense tracking. Users can pay to add advanced features, such as payroll, payment processing and premium support.
For more information about these two finance solutions, visit our Wave vs. Xero comparison.
BillQuick
BillQuick is our next highest-rated Xero competitor, with 4.3 out of five stars. With an impressive 60 reviews, BillQuick is the second most-reviewed product on Software Advice at the time of writing. The platform is available for both on-premise and cloud-based deployment.
Reviewers praise the solution’s ease-of-use and range of functionality. One user states:
“We have been using BillQuick for 19 years now, and it is doing what we have been looking for in terms of time, expense tracking, batch billing and robust reporting. Their technical support is the best out there, and the fact they listen to the customer’s needs is always a plus.” - Carla from Murphy Burr Curry, Inc.
What sets BillQuick apart from the other solutions in this report is that, in addition to robust accounting capabilities (core accounting, billing and invoicing, time and expense tracking etc.) the product also includes project management functionality. Professional service firms or small businesses needing to track project accounting would be best served by this solution.
Intacct
Our third Xero competitor in this category is Intacct. The cloud-based accounting solution has 4.2 out of five stars and 63 reviews, making Intacct the most-reviewed accounting product on Software Advice at the time of writing.
Users rate the platform highly for its scalability and depth of functionality. One user states what they like best about the platform:
“Ease-of-use. Ability to create our original financial statements. Flexibility in creating new statements.” - Keith from Hickory Creek Healthcare.
The solution includes core accounting, time and expense management and financial reporting, as well as more advanced features such as purchasing, and multicurrency support. What separates Intacct from the other accounting products in this report is that Intacct is designed to support both small and midsize organizations.
This means that the platform can scale with a business as they grow and their needs change, whereas Xero and some of the other products almost exclusively serve small businesses.
For a comprehensive review of Intacct’s many solutions, visit our Big Brand Breakdown.
Next Steps
If you’d like more information about Xero or the alternative accounting solutions listed in this article, here a couple of next steps you can take:
Still not sure the financial management solutions listed here are right for you? Call our accounting software experts at (855) 998-8505 for a FREE software consultation. Our experts will review your unique business needs, evaluating your business size and industry-specific requirements. At the end of the call, we’ll send you a short list of products tailored to your organization.
