QuickBooks vs Xero: Pricing Comparison (2026)
QuickBooks starts at $38/mo. Xero starts at $13/mo. Xero is $25/mo cheaper on the entry tier than QuickBooks.
See price history: QuickBooks · Xero
Small business accounting from Intuit, dominant in the US SMB market (~85% share). Distinctive for its accountant network — most US CPAs recommend it as the default, creating an ecosystem lock-in. QuickBooks Online priced $30-$200/mo across four tiers. Recent AI features add auto-categorization and cash flow forecasting. QuickBooks Desktop still exists for legacy users; new sign-ups pushed exclusively to Online. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Payroll, Payments, TSheets.
Cloud accounting from New Zealand, publicly traded, ~$18B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to QuickBooks outside the US (dominant in UK, Australia, and NZ). Distinctive for its bank feed depth (5,000+ banks worldwide) and its global accountant marketplace. Priced $15-$78/mo across three tiers. Recently added AI features and payments infrastructure to defend against Stripe's push into billing. Best choice if your accountant is outside the US.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | QuickBooks monthly | QuickBooks annual | Xero monthly | Xero annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early | — | — | 13 | 13 |
| 2 | Growing | — | — | 25 | 25 |
| 3 | Established | — | — | 50 | 50 |
What each is best for
Small business accounting from Intuit, dominant in the US SMB market (~85% share). Distinctive for its accountant network — most US CPAs recommend it as the default, creating an ecosystem lock-in. QuickBooks Online priced $30-$200/mo across four tiers. Recent AI features add auto-categorization and cash flow forecasting. QuickBooks Desktop still exists for legacy users; new sign-ups pushed exclusively to Online. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Payroll, Payments, TSheets.
Cloud accounting from New Zealand, publicly traded, ~$18B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to QuickBooks outside the US (dominant in UK, Australia, and NZ). Distinctive for its bank feed depth (5,000+ banks worldwide) and its global accountant marketplace. Priced $15-$78/mo across three tiers. Recently added AI features and payments infrastructure to defend against Stripe's push into billing. Best choice if your accountant is outside the US.
At a glance
| QuickBooks | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — |
| Entry price | $38/mo | $13/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | July 29, 2026 | July 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified July 29, 2026. Tracked daily.