QuickBooks Online vs Xero

The two best-known cloud accounting platforms for small businesses.

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	QuickBooks Online	Xero
Pricing	Free $0 (1 user, limited); Simple Start $38, Essentials $85, Plus $140, Advanced $340 per month	Early $27, Growing $59, Established $97 per month (US, as of Oct 1, 2026)
Free option	50% off for 3 months (new customers)	See official site
Platforms	Web, mobile	Web, mobile
Best for	Small businesses that want mainstream accounting software with a large ecosystem.	Small businesses that want plan tiers matched to invoice and bill volume.
Pricing note	New customers see 50% off for three months on some plans. Users: Essentials 3, Plus 5, Advanced 25.	Early caps invoices and bills; Growing removes caps; Established adds multi-currency and projects. Prices shown are US list prices on the official page (October 2026); intro discounts may apply.
Pros	Four plans that scale with the business AI features across plans Large ecosystem	Entry plan is cheaper than QuickBooks Simple Start Built-in AI (JAX) in the existing account
Cons	Higher cost than some alternatives Best automation sits in higher tiers	Entry plan caps invoices (20) and bills (5) Plans differ by volume and features, so check which tier you need
	Visit QuickBooks Online →	Visit Xero →

The short version

Xero's entry plan is cheaper but caps invoices and bills; QuickBooks has four tiers up to $340/month and Intuit Assist AI.

Pricing checked October 15, 2026. Confirm on official sites.