QuickBooks vs Xero
QuickBooks
All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant)
Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published
Xero
Small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers
2006; Wellington, New Zealand
QuickBooks and Xero both sell cloud accounting software to small businesses and the accountants and bookkeepers who work with them.
QuickBooks, part of Intuit, is used by 10 million businesses and also comes as a desktop edition; Xero, founded in New Zealand in 2006 and listed on the ASX, has 5 million customers in more than 180 countries.
QuickBooks vs Xero: side by side
“Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
| QuickBooks | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Cloud-based accounting software covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting, with a desktop edition (QuickBooks Desktop) | Cloud accounting, payroll and payments platform for small businesses, with tools for accountants and bookkeepers |
| Best for | All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant) | Small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers |
| Founded and HQ | Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published | 2006; Wellington, New Zealand |
| Ownership and funding | Part of Intuit Inc. (INTU); Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi | Listed on the ASX; CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy |
| Customers or users | 10 million businesses worldwide | 5 million customers in more than 180 countries |
| Pricing | US list prices: free plan; Simple Start US$38 a month, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340 | UK from £18 a month (Ignite) to £70 (Ultimate), excluding VAT; US from US$27 (Early) to US$97 (Established) |
| Deployment and markets | Cloud (QuickBooks Online) and desktop (QuickBooks Desktop); local sites for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions | Cloud; customers in 180+ countries; offices in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Singapore and South Africa |
Main differences
QuickBooks is used by 10 million businesses; Xero has 5 million customers.
On US list prices, Xero runs from US$27 to US$97 a month and QuickBooks from US$38 to US$340, and QuickBooks also has a free plan.
QuickBooks offers QuickBooks Desktop as well as the cloud product; Xero is cloud software.
QuickBooks is part of Intuit (INTU), led by Sasan Goodarzi; Xero is listed on the ASX and led by Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.
Which to choose
Choose QuickBooks if
- You want a free entry plan or a desktop edition
Choose Xero if
- You want lower US list prices at each paid level
Either way: If your accountant or bookkeeper already works in one of the two, start with that one; both have tools for accountants to work on clients' books.
Compare further
Common questions
Is QuickBooks or Xero cheaper?+
On US list prices, Xero's paid plans cost less at each level: Xero runs from US$27 to US$97 a month, and QuickBooks Online from US$38 (Simple Start) to US$340 (Advanced). QuickBooks also has a free plan. The plans differ in what they include, so compare the plan that covers what you need.
Who owns QuickBooks and Xero?+
QuickBooks is part of Intuit, listed under the ticker INTU and led by Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi. Xero is listed on the ASX and led by CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.
How many customers do QuickBooks and Xero have?+
QuickBooks is used by 10 million businesses worldwide. Xero has 5 million customers in more than 180 countries.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
