Using the QuickBooks mobile app, users can take pictures of receipts, and the software will automatically match its information with existing transactions. QuickBooks offers a time-tracking app called QuickBooks Time for employers to create schedules, track projects, and manage time-offs. As users track their time using its time tracker tool, it allows users to view how much time was spent daily or weekly on projects in one place. Xero’s time-tracking feature is included in its project management tool. QuickBooks offers advanced invoicing features such as customization, recurring invoices, email sending, and payment options.
What are the Best Invoicing Software besides Xero and QuickBooks?
Despite their accolades, neither Xero nor QuickBooks are beginner-friendly platforms. That’s why at Tech.co, we have full-time product researchers to re-run this testing process regularly. 60% off for six months on all plans
Invoicing & Payments
Talk to FastLane’s Xero-certified experts today and streamline your business finances with confidence. To make an informed decision, we recommend trying both platforms through their free 30-day trials. Both Xero and QuickBooks offer 30-day free trials, so we highly recommend testing both platforms with your real workflows before committing.
QuickBooks offers more powerful features for US-based businesses, including advanced reporting, job costing, and 24/7 live chat and phone assistance. Xero is ideal for businesses seeking intuitive design, unlimited users, and seamless multi-currency support. This makes QuickBooks a safer bet for users after a lower learning curve, and businesses looking to grow by closely monitoring their financial health. Xero and QuickBooks are powerful accounting platforms, but their complexity compared to other systems means that you may need to rely on help and support features from time to time. Xero supports a slightly broader range of tax types too, including goods and services tax (GST), making the platform’s tax preparation tools stronger than QuickBooks’ overall, especially for businesses navigating complex tax processes.
Pricing & Plan Comparison: Xero vs QuickBooks in 2025
QuickBooks offers charts of accounting to track assets and liabilities using balance sheet accounts and categorize transactions with income and expense accounts. It lets users view transactions, invoices, or bills in a foreign currency. It provides instant currency conversion, helps manage exchange rates for better cash flow, and allows users to view reports in local or foreign currency. QuickBooks allows users to customize their invoices by selecting templates, adding logos and brand colors, choosing fonts, and editing sections.
Integrations & connected tools
Xero offers a built-in invoicing feature where users can create invoices and customize them using the company logo, custom message, and added fields. We will examine the differences between Xero and QuickBooks in detail and determine the best accounting software. QuickBooks simplifies finance management by allowing users to organize receipts and track mileage easily using its mobile application. It is popular among small to medium-sized businesses and offers cloud-based and on-premises applications. A cloud-based accounting tool for freelancers and small businesses.
- After researching their features and testing the support lines, we determined that QuickBooks offers much more useful customer support than Xero.
- Its international capabilities are limited, and businesses outside the US may encounter hurdles in workflow and compliance.
- For many small businesses, the entry plans feel affordable.
- Unlimited users usually make it more cost-effective as teams grow.
When looking for the best invoicing software besides Xero and QuickBooks, the best options will vary based on the business size. Xero has a clean, distraction-free interface where users can find what they want. QuickBooks provides report templates for different categories, such as business overview, sales, expenses, employees, payroll, and more, to cater to various use cases.
Organize customer data
Here’s a deep dive into how they stack up across essential accounting functionalities. Many are switching to Xero, Zoho, or Sage for better pricing and support. The base price looks good, but every added user or feature drives the price up fast. Choosing software matters, but choosing the right people matters even more. QuickBooks, or any other software similar to QuickBooks, can’t guarantee clean, audit-ready books on its own. Even platforms like QuickBooks with plenty of automation leave room for costly human error when books aren’t maintained properly.
Payment Options
However, novice users will find it difficult to navigate the software because its menu bar contains a few options. Users need to integrate third-party applications for advanced accounting features. Users can also add trips manually and categorize trips as businesses for tax deductions. Xero allows seamless mileage tracking by letting its users enter the start and destination locations expense accruals and the effect on an income statement on the map. Xero is not an alternative to project management software, but it has some useful project management features for companies involved in various projects.
- There’s no one-size-fits-all solution—your best accounting software depends on how your business works.
- It also sends notifications, accepts receipt photos, and offers analytics data to monitor employee spending.
- Both Xero and QuickBooks offer strong tools, but each is built for different types of businesses.
- Compare various accounting software options
- While both providers let you resolve queries with a user forum and knowledge center, QuickBooks goes above and beyond by giving users access to an AI chatbot 24/7, as well as live agents during traditional working hours.
- QuickBooks dashboard has a customizable home page with widgets and a planner page, allowing a real-time cash flow view.
Origins and Plans of QuickBooks and Xero
Xero is specifically designed for global operations, supporting multicurrency transactions across all pricing tiers and adhering to IFRS. On the other hand, QuickBooks provides a slightly steeper learning curve due to its broader range of features and customization options. Its clean dashboard and helpful prompts streamline core tasks like invoicing, bank reconciliation, and expense tracking. They come in handy when trying to make strategic decisions, secure funding, or satisfy investor reporting requirements. These are situations where QuickBooks’ responsive support can prevent costly delays. Unlike Xero’s callback system, QuickBooks allows you to connect with support staff instantly through multiple channels.
open-source apps I’d easily pay money for because they’re that good
The Xero App Store allows users to filter and customize apps to suit their industry and needs. Xero integrates with various certified apps categorized by industry and function, like CRM, invoicing, inventory, and payroll. It also lets users keep a mileage log according to the IRS’s requirements.
Check with your accountant first, but most modern firms support both platforms. Unlimited users usually make it more cost-effective as teams grow. More comprehensive features (inventory, projects) included in mid-tiers. User ratings (e.g., G2, Capterra) often show Xero slightly ahead in overall user satisfaction and ease of use, while what is a wealth tax QuickBooks scores well for features and accountant preference. QBO aims to cover almost every accounting need within its own software, scaling from simple sole trader needs (“Simple Start”) up to complex small enterprises (“Advanced”).
Meanwhile, Xero excels in international operations, team collaboration, and businesses prioritizing cost-effective scalability. It’s an essential feature for construction companies, professional services firms, and project-based businesses that need to understand the true cost and profitability of individual engagements. The job costing functionality allows businesses to track profitability at the project or client level, providing detailed insights into which services or products generate the highest margins. This includes native TurboTax integration that seamlessly transfers accounting data for tax preparation, eliminating manual data net realizable value of accounts receivable entry and reducing the risk of transcription errors during tax season. Direct access to human support representatives becomes crucial when facing urgent accounting issues, deadline pressures, or complex technical problems that need immediate resolution.
However, our research revealed that Xero’s AI toolkit is slightly more impressive, as the provider lets users automatically categorize budgets and forecasts – a capability not currently available with QuickBooks. Xero’s unlimited user caps allow large teams to track and manage financial data simultaneously. Whether you manage a big team or operate fully remotely, collaboration features help to improve the efficiency of the accounting process by streamlining employee and client communication.
Which Platform Gives You More Flexibility to Customize and Automate?
Xero allows users to connect to payment services with no monthly subscription costs. Xero also shows when a client views the invoice and alerts businesses when the invoice is paid. QuickBooks allows users to tag things while working to track projects, locations, events, and more. It provides users with a complete picture of their finances on a single screen with up-to-date data Small to medium-sized businesses, eCommerce businesses that needs foreign transactions. Use for Accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, invoice, expense tracking.
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