Only your company can decide if Xero is better than QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Online is better than Xero, based on your specific business needs and checklist. QuickBooks is Intuit’s general accounting software, while QuickBooks Online (QBO) is specifically the cloud-based service. For QBO, you pay a monthly subscription rather than an upfront fee, and you get all the patches and software updates from Intuit. In this article, we’ll mostly refer to QuickBooks Online, which is what we think you’ll likely opt for instead of Intuit’s desktop version of QuickBooks. Xero and QuickBooks are two of our best-rated accounting tools, but Wave is undoubtedly the safest bet for businesses watching the bottom line.
- They explained that if you import 500 transactions into QuickBooks incorrectly, you have to delete them all one by one.
- Xero is an innovative cloud accounting solution developed and provided by a New Zealand company, Xero Limited, which has U.S. and other global regional operations.
- The platform enables businesses to accurately track and optimize stock levels, providing real-time inventory status.
- On the other hand, QuickBooks Online does not distinguish its plans in the same way.
Smooth integration with other business tools and applications is paramount in the modern business landscape. Assess the compatibility of the accounting software with the tools your business relies on. Whether it’s customer relationship management (CRM) software, ecommerce platforms, or point-of-sale systems, seamless integration enhances workflow efficiency and prevents data silos. As you can see in the example of Xero and QuickBooks Online, selecting the right accounting software might not be that easy.
Pros and Cons of Xero vs QuickBooks Online
For this section, we considered customer service, support network, and a subjective expert opinion score. Users must have easy access to customer service channels in case of problems, questions, or assistance. A satisfied Xero user shared that the program is the most user-friendly accounting software on the market. Xero can be easy to use after you become familiar with it, but we believe QuickBooks Online is generally more intuitive and easier to set up. We have an extensive history of reviewing small business accounting software, and we stay up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements.
In this Xero accounting software review, we’ll break down the pros and cons to help you figure out whether Xero is the right accounting tool for your needs. If you can’t justify the $90-per-month QuickBooks Online Plus plan, you won’t get inventory management, because QuickBooks Online’s lower-tier plans don’t what is a chart of accounts come with it. This could be a real shortcoming for small online retail businesses, for instance, that need to keep track of their products and the materials used to make them. All of Xero’s plans come with inventory management so business owners can track what’s in stock and which products are selling.
QuickBooks Online – the evolution of accounting excellence
Xero is a cloud-based accounting software product that’s easy to use and integrates with more than 1,000 apps. Xero, FreshBooks and QuickBooks all offer 30-day free trials and extensive features for online support, including a live chat, email support and a knowledge base. All three of these offer the ability to scale their accounting for larger businesses and both Xero and QuickBooks offer specific training for accountants. These companies offer Gusto integration for the same price—$40 per month and $6 per month per person.
What is Xero?
Xero also allows users to generate two active tracking categories (in contrast, QBO allows 40). You probably wonder why it quickly became a go-to software for most businesses. Below are the reasons they choose Quickbooks Online for their bookkeeping and accounting needs. You may wonder why it quickly became a go-to software for most businesses. Below are reasons they choose Quickbooks Online for their bookkeeping and accounting needs.
How They Compare: Xero vs. QuickBooks
Help is accessible from any data-entry screen, and a demo company is available for those who want to enter practice transactions without worrying about messing up their own data. Xero’s accounting functionalities are fairly simple to navigate, so it’s likely these resources will be sufficient if and when something goes wrong. Xero and QuickBooks Online offer very similar features and functionality along with summary dashboards to measure business health. To make the decision a little easier, we’re comparing Xero and QuickBooks Online, side by side based on features, pricing, ease of use, and more.
Unlike some other vendors, QuickBooks leaves no questions about what you get for your dollar. Both QuickBooks and Xero let you set up automated data tracking and report generation, but QuickBooks has more granular options, making it faster to compare reports against historical data. You’ll still be able to accomplish everything you need with both, but it’ll be a little faster with QuickBooks. There is also a QuickBooks Community forum where users can ask questions and find answers to common questions.
Best Bookkeeping Services
QuickBooks offers receipt and document organization with its mobile app as well as the online version. For an additional $50, add a Bookkeeping setup with a Live Bookkeeper. It also offers Payroll, but this service is an additional fee starting at $45 to $125 per month. We went to user review websites to read first-hand reviews from actual software users.
