The Report Center in QuickBooks Online offers a central location to process reports, which include all standard financial statements as well as a healthy selection of management reports. Xero and QuickBooks Online are two of the most popular accounting software platforms. Here’s our comparison of their pros and cons to help you decide between them. Another key difference between the two companies is the maximum number of users it allows. Xero has no limit to how many users can access data, whereas QuickBooks limits this to 40 with its Enterprise plan. Just keep in mind that unlike the inventory feature in QuickBooks Online’s higher-tier plans, Xero doesn’t let users set up reorder points that flag when stock is running low.
- It’s also important to note that the QuickBooks pricing listed above uses an applied 50% off.
- Both offer customer statements that include transactions, payment history, and outstanding balances, though the QBO edition includes an aging table.
- Also, Xero allows you to apply a certain invoice template to a customer, so that all invoices that go to that customer have the same format.
- While the vocabulary may vary between the two products, they both offer electronic banking, excellent invoicing, payment acceptance, and bill management capabilities.
- Xero is a better solution for large and growing companies that don’t want a cap on the number of users needing access to the software.
With Xero, businesses can eliminate the need for paper records and reduce accounting fees. The software is also updated automatically, so businesses always have the latest features and security patches. Overall, Xero is an efficient and cost-effective way for small businesses to manage finances. If snapping photos of receipts to claim expenses on the go is a key mobile feature you’d like to have, regardless of plan level, QuickBooks Online might be a better fit.
Speaking of tracking, both Xero and QBO have a way to track things like multiple store locations, product lines, or sales channels. In Xero it’s called Tracking, and in QBO it’s called Class Tracking or Location Tracking. Xero and QBO both have the option of creating recurring invoices and sending them automatically, though receiving payment automatically with Xero seems to be more complicated than current vs capital expenses with QBO. One advantage that Xero has over QBO in the invoicing department is the ability to create contact groups, and then send one invoice to everyone in that group. On the other hand, QBO lets you automatically pull unbilled expenses onto your invoices, and Xero doesn’t offer that capability quite yet. Both apps let customers pay right from the invoice, if you’re set up to receive payments.
Summary – Xero vs. QuickBooks Online
We also noticed that Xero and QBO may, at times, use different methods of reporting. For example, when you generate a Statement of Cash flows in each program, you’ll notice that Xero uses the direct method, while QBO uses the indirect method. Again, this is a matter of preference, and it may not be a big deal to you either way.
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Forbes Advisor compared Xero vs. QuickBooks when it comes to the key features, pricing, customer service and reviews to help you decide which is right for your business. QuickBooks Online and Xero are well-known cloud-based business accounting software solutions that are a favorite of growing companies due to their affordable pricing and scalability. Accounting features such as invoicing, accounts payable and receivable, and inventory management help your business stay organized and profitable. QuickBooks was created in 1983 by Intuit, garnering nearly 40 years of development behind it.
ZipBooks offers a completely free starter level that includes unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping. We also include our Business Health Score and Invoice Quality Scores to help you figure out where you could be upping your game to make business better. While payroll is an add-on, we partner with Gusto to give you the tools you need at a great price.
Quickbooks Online vs Xero
Although QBO limits the overall number of users, experienced business owners who need more complex reporting now and in the future will benefit from customizable reporting features. But because QBO has more users (especially in the US), your accountant is more likely to be familiar with the tools and setup. The backbone of both tools is the link to your bank accounts, which establishes the basis for your financial reporting. Integrating the feeds and reconciling bank transactions with your bookkeeping accounts involves a semi-manual matching and categorizing of your transactions.
If you can’t justify paying for QuickBooks Online or Xero or they have too many features your business doesn’t need, Wave might be an ideal alternative. It has comparable invoicing features, but lacks an audit trail and doesn’t integrate with third-party apps. Both accounting software products let users invite their accountants by email.
Xero give you the same options, but also includes exporting to Google Sheets. QBO gives you additional options to email reports right within the application, and add notes to your reports. Both Xero and QBO have report centers where you can generate the reports and statements you need to see how your business https://intuit-payroll.org/ is doing. Both have a considerable range of different types, as well as the capacity to customize reports based on what you need to see. But some find it more logical to think about moving forward in time, rather than going backward. Especially when it comes to forecasting sales and expenses in the future.
If you have a question that you can’t find the answer to in their help site, QBO has a messaging option you can use any time of day, or you can call them during business hours Monday-Saturday. Messaging might be the best way to go, though, as wait times can be long. Xero lets you fill out a help request form, and then they contact you by email after they’ve received your request. It can be a little hard to find this form initially, but you can search for it in the help section. In evaluating pricing, we considered the billing cycle (monthly or annual) and number of users.
However, inventory accounting is included in all Xero plans while it’s only in the Plus and Advanced versions of QuickBooks Online. Another reason QuickBooks Online stands out is its ability to calculate sales tax rates automatically based on the customer address, which is something Xero can’t do. Hence, it’s no surprise that QuickBooks Online is our overall best invoicing accounting software.
QuickBooks pricing
A New Zealand-based company launched Xero in 2006 to challenge the growing accounting software market. Intuit also offers QuickBooks Desktop versions for companies that require it, but in this guide, we will compare the Online version. To compare QuickBooks vs. Xero accounting, we consulted product documentation and user reviews. We considered features such as invoicing, billing, payments, expense tracking, mileage tracking, project and time tracking and inventory management. We also weighed factors such as pricing, user experience, customer service and integrations. Xero accounting software is a cloud-based system that helps small businesses manage their finances.
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. Xero uses third-party add-on connections allowing users to accept payments online. With Stripe integration, users can accept credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay from their customers. With GoCardless, customers can pay them by using an ACH debit (bank transfer).