software
Xero vs FreshBooks 2026: Which Accounting Software?
Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform stronger for inventory management and multi-entity businesses, while FreshBooks excels in invoicing and time tracking for service-based freelancers and small teams. Xero starts at $13/month with limited features, whereas FreshBooks starts at $17/month with more comprehensive invoicing tools included.
Xero
Cloud accounting software designed for small businesses with inventory and multi-location capabilities.
Retail businesses, multi-location operations, product-based companies, and firms needing international tax compliance
Score63%
VS
F
FreshBooks
Cloud invoicing and accounting platform optimized for freelancers and service-based businesses.
Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service providers focused on fast invoicing and client management
Score63%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryXero is a cloud-based accounting platform stronger for inventory management and multi-entity businesses, while FreshBooks excels in invoicing and time tracking for service-based freelancers and small teams. Xero starts at $13/month with limited features, whereas FreshBooks starts at $17/month with more comprehensive invoicing tools included.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Xero if you operate a retail business, manage multiple locations, need advanced inventory tracking, or sell internationally—it excels at complex accounting scenarios. Choose FreshBooks if you're a freelancer, service provider, or small agency that prioritizes invoicing speed, built-in time tracking, and client management without accounting complexity.
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Xero
8.1/10
FreshBooks
6.9/10
F
Choose Xero if
Best pickRetail businesses, multi-location operations, product-based companies, and firms needing international tax compliance
F
Choose FreshBooks if
Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service providers focused on fast invoicing and client management
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Primary User Focus:Small businesses, retailers, multi-location companies vs Freelancers, service-based businesses, agencies
- Starting Price (USD/month):✓ Xero wins($13 vs $17)
- Built-in Time Tracking:✓ FreshBooks wins(Included in all paid plans vs Add-on ($5-10/month extra))
Key Facts & Figures
89 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Xero | FreshBooks | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Automation Growth (YoY)(%) | 61% growth | — | — |
| Expense Tracking Support Score(%) | 68.92% | — | — |
| Additional Team Member Cost(USD/month) | $3-5 | $11 | |
| US Market Users(millions) | 1.2M | — | — |
| Mobile App Rating (iOS)(stars) | 4.6/5.0 | 4.8/5 (12,400 reviews) | |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 30 days | 30 days | |
| Base Monthly Subscription Price(USD) | $11 | — | — |
| Cost Per Additional User(USD/month) | $8-15 (Standard plan) | — | — |
| Number of Supported Currencies(currencies) | 190+ | — | — |
| Bank Feed Integration Partners(institutions) | 7,000+ | — | — |
| Customer Satisfaction Score(G2 rating (out of 5)) | 4.7/5 (G2 2024) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)(USD) | $13/month | — | — |
| Currency Support(currencies) | 140+ currencies | — | — |
| Maximum Users (Free/Starter)(users) | 3 users | — | — |
| Invoice Templates(count) | 12+ | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $13 | $17 | |
| API Rate Limit(calls/minute) | 60 (standard tier) | 120 requests/min | |
| Pre-built Integrations(count) | 1,000+ | — | — |
| Average Onboarding Time(days) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| Countries Supported(number) | 200+ | — | — |
| Standard Plan Concurrent Users(users) | 5 users | — | — |
| Mobile App iOS Rating(stars) | 4.7/5 (45K reviews) | 4.6/5 (12,400+ reviews) | |
| API Endpoints Available(endpoints) | 180+ | — | — |
| Starting Price(USD/month) | $11 | — | — |
| Customer Support Response Time(hours) | 24-48 hours | — | — |
| Pre-Built Reports(count) | 40+ | — | — |
| Global User Base(customers) | 3.7M+ users | — | — |
| Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android)(stars) | 4.7/5 | — | — |
| Countries/Regions Supported(countries) | 120+ | — | — |
| API Free Tier Monthly Calls(calls/month) | 60,000 | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost(USD) | $13 | — | — |
| Number of Integrations(count) | 1000+ | — | — |
| Supported Currencies(currencies) | 160+ | — | — |
| Users on Free/Base Plan(users) | 1 user | — | — |
| Custom Financial Reports(count) | 50+ customizable reports | — | — |
| Bank Feed Automation(hours saved/month) | Advanced automation saves ~8 hours | — | — |
| Third-party Integrations(count) | 800+ | 50+ | |
| System Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.5% | — | — |
| Countries with Localized Compliance(count) | 190+ | — | — |
| Global Active Users(millions) | 1.9 million | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Price (AUD)(AUD) | $13 | — | — |
| Third-Party App Integrations(integrations) | 1,000+ | 600+ | |
| Cloud Infrastructure Uptime(percent) | 99.5% | — | — |
| Countries with Bank Feed Support(countries) | 90+ | — | — |
| Max Users on Starter Plan(users) | 1-3 limited (unlimited on higher tiers) | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD) | $13/month | — | — |
| Pro Tier Monthly Price (USD)(USD) | $66/month | — | — |
| Bank Feed Integrations(institutions) | 1,200+ (US/UK/AU/NZ) | — | — |
| iOS Mobile App Rating(stars (out of 5)) | 4.6 stars (18,000+ reviews) | — | — |
| Native Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 500+ native integrations | — | — |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 30 days | 30 days | |
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | $13/month (Early plan) | $17.50 | |
| Maximum Supported Currencies(currencies) | 190+ currencies | — | — |
| App Store Rating (iOS)(stars) | 4.6/5 | — | — |
| Integrated Third-Party Apps(apps) | 1,000+ integrations | — | — |
| Annual Cost (Entry Level)(USD) | $156 | — | — |
| Users (Global)(millions) | 3.6+ million | — | — |
| Currencies Supported(currencies) | 30+ | — | — |
| Bank Integrations(institutions) | 800+ | — | — |
| API Rate Limit (Standard)(requests/minute) | 60 | — | — |
| Mobile App Rating(stars) | 4.8/5 | 4.7/5 (42,000 reviews) | |
| Time Tracking Cost(USD/month additional) | $5-10 extra | Included | |
| Number of Invoice Templates(templates) | 50+ | 90+ | |
| User Satisfaction Rating(out of 5 stars) | 4.4 stars | 4.5 stars | |
| Maximum Users Included (Basic Plan)(users) | 1 user | 1 user | |
| Available Financial Reports(reports) | 20+ | 20+ | |
| Bank Feed Sync Speed(hours) | 24 hours | 24 hours | |
| Maximum User Seats Included(users) | 1-3 (plan dependent) | 1-3 (plan dependent) | |
| Available Integrations(count) | 100+ integrations | 100+ integrations | |
| Financial Report Types(types) | 12+ report types (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Tax Summary) | 12+ report types (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Tax Summary) | |
| Invoice Templates Available(templates) | 8 templates | 8 templates | |
| Payment Collection Time Reduction(percent improvement) | 30% faster with automated reminders | 30% faster with automated reminders | |
| Onboarding Time(hours) | 2-3 hours | 2-3 hours | |
| Monthly Cost (Basic Plan)(USD) | $15/month | $15/month | |
| Annual Cost (Recommended Plan)(USD) | $240/year (Plus plan, billed annually) | $240/year (Plus plan, billed annually) | |
| Concurrent Users (Free Tier)(users) | 1 user | 1 user | |
| Bank Connection Speed(days) | 1 day (real-time) | 1 day (real-time) | |
| Mid-Tier Plan Cost (Monthly)(USD) | $30.00 (Plus plan) | $30.00 (Plus plan) | |
| Financial Reports Available(count) | 40+ (P&L, balance sheet, tax, aging, project profitability) | 40+ (P&L, balance sheet, tax, aging, project profitability) | |
| Integration Count(integrations) | 100+ (Stripe, QuickBooks, Shopify, Zapier) | 100+ (Stripe, QuickBooks, Shopify, Zapier) | |
| Maximum Users per Account(users) | Up to 10 | Up to 10 | |
| Supported Entities per Account(entities) | 1-3 | 1-3 | |
| Average Implementation Time(days) | 1-3 days | 1-3 days | |
| Mobile App Completeness(feature parity %) | 92% | 92% | |
| Maximum Users on Lowest Plan(users) | 1 user | 1 user | |
| Estimated Setup Time to Proficiency(days) | 2-3 days | 2-3 days | |
| Maximum Users (Entry Tier)(users) | 1 user (Lite plan) | 1 user (Lite plan) | |
| Invoice Creation Time (Average)(minutes) | 2.5 minutes | 2.5 minutes | |
| Global Market Share (2024)(%) | 9% | 9% |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
Xero leads2 ties
F
2FreshBooksXero
Attribute
FreshBooks
- Small businesses, retailers, multi-location companiesPrimary User FocusFreelancers, service-based businesses, agencies
- $13(winner)Starting Price (USD/month)$17
- Add-on ($5-10/month extra)Built-in Time TrackingIncluded in all paid plans(winner)
- Full multi-location inventory system included(winner)Inventory ManagementBasic inventory tracking, limited features
- 50+ templatesInvoice Customization Templates90+ templates with AI customization(winner)
- 195+ currencies, full compliance(winner)Multi-Currency Support160+ currencies with conversion fees
- 30 daysFree Trial Period30 days
- Primary User Focus
Xero
Small businesses, retailers, multi-location companies
FreshBooks
Freelancers, service-based businesses, agencies
- Starting Price (USD/month)
Xero
$13(winner)
FreshBooks
$17
- Built-in Time Tracking
Xero
Add-on ($5-10/month extra)
FreshBooks
Included in all paid plans(winner)
- Inventory Management
Xero
Full multi-location inventory system included(winner)
FreshBooks
Basic inventory tracking, limited features
- Invoice Customization Templates
Xero
50+ templates
FreshBooks
90+ templates with AI customization(winner)
- Multi-Currency Support
Xero
195+ currencies, full compliance(winner)
FreshBooks
160+ currencies with conversion fees
- Free Trial Period
Xero
30 days
FreshBooks
30 days
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Xero | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| AI Automation Growth (YoY)(%) | 61% growth | — |
| Maximum User Capacity (Advanced Tier)(users) | Unlimited/Higher | — |
| Multi-Entity Support | Native multi-entity support | Limited multi-entity capabilities |
| Maximum Concurrent Users(users) | 5 (Standard), Unlimited (Premium) | — |
| Maximum Users (Standard Tier)(users) | Unlimited (all tiers) | — |
| Maximum Users per Plan(users) | Unlimited (all tiers) | — |
Show 4 more attributesMaximum Users Included (Basic Plan)(users) 1 user — Maximum Users per Account(users) Up to 10 — Maximum Users on Lowest Plan(users) 1 user — Maximum Users (Entry Tier)(users) 1 user (Lite plan) — | ||
| Expense Tracking Support Score(%) | 68.92% | — |
| US Tax & Payroll Integration Strength | Good but secondary focus | — |
| Accountant Platform Included | Separate paid tool | — |
| Market Position for eCommerce | Strong alternative | — |
| Additional Team Member Cost(USD/month) | $3-5(winner) | $11 |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 30 days | 30 days |
| Base Monthly Subscription Price(USD) | $11 | — |
| Cost Per Additional User(USD/month) | $8-15 (Standard plan) | — |
| Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)(USD) | $13/month | — |
Show 12 more attributesStarting Monthly Price(USD) $13 $17 Starting Price(USD/month) $11 — Free Plan Available No — Base Monthly Cost(USD) $13 — Starting Monthly Price (AUD)(AUD) $13 — Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD) $13/month — Pro Tier Monthly Price (USD)(USD) $66/month — Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) $13/month (Early plan) $17.50 Annual Cost (Entry Level)(USD) $156 — Monthly Cost (Basic Plan)(USD) $15/month — Annual Cost (Recommended Plan)(USD) $240/year (Plus plan, billed annually) — Mid-Tier Plan Cost (Monthly)(USD) $30.00 (Plus plan) — | ||
| Mobile Accounting Features | Comprehensive accounting-focused | Invoicing-specific optimized |
| iOS Mobile App Rating(stars (out of 5)) | 4.6 stars (18,000+ reviews) | — |
| AI Document Processing(capability level) | LLM-powered (2026) | Standard OCR |
| Bank Feed Automation(hours saved/month) | Advanced automation saves ~8 hours | — |
| Countries with Bank Feed Support(countries) | 90+ | — |
| Automated Workflow Complexity | Basic (payment reminders, invoice scheduling) | — |
| Setup Complexity(complexity score) | Moderate to high | Low to moderate |
| Data Migration Support | Standard tools included | Simplified migration service |
| Average Implementation Time(days) | 1-3 days | — |
| Invoice Branding Control | Available (Select tier+) | No FreshBooks branding (Select tier+) |
| Invoice Templates Available(templates) | 8 templates | — |
| US Market Users(millions) | 1.2M | — |
| Global Market Share (2024)(%) | 9% | — |
| Native Payroll Integration (US) | Third-party required | — |
| Number of Supported Currencies(currencies) | 190+ | — |
| Currency Support(currencies) | 140+ currencies | — |
| Invoice Templates(count) | 12+ | — |
| Inventory Management | Advanced tracking with stock levels | — |
Show 29 more attributesPre-built Integrations(count) 1,000+ — Built-in Payroll Integration(text) Third-party add-on (Guidepoint, Namely) — Mobile App Functionality(percentage) Full accounting and expense tracking — Invoice Limit (Free Plan)(count) Varies by Starter plan — Bank Feed Integrations(institutions) 1,200+ (US/UK/AU/NZ) — Invoice OCR/Automation(capability level) Manual entry + basic matching — Maximum Supported Currencies(currencies) 190+ currencies — Maximum Invoice Amount(USD) Unlimited — Inventory Management Capability(feature level) Advanced (multi-location, real-time tracking) Basic (single-location, limited) Time Tracking Feature(null) Included as core feature — Mobile App Available Yes — Available Financial Reports(reports) 20+ — Built-in Time Tracking(boolean) Yes, included in all plans — Client Portal Availability All plans — Time Tracking Capability Advanced - project, task, and user-level tracking — Financial Report Types(types) 12+ report types (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Tax Summary) — Mileage/Expense Tracking Receipt scanning only — Time Tracking Hours Capacity(Unlimited/Not Available) Unlimited with timer — E-Signature Contracts No - proposals only — Accounting System Type Full double-entry accounting — Native Proposal Builder No (requires third-party or manual) — Client Gallery/Proofing Not available — Invoice Limit on Base Plan(invoices) Unlimited — Supported Entities per Account(entities) 1-3 — Inventory Tracking Depth Basic (quantity only) — Client Portal Features Full: projects, file sharing, payment tracking — Native Payroll Support No (integration only) — Integrated Time Tracking Yes (all plans) — Client Payment Portal Yes (with payment processing) — | ||
| Mobile App Rating (iOS)(stars) | 4.6/5.0 | 4.8/5 (12,400 reviews)(winner) |
| Mobile App iOS Rating(stars) | 4.7/5 (45K reviews)(winner) | 4.6/5 (12,400+ reviews) |
| Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android)(stars) | 4.7/5 | — |
| App Store Rating (iOS)(stars) | 4.6/5 | — |
| Mobile App Rating(stars) | 4.8/5(winner) | 4.7/5 (42,000 reviews) |
Show 1 more attributeOnboarding Time(hours) 2-3 hours — | ||
| API Rate Limits(requests per minute) | Unlimited | — |
| Bank Feed Sync Speed(hours) | 24 hours | — |
| Bank Feed Integration Partners(institutions) | 7,000+ | — |
| API Rate Limit(calls/minute) | 60 (standard tier) | 120 requests/min(winner) |
| Integrated Third-Party Apps(apps) | 1,000+ integrations | — |
| Customer Satisfaction Score(G2 rating (out of 5)) | 4.7/5 (G2 2024) | — |
| Mobile App Invoice Creation(capability) | Full capability with offline mode | — |
| Maximum Users (Free/Starter)(users) | 3 users | — |
| Max Users on Starter Plan(users) | 1-3 limited (unlimited on higher tiers) | — |
| Unlimited Users (Free/Entry Plan)(users) | No, 1-3 users max | — |
| Concurrent Users (Free Tier)(users) | 1 user | — |
| Average Onboarding Time(days) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Maximum Entities Supported(entities) | Unlimited organizations | — |
| Mobile App Receipt Capture(availability) | Yes (Snap Invoice) | — |
| Mobile App Invoice Management(capability) | Full invoicing, payments, expense tracking | — |
| Mobile App Completeness(feature parity %) | 92% | — |
| Countries Supported(number) | 200+ | — |
| Standard Plan Concurrent Users(users) | 5 users | — |
| API Endpoints Available(endpoints) | 180+ | — |
| On-Premises Deployment Available | No (Cloud only) | — |
| On-Premise Deployment | Not available | — |
| User Interface Rating(out of 5 stars) | 4.7/5 | — |
| Customer Support Response Time(hours) | 24-48 hours | — |
| Customer Support Hours(hours/week) | 168 (24/7) | 168 (24/7) |
| Customer Support Availability(hours) | 24/7 phone + email + chat | — |
| Pre-Built Reports(count) | 40+ | — |
| Custom Financial Reports(count) | 50+ customizable reports | — |
| Financial Reports Available(count) | 40+ (P&L, balance sheet, tax, aging, project profitability) | — |
| Global User Base(customers) | 3.7M+ users | — |
| Users (Global)(millions) | 3.6+ million | — |
| Countries/Regions Supported(countries) | 120+ | — |
| Supported Currencies(currencies) | 160+ | — |
| API Free Tier Monthly Calls(calls/month) | 60,000 | — |
| Number of Integrations(count) | 1000+ | — |
| Third-party Integrations(count) | 800+(winner) | 50+ |
| Third-Party App Integrations(integrations) | 1,000+(winner) | 600+ |
| Bank Integrations(institutions) | 800+ | — |
| Users on Free/Base Plan(users) | 1 user | — |
| System Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.5% | — |
| Cloud Infrastructure Uptime(percent) | 99.5% | — |
| Real-time Collaboration Features | Full (multi-user simultaneous editing) | — |
| Countries with Localized Compliance(count) | 190+ | — |
| Currencies Supported(currencies) | 30+ | — |
| Global Active Users(millions) | 1.9 million | — |
| Native Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 500+ native integrations | — |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 30 days | 30 days |
| Payment Processing Fees(%) | 2.4% (Xero Payments) | — |
| API Rate Limit (Standard)(requests/minute) | 60 | — |
| Time Tracking Cost(USD/month additional) | $5-10 extra | Included(winner) |
| Number of Invoice Templates(templates) | 50+ | 90+(winner) |
| Invoice Payment Processing | Built-in with Stripe/PayPal integration | — |
| Multi-Currency Support(currencies) | 195 currencies(winner) | 160 currencies |
| User Satisfaction Rating(out of 5 stars) | 4.4 stars | 4.5 stars(winner) |
| Unlimited Users Included(count) | Limited by additional per-user charges | — |
| Invoicing Capacity(invoices) | Unlimited | — |
| AI & Automation Tools(count) | Basic automation | — |
| Double-Entry Accounting(boolean) | Supported | — |
| Mobile App Availability(platforms) | iOS and Android | — |
| Maximum User Seats Included(users) | 1-3 (plan dependent) | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 100+ integrations | — |
| Integration Count(integrations) | 100+ (Stripe, QuickBooks, Shopify, Zapier) | — |
| Client Portal Feature | Included with payment collection | — |
| Maximum Invoices (Free Plan)(invoices/year) | No free plan | — |
| Payment Collection Time Reduction(percent improvement) | 30% faster with automated reminders | — |
| Invoice Creation Time (Average)(minutes) | 2.5 minutes | — |
| Bank Connection Speed(days) | 1 day (real-time) | — |
| Estimated Setup Time to Proficiency(days) | 2-3 days | — |
| Tax Compliance Level | Basic (1099 tracking only) | — |
| Payroll Integration | Not available (contractor 1099s only) | — |
XeroFFreshBooks
AI Automation Growth (YoY)(%)
61% growth
—
Maximum User Capacity (Advanced Tier)(users)
Unlimited/Higher
—
Multi-Entity Support
Native multi-entity support
Limited multi-entity capabilities
Maximum Concurrent Users(users)
5 (Standard), Unlimited (Premium)
—
Maximum Users (Standard Tier)(users)
Unlimited (all tiers)
—
Maximum Users per Plan(users)
Unlimited (all tiers)
—
Show 4 more attributes
Maximum Users Included (Basic Plan)(users)
1 user
—
Maximum Users per Account(users)
Up to 10
—
Maximum Users on Lowest Plan(users)
1 user
—
Maximum Users (Entry Tier)(users)
1 user (Lite plan)
—
Expense Tracking Support Score(%)
68.92%
—
US Tax & Payroll Integration Strength
Good but secondary focus
—
Accountant Platform Included
Separate paid tool
—
Market Position for eCommerce
Strong alternative
—
Additional Team Member Cost(USD/month)
$3-5
$11
Free Trial Period(days)
30 days
30 days
Base Monthly Subscription Price(USD)
$11
—
Cost Per Additional User(USD/month)
$8-15 (Standard plan)
—
Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)
$13/month
—
Show 12 more attributes
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$13
$17
Starting Price(USD/month)
$11
—
Free Plan Available
No
—
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$13
—
Starting Monthly Price (AUD)(AUD)
$13
—
Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD)
$13/month
—
Pro Tier Monthly Price (USD)(USD)
$66/month
—
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$13/month (Early plan)
$17.50
Annual Cost (Entry Level)(USD)
$156
—
Monthly Cost (Basic Plan)(USD)
$15/month
—
Annual Cost (Recommended Plan)(USD)
$240/year (Plus plan, billed annually)
—
Mid-Tier Plan Cost (Monthly)(USD)
$30.00 (Plus plan)
—
Mobile Accounting Features
Comprehensive accounting-focused
Invoicing-specific optimized
iOS Mobile App Rating(stars (out of 5))
4.6 stars (18,000+ reviews)
—
AI Document Processing(capability level)
LLM-powered (2026)
Standard OCR
Bank Feed Automation(hours saved/month)
Advanced automation saves ~8 hours
—
Countries with Bank Feed Support(countries)
90+
—
Automated Workflow Complexity
Basic (payment reminders, invoice scheduling)
—
Setup Complexity(complexity score)
Moderate to high
Low to moderate
Data Migration Support
Standard tools included
Simplified migration service
Average Implementation Time(days)
1-3 days
—
Invoice Branding Control
Available (Select tier+)
No FreshBooks branding (Select tier+)
Invoice Templates Available(templates)
8 templates
—
US Market Users(millions)
1.2M
—
Global Market Share (2024)(%)
9%
—
Native Payroll Integration (US)
Third-party required
—
Number of Supported Currencies(currencies)
190+
—
Currency Support(currencies)
140+ currencies
—
Invoice Templates(count)
12+
—
Inventory Management
Advanced tracking with stock levels
—
Show 29 more attributes
Pre-built Integrations(count)
1,000+
—
Built-in Payroll Integration(text)
Third-party add-on (Guidepoint, Namely)
—
Mobile App Functionality(percentage)
Full accounting and expense tracking
—
Invoice Limit (Free Plan)(count)
Varies by Starter plan
—
Bank Feed Integrations(institutions)
1,200+ (US/UK/AU/NZ)
—
Invoice OCR/Automation(capability level)
Manual entry + basic matching
—
Maximum Supported Currencies(currencies)
190+ currencies
—
Maximum Invoice Amount(USD)
Unlimited
—
Inventory Management Capability(feature level)
Advanced (multi-location, real-time tracking)
Basic (single-location, limited)
Time Tracking Feature(null)
Included as core feature
—
Mobile App Available
Yes
—
Available Financial Reports(reports)
20+
—
Built-in Time Tracking(boolean)
Yes, included in all plans
—
Client Portal Availability
All plans
—
Time Tracking Capability
Advanced - project, task, and user-level tracking
—
Financial Report Types(types)
12+ report types (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Tax Summary)
—
Mileage/Expense Tracking
Receipt scanning only
—
Time Tracking Hours Capacity(Unlimited/Not Available)
Unlimited with timer
—
E-Signature Contracts
No - proposals only
—
Accounting System Type
Full double-entry accounting
—
Native Proposal Builder
No (requires third-party or manual)
—
Client Gallery/Proofing
Not available
—
Invoice Limit on Base Plan(invoices)
Unlimited
—
Supported Entities per Account(entities)
1-3
—
Inventory Tracking Depth
Basic (quantity only)
—
Client Portal Features
Full: projects, file sharing, payment tracking
—
Native Payroll Support
No (integration only)
—
Integrated Time Tracking
Yes (all plans)
—
Client Payment Portal
Yes (with payment processing)
—
Mobile App Rating (iOS)(stars)
4.6/5.0
4.8/5 (12,400 reviews)
Mobile App iOS Rating(stars)
4.7/5 (45K reviews)
4.6/5 (12,400+ reviews)
Mobile App Rating (iOS/Android)(stars)
4.7/5
—
App Store Rating (iOS)(stars)
4.6/5
—
Mobile App Rating(stars)
4.8/5
4.7/5 (42,000 reviews)
Show 1 more attribute
Onboarding Time(hours)
2-3 hours
—
API Rate Limits(requests per minute)
Unlimited
—
Bank Feed Sync Speed(hours)
24 hours
—
Bank Feed Integration Partners(institutions)
7,000+
—
API Rate Limit(calls/minute)
60 (standard tier)
120 requests/min
Integrated Third-Party Apps(apps)
1,000+ integrations
—
Customer Satisfaction Score(G2 rating (out of 5))
4.7/5 (G2 2024)
—
Mobile App Invoice Creation(capability)
Full capability with offline mode
—
Maximum Users (Free/Starter)(users)
3 users
—
Max Users on Starter Plan(users)
1-3 limited (unlimited on higher tiers)
—
Unlimited Users (Free/Entry Plan)(users)
No, 1-3 users max
—
Concurrent Users (Free Tier)(users)
1 user
—
Average Onboarding Time(days)
1-2 weeks
—
Maximum Entities Supported(entities)
Unlimited organizations
—
Mobile App Receipt Capture(availability)
Yes (Snap Invoice)
—
Mobile App Invoice Management(capability)
Full invoicing, payments, expense tracking
—
Mobile App Completeness(feature parity %)
92%
—
Countries Supported(number)
200+
—
Standard Plan Concurrent Users(users)
5 users
—
API Endpoints Available(endpoints)
180+
—
On-Premises Deployment Available
No (Cloud only)
—
On-Premise Deployment
Not available
—
User Interface Rating(out of 5 stars)
4.7/5
—
Customer Support Response Time(hours)
24-48 hours
—
Customer Support Hours(hours/week)
168 (24/7)
168 (24/7)
Customer Support Availability(hours)
24/7 phone + email + chat
—
Pre-Built Reports(count)
40+
—
Custom Financial Reports(count)
50+ customizable reports
—
Financial Reports Available(count)
40+ (P&L, balance sheet, tax, aging, project profitability)
—
Global User Base(customers)
3.7M+ users
—
Users (Global)(millions)
3.6+ million
—
Countries/Regions Supported(countries)
120+
—
Supported Currencies(currencies)
160+
—
API Free Tier Monthly Calls(calls/month)
60,000
—
Number of Integrations(count)
1000+
—
Third-party Integrations(count)
800+
50+
Third-Party App Integrations(integrations)
1,000+
600+
Bank Integrations(institutions)
800+
—
Users on Free/Base Plan(users)
1 user
—
System Uptime SLA(percent)
99.5%
—
Cloud Infrastructure Uptime(percent)
99.5%
—
Real-time Collaboration Features
Full (multi-user simultaneous editing)
—
Countries with Localized Compliance(count)
190+
—
Currencies Supported(currencies)
30+
—
Global Active Users(millions)
1.9 million
—
Native Third-Party Integrations(integrations)
500+ native integrations
—
Free Trial Duration(days)
30 days
30 days
Payment Processing Fees(%)
2.4% (Xero Payments)
—
API Rate Limit (Standard)(requests/minute)
60
—
Time Tracking Cost(USD/month additional)
$5-10 extra
Included
Number of Invoice Templates(templates)
50+
90+
Invoice Payment Processing
Built-in with Stripe/PayPal integration
—
Multi-Currency Support(currencies)
195 currencies
160 currencies
User Satisfaction Rating(out of 5 stars)
4.4 stars
4.5 stars
Unlimited Users Included(count)
Limited by additional per-user charges
—
Invoicing Capacity(invoices)
Unlimited
—
AI & Automation Tools(count)
Basic automation
—
Double-Entry Accounting(boolean)
Supported
—
Mobile App Availability(platforms)
iOS and Android
—
Maximum User Seats Included(users)
1-3 (plan dependent)
—
Available Integrations(count)
100+ integrations
—
Integration Count(integrations)
100+ (Stripe, QuickBooks, Shopify, Zapier)
—
Client Portal Feature
Included with payment collection
—
Maximum Invoices (Free Plan)(invoices/year)
No free plan
—
Payment Collection Time Reduction(percent improvement)
30% faster with automated reminders
—
Invoice Creation Time (Average)(minutes)
2.5 minutes
—
Bank Connection Speed(days)
1 day (real-time)
—
Estimated Setup Time to Proficiency(days)
2-3 days
—
Tax Compliance Level
Basic (1099 tracking only)
—
Payroll Integration
Not available (contractor 1099s only)
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
F
Xero
+5-3
Pros
- Advanced multi-location inventory management with real-time stock tracking
- Supports 195+ currencies with automatic tax compliance in 30+ countries
- Seamless integration with 1,000+ third-party apps including Shopify and Square
- Project costing and profitability tracking built into core platform
- Strong reporting and financial analysis dashboards
Cons
- Time tracking requires separate $5-10/month subscription
- Steeper learning curve for non-accountants due to advanced features
- Customer support has mixed reviews; phone support limited to premium tiers
F
FreshBooks
+5-3
Pros
- Time tracking and expense tracking included in all paid plans
- 90+ professionally designed invoice templates with AI-powered customization
- Client portal for payment, estimates, and communication built-in
- Automatic late payment reminders and recurring invoice scheduling
- Intuitive interface with minimal accounting knowledge required
Cons
- Inventory management is basic and not suitable for retail operations
- Higher costs when adding multiple users ($17+ per user, not per account)
- International expansion requires manual tax setup; less automated than Xero
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
FreshBooks is significantly better for freelancers. It includes time tracking, expense management, and an intuitive client portal in all paid plans, whereas Xero requires additional subscriptions for time tracking. FreshBooks' interface also requires less accounting knowledge. However, if you sell physical products, Xero's inventory features become more valuable.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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