Xero vs QuickBooks Online vs FreeAgent

Written head to head: QuickBooks Online vs Xero, with when to choose each side.

Compared on	Xero From $27/mo VisitRemove	QuickBooks Online Free plan · from $38/mo VisitRemove	FreeAgent Free plan · from £8.33/mo VisitRemove
What it is	Cloud accounting with three US plans, no per-user fees, Gusto payroll and the JAX AI assistant	Intuit's cloud accounting for US small businesses, from a free tier to plans with AI bookkeeping	UK accounting for sole traders, companies and landlords, free with a NatWest Group business account
Free plan	No	1 user, no accountant access, up to 2 invoices a month (unlimited if you qualify for and enable QuickBooks Payments), the top 3 reports (profit and loss, balance sheet, account quick report), 1 bank connection, chat support. No credit card required. Mobile app access and third-party integrations are not available on Free.	Free for as long as you hold a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account, or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month (Mettle is not listed for partnerships). Optional add-ons may be chargeable.
Cheapest paid plan	$27/mo (Early)Xero pricing	$38/mo (Simple Start)QuickBooks Online pricing	£8.33/mo billed annually (Landlord (unincorporated))FreeAgent pricing
What it covers	Per organization, no per-user licence fees; send quotes and 20 invoices, enter 5 bills; auto-reconcile is a $5/month add-on. Promotion: 90% off ($2.70/month) for the first 6 months for new US customers, until 2 November 2026.	1 user plus access for 2 accountants. Promotion: 50% off ($19/month) for the first 3 months. No annual contract; the pricing page shows no annual price.	For UK unincorporated landlords; excludes 20% VAT; £100 billed yearly. The Sole trader plan is £19/month (£190/year). Promotion: 50% off for the first 6 months on monthly billing, or the first year on annual billing.
Free trial	One month free on any Xero plan	30-day free trial, shown alongside the 50%-off offer on the pricing page	30-day free trial, no credit card required
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android, API
Integrations (vendor's figure)	Integrate with 1000+ apps	800+ integrations	Integration partnerships including Dext, Engager.app, Bright and Syft
Open source	No	No	No
Good for	Small businesses that want several people in the books without per-user fees Businesses that work closely with an accountant or bookkeeper Companies that bill or pay in foreign currencies	US small businesses that want accounting, invoicing and payroll from one vendor Sole owners starting on a free plan with a few invoices a month Growing teams that need inventory, project profitability and up to 25 users	UK sole traders preparing for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Limited company directors who file Corporation Tax and run payroll themselves NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle customers who want free accounting
Watch out for	Early caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills, and auto-reconcile costs $5 a month extra Multi-currency, projects and expense claims need Established ($97/mo) Payroll costs $36 a month plus $6 per person through Gusto	Free plan: 1 user, 2 invoices a month unless QuickBooks Payments is enabled, 1 bank connection, no mobile app or third-party integrations User caps: 1 on Simple Start, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Plus, 25 on Advanced Inventory, budgets and project profitability need Plus ($140/mo); workflow automation and custom permissions need Advanced ($340/mo)	Built for UK businesses: plans cover HMRC filings and prices are in GBP excluding VAT Smart Capture covers 10 receipts and bills a month unless you pay £5 a month Accounts set up on the cash basis do not include stock or payroll features
Made by	Xero Limited	Intuit Inc.	FreeAgent Central Limited

Entry prices are the cheapest paid plan, as each vendor publishes it; “What it covers” says what that price is per (a user, a channel, a brand, a number of contacts). The sources are listed on each tool's page.

Every tool in accounting and invoicing software is on its category page, with the written head-to-heads on Compare.