Xero
Early
Flat price, whole team$25.00
× 12 months$300.00
Per year
$2.50 per person / mo
$300
No per-user fees
Xero vs Wave
Compare with for .
Xero
63%
match · $300/yr
Wave
77%
match · $228/yr
What matters most?
Fine-tune
What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
Wave
Pro
Flat price, whole team$19.00
× 12 months$228.00
Per year
$1.90 per person / mo
$228
Xero
From $27
G2 4.4 · 1,837 reviewsSmall businesses with several people in the books, or businesses that want lower monthly costs than QuickBooks and are happy to add apps for payroll and advanced inventory.
vs
Wave
From $19Free plan
G2 4.3 · 327 reviewsSole proprietors and very small service businesses that mainly need invoices and a simple set of books at little or no cost.
Side by side
 Xero | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $27-$97/month (US, billed monthly) | Free; Pro $19/month or $190/year |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 (1,837 reviews) | 4.3 (327 reviews) |
| Best For | Small businesses with several people in the books, or businesses that want lower monthly costs than QuickBooks and are happy to add apps for payroll and advanced inventory. | Sole proprietors and very small service businesses that mainly need invoices and a simple set of books at little or no cost. |
Pros and cons
Xero
Pros
- Unlimited users on every plan
- Growing ($59/month) has no invoice or bill caps
- 1,000+ apps in the Xero App Store
- Free guided onboarding for the first 90 days
Cons
- Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills a month
- Multicurrency, projects and expense claims need Established ($97/month)
- Payroll is a Gusto-powered add-on at extra cost
Wave
Pros
- Free plan has no invoice cap
- Pro costs $19/month or $190/year
- Payroll available in the same product
Cons
- No automatic bank imports on the free plan
- No inventory or project tracking
- Support hours are limited (weekdays, Eastern time)
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QuickBooks is the best accounting software for most US small businesses: it does the most, bundles payroll, payments and bill pay, and most accountants know it. Choose Xero if several people need access, Zoho Books for the best value, or Wave if you need a free start.
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Stay with FreshBooks if you have a small client list and want simple invoicing with time tracking. Switch to QuickBooks Online or Xero for full accounting, or to Wave or Zoho Books to cut costs.
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QuickBooks is better if you want payroll, payments, bill pay and inventory in one product or your accountant uses it. Xero is better on cost: unlimited users on every plan and no invoice caps from $59/month, against $85/month for three QuickBooks users.
+1Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026