Xero: Pricing, Reviews & Alternatives

Wave is the best genuinely free alternative — core accounting and invoicing cost nothing, with fees only on payments and payroll. Zoho Books also has a free tier for businesses under $50k in annual revenue and offers more room to grow.

It depends on your needs. QuickBooks Online leads in the US with native payroll and the largest accountant ecosystem, but charges per plan for users. Xero includes unlimited users on every plan. For US businesses that want native payroll and accountant familiarity, QuickBooks often wins; for teams that need many users without per-seat fees, Xero does.

Wave (free) is the cheapest, followed by Zoho Books, whose paid Standard plan is $20/mo — below Xero's $25/mo Early plan and without Early's invoice caps.

QuickBooks Online has the strongest native US payroll. Xero itself relies on a Gusto integration in the US, so if payroll is your reason for switching, QuickBooks is the most direct answer.

The most common reasons are the tightly capped Early plan (limited invoices/bills), the lack of native US payroll, steady price increases up to $90/mo for Established, and support that's mostly online rather than phone-based.