Alternatives · Accounting
Xero alternatives
Xero compared with 10 alternatives: QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Wave, Bonsai and 5 more.
Xero is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $27 per month, billed monthly. 5 of the 10 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 5 more offer a free trial.
10 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| XeroThis tool | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| QuickBooks Online | Free plan · from $38/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| FreshBooks | Free trial · from $23/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Wave | Free plan · from $19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Bonsai | Free trial · from $9/mo | Trial only | Web, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| FreeAgent | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Kashoo | Free trial · from $30/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Manager.io | Free plan · from $59/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Odoo | Free plan · from $31.10/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Patriot Accounting | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Xero starts at $27 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 10 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: FreshBooks and Zoho Books.
Wave, Bonsai, Odoo and Patriot Accounting start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Xero
- Free plan · from $38/mo
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
- QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
Suits: US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Free trial · from $23/mo
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
- FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time
- Free plan · from $15/mo
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
- Free plan · from $19/mo
Wave
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses
- Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
Suits: Sole proprietors in the US or Canada who mainly need to send invoices
- Free trial · from $9/mo
Bonsai
Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers
- Bonsai starts at $9 per user / month, billed annually. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
- Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
- Bonsai also covers time tracking and forms.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Freelancers and small agencies that bill clients by the hour or by retainer
- Free trial · from $27/mo
FreeAgent
Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK
- FreeAgent starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- FreeAgent also covers time tracking.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan
- Free trial · from $30/mo
Kashoo
One-plan online accounting with unlimited users and bank feeds
- Kashoo starts at $30 per business / month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Sole proprietors who want one flat price with every feature included
- Free plan · from $59/mo
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
- Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Manager.io has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Manager.io lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Xero lists iOS and Android apps.
- Manager.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Sole traders who want full double-entry books without a subscription
- Free plan · from $31.10/mo
Odoo
Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own
- Odoo starts at $31.10 per user / month, billed annually, after $24.90 for the first 12 months. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Odoo has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- Odoo is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Businesses that want full double-entry accounting free for any number of users
- Free trial · from $20/mo
Patriot Accounting
Low-cost US small business accounting that pairs with Patriot Payroll
- Patriot Accounting starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, after $10 a month for the first 3 months. Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Xero lists iOS and Android apps.
Suits: US small businesses that want low-cost books with phone support
Limits worth knowing in Xero
- The advertised prices are 80% off for the first 3 months; plans then renew at $27, $59 or $97 a month.
- Early stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills, and its graphs and cash flow forecast are the basic ones.
- US payroll costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor, and is not offered to Xero's US mobile-only subscribers.
- These are US prices; Xero sells in other countries, including New Zealand, Australia and the UK, on separate regional sites.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Xero?
The alternatives to Xero in this directory are QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Wave, Bonsai, FreeAgent, Kashoo, Manager.io, Odoo and Patriot Accounting. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Xero.
Is there a free alternative to Xero?
Yes. QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Wave, Manager.io and Odoo have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Xero alternatives work on Windows?
The Xero listing does not include a Windows app. Zoho Books and Manager.io list one.
Which Xero alternatives work on macOS?
The Xero listing does not include a macOS app. Bonsai and Manager.io list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Xero?
Odoo is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 17, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.