Crunch vs Xero (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Crunch if

• Fits if you run a UK limited company and want an accountant plus software in one bill
• Makes sense if you're a UK sole trader who wants Self Assessment and MTD handled

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to anyone: it's quote only
• Watch out: employee payroll is £20 plus VAT a month for up to 5 employees, and company formation is £100
• Watch out: Self Assessment is described as worth £240 plus VAT where it isn't already in your plan
• Not for you if you're outside the UK

Pick Xero if

• Fits if your accountant already works in Xero
• Works for businesses where several staff and advisers need to be in the books, as users are unlimited

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you send more than 20 invoices or enter more than 5 bills, since that's where Early stops
• Watch out: the advertised prices are 80% off for 3 months only, then $27, $59 or $97 a month
• Pricey if you need US payroll, at $36 a month plus $6 a person on top
• Pricey if you bill in other currencies, which need Established at $97, or want auto-reconcile on Early, a $5 add-on
• Skip it if you want a free plan to start on, as there isn't one, and taking the free month costs you the discount

Crunch

• Prices come from an instant quote based on turnover, transactions and extras, so no plan prices are listed here.
• Employee payroll is listed at £20 plus VAT a month for up to 5 employees; company formation is £100.
• Self Assessment filing is described as worth £240 plus VAT where it is not already part of a plan.
• A software-only option exists, but its price is also given through the quote process.

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.

Crunch

Accountant-led service

Crunch pairs its software with accountants who handle year-end accounts, tax returns and Self Assessment filing.

Invoices and expenses

The software pages cover sending invoices, tracking expenses and a payments feature called CrunchPay.

Bank connection and reconciliation

Connect a business bank account and reconcile its transactions against invoices and expenses in the software.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

MTD ITSA software is advertised at no additional cost to accountancy clients, per the comparison pages.

Director and employee payroll

Director payroll is included for up to 2 directors; employee payroll is an add-on handled by Crunch.

Tax optimization review

The Premium plan description lists a tax optimization review, and the site advertises average tax savings for clients.

Xero

Bank reconciliation

Match bank transactions to invoices and bills. Auto-reconcile is part of Growing and Established, and a $5 a month add-on on Early.

Invoices, quotes and online payments

Send invoices and quotes with a payment service attached, and take card payments in person with Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android.

Bills and Smart Document Capture

Bills and receipts are pulled into Xero from documents, and standard ACH bill payments in US dollars are included on every plan.

Cash flow forecasts and analytics

Forecasts run 30, 60 or 180 days ahead depending on the plan, and Syft analytics, dashboards and health scorecards are built in.

JAX assistant

Xero's AI assistant answers questions about the business's numbers and handles routine bookkeeping tasks.

Xero Payroll, powered by Gusto

Full-service payroll that calculates, files and pays federal and state taxes across all 50 states, without leaving Xero.

Crunch

Pricing could not be confirmed. See crunch.co.uk.

Xero

• Early$27

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $5.40 a month for the first 3 months. Quotes, 20 invoices, 5 bills, bank reconciliation, sales tax and a 30-day cash flow forecast.

• Growing$59

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $11.80 a month for the first 3 months. No invoice or bill limits, auto-reconcile, dashboards, budgets and a 60-day forecast.

• Established$97

  per month, billed monthly

  Advertised at $19.40 a month for the first 3 months. Adds multiple currencies, project time and costs, expense claims and a 180-day forecast.

Crunch

No public discounts listed.

Xero

• Other savings

  80% off the first 3 months

  New US customers buying their first organization pay 20% of the base plan price for 3 months, then the regular monthly price. Add-ons are not discounted.

• Other savings

  Two months of Xero Payroll free

  Xero's payroll page offers two months free to try Xero Payroll, which then costs $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor.