FreeAgent vs Xero
We give FreeAgent a 2.2 GPA and Xero a 2.6, out of 4.0. Xero grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreeAgent
Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFreeAgentFair | 2.6GPAXeroGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | COne plan at $27 a month or $270 a year, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, with no cheaper tier for someone sending three invoices a month. Everything is in it, though, and the first 6 months are half price. | CEarly is $27 a month, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, and it stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills. No limits means Growing at $59. Users are unlimited on every plan, though, which helps once a team is involved. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial with no card needed. There's no free plan in the US. In the UK, NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle business customers get FreeAgent free. | COne month free on any plan, but you give up the 80%-off-for-3-months offer to take it. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed for the trial. |
| Features | CInvoices and estimates, bank feeds, receipt capture, time tracking, project profit, multiple currencies and sales tax reports. The gap is in the listing: the US edition has no payroll, as payroll and HMRC filing belong to the UK one. | BBank reconciliation, invoices and quotes, Tap to Pay, bill capture, free ACH bill payments, cash flow forecasts, Syft analytics, the JAX assistant and Gusto payroll. Multiple currencies need Established, but the whole job is here. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You link a bank and explain each transaction as money in or out, and the dashboard shows when tax bills are due. It's still bookkeeping to learn, though. | B4.65 from 1,689 App Store ratings, just under the top band. Auto-reconcile, which takes away the most clicking, is part of Growing and Established and a $5 a month add-on on Early. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Pleo, Float, Chaser and Tyl by NatWest. There's no desktop app, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus an app store with Gusto, Stripe, Syft, Dext, A2X and Mercury. There's no desktop app, which is what keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | freelancers who want one plan with no tiers | small businesses that work with an accountant |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FreeAgent and Xero. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreeAgent starts at $27 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Xero starts at $27 a month and scores 3.0.
Xero scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 6 score higher than FreeAgent for less, and 3 score higher than Xero for less.
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
Where they differ
- 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.
At a glance
| FreeAgent | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $27 per month, billed monthly | $27 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | One month free on any plan, taken instead of the 3-month discount |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreeAgent Central | Xero Limited |
| Price read from | freeagent.com | xero.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FreeAgent
- Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan
- UK sole traders and limited companies filing with HMRC
- NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle customers, who can use it free
Xero
- Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
- Businesses that work with an accountant who already uses Xero
- Companies that bill or pay in several currencies, on Established
Worth knowing
FreeAgent
- The advertised prices are 50% off the first 6 months (or first year, paid annually); it then renews at $27 a month or $270 a year.
- Payroll, Making Tax Digital and HMRC filing belong to the UK edition; the US edition lists sales tax reports but no payroll.
- UK prices depend on business type, excluding VAT: £10 a month for landlords, £19 sole traders, £27 partnerships and £33 limited companies.
- Support comes from accountants based in the UK, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks.
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.
Key features
FreeAgent
- Estimates and invoices
- Send estimates and invoices from templates, convert an estimate to an invoice in one click, and invoice in other currencies.
- Bank feeds
- Import transactions daily from linked bank accounts, or upload OFX, QIF and CSV statements, and explain each one as money in or out.
- Expenses and Smart Capture
- Photograph receipts on the phone and upload them. Unlimited Smart Capture scanning is a $6 a month add-on.
- Time tracking and projects
- Record time with a stopwatch or timesheets and see the income, costs and profit of each project.
- Dashboard and Radar
- A dashboard shows cash flow and when tax bills are due, and Radar points out trends in the business's numbers.
- Sales tax reports
- Set one or more sales tax rates, including compound ones, and report tax charged and reclaimable, with Schedule C reporting.
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.
Plans
FreeAgent
FreeAgent$27
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $13.50 a month for the first 6 months. One plan with invoicing, expenses, banking, projects, time tracking, sales tax reports and multiple currencies.
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.
Ways to pay less
FreeAgent
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months
New customers on monthly billing pay $13.50 a month for 6 months, then $27. The UK offer works the same way on each business-type price.
- Annual discount
Pay yearly: 12 months for the price of 10
Paying upfront costs $270 a year, the price of 10 months. The first year is half price at $135.
- Other savings
Free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
UK businesses with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account, or a Mettle account used at least once a month, get FreeAgent free.
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.
