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

Pick Holded if

• Fits if you're a Spanish freelancer who needs invoicing with Verifactu
• Makes sense if you want inventory and a CRM next to your books

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay on the free plan: 20 invoices and 50 scanned expenses a year
• Watch out: Basic allows 2 users and Standard 4, and extra users cost €12 a month each
• Watch out: Inventory starts at €25 a month and HR is €3 per employee, both as add-ons
• Not for you if you're outside Spain, unless you've checked the tax forms for your country
• Pricey if you need full accounting: that starts at Standard, €69 a month

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

Holded

• Prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and the page does not say whether the figures assume monthly or annual billing.
• Each plan caps users (2 on Basic, 4 on Standard); extra users cost €12 a month each.
• Inventory starts at €25 a month and the HR module is €3 per employee a month, both as add-on Gems.
• Tax forms and e-invoicing features listed on the page are Spanish; check coverage for other countries.

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.

Holded

Invoicing and quotes

Unlimited invoices on paid plans, with quotes, proformas, recurring invoices, a client portal, multi-currency and Verifactu.

Accounting

Standard and above add automatic journal entries, analytical accounting and annual accounts that an accountant can work from.

Bank connections and Wallet

Connect bank accounts to match transactions with invoices and expenses; Holded Wallet adds supplier payments and team cards.

Expense scanner

Scans receipts and extracts their data, with a fair-use limit tied to the plan's AI usage.

Spanish tax forms

Lists VAT models 303, 347, 349, 369 and 390 and IRPF models, with corporate tax forms 200 and 202 from Standard.

Inventory, CRM and projects

Inventory and HR are paid Gems; the CRM and project profitability tracking are part of the plans.

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.

Holded

• Light€0

  Free invoicing with Verifactu for 1 user, limited to 20 invoices and 50 scanned expenses a year.

• Starter€19

  per month, excluding VAT

  1 user with unlimited invoices and expense scanning, 1 connected bank, VAT and income tax returns and a sales funnel.

• Basic€34

  per month, excluding VAT

  2 users, 5 connected banks, cash flow, 10 recurring invoices, recurring purchases and 1 free point-of-sale store.

• Standard€69

  per month, excluding VAT

  4 users, full accounting, unlimited banks, SEPA remittances, corporate tax forms and user roles.

• Advanced€115

  per month, excluding VAT

  7 users, custom roles and fields, payment reminders, cash flow scenarios and priority support.

• Premium€229

  per month, excluding VAT

  15 users, unlimited recurring invoices, multi-country VAT and 100,000 API calls a month.

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.

Holded

• Other savings

  50% off the first 3 months

  New customers get 50% off paid plans for their first 3 months, then the regular price applies, per the pricing page.

• Other savings

  Black Friday: 70% off for 3 months

  For new customers until 30 November 2026, every paid plan is 70% off for the first 3 months, in place of the usual 50%.

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.