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

Pick Moneybird if

• Fits if you're a Dutch or European freelancer who wants VAT returns filed electronically
• Works for online shops that connect Shopify or bol.com

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're on Compact: 1 invoice a month, 5 processed bank transactions and no VAT return
• Watch out: each sales invoice over your limit costs €0.15
• Watch out: iDEAL costs €0.29 a payment and cards 1% to 5%, and bank connections add small charges
• Watch out: the pricing page doesn't say which countries it serves

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

Moneybird

• Monthly invoice limits apply; beyond them each extra sales invoice costs €0.15.
• Online payments carry fees, for example €0.29 for iDEAL and 1% to 5% for cards, with a 16 cent minimum on variable fees.
• Bank connections add small charges, such as €0.03 per payment record and €1.00 to initiate a payment.
• The site is offered in English, Dutch, German and French; the pricing page does not list which countries it serves.

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.

Moneybird

Invoices and quotes

Send sales invoices and quotes, set recurring invoices and automatic reminders, and send through Peppol or collect by SEPA direct debit.

Purchase invoices and receipts

Scan receipts with the app, process UBL invoices and receive invoices through Peppol. Smart document processing is capped at 3 on Compact.

Bank connections

Link bank accounts from 1,700+ European banks and match the transactions. How many accounts and transactions depends on the plan.

Bookkeeping and VAT returns

Reports, ledger accounts and asset depreciation are included. Electronic VAT returns and ICP returns can be filed from Moneybird on Start and above.

Timesheets and online sales

Record billable hours and turn them into invoices, and take payments through a payment link or recurring subscriptions.

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.

Moneybird

• Compact€3

  per month, billed yearly (€4 billed monthly)

  1 user and 1 sales invoice a month, 5 processed bank transactions, no linked bank account or VAT return.

• Start€15

  per month, billed yearly (€18 billed monthly)

  1 user, 200 sales invoices a month, 20 processed bank transactions and electronic VAT returns.

• Growth€29

  per month, billed yearly (€35 billed monthly)

  5 users, 500 sales invoices a month, 5 linked bank accounts and 50 processed transactions.

• Complete€41

  per month, billed yearly (€49 billed monthly)

  Unlimited users, linked bank accounts and transactions, and 1,000 sales invoices 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.

Moneybird

• Annual discount

  At least 16% off with yearly billing

  The pricing page shows the yearly-billed price per month and the saving per year, from €12 on Compact to €96 on Complete.

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.