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

Pick Pennylane if

• Fits if you run a French company and want invoicing and your business account together
• Makes sense if your accountant will work inside the same app

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you're outside France, as the pages and plans are French and in euros
• Pricey if you want real accounting: the module is Premium at €79 a month, €149 for 2 users
• Watch out: Starter needs the Pennylane Pro account activated
• Watch out: each plan covers up to 1,200 invoices a year

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

Pennylane

• Pages and plans are in French, priced in euros before VAT, and aimed at French companies.
• Each plan covers up to 1,200 invoices a year; Custom has unlimited sales invoices.
• Starter requires activating the Pennylane Pro account; the paid plans are sold by company size and user count.
• Capital deposit costs €1 instead of €69 excluding VAT with a Pennylane subscription.

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.

Pennylane

Invoicing and e-invoicing

Create and receive invoices in line with French e-invoicing rules; the pages state that every plan is compliant.

Pro account and cards

A business account with virtual, physical and one-time cards, supplier payments and automatic reconciliation of transactions.

Accounting module

The Premium plan adds accounting reports, automated entry rules, VAT and tax-return filing by EDI, and month-end closing.

Expense reports

From Essentiel, the plans handle expense claims and mileage allowances, with automatic categorization and analytical reports.

Cash forecast

Essentiel and above include a cash forecast, based on the pricing page's feature list.

Accountant access

Plans give your accountant access, and a separate offer exists for accounting firms.

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.

Pennylane

• Starter€7

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  For independents: invoicing, Pro account with cards, supplier payments in one click, bank sync; needs the Pro account active.

• Basique€14

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds deposits and partial invoices, delivery and purchase orders and built-in supplier payment; €29 for a 2-user company.

• Essentiel€24

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds automated reminders, quote signing, recurring invoices, expense reports, cash forecast and API; €49 for 2 users.

• Premium€79

  per month, excluding VAT, 1 user

  Adds the accounting module: tax filing by EDI, month-end and annual closing, annual accounts; €149 for 2 users.

• CustomCustom

  For multi-entity or complex companies: unlimited users, multi-level approvals and EBICS T payments; quote only.

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.

Pennylane

• Other savings

  Capital deposit for €1

  A Pennylane subscription from €7 excluding VAT lowers the online capital deposit fee to €1 from €69.

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.