QuickBooks vs Xero vs FreshBooks: which accounting software is best for a small business in 2026?
Every price and fact below was checked on each company's own website on October 9, 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom. No company pays to appear.
The short answer
QuickBooks Online is the best fit for most small businesses that need inventory, multiple currencies or room to grow, from $38 a month. Xero is better for teams, because no Xero plan charges per user, from $27 a month. FreshBooks is the cheapest and simplest for freelancers and service businesses billing a handful of clients, from $23 a month with unlimited time tracking on every plan.
Side by side
| QuickBooks Online | Xero | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #1 | #2 | #3 |
| Best for | Small businesses that need inventory, multi-currency or the most room to scale | Teams that don't want to pay per user | Freelancers and service businesses that bill by the hour |
| Plans and US list price | Simple Start $38, Essentials $85, Plus $140, Advanced $340 a month | Early $27, Growing $59, Established $97 a month | Lite $23, Plus $43, Premium $70 a month. Select is priced on request |
| Users | 1 user on Simple Start, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Plus, 25 on Advanced, plus accountant seats | No per-user licence fees on any plan | Extra team members $11 a month each |
| Entry plan limits | Simple Start: 1 user plus 2 accountants | Early: 20 invoices and 5 bills | Lite: 5 clients (Plus 50, Premium unlimited) |
| Multi-currency | Essentials ($85) and up | Established ($97) only | Not mentioned on the pricing page |
| Inventory | Plus ($140) and up | Inventory Plus add-on, price not shown | Not mentioned on the pricing page |
| Time tracking | Employee time on invoices from Essentials ($85) | Project time and cost tracking on Established ($97) | Unlimited time tracking on every plan |
| Payroll add-on | Offered at checkout, price not shown on the pricing page | $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor | $40 a month plus $6 per user |
| Free trial | 30 days, new customers, can't be combined with the launch discount | Pricing page offers a free month; full terms not shown | 30 days, no credit card needed |
The winner, by what you need
Freelancers and solo service businesses
FreshBooks
Lite is the cheapest list price of the three at $23 a month, and every FreshBooks plan includes unlimited time tracking.
Growing teams
Xero
Xero charges no per-user licence fees on any plan, while QuickBooks caps users by plan and FreshBooks charges $11 a month per extra team member.
Selling in more than one currency
QuickBooks Online
Multi-currency starts on QuickBooks Essentials at $85 a month. On Xero it needs Established at $97 a month.
Product businesses that hold stock
QuickBooks Online
Inventory is included from QuickBooks Plus at $140 a month. Xero sells inventory as an add-on without a published price, and FreshBooks' pricing page doesn't list it.
Worth knowing
- All three vendors lead with a temporary discount: QuickBooks 50% off for 3 months, Xero 80% off for 3 months, FreshBooks Lite at $1 a month for the first year. The prices above are the standard monthly list prices you pay after the offer ends.
- Prices are US list prices as shown on 9 October 2026 and can change at any time.
See all eleven in the full ranking: QuickBooks vs Xero vs FreshBooks: 11 Best Small Business Accounting Software 2026.
Sources
- QuickBooks Online plans, prices, user limits, multi-currency, inventory, time on invoices, 30-day trial: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- Xero plans, prices, Early plan limits, no per-user fees, multi-currency, payroll add-on: https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/
- FreshBooks plans, prices, client limits, team member and payroll add-ons, time tracking, 30-day trial: https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing