Xero alternatives: what it costs to switch
For 15 users on annual billing, Xero Early comes to $324 a year. The cheapest published alternative that fits is Wave Starter at $0 (−$324 a year). Lower list price is not the same as an equal product: compare features first.
Prices checked 2026-11-10. Source: xero.com/us/pricing-plans.
Now: Xero Early ≈ $324 a year for 15 users. Cheapest plan of each alternative that fits; check feature parity before deciding.
| Alternative | Cheapest plan that fits | Per year | vs now | Days (range) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Starter | $0 | −$324 | not scored | |
| FreshBooks | Lite | $276 | −$48 | not scored | |
| Zoho Books | Ultimate | $2,880 | +$2,556 | not scored | |
| QuickBooks Online | Advanced | $4,080 | +$3,756 | not scored |
Wave Free bookkeeping with paid Pro and per-transaction card fees.
Starter: flat $0 × 12 months = $0
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: waveapps.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Wave alternatives
FreshBooks Invoicing-first accounting for service businesses.
Lite: flat $23 × 12 months = $276
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: freshbooks.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · FreshBooks alternatives
Zoho Books Plan-tier accounting with included users and a free plan.
Ultimate: flat $240 × 12 months = $2,880
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: zoho.com/us/books/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Zoho Books alternatives
QuickBooks Online The default small-business ledger in the US; four plans with user limits.
Advanced: flat $340 × 12 months = $4,080
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · QuickBooks Online alternatives
Xero plans and what they cost
| Plan | Per seat / mo (annual) | Monthly billing | 5 seats / yr | 15 seats / yr | 50 seats / yr | SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $10 flat | not recorded | $120 | $120 | $120 | not on pricing page |
| Early | $27 flat | not recorded | $324 | $324 | $324 | not on pricing page |
| Growing | $59 flat | not recorded | $708 | $708 | $708 | not on pricing page |
| Established | $97 flat | not recorded | $1,164 | $1,164 | $1,164 | not on pricing page |
Seat columns use the annual-billing price; "—" means the plan's recorded seat limit is lower than that count.
Check before you leave Xero
- Pricing page: prices shown are the regular monthly prices after a 3-month intro discount. Payroll via Gusto is $36 a month plus $6 per employee. User limits were not on the page, so we do not cap by users.
- Xero page: free QuickBooks-to-Xero migration (Q2X) for eligible new customers.
Questions
How much does Xero cost?
Xero lists Simple at $10 per month, Early at $27 per month, Growing at $59 per month, Established at $97 per month on www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/ (checked 2026-11-10).
What are the cheapest Xero alternatives?
Wave Starter ($0 a year for 15 users); FreshBooks Lite ($276 a year for 15 users); Zoho Books Ultimate ($2,880 a year for 15 users).
How long does it take to switch from Xero?
We have not scored a documented move away from this tool yet; each vendor's export and import docs decide the effort.
Sponsored station: none yet. Advertise on this page (waitlist). We do not sell any product that competes with these tools.