Xero vs FreshBooks
The honest version: both are capable, both have real weaknesses their users write about constantly, and there's a third option this comparison won't hide until the end — it's free, so we can afford to be fair about the first two.
Xero
From ~$25/mo (capped: 20 invoices, 5 bills/mo); ~$90/mo for the full set
A polished, globally popular cloud accounting platform — notably with unlimited users on every plan.
After the March 2026 US restructure, Xero runs $25/mo on an entry plan capped at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, up to $90/mo for the full set — roughly $300–$1,080 a year, with US payroll, receipts and sales-tax tooling as further add-ons.
- “Price rises twice a year with nothing new for loyal customers”
- “They killed classic invoicing and forced a worse replacement on everyone”
- “The $25 entry tier allows 20 invoices and 5 bills a month”
FreshBooks
From ~$23/mo (5-client cap) + $11 per extra user
Invoicing-first accounting aimed at freelancers and small service teams, priced per plan plus per team member.
FreshBooks has raised list prices twice in about a year: now ~$23–$70/mo depending on how many billable clients you're allowed, plus $11/mo per additional team member — a three-person team on the mid plan clears $750 a year.
- “Two price hikes in a year — costs nearly doubled”
- “The client caps forced me up a tier as I grew”
- “Every team member is another $11 a month”
your accountant runs Xero, or you need multi-currency and the app ecosystem.
invoicing UX and human support matter more than accounting depth.
The option Xero-vs-FreshBooks articles skip
Coordinator covers what both do — free, with unlimited users and no usage meters — inside one system that also runs the rest of a small business: real books, projects with job costing, booking pages, client records, and a network where your invoice lands in your client's books. The honest trade: it's web-only today, and each specialist keeps its deepest niche feature — both comparison pages above say exactly which.
Free. No card. About two minutes to set up.
Competitor pricing approximate, from published plans as of August 2026.
Settle it with the free one
Try the third option this afternoon — if it doesn't fit, the other two aren't going anywhere.
Free. No card. About two minutes to set up.