# Alternatives to Xero

Cloud accounting loved by accountants.

Xero ranks #7 of 10 in Accounting software, with an Alt Score of 78. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $25/month and available on Web, iOS and Android. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/xero/
Category: Accounting software

## Where Xero stands out

- **Inventory** — 3 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Small business owners who need to manage day-to-day finances, and the accountants or bookkeepers who work with them.
- **What you get**: Xero is cloud-based accounting software covering bank reconciliation, invoicing, bill payment, expense tracking, and financial reporting in one place. It connects to your bank feeds to automatically categorize and match transactions, and supports payroll through a partner integration. The platform is accessible from a browser or mobile app and integrates with over 1,000 third-party business apps.
- **How it works**: You sign up, connect your bank accounts to import transaction feeds, then create invoices, enter bills, and reconcile transactions as they come in. Accountants or bookkeepers can be invited to collaborate on the same live data, and reports (cash flow, P&L, etc.) are generated automatically from the recorded transactions.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $25/month (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Odoo](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/odoo.md) | 100 | LGPL-3.0 | Web, iOS, Android |
| 2 | [ERPNext](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/erpnext.md) | 86 | GPL-3.0 | Web |
| 3 | [FreeAgent](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/freeagent.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 4 | [FreshBooks](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/freshbooks.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [QuickBooks](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/quickbooks.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 6 | [Sage](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/sage.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7 | [Zoho Books](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/zoho-books.md) | 78 | ? | Web, iOS, Android |
| 8 | [Invoice Ninja](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/invoice-ninja.md) | 73 | Elastic-2.0 | Web, iOS, Android, Windows |
| 9 | [Wave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/wave.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Accounting software checklist | Xero | Odoo | ERPNext | FreeAgent | FreshBooks | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | OSS + paid hosting | OSS + paid hosting | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starts at | $25/month | €11.90/user/month | $5/month | £5/month | $23/month | $38/month |
| License | Proprietary | LGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Invoicing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank feeds | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expense tracking | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-currency | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Tax reports (VAT) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll available | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Inventory | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Accountant access | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Xero. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “© 2026 Xero Limited. All rights reserved.”
- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Xero subscriptions auto-renew monthly until they are cancelled.”
- **Starts at**: $25/month — <https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Then $25 per month”
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/send-invoices/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Send invoices online from wherever you are with the Xero Accounting app on iOS and Android.”
- **Status**: active — <https://blog.xero.com/product-updates/inventory-features-good-based-businesses/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Last updated: Oct 7, 2025”
- **Invoicing**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/send-invoices/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Use customizable invoice templates to create professional invoices fast – add your logo, payment terms, and branding.”
- **Bank feeds**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/connect-your-bank/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Set up automatic transaction imports from a wide range of US banks and financial institutions”
- **Expense tracking**: Partial — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/claim-expenses/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Xero's expense management features are available on the Established plan.”
- **Multi-currency**: Partial — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/use-multiple-currencies/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Multi-currency is available on Xero's Established plan (US).”
- **Tax reports (VAT)**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/uk/accounting-software/submit-vat-online/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Xero calculates VAT and files VAT returns online securely with HMRC, using software that’s compatible with HMRC systems.”
- **Payroll available**: Partial — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/payroll/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Pay your team faster with an online payroll accounting system. Xero and Gusto have partnered to offer you the most seamless accounting and payroll experience.”
- **Inventory**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/manage-inventory/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Manage up to 4,000 items without breaking a sweat.”
- **Self-hostable**: No — <https://www.xero.com/uk/accounting-software/payroll/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “HMRC-recognised payroll software for small businesses. Pay employees with confidence. 100% cloud-based payroll and accounting, all in one place.”
- **Accountant access**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/us/get-started/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Invite your accountant or bookkeeper to work with you in Xero and you’ll be across the same up-to-date figures.”
- **API**: Yes — <https://www.xero.com/us/accounting-software/app-integrations/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Yes! If you have an idea for a problem that existing apps can’t solve, you can build one with our open API.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/