FreshBooksvsXero

Saas

Saas65

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

FreshBooksXero

Signals Comparison

Pricing

FreshBooks

Monthly fee plus high credit card processing fees(8/10)
Pricing jumps significantly as client list grows(9/10)
User limit per plan forces expensive upgrades(7/10)
Add-ons and integrations significantly increase costs(7/10)

Xero

Price hikes with little notice(8/10)
Early plan's 20-invoice limit is restrictive(6/10)

Usability

FreshBooks

Limited reporting features lacking detailed insights(7/10)
Not robust enough for complex accounting needs(8/10)

Xero

Interface requires horizontal scrolling(5/10)
Multi-company management is painful(7/10)
Invoice view changes frustrate users(5/10)

Integrations

FreshBooks

Bank syncing and expense categorization issues(8/10)

Xero

Essential features require paid add-ons(7/10)

Support

FreshBooks

Accounts shut down without explanation(10/10)
Customer support sends pre-written template responses(7/10)

Xero

Customer support limited to email only(9/10)

Reliability

FreshBooks

Invoices sometimes go to spam folders(7/10)

Xero

Persistent bugs and syncing errors(8/10)

Performance

FreshBooks

Payment processing can be slow(6/10)

Xero

Inventory management lacks depth(7/10)
Struggles past 100 employees(8/10)

Onboarding

FreshBooks

No signals

Xero

Steep learning curve for beginners(6/10)

Mobile

FreshBooks

No signals

Xero

Mobile app has limited functionality(5/10)

Pricing Comparison

FreshBooks

Lite

$19/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Only 5 billable clients, basic reporting, no double-entry accounting

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member, limited to 5 clients

Plus

Popular

$33/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: 50 client limit, advanced features require higher tier

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member

Premium

$60/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Still lacks inventory management, purchase orders, and advanced multi-currency

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member

Xero

Early

$20/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Invoice and bill limits make this impractical for active businesses, No payroll, No multi-currency

Only 20 invoices and 5 bills per month - most businesses need to upgrade immediately

Growing

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Some reporting features still limited, Multi-currency may require higher tier

Payroll is a separate paid add-on, Advanced analytics requires third-party apps

Established

$80/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Still struggles with 100+ employees, Complex multi-entity needs workarounds

Payroll still separate, Advanced inventory requires DEAR/Cin7 integration ($100+/mo)

Feature Comparison

Feature	FreshBooks	Xero
Core
Professional invoicing Excellent templates and customization
Time tracking Built-in and integrates with invoicing
Expense tracking Receipt capture via mobile app
Pricing
Unlimited users All plans include unlimited users - major advantage
Core Accounting
Invoicing Good templates, customizable
Accounting
Bank reconciliation Connection issues reported by some users
Double-entry accounting Plus plan and above only
Inventory management Not available
Purchase orders Not available
Support
Phone support Email only for standard plans
Payroll
Built-in payroll Separate paid add-on required
Inventory
Advanced inventory Basic only, need DEAR/Cin7 for robust inventory
International
Multi-currency Limited compared to competitors
Usability
Multi-company login Cannot log into multiple orgs simultaneously
Accessibility
Mobile app Well-designed iOS and Android apps
Client Management
Client portal Clients can view and pay invoices
Projects
Project management Basic project tracking available
Project tracking Growing plan and above
Reporting
Financial reports Good standard reports, advanced analytics extra
Invoicing
Recurring invoices Automatic recurring billing
Payments
Payment processing 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Integrations
API access Available for custom integrations

Signals Comparison

Pricing

FreshBooks

Monthly fee plus high credit card processing fees(8/10)
Pricing jumps significantly as client list grows(9/10)
User limit per plan forces expensive upgrades(7/10)
Add-ons and integrations significantly increase costs(7/10)

Xero

Price hikes with little notice(8/10)
Early plan's 20-invoice limit is restrictive(6/10)

Usability

FreshBooks

Limited reporting features lacking detailed insights(7/10)
Not robust enough for complex accounting needs(8/10)

Xero

Interface requires horizontal scrolling(5/10)
Multi-company management is painful(7/10)
Invoice view changes frustrate users(5/10)

Integrations

FreshBooks

Bank syncing and expense categorization issues(8/10)

Xero

Essential features require paid add-ons(7/10)

Support

FreshBooks

Accounts shut down without explanation(10/10)
Customer support sends pre-written template responses(7/10)

Xero

Customer support limited to email only(9/10)

Reliability

FreshBooks

Invoices sometimes go to spam folders(7/10)

Xero

Persistent bugs and syncing errors(8/10)

Performance

FreshBooks

Payment processing can be slow(6/10)

Xero

Inventory management lacks depth(7/10)
Struggles past 100 employees(8/10)

Onboarding

FreshBooks

No signals

Xero

Steep learning curve for beginners(6/10)

Mobile

FreshBooks

No signals

Xero

Mobile app has limited functionality(5/10)

Pricing Comparison

FreshBooks

Lite

$19/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Only 5 billable clients, basic reporting, no double-entry accounting

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member, limited to 5 clients

Plus

Popular

$33/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: 50 client limit, advanced features require higher tier

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member

Premium

$60/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Still lacks inventory management, purchase orders, and advanced multi-currency

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member

Xero

Early

$20/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Invoice and bill limits make this impractical for active businesses, No payroll, No multi-currency

Only 20 invoices and 5 bills per month - most businesses need to upgrade immediately

Growing

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Some reporting features still limited, Multi-currency may require higher tier

Payroll is a separate paid add-on, Advanced analytics requires third-party apps

Established

$80/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Still struggles with 100+ employees, Complex multi-entity needs workarounds

Payroll still separate, Advanced inventory requires DEAR/Cin7 integration ($100+/mo)

Feature Comparison

Feature	FreshBooks	Xero
Core
Professional invoicing Excellent templates and customization
Time tracking Built-in and integrates with invoicing
Expense tracking Receipt capture via mobile app
Pricing
Unlimited users All plans include unlimited users - major advantage
Core Accounting
Invoicing Good templates, customizable
Accounting
Bank reconciliation Connection issues reported by some users
Double-entry accounting Plus plan and above only
Inventory management Not available
Purchase orders Not available
Support
Phone support Email only for standard plans
Payroll
Built-in payroll Separate paid add-on required
Inventory
Advanced inventory Basic only, need DEAR/Cin7 for robust inventory
International
Multi-currency Limited compared to competitors
Usability
Multi-company login Cannot log into multiple orgs simultaneously
Accessibility
Mobile app Well-designed iOS and Android apps
Client Management
Client portal Clients can view and pay invoices
Projects
Project management Basic project tracking available
Project tracking Growing plan and above
Reporting
Financial reports Good standard reports, advanced analytics extra
Invoicing
Recurring invoices Automatic recurring billing
Payments
Payment processing 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Integrations
API access Available for custom integrations