Compare

Xero vs Zoho Books

Xero offers comparable cloud accounting with a focus on multi-currency and third-party app ecosystem.

Short answer: Pick Xero if you want all-in-one cloud accounting; pick Zoho Books if you want comprehensive cloud accounting. Xero has a free plan; Zoho Books has a free plan, paid from $20/month.

Which to pick

Pick Xero if you want…

  • All-in-one cloud accounting
  • Multi-currency cloud accounting

Pick Zoho Books if you want…

  • Comprehensive cloud accounting

Side by side

What it is
Xero:Xero is online accounting software that connects banks, accountants, and business apps to manage finances.
Zoho Books:Zoho Books is an online accounting platform that handles invoicing, payments, banking, tax, reports and inventory for small businesses.
Best for
Xero:All-in-one cloud accounting
Zoho Books:Comprehensive cloud accounting
Who it’s for
Xero:Small to medium businesses needing accounting, invoicing, payroll, and cash-flow tools.
Zoho Books:Small businesses, freelancers and accountants needing cloud accounting
Pricing
Xero:Freemium
Zoho Books:Freemium
Starting price
Xero:—
Zoho Books:$20/month (Standard)
Free plan or trial
Xero:Free trial
Zoho Books:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
Plans
Xero:—
Zoho Books:Free $0 · Standard $20 per month · Professional $50 per month · Premium $70 per month · Elite $150 per month

Xero features

  • Smart Document Capture. Automatically pulls bills and receipts into Xero for organized records.
  • Real-time cash-flow insights. Provides live reports and forecasts to help manage cash flow.
  • Invoicing & payments. Create, send, and accept online invoice payments with ACH included.
  • Bank reconciliation. Auto-reconcile bank transactions to keep books up to date.
  • Payroll integration. Xero Payroll powered by Gusto handles payroll taxes and compliance.
  • Performance dashboards. Customizable dashboards and health scorecards for financial analytics.

Zoho Books features

  • Invoicing & Payments. Create professional invoices, set up online payment links and automate payment reminders.
  • Expense & Bill Management. Track expenses, manage vendor bills and automate recurring expenses.
  • Inventory Control. Monitor stock levels, set reorder alerts and manage multi-currency inventory.
  • Project Billing. Allocate tasks, track project profitability and bill clients accurately.
  • AI-powered Insights. Ask plain-English questions, detect anomalies and automate collections.
  • Multi-device Sync. Access and edit data from web, iOS, Android and desktop with real-time sync.

Xero vs Zoho Books FAQ

What is the difference between Xero and Zoho Books?+

Xero offers comparable cloud accounting with a focus on multi-currency and third-party app ecosystem.

Should I use Xero or Zoho Books?+

Pick Xero if you want all-in-one cloud accounting or multi-currency cloud accounting. Pick Zoho Books if you want comprehensive cloud accounting.

Is Xero or Zoho Books free?+

Xero has a free plan and paid plans. Zoho Books has a free plan; paid plans start at $20/month (Standard).

On DevHunt

Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.