Alternatives · Prices checked on official pages, 18–19 October 2026
Best Xero Alternatives 2026: By Reason and by Country
Disclosure: Some links in this guide are affiliate links (marked “partner link”), including Xero’s. If you click through and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change which alternative we suggest for which problem. Learn more.
Quick answer
The right Xero alternative depends on why you’re leaving and where you are. Zoho Books is the best value overall, with a free plan in every edition. QuickBooks Online is the closest full-featured swap, and it’s cheaper at entry level in Canada and Australia. Sage Accounting is the pick for UK businesses that want payroll in the base price. MYOB is the local choice in Australia and New Zealand. And Wave is the free option for US and Canadian sole proprietors.
How we chose: we compared regular prices, plan limits and availability from each vendor’s official pricing pages, read on 18–19 October 2026. We haven’t run hands-on tests, so there are no star ratings here. For a full ranking, see the best accounting software for small business.
Why people look for a Xero alternative
Xero is a solid product (we cover it in full in our Xero review). People who leave usually do so for one of these reasons, all visible on Xero’s own pricing pages:
- Entry-plan caps. US Early allows 20 invoices and 5 bills. UK Ignite allows 20 invoices and 10 bills, and UK Simple 10 invoices.
- No free plan. Xero offers discounts and, in some countries, a trial, but nothing permanent at $0.
- Top-tier features. Multi-currency (compared here) needs Established (US, $97), Comprehensive (UK, AU, NZ) or Premium elsewhere.
- US extras. Payroll is Xero Payroll powered by Gusto ($36 a month plus $6 per person), and Inventory Plus is an add-on.
- Price changes. Xero lists price rises in South Africa and Singapore from 1 November 2026.
Each alternative below fixes at least one of these, and we’ve said which.
The alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Fixes | Starting price | Users | Where it’s sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Books | No free plan, price, invoice caps | Free; Standard $20/mo ($15 yearly, US) | 3 on Standard, up to 15 | 18 country editions + Global |
| QuickBooks Online | US inventory and payroll in one place; entry price in CA/AU | Free (US); Simple Start $38/mo | 1 / 3 / 5 / 25 by plan | 10 local editions + global USD plans |
| Sage Accounting | UK payroll in the base price | £0 (Sole Trader Free); Start £20/mo | 1 / 3 / unlimited | UK, IE, CA, ZA, KE, NG |
| MYOB | Local AU/NZ provider | A$99/year (Solo); NZ$315/year (Lite) | Varies by plan | Australia and New Zealand |
| FreshBooks | Freelancer invoicing and time tracking | $23/mo (US Lite) | 1 + paid team members | USD, CAD, GBP, AUD, ZAR, EUR pricing |
| Wave | No free plan | Free; Pro $19/mo | Extra users on Pro | US and Canada only |
| FreeAgent | UK sole-trader tax | £19/mo sole trader (free via some banks) | Not stated | UK only |
| Xendoo | Doing the books yourself | $395/mo (billed annually) | Dedicated team | US |
Regular prices before promotions and tax. Compare Xero against the alternatives in your own country with our comparison table.
Best Xero alternative by country
| Country | Xero entry price | Cheaper or free alternative | Full-featured alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Early $27 | Wave Free / Pro $19; Zoho Books Free / Standard $20 | QuickBooks Online Simple Start $38 |
| United Kingdom | Simple £7 (non-VAT) · Ignite £18 | Sage Sole Trader Free; Zoho Books Free; FreeAgent (free via some banks) | Sage Start £20 (payroll included); QuickBooks Simple Start £16 |
| Australia | Ignite A$37 | MYOB Solo A$99/year; Zoho Books Free | QuickBooks Simple Start A$33 |
| New Zealand | Ignite NZ$37 (excl. GST) | MYOB Lite NZ$315/year (excl. GST) | MYOB AccountRight Plus NZ$100 |
| Canada | Starter C$25 | Wave Free; QuickBooks Lite C$20 | Zoho Books Standard C$20 (C$15 yearly) |
| South Africa | Starter R450 | Zoho Books Free / Standard R99 | Sage Start R270 (incl. VAT); QuickBooks Simple Start R322 |
| India, Gulf, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico | Global plans from $29 USD | Zoho Books Free (local editions) | Zoho Books paid plans in local currency |
Country guides with the full line-ups: UK and Australia.
Zoho Books: best value overall
Zoho Books fixes the two most common complaints at once: it has a free plan in every edition we checked, and its paid plans cost less than Xero’s in most markets. In the US, Standard is $20 a month ($15 billed annually) with 3 users and 5,000 invoices a year, against Xero Early’s 20 invoices a month. The free plan stays free while revenue is under $50K a year. Zoho also has local editions in places Xero only covers with global USD plans, including India, the Gulf states, Kenya, Nigeria and Mexico.
Trade-offs: the edition’s country and base currency can’t be changed later, and the best prices need annual billing. See our Zoho Books review.
Try Zoho Books free (partner link, opens in a new tab)
QuickBooks Online: the closest like-for-like swap
QuickBooks is the most direct replacement for Xero: full double-entry accounting, a large accountant network and local editions in 10 markets. It wins on entry price in Canada (Lite C$20 vs Xero Starter C$25) and Australia (Simple Start A$33 vs Ignite A$37), and in the US it has a $0 Free plan and inventory on Plus without a separate add-on.
Trade-offs: user caps (1, 3, 5 or 25 by plan), where Xero has no per-user fees, and US prices are higher than Xero’s ($38 vs $27 at entry, $140 for Plus). Plan-by-plan detail is in Xero vs QuickBooks and our QuickBooks Online review.
Sage Accounting: best for UK payroll
In the UK, every Sage Accounting plan includes payroll: 1 employee on Start (£20) and Standard (£43), 5 on Plus (£59), then £1.85 per extra employee a month. On Xero UK, payroll starts with Grow (£39). Non-VAT sole traders get Sage Sole Trader Free, which is MTD ready and includes 5 invoices a month.
Trade-offs: Start has 1 user and no receipt capture, and Sage isn’t sold in the US. See our Sage Accounting review.
MYOB: the local choice in Australia and New Zealand
MYOB is Xero’s main home-grown rival in both countries. In Australia, Solo costs A$99 a year for sole traders, and Business Lite (A$315 a year) adds payroll for up to 2 employees. In New Zealand, Lite is NZ$315 a year and Pro NZ$585 a year (both excl. GST, with 50% off the first year when we checked), and payroll costs $3 a month + GST per employee. AccountRight Premier (NZ$120 a month) adds multiple currencies and a second business.
Trade-offs: only sold in Australia and New Zealand, multi-currency needs AccountRight Premier, and Lite is limited to 2 connected bank accounts in NZ. More in our Australia guide.
FreshBooks: best for freelancers
If you mostly invoice clients and track time, FreshBooks may suit you better than Xero. Time tracking and expenses are unlimited on every plan, and proposals and retainers come with Plus. US prices are $23, $43 and $70 a month.
Trade-offs: client caps (5 on Lite, 50 on Plus), and each team member costs $11 a month, where Xero has no per-user fees. See our FreshBooks review.
See FreshBooks’ current offer (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Wave: best free option (US and Canada)
Wave’s Starter plan costs $0, with unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records. Pro ($19 a month or $190 a year) adds automatic bank imports. For a US or Canadian sole proprietor paying for Xero Early mainly to send invoices, it’s the obvious cost cut.
Trade-offs: US and Canada only, no inventory or multi-currency, and card fees of 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. See our Wave review.
FreeAgent: best for UK sole traders
FreeAgent is built around UK tax: MTD VAT returns, Self Assessment, and payroll filing to HMRC. It’s free for as long as you keep an eligible NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account, or an active Mettle account. Otherwise it costs £19 a month for sole traders, £27 for partnerships and £33 for limited companies (excl. VAT).
Trade-offs: UK only. Compare it with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks in our UK MTD guide.
Xendoo: if you’d rather hand off the books
If the real problem is doing the bookkeeping at all, a service may suit you better than another app. Xendoo is a US bookkeeping service, from $395 a month billed annually, with a dedicated team.
Visit Xendoo (partner link, opens in a new tab)
When staying on Xero makes more sense
Switching costs time, so check whether a plan change fixes your problem first. If you have several people in the books, Xero’s lack of per-user fees is hard to beat; QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Sage Start all limit or charge for users. If invoice caps are the issue, moving from US Early to Growing ($59) removes them. In Australia, every Xero plan already includes payroll and BAS. For the rest of the picture, see the Xero review.
See Xero’s current offer (partner link, opens in a new tab)
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Xero?
It depends on your country. Zoho Books has a free plan in every edition we checked (in the US, for revenue under $50K a year). Wave’s Starter plan is free in the US and Canada. In the UK, Sage Sole Trader Free suits non-VAT sole traders, and FreeAgent is free with eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle accounts.
Is QuickBooks cheaper than Xero?
Not in the US: QuickBooks Simple Start is $38 a month against Xero Early at $27, though QuickBooks also has a $0 Free plan. QuickBooks is cheaper at entry level in Canada (Lite C$20 vs Starter C$25) and Australia (Simple Start A$33 vs Ignite A$37).
What is the best Xero alternative in Australia?
MYOB is the main local alternative (Solo A$99 a year; Business Lite A$315 a year with payroll for up to 2 employees). QuickBooks Simple Start (A$33) is cheaper than Xero Ignite (A$37), and Zoho Books has a free plan for businesses under A$50K revenue.
What is the best Xero alternative in the UK?
Sage Accounting, if you want payroll included (from £20 a month with payroll for 1 employee). For sole traders, Sage Sole Trader Free, FreeAgent (free with some bank accounts) and Zoho Books Free all cover MTD.
