Accounting software compared: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave and Zoho Books (2026)
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
We read the pricing pages of FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Wave, Xero and Zoho Books on November 2, 2026. At regular monthly prices, the cheapest paid plans ran from $19 (Wave Pro) to $38 (QuickBooks Simple Start), and the priciest listed plan was QuickBooks Advanced at $340. QuickBooks, Wave and Zoho Books also have a $0 plan. Payroll costs extra at all five.
Key takeaways
- QuickBooks Free, Wave Starter and Zoho Books Free cost $0, but each has limits; Zoho's free plan is for businesses under $50,000 in yearly revenue.
- Cheapest paid plans, billed monthly: Wave Pro $19, Zoho Books Standard $20, FreshBooks Lite $23, Xero Early $27, QuickBooks Simple Start $38.
- QuickBooks allows 1 to 25 users depending on plan. Xero says it charges no per-user license fees.
- Payroll is an add-on everywhere. Xero, FreshBooks, Wave and Zoho Payroll start at $36 to $40 a month plus $6 per person.
- FreshBooks, QuickBooks and Xero were running first-months discounts on November 2. Budget for the regular price.
How did we pick and order the software on this page?
Five widely used small-business accounting tools whose own US pricing pages we could read on November 2, 2026, listed alphabetically.
Every price, limit and trial term below comes from the vendor's own pricing page, read on November 2, 2026 [1][3][4][5][7]. We list the tools in alphabetical order and don't name a winner. We meant to include Sage Accounting too, but its US pricing pages refused our request, so it's left out rather than filled in from older numbers.
How much does small-business accounting software cost in 2026?
Regular monthly prices ran from $0 to $340. Wave Pro was the cheapest paid plan at $19 and QuickBooks Advanced the most expensive at $340.
| Software | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Top listed plan | Users | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | No | Lite, $23 [4] | Premium, $70; Select priced on request [4] | Extra team members $11/mo each [4] | 30 days, no card [4] |
| QuickBooks Online | Free, $0 [1] | Simple Start, $38 [1] | Advanced, $340 [1] | 1 to 25 by plan [1] | 30-day option shown; plans not named [1] |
| Wave | Starter, $0 [5] | Pro, $19 or $190/yr [5] | Pro, $19 [5] | Roles listed, no number [5] | None; Starter is free [5] |
| Xero | No | Early, $27 [3] | Established, $97 [3] | No per-user fees [3] | "Get one month free" button, no terms shown [3] |
| Zoho Books | Free, $0 [7] | Standard, $20 ($15 billed yearly) [7] | Ultimate, $275 ($240 billed yearly) [7] | 1 to 15 by plan; extra $3/mo [7] | 14 days on paid plans [7] |
What does FreshBooks cost and what's in each plan?
Lite is $23 a month for 5 billable clients, Plus $43 for 50, and Premium $70 for unlimited. Select is priced on request.
- Lite, $23: invoices for up to 5 billable clients, expense tracking, estimates, online payments and tax-time reports [4].
- Plus, $43: 50 clients, plus proposals, retainers, receipt scanning, accountant access, double-entry accounting reports and bank reconciliation [4].
- Premium, $70: unlimited clients, plus bill receipt scanning, project profitability and accounts payable [4].
- Select: no price listed. It includes 2 team member accounts, lower card and ACH fees and dedicated phone support [4].
Extra team members are $11 a month each, and the Advanced Payments add-on is $20 a month on Lite, Plus and Premium [4]. The trial runs 30 days with no credit card, and FreshBooks says it refunds in full if you ask within 30 days of buying [4]. On November 2 it was offering 80% off for 4 months [4]. Note that the double-entry reports and accountant access only start on Plus.
What does QuickBooks Online cost and what's in each plan?
Simple Start is $38 a month for 1 user, Essentials $85 for 3, Plus $140 for 5 and Advanced $340 for 25. A limited Free plan costs $0.
- Free, $0: 1 user, 2 invoices a month (unlimited if you take payment through QuickBooks Payments), 3 core reports and 1 connected bank. Mobile app access and third-party integrations aren't currently available [1].
- Simple Start, $38: 1 user plus 2 accountants, invoicing with payments, expense categorization and general business reports [1].
- Essentials, $85: 3 users, quarterly tax estimates, bulk invoices and employee time on invoices [1].
- Plus, $140: 5 users, inventory tracking, project profitability, budgets and up to 40 classes and locations [1].
- Advanced, $340: 25 users plus 3 accountants, custom user permissions, workflow automation, Excel sync and priority support [1].
Every paid plan showed 50% off for 3 months on November 2 [1]. The page offers a 30-day free trial but doesn't say which plans it covers or whether it combines with the discount; its FAQ says phone support is free during the trial on Simple Start and up [1].
What does Wave cost and what's in each plan?
Wave Starter is free. Wave Pro is $19 a month or $190 a year and adds bank imports, auto-categorization and cheaper card fees on early transactions.
- Starter, $0: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60). Live chat and email support need an add-on [5].
- Pro, $19 a month or $190 a year: automatic bank imports through Plaid (not every bank works), auto-merge and categorization, unlimited receipts, late payment reminders, and admin, editor and viewer roles [5].
On Pro, the first ten card transactions each month cost 2.9% with no flat fee, then 2.9% + $0.60 [5]. Wave also sells bookkeeping help under Wave Advisors, but its page lists more than one starting price without saying which tier each belongs to, so we left that figure out. NerdWallet notes you need a paid Wave plan to reach a human for support [9].
What does Xero cost and what's in each plan?
Early is $27 a month with 20 invoices and 5 bills, Growing is $59 and Established is $97. Xero doesn't charge per user.
- Early, $27: quotes, 20 invoices and 5 bills, with a 30-day cash flow forecast and no budgeting. Auto-reconcile is a $5 add-on [3].
- Growing, $59: no invoice cap stated, bill automation, a 60-day forecast and 3 budgets [3].
- Established, $97: multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, expense and mileage claims, international bill payments and a 180-day forecast [3].
Xero's page says there are no per-user license fees [3], and NerdWallet says every plan includes unlimited users [9]. NerdWallet also points out Xero has no inbound phone support, though callbacks are available [9]. The 90% off for 6 months offer on the page ended at 11:59pm UTC on November 2, 2026 [3]. A "Get one month free" button sits on each plan, but the page gives no terms for it.
What does Zoho Books cost and what's in each plan?
Six plans, from Free to Ultimate at $275 a month ($240 billed yearly). Standard is $20 for 3 users and 5,000 invoices a year.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Users | Invoices a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 + 1 accountant | 1,000 |
| Standard | $20 | $15 | 3 | 5,000 |
| Professional | $50 | $40 | 5 | 10,000 |
| Premium | $70 | $60 | 10 | 25,000 |
| Elite | $150 | $120 | 10 | 100,000 |
| Ultimate | $275 | $240 | 15 | 100,000 |
The free plan stays free as long as yearly revenue stays at or under $50,000 [7]. Standard adds bank feeds, sales tax tracking and 1099 e-filing; Professional adds inventory, purchase orders and multi-currency; Premium adds budgets and cash flow forecasting [7]. Extra users cost $3 a month, or $2.50 billed yearly [7]. Paid plans come with a 14-day trial [7].
What limits come with the cheapest plans?
Invoice and client caps. QuickBooks Free allows 2 invoices a month, Xero Early 20 invoices and 5 bills, FreshBooks Lite 5 billable clients.
- QuickBooks Free: 2 invoices a month unless you take payment through QuickBooks Payments, and 1 connected bank [1].
- Xero Early: 20 invoices and 5 bills, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending [3].
- FreshBooks Lite: 5 billable clients, and no double-entry reports or bank reconciliation until Plus [4].
- Zoho Books Free: 1,000 invoices a year, for businesses with up to $50,000 in revenue [7].
- Wave Starter: no invoice cap, but no automatic bank imports; those come with Pro [5].
How much does payroll add to accounting software?
At Xero, FreshBooks, Wave and Zoho Payroll, $36 to $40 a month plus $6 per person. QuickBooks sells payroll bundled, from $88 plus $6.50 per employee.
| Software | Payroll price | 5 people (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks Payroll | $40/mo + $6 per user [4] | $70 |
| QuickBooks (bundled with Simple Start) | $88/mo + $6.50 per employee [2] | $120.50, accounting included |
| Wave Payroll | $40/mo + $6 per employee or contractor [6] | $70 |
| Xero Payroll (by Gusto) | $36/mo + $6 per employee or contractor [3] | $66 |
| Zoho Payroll Standard | $39/mo + $6 per employee; $29 + $5 billed yearly [8] | $69 |
QuickBooks' payroll pricing page lists only bundles: payroll with Simple Start at $88, with Essentials at $125, and a premium tier with Plus at $203 plus $10 per employee [2]. Wave now offers its tax service in all 50 states, and its 30-day payroll trial starts when you run your first payroll [6]. Zoho Payroll is a separate Zoho app with a 14-day trial; Standard covers single-state payroll and Professional ($59 a month) covers multiple states [8].
Glisten check
What the cheapest paid plan costs in the first year
| Plan | Regular monthly | 12 months at regular price | First 12 months with the promo shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks Lite | $23 [4] | $276 | $202.40 (80% off for 4 months) [4] |
| QuickBooks Simple Start | $38 [1] | $456 | $399 (50% off for 3 months) [1] |
| Wave Pro | $19 [5] | $228, or $190 billed yearly [5] | No current promo; the one listed ran Dec. 2, 2025 to Jan. 6, 2026 [5] |
| Xero Early | $27 [3] | $324 | $178.20 (90% off for 6 months), offer ended Nov. 2, 2026 [3] |
| Zoho Books Standard | $20 [7] | $240, or $180 billed yearly [7] | No promo shown [7] |
The promos shrink year one, and they don't last. From year two, the gap between the cheapest and priciest entry plan here is $228 a year (Wave Pro at $228 against QuickBooks Simple Start at $456), before you add a single user or payroll.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Owners choosing their first bookkeeping tool who want plan prices and limits side by side.
- Anyone checking what payroll will add to the monthly bill.
Not ideal for
- Picking a winner. We list the tools alphabetically and don't rank them.
- Businesses outside the US, or anyone after Sage pricing, which we couldn't load.
Frequently asked questions
Is QuickBooks Online free?
There's a QuickBooks Free plan at $0 with 1 user, 2 invoices a month (unlimited with QuickBooks Payments) and 1 connected bank [1]. Paid plans start at $38 a month.
Does Xero charge per user?
No. Xero's pricing page says there are no per-user license fees [3], and NerdWallet says all Xero plans include unlimited users [9].
Which accounting software has a free trial?
FreshBooks offers 30 days with no card [4] and Zoho Books 14 days on paid plans [7]. QuickBooks shows a 30-day trial option [1]. Wave has a free plan instead [5].
What is double-entry accounting, and do these tools do it?
Each transaction gets a matching debit and credit, which NerdWallet recommends for almost every business [9]. FreshBooks only adds double-entry reports from its Plus plan [4].
How we know this
On November 2, 2026 we read each vendor's own US pricing page, plus the payroll pricing page where payroll is priced separately, for plan prices, user limits, invoice and client caps, free trials and payroll add-ons. Prices are regular list prices billed monthly unless marked; promos are shown with their terms. We cross-checked general claims against NerdWallet. Sage's pricing pages wouldn't load, so Sage isn't included.
- QuickBooks Online pricing, Intuit QuickBooks. Checked November 2, 2026.
- QuickBooks Payroll pricing, Intuit QuickBooks. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Pricing plans (US), Xero. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Pricing, FreshBooks. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Pricing, Wave. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Payroll, Wave. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Zoho Books pricing (US), Zoho. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Zoho Payroll pricing (US), Zoho. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Best accounting software for small business, NerdWallet. Checked November 2, 2026.