Does FreshBooks or Xero have a free plan?

Neither offers a permanently free plan. FreshBooks and Xero offer a free trial instead.

How long is the FreshBooks and Xero free trial?

FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial.

Which is easier to use, FreshBooks or Xero?

In VERILO's editorial assessment FreshBooks is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for Xero. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

FreshBooks vs Xero

A side-by-side look at FreshBooks and Xero: what each costs to start, whether there is a free plan, how easy they are to pick up, and which features and integrations they cover.

Which should you choose?

Choose FreshBooks if

Freelancers and consultants who bill by the hour or by project
Small agencies and service firms with a modest number of clients
People who find full accounting packages intimidating

Visit FreshBooks

Choose Xero if

Businesses that want owners, staff and an accountant in one file without per-user fees
Companies based in the UK, Australia or New Zealand
Growing businesses that connect ecommerce, payment and CRM apps

Visit Xero

Cheapest to start

Not confirmed

Free plan

Neither

Highest editor rating

Xero · 4.3

Comparison of FreshBooks and Xero
Compare	FreshBooks Visit site	Xero Visit site
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Starting price	From $21/mo	From $25/mo
Editor rating	4.1	4.3
Ease of use	Very easy (5/5)	Moderate (3/5)
Category	Finance & Accounting	Finance & Accounting
Pricing model	Lite, Plus and Premium at approximately $21, $38 and $65 per month billed monthly, priced by number of billable clients; additional team members cost about $11 per user per month and introductory promotions are common.	Three US plans at $25, $55 and $90 per month, with no per-user fees. The Early plan caps monthly invoices and bills, and plan names and prices differ by country.
Plans	Lite — $21/mo Plus — $38/mo Premium — $65/mo Select — Custom	Early — $25/mo Growing — $55/mo Established — $90/mo
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, API	Web, iOS, Android, API
Integrations	Gmail, Make, PayPal, Stripe, Zapier	HubSpot, Make, PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, Zapier
Best for	Freelancers and consultants who bill by the hour or by project Small agencies and service firms with a modest number of clients People who find full accounting packages intimidating	Businesses that want owners, staff and an accountant in one file without per-user fees Companies based in the UK, Australia or New Zealand Growing businesses that connect ecommerce, payment and CRM apps
Pros	Very easy to set up and use, with polished invoices and estimates Built-in time tracking, projects and a client portal suit hourly and project work Good iOS and Android apps Clients can pay by card or bank transfer directly from the invoice	Unlimited users on every plan Clean, fast bank reconciliation workflow Large app marketplace and a well-documented API Strong in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, including native payroll in those regions
Cons	Billable client caps on Lite (5) and Plus (50) Each additional team member costs about $11 per month Weaker general ledger and reporting than QuickBooks Online or Xero No inventory management	Early plan caps invoices (about 20) and bills (about 5) per month Multi-currency, expense claims and project tracking require the top plan US payroll relies on Gusto rather than a built-in module No inbound phone support; help is via online support and callbacks
API access	Yes	Yes
App marketplace	No	Yes
Bank connections	Yes	Yes
Client portal	Yes	No
Expense tracking	Yes	Yes
Inventory management	No	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Multi-currency invoicing	Yes	Yes
Payment processing	Yes	No
Quotes & invoices	Yes	Yes
Recurring invoices	Yes	Yes
Reporting & dashboards	Yes	Yes
Roles & permissions	No	Yes
Tax reports	Yes	Yes
Time tracking	Yes	No

Common questions

Does FreshBooks or Xero have a free plan?: Neither offers a permanently free plan. FreshBooks and Xero offer a free trial instead.
How long is the FreshBooks and Xero free trial?: FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial.
Which is easier to use, FreshBooks or Xero?: In VERILO's editorial assessment FreshBooks is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for Xero. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

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