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Choosing accounting software often comes down to one practical question: what will it actually cost? Below is a clear breakdown of every published plan we captured for Xero and FreshBooks — including any current promotional rates — so you can compare apples to apples.
Pricing Comparison Table
| Tool | Plan | Regular Price | Promo Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | Early | $25/month | $5/month | Billed monthly |
| Xero | Growing | $55/month | $11/month | Billed monthly |
| Xero | Established | $90/month | $18/month | Billed monthly |
| FreshBooks | Lite | $23/month | $2.30/month | Billed monthly |
| FreshBooks | Plus | $43/month | $4.30/month | Billed monthly |
| FreshBooks | Premium | $70/month | $7/month | Billed monthly |
| FreshBooks | Select | — | — | Contact sales |
Note on promo pricing: Promotional rates are time-limited introductory offers. Always confirm current availability directly with the vendor, as these can change.
Per-Tool Pricing Breakdown
Xero
Xero publishes three tiers with fully transparent monthly pricing — no sales call required.
- Early: $25/month (regular) · $5/month (promo)
- Growing: $55/month (regular) · $11/month (promo)
- Established: $90/month (regular) · $18/month (promo)
The promotional pricing represents a significant discount off the regular rates and is worth checking at the time you sign up. Xero’s captured features include online invoicing, bank connections, pay bills, claim expenses, and analytics powered by Syft, among others.
Some users report friction with customer support, pricing and value, reliability and bugs, ease of use, and the mobile app — worth keeping in mind as you evaluate.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks publishes three tiers transparently, with a fourth tier (Select) available only through a sales conversation.
- Lite: $23/month (regular) · $2.30/month (promo)
- Plus: $43/month (regular) · $4.30/month (promo)
- Premium: $70/month (regular) · $7/month (promo)
- Select: Contact sales — pricing is not published and requires reaching out to their team directly.
Like Xero, FreshBooks runs promotional pricing across its three self-serve plans. The Select tier, by contrast, sits entirely behind a sales conversation with no listed price. Captured features include invoicing, billing and payments, expenses, and payroll, among others.
Some users report friction with invoicing and payments, pricing and value, customer support, and features and functionality — worth factoring in during your evaluation.
Transparent Pricing vs. Sales-Quoted Pricing
Both tools take a largely open approach to pricing — Xero across all three tiers, FreshBooks across its bottom three tiers — which makes direct cost comparison straightforward for those plans. The one exception is FreshBooks Select, which requires contacting their sales team for a quote. If you’re evaluating that tier, go in with specific questions about seat counts, contract length, and what’s included, since none of that is publicly available.
The promotional rates at both vendors can meaningfully reduce your first-year cost, but they are introductory offers, not permanent prices. For budgeting purposes, plan around the regular rates ($25–$90/month for Xero; $23–$70/month for FreshBooks on self-serve tiers) and treat any promo savings as a bonus.