Xero Review 2026: Deep Dive for Solo Devs & Small Teams
Free tier limits, real costs per team size, and honest "not for" warnings. Everything you need to decide if Xero fits your stack.
Quick Summary
💰 Monthly Cost by Team Size
🚫 Not Recommended For
- US businesses with a QuickBooks-trained accountant
- Freelancers with few invoices (Wave is free)
- Very small businesses (Starter's 20 invoice limit is tight)
Xero Pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/mo | monthly |
| Standard | $42/mo | monthly |
| Premium | $78/mo | monthly |
Pros & Cons
✅ What We Like
- Best multi-currency accounting — ideal for international businesses
- Unlimited users on all plans (QuickBooks charges per user)
- 1000+ third-party app integrations
- Beautiful, modern UI that non-accountants can use
- Strong in UK, Australia, NZ with local payroll/tax
❌ What Could Be Better
- Starter plan limited to 20 invoices/month
- US payroll requires third-party add-on (Gusto)
- Less widely used by US accountants than QuickBooks
- Some advanced features require Premium plan
- No built-in time tracking
Feature Breakdown
🏆 Our Verdict
Xero scores 4.4/5 in our evaluation. Solo Dev Score: 7/10. It's best suited for International businesses with multi-currency needs, UK/AU/NZ-based small businesses, Teams wanting unlimited users without per-seat pricing. It's a solid option worth considering, especially for its core use cases.
📝 Editor's Note
Xero is the best QuickBooks alternative, especially for international businesses. The unlimited users policy (vs QuickBooks' per-user pricing) makes it significantly cheaper for teams. Multi-currency support is genuinely superior — real-time exchange rates and automatic gain/loss tracking. The ecosystem of 1000+ apps compensates for missing built-in features.
💡 Pricing Verdict: At $15/mo for Starter, Xero is half the price of QuickBooks Simple Start. However, the 20-invoice limit on Starter pushes most businesses to Standard ($42/mo). The unlimited users policy saves significant money for teams of 3+. Always check for promotional pricing (often 75% off for 3 months).
🔄 Switching Tips: Moving from QuickBooks? Xero has a built-in QuickBooks importer that handles chart of accounts, contacts, and outstanding invoices. The transition takes 2-4 hours. Your accountant may need training on Xero's interface (it's quite different from QuickBooks).
See how it compares: QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Wave Financial
Try Xero Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Xero worth the price in 2026?
Xero starts at $15/mo. Based on our evaluation, it scores 4.4/5 overall. Whether it's worth it depends on your team size and feature requirements — read our detailed breakdown above.
What are the main alternatives to Xero?
Several tools compete with Xero in its category. Check our comparison section above for head-to-head matchups with the top alternatives.
Does Xero offer a free plan?
Check our pricing section above for the most up-to-date information on Xero's free tier and paid plans.
Is Xero good for small businesses?
Xero can work for small businesses depending on your budget and requirements. Review our "Best For" section to see if it matches your use case.
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