Xero vs QuickBooks Sole Trader
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Xero
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Australia
- United States
- Canada
- South Africa
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
QuickBooks Sole Trader
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.1 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | Xero | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £16/mo | £9/mo |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 297 reviews | 273 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- Xero
- QuickBooks Sole Trader
| Dimension | Xero | QuickBooks Sole Trader | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to QuickBooks Sole Trader |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to QuickBooks Sole Trader |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | 42% (125 reviews) | 34% (100 reviews) | 15% (45 reviews) | 6% (18 reviews) | 3% (9 reviews) |
| QuickBooks Sole Trader | 47% (129 reviews) | 33% (91 reviews) | 9% (24 reviews) | 8% (21 reviews) | 3% (8 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Only Xero
- 1260%
- Only QuickBooks Sole Trader
- 840%
20 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Xero
12- Best in class bank reconciliation
- Cash flow forecasting
- CIS calculations and subcontractor reports
- Industry benchmarking
+ 8 more in the table below
QuickBooks Sole Trader
8- Accountant access
- Automatic mileage tracking
- Income and expense categorisation
- Invoicing and online payments
+ 4 more in the table below
| Detail | Xero | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 20 | ||
| Best in class bank reconciliation | YesYes | NoNo |
| Cash flow forecasting | YesYes | NoNo |
| CIS calculations and subcontractor reports | YesYes | NoNo |
| Industry benchmarking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Making Tax Digital for VAT | YesYes | NoNo |
| MTD for Income Tax ready | YesYes | NoNo |
| Multiple currencies | YesYes | NoNo |
| Payroll with RTI and auto enrolment | YesYes | NoNo |
| Performance dashboards | YesYes | NoNo |
| Smart document capture | YesYes | NoNo |
| Unlimited users on every tier | YesYes | NoNo |
| Very large app marketplace | YesYes | NoNo |
| Accountant access | NoNo | YesYes |
| Automatic mileage tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Income and expense categorisation | NoNo | YesYes |
| Invoicing and online payments | NoNo | YesYes |
| Mobile app | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for Income Tax submissions | NoNo | YesYes |
| Receipt capture | NoNo | YesYes |
| Self Assessment preparation | NoNo | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | Xero | QuickBooks Sole Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for VAT | YesYes | Not listedNot listed |
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for ITSA | YesYes | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital ready | YesYes | YesYes |
| RTI-compliant payroll | YesYes | Not listedNot listed |
| Pension auto-enrolment | YesYes | Not listedNot listed |
| CIS support | YesYes | Not listedNot listed |
| Open Banking bank feeds | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK-based support | UK support team | Telephone and chat support |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
Xero
QuickBooks Sole Trader
Ignite
£16/mo
- Send quotes and 20 invoices
- Enter 10 bills
- Submit VAT returns to HMRC
Sole Trader Plus
£9/moLower
- 1 user plus accountant access
- Automatic mileage tracking
- Receipt capture
Grow
£37/mo
- Unlimited invoices and quotes
- Automate bill entry
- Payroll for 1 person
No comparable tier listed
Comprehensive
£50/mo
- Payroll for 5 people
- 90 day cash flow forecast
- Expenses for 5 users
No comparable tier listed
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose Xero if
- It lists 12 features QuickBooks Sole Trader does not, including best in class bank reconciliation.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 7 of them against 4.
Choose QuickBooks Sole Trader if
- It costs less to get started — £9/mo against £16/mo.
- It lists 8 features Xero does not, including accountant access.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Xero currently rates 4.1 against 4.1 for QuickBooks Sole Trader. That gap is not the whole story: Xero starts at £16/mo and QuickBooks Sole Trader at £9/mo, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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