Xero's inventory features (available with all plans) allow business managers to track the profits of each product line, letting them spot the most popular or profitable items. Inventory data can be imported with Excel and synced with Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and more. Managers can easily generate purchase orders when needed, and can manager vendor information from a single location. Users can track individual products and the value of their goods, and receive notifications when inventory is low. QuickBooks offers inventory tracking with its Plus and Advanced plans, though not through Simple Start. Neither of these is better than the other, but it pays to be aware of the differences. It's worth noting that QuickBooks uses a first part payment processor, which means that the money goes through QuickBooks, while Xero uses third-party processors, like PayPal or Stripe. Xero's only customer support options are an email system and a knowledge base. Plus, read receipts let users know when customers have seen an invoice and if it’s been paid. Additional automation abilities let users select inventory items from a preset list, quickly duplicate a previous invoice, or set up automatic invoices for repeat orders.

Alerts can be set to ensure no invoice slips through the cracks.

Xero also lets users send quotes and estimates that can quickly pull up data on contacts, inventory, and pricing. And while the Advanced tier of QuickBooks offers 24/7 support through live chat, phone lines, and email, their other tiers only offer a live chat option. Users can add their logo to their invoice templates, and change the color to fit their business's branding.

If needed, users can easily send customers reminders, and can match any payments received with the correct invoice for efficient bookkeeping. QuickBooks supports 6 custom invoice templates, and lets users track the status of the invoice with read receipts. We consider both QuickBooks and Xero to be among the best invoicing software for small business.

Compare xero accounting software