Which is better for freelancers and consultants in Canada? It depends on what you care about, so here are both answers and the arithmetic under them.
QuickBooks and Stripe takes two of the four lenses and Xero and Stripe none, and two are too close to call. They rate within a point of each other on every measure, so the choice comes down to cost and to how each one feels to work in.
| If you care most about | QuickBooks and Stripe | Xero and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-rounderQuickBooks and Stripe by 4 | 77 | 73 |
| Best on a budgetToo close to call, 2 apart (QuickBooks and Stripe is nominally ahead) | 72 | 70 |
| Easiest to startQuickBooks and Stripe by 8 | 78 | 70 |
| Best as you growToo close to call, 1 apart (QuickBooks and Stripe is nominally ahead) | 81 | 80 |
QuickBooks and Stripe splits the work across QuickBooks Online and Stripe. Xero and Stripe splits the work across Xero and Stripe.
| Category | QuickBooks and Stripe | Xero and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Accounting |  QuickBooks Online |  Xero |
| Invoicing | ||
| Invoicing | QuickBooks Online | Xero |
| Taking payments | ||
| Taking payments |  Stripe | Stripe |
Greyed-out rows use the same tool on both sides. A category is one job a stack has to do; a tool is one product you sign up for.
The price to actually launch, the catches that come with it, and what you give up by picking one over the other.
The books most accountants know, with low card fees. QuickBooks handles the accounts and invoices; Stripe takes the payments.
Anyone whose accountant asked for QuickBooks.
Proper books, with what is usually the cheaper way to take a card. Xero keeps the accounts and sends the invoices; Stripe collects the money and hands it back to Xero.
One monthly bill plus a cut of every payment.
A freelancer who wants books an accountant will recognise, and low card fees.