Which is better for freelancers and consultants in New Zealand? It depends on what you care about, so here are both answers and the arithmetic under them.
Xero and Stripe takes three of the four lenses to Xero and PayPal's one. 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 | Xero and PayPal | Xero and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-rounderXero and Stripe by 4 | 69 | 73 |
| Best on a budgetXero and Stripe by 10 | 60 | 70 |
| Easiest to startXero and PayPal by 4 | 74 | 70 |
| Best as you growXero and Stripe by 7 | 73 | 80 |
Xero and PayPal splits the work across Xero and PayPal. Xero and Stripe splits the work across Xero and Stripe.
| Category | Xero and PayPal | Xero and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Accounting |  Xero | Xero |
| Invoicing | ||
| Invoicing | Xero | Xero |
| Taking payments | ||
| Taking payments |  PayPal |  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 same books, with the payment method most clients already have. Clients pay the PayPal link on a Xero invoice without signing up for anything.
PayPal costs more per payment than Stripe everywhere but Canada, where the two are level.
Working with clients who expect to pay by PayPal, or who pay from abroad.
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.