Which is better for freelancers and consultants in the US? It depends on what you care about, so here are both answers and the arithmetic under them.
Zoho Books and PayPal takes one of the four lenses and Xero and PayPal none, and three 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 | Xero and PayPal | Zoho Books and PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-rounderToo close to call, 1 apart (Zoho Books and PayPal is nominally ahead) | 69 | 70 |
| Best on a budgetToo close to call | 60 | 60 |
| Easiest to startZoho Books and PayPal by 4 | 74 | 78 |
| Best as you growToo close to call, 1 apart (Zoho Books and PayPal is nominally ahead) | 73 | 74 |
Xero and PayPal splits the work across Xero and PayPal. Zoho Books and PayPal splits the work across Zoho Books and PayPal.
| Category | Xero and PayPal | Zoho Books and PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Accounting |  Xero |  Zoho Books |
| Invoicing | ||
| Invoicing | Xero | Zoho Books |
| Taking payments | ||
| Taking payments |  PayPal | PayPal |
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.
Free books and a payment method every client knows. The lowest fixed cost of any stack here, with the fees paid only when you get paid.
PayPal takes the biggest cut of the payment tools, especially in the US and New Zealand.
A new freelancer who wants no monthly bill at all to begin with.