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 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 | Xero and Stripe | Zoho Books and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-rounderToo close to call, 1 apart (Xero and Stripe is nominally ahead) | 73 | 72 |
| Best on a budgetZoho Books and Stripe by 3 | 70 | 73 |
| Easiest to startZoho Books and Stripe by 3 | 70 | 73 |
| Best as you growToo close to call, 1 apart (Xero and Stripe is nominally ahead) | 80 | 79 |
Xero and Stripe splits the work across Xero and Stripe. Zoho Books and Stripe splits the work across Zoho Books and Stripe.
| Category | Xero and Stripe | Zoho Books and Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Accounting |  Xero |  Zoho Books |
| Invoicing | ||
| Invoicing | Xero | Zoho Books |
| 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.
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.
The cheapest way to run proper books: Zoho Books is free until your revenue passes about US$50,000, and Stripe charges only per payment.
Fewer connections to other tools than Xero or QuickBooks.
Starting out, or a side business that has to cost almost nothing.