QuickBooks vs. Xero vs. Crunch: which is better?

At Crunch, we’ve been competing with the giants of the online accounting industry for over a decade. Quickbooks and Xero may be bigger than us, but we don’t believe for a single second that either are better than us!

We believe in offering our clients a personal service that not only represents excellent value for money, but one that also sucks the stress right out of managing your tax obligations. After all, you should be spending your time doing what you love, not toying with your abacus and sifting through your shoebox of receipts.

That philosophy is reflected in the suite of packages we offer here at Crunch: each one was designed to support your business at every stage of your self-employed journey, offering everything you need to comfortably run your business, no matter whether you’re a sole trader or a limited company.

So, if you’re in the market for an online accountancy solution and it’s come down to Quickbooks vs. Crunch, or Xero vs. Crunch, let’s run down the reasons why you should choose Crunch!

* Services could be limited by either packages and pricing, or by software limitations.

Quickbooks vs. Crunch

Let’s start with Quickbooks, shall we? One of the aspects of our service we’re proudest of is Crunch Free, the free accounting software solution for sole traders and limited companies that are happy filing their own tax returns, or those who are just starting out - something that Quickbooks don’t even offer.

Quickbooks have three different accountancy packages, which each require a monthly fee to access. However, many of the features of our Crunch Free product, let alone our paid packages, such as free Open Banking connections and Self Assessment support, aren’t available on any of Quickbooks’ packages.

You also won’t be getting access to Chartered Certified Accountants with Quickbooks, but with Crunch? All of our Sole Trader Pro, Limited Company Pro, and Limited Company Premium clients do. That’s because, at Crunch, we believe in the human touch: your business is unique, and so are your needs. Our experts are available whenever you need them to answer any business question you have - when it comes to your business, there’s no such thing as a stupid question, and we’re here to help.

Xero vs. Crunch

And now onto Xero, another competitor that doesn’t offer a free accounting solution! Much like Quickbooks, Xero also offers three paid packages - none of which include access to trained accountants or client managers.

Much like Quickbooks, Xero also doesn't offer many of the services we offer on Crunch Free, including Self Assessment support. In fact, unlike even Quickbooks, who offer limited support with Self Assessment submissions depending on your package, Xero simply doesn't offer any support with the most important tax filing of the year.

Xero also limits the number of invoices you can send, the foreign currencies you can be paid in, and the support you can get with your VAT returns. Xero doesn't even offer telephone support, something which comes as standard on all of our Pro and Premium packages.

The choice is clear!

You might’ve thought we were self-promoting at the start of this article when we said “Quickbooks and Xero may be bigger than us, but we don’t believe for a single second that either are better than us!”. We think you probably agree with us by now, though.

Crunch offers the more comprehensive, supportive, and diverse packages that not only include the ability to do, to manage, to file, and to record everything you need to effectively run your business, but that also offers the kind of support and comfort only your own team of experts can provide.

If you’re ready to get started with Crunch, you can give our friendly advisors a call for a free consultation, where you can ask any and all business questions you may have. They’ll also be able to help you decide which Crunch package would be best for you and your business.