Compare accounting software
How Cheery Books compares to the big names.
QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho Books and Sage 50, side by side: prices, users, limits and what you get for accountants.
All prices: official US pricing pages, checked November 3, 2026, before introductory discounts.
Side by side
Seven apps, one honest table.
Monthly list prices in USD. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Cheery Books | QuickBooks Online | Xero | FreshBooks | Wave | Zoho Books | Sage 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Yes (2 invoices a month) | — | — | Starter | Up to $50K revenue | — |
| Entry paid plan | $19 | $38 | $27 | $23 | $19 | $20 ($15 yearly) | $132.17 |
| Middle plan | $39 | $85 | $59 | $43 | — | $50 | $182.50 |
| Top listed plan | $129 | $340 | $97 | $70 | $19 (Pro) | $275 | $271.17 |
| Users on the entry plan | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | 1 (+$11 each) | Owner | 3 | 1 |
| Entry-plan limits | None on invoices | 1 user | 20 invoices, 5 bills a month | 5 billable clients | Bank feeds need Pro | 5,000 invoices a year | 1-year commitment |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 1 month | 30 days | Free plan | 14 days | No trial |
| Online forms & bookings | Lead form | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Payroll | Calculations only | Add-on | Gusto add-on | Add-on $40/mo | Add-on $40/mo | Separate product | Add-on |
| Published partner discount | 30–40% | 30% (existing) | Not published | Not published | — | Not published | — |
Sources: quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing, xero.com/us/pricing-plans, freshbooks.com/pricing, waveapps.com/pricing, zoho.com/us/books/pricing, sage.com/en-us/products/sage-50/pricing, checked November 3, 2026. Sage's US cloud product, Sage Accounting, was retired at the end of 2024. “—” means not offered or not published. All names are trademarks of their owners; Cheery Books is not affiliated with any of them.
Go deeper
Head-to-head comparisons.
In fairness
Who might be a better fit elsewhere.
- Need a free plan? — Wave and Zoho Books have free plans; Cheery Books starts at $19.
- Need lots of users on a budget? — Xero includes unlimited users on every plan.
- Need payroll that files taxes? — QuickBooks, Xero (via Gusto), FreshBooks and Wave sell full-service payroll; Cheery Books only calculates and records pay runs.
- Billing hourly clients only? — FreshBooks is built around invoicing and time for service businesses.
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