Compare bookkeeping software
Compare Canadian-friendly bookkeeping platforms — QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, FreshBooks, Sage Business Cloud, and Zoho Books side by side: free tiers, Canadian-built options, GST/HST handling, bank feeds, payroll integration, and support windows. Includes the bundled Start Kit Books option.
| Compare |  Start Kit Books Built in Canada |  QuickBooks Online | XE Xero | WA Wave Built in Canada |  FreshBooks Built in Canada |  Sage Business Cloud |  Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Bundled | Full-service | Full-service | Self-service | Self-service | Full-service | Self-service |
| Overview | Built-in income and expense ledger, included with Start Kit. No account needed, no monthly fee — track transactions and receipts directly from your dashboard. | The most popular small business accounting software in Canada. Invoicing, expense tracking, bank feeds, tax reports, and payroll. Integrates with hundreds of apps. | Cloud accounting built for small businesses. Beautiful interface, unlimited users on all plans, strong bank reconciliation, and a large app marketplace. | Free accounting and invoicing for small businesses. Canadian-made, no monthly fees for core features. Paid add-ons for payroll and payments processing. | Designed for service-based businesses and freelancers. Excellent invoicing, time tracking, and client management. Simpler than QuickBooks or Xero. | Enterprise-grade accounting scaled down for small businesses. Strong reporting, multi-currency support, and inventory management. Popular with accountants. | Affordable cloud accounting that integrates with the full Zoho suite. Good for businesses already using Zoho CRM, Mail, or other Zoho products. |
| Best for | Included | Paid plans | Paid plans | Free tier available | Paid plans | Paid plans | Free tier available |
| Price | Included | $20–$70/mo | $18–$54/mo | Free (payroll extra) | $11–$55/mo | $15–$50/mo | Free–$35/mo |
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| Coverage | All provinces (built for Canadian SMBs) | All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST/QST) | All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST) | All provinces (Canadian-built; GST/HST tracking) | All provinces (Canadian-built) | All provinces (Sage Business Cloud Canada) | All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST) |
| Support | In-app feedback + Start Kit support | 24/7 chat; phone callback Mon–Fri | 24/7 online support (chat + email); no phone | Email + chat support (Pro plan); community for Free | Phone + email Mon–Fri 8a–8p ET | Phone + chat Mon–Fri (Canadian business hours) | Email 24/5; chat + phone on higher tiers |
| Sign up | No public link | Sign up at QuickBooks Online | Sign up at Xero | Sign up at Wave | Sign up at FreshBooks | Sign up at Sage Business Cloud | Sign up at Zoho Books |
Start Kit Books Built in Canada
Start Kit Books Built in Canada
- Type
- Bundled
- Overview
- Built-in income and expense ledger, included with Start Kit. No account needed, no monthly fee — track transactions and receipts directly from your dashboard.
- Best for
- Included
- Price
- Included
- Key features
- Included with Start Kit (no extra cost)
- Income + expense ledger built in
- Receipt + document attachment
- Recurring-cost auto-posting
- Float card transaction sync
- No external account or OAuth setup
- Coverage
- All provinces (built for Canadian SMBs)
- Support
- In-app feedback + Start Kit support
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online
- Type
- Full-service
- Overview
- The most popular small business accounting software in Canada. Invoicing, expense tracking, bank feeds, tax reports, and payroll. Integrates with hundreds of apps.
- Best for
- Paid plans
- Price
- $20–$70/mo
- Key features
- Most-used by Canadian accountants + bookkeepers
- Bank + credit-card feeds (Canadian FIs)
- GST/HST/QST tracking + filing
- Built-in payroll (Canadian add-on)
- Hundreds of third-party app integrations
- Sales tax + multi-currency on higher tiers
- Coverage
- All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST/QST)
- Support
- 24/7 chat; phone callback Mon–Fri
XEXero
Xero
- Type
- Full-service
- Overview
- Cloud accounting built for small businesses. Beautiful interface, unlimited users on all plans, strong bank reconciliation, and a large app marketplace.
- Best for
- Paid plans
- Price
- $18–$54/mo
- Key features
- Unlimited users on every plan
- Strong bank-feed reconciliation flow
- GST/HST handling + sales-tax reports
- Project tracking + time entry
- Large app marketplace (Hubdoc, Stripe, Shopify)
- Multi-currency on higher tiers
- Coverage
- All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST)
- Support
- 24/7 online support (chat + email); no phone
WAWave Built in Canada
Wave Built in Canada
- Type
- Self-service
- Overview
- Free accounting and invoicing for small businesses. Canadian-made, no monthly fees for core features. Paid add-ons for payroll and payments processing.
- Best for
- Free tier available
- Price
- Free (payroll extra)
- Key features
- Free core accounting + unlimited invoicing
- Bank feeds via paid Pro plan
- GST/HST sales tax tracking
- Wave Payroll (Canadian add-on)
- Wave Payments for card + ACH processing
- Best for sole props + early-stage solo operators
- Coverage
- All provinces (Canadian-built; GST/HST tracking)
- Support
- Email + chat support (Pro plan); community for Free
FreshBooks Built in Canada
FreshBooks Built in Canada
- Type
- Self-service
- Overview
- Designed for service-based businesses and freelancers. Excellent invoicing, time tracking, and client management. Simpler than QuickBooks or Xero.
- Best for
- Paid plans
- Price
- $11–$55/mo
- Key features
- Built for service businesses + freelancers
- Best-in-class invoicing + payment reminders
- Time tracking + project profitability
- Client portal for estimates + payments
- Bank feeds + expense capture
- Simpler than QuickBooks / Xero (steeper for inventory)
- Coverage
- All provinces (Canadian-built)
- Support
- Phone + email Mon–Fri 8a–8p ET
Sage Business Cloud
Sage Business Cloud
- Type
- Full-service
- Overview
- Enterprise-grade accounting scaled down for small businesses. Strong reporting, multi-currency support, and inventory management. Popular with accountants.
- Best for
- Paid plans
- Price
- $15–$50/mo
- Key features
- Enterprise-grade reporting scaled to SMB
- Strong inventory + multi-location handling
- Multi-currency on every plan
- Bank reconciliation + cash-flow forecasting
- Popular migration path for legacy Sage 50 desktop
- Accountant network across Canada
- Coverage
- All provinces (Sage Business Cloud Canada)
- Support
- Phone + chat Mon–Fri (Canadian business hours)
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
- Type
- Self-service
- Overview
- Affordable cloud accounting that integrates with the full Zoho suite. Good for businesses already using Zoho CRM, Mail, or other Zoho products.
- Best for
- Free tier available
- Price
- Free–$35/mo
- Key features
- Free tier (revenue-gated, 1 user)
- Bundles with the wider Zoho suite (CRM, Mail, etc.)
- GST/HST + multi-currency
- Recurring invoices + automated reminders
- Client portal + customer statements
- Project tracking + timesheets
- Coverage
- All provinces (Canadian edition with GST/HST)
- Support
- Email 24/5; chat + phone on higher tiers