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!

Why? Because we’ve never believed that running a business should mean being left to figure out your accounts and tax on your own. 

Our software is designed to make accounting straightforward for business owners. But, unlike a software-only platform, our accountancy packages can also give you access to expert human accountants who can answer your questions, help you understand your tax obligations and, depending on your package, take care of important accounting and tax work for you.

That philosophy has been at the heart of Crunch from the beginning. You should be spending your time running your business and doing what you love, not toying with your abacus and sifting through a shoebox of receipts.

So, while QuickBooks and Xero are both established platforms, the question isn't simply which software has the longest list of features. It's which solution gives you the support you actually need to run your business?

And that's where we think Crunch has the edge.

Crunch vs. Xero vs. QuickBooks: at a glance

Before we get into the details, let’s cover the quick version:

The headline? All three can help you manage your accounts. But Crunch gives you something more: accounting software backed by real human accountants. That means you don't have to become an accountant just because you've started a business.

*One great benefit for Crunch clients  though, is that we do include Xero's ecommerce software in our ecommerce package. So you'll get the best of Xero with Crunch.

Feature comparison

If you’re comparing accounting software, these are some of the features and services that are likely to matter most:

* Xero and QuickBooks can be used alongside an accountant or bookkeeper. These rows refer to dedicated accountancy support being provided as part of the package, rather than whether you can work with an external accountant.

Quickbooks vs. Crunch

QuickBooks is an established accounting platform, and if you're already using it and have built your processes around it, changing software may not be at the top of your to-do list. But if you're choosing an accounting solution from scratch, we'd ask a slightly different question:

Do you just want accounting software, or do you want someone in your corner when things get complicated? That's where Crunch is different.

Our software gives you the tools to manage your everyday finances, including invoices, expenses and banking. Then our accountancy packages can also give you access to expert accountants who can help with the things that software alone can't do.

Depending on your package, that can include things like Self Assessment, Year End accounts and Corporation Tax. There's another important difference: Crunch offers a free accounting software option, so you can get started with core accounting tools without committing to a paid software subscription.

With Crunch, you can start with the software you need and get additional support when you need it. That's the way we think accounting should work.

Xero vs. Crunch

Xero is another established name in accounting software. But again, if you're choosing an accounting solution, we'd argue that the decision shouldn't just come down to which piece of software you prefer. It should come down to how much of your accounting you want to handle yourself.

With Crunch, your accounting software and accountancy service are designed to work together. You can use the software to manage your invoices, expenses, bank transactions and other everyday accounting. Then when you need more than software can provide, our expert accountants are there to help, depending on the package you choose.

That can mean getting help understanding your tax obligations, answering accounting questions or having us take care of key accounting and tax responsibilities for you.

Crunch also offers services including Self Assessment, Year End accounts, Corporation Tax and Companies House filings, so you can keep more of your accounting and tax needs under one roof.

For ecommerce businesses, there's an interesting twist: our ecommerce accounting package includes Xero's ecommerce software, along with Link My Books and unlimited support.

So if Xero is the software you need for your ecommerce business, you can still get it as part of a Crunch package, with our award-winning accountancy support on top.

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.