norabooks vs Xero
Xero is powerful accounting software built for accountants. norabooks is simple software built for freelancers.
| Feature | norabooks | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| 7-day free trial | ✓ | — |
| Starting price | $9 CAD/mo | $18 CAD/mo |
| Unlimited invoices | ✓ | — |
| No per-user fees | ✓ | — |
| Canadian Tax | ||
| GST/HST auto-calculation | ✓ | ✓ |
| PST by province | ✓ | ✓ |
| Place-of-supply rules | ✓ | — |
| CRA-ready reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Features | ||
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Expense tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receipt OCR | ✓ | Paid add-on |
| Mileage tracking | ✓ | — |
| Bank reconciliation | CSV import | ✓ |
| Payroll | — | Paid add-on |
| Simplicity | ||
| Setup time | <2 minutes | 30+ minutes |
| No accounting knowledge needed | ✓ | — |
| Freelancer-focused | ✓ | — |
| Chart of accounts | Not needed | Required setup |
Common questions about switching
Often, yes. Xero is full double-entry accounting software designed for businesses with accountants. It requires chart-of-accounts setup, bank reconciliation workflows, and accounting knowledge. norabooks is designed so you never need to think about any of that.
You can export Xero data as CSV and import bank statements into norabooks. Direct Xero import is on our roadmap.
norabooks supports CSV bank statement import. Automatic bank feeds are on our roadmap.
If you have employees (payroll), multiple business entities, or an accountant who requires double-entry access, Xero may be better. For solo freelancers and simple businesses, norabooks covers everything you need at a fraction of the cost.
Simpler than Xero. Built for freelancers.
$9 CAD/month. Half the cost of Xero. 7-day free trial.