SoloDesks vs Xero, for a sole trader

Xero is proper accounting software and most accountants would rather you used it than anything else on this page. It is also the plan people misread most often: the £16 Ignite tier sends twenty invoices a month, and a busy sole trader goes through twenty without noticing. SoloDesks is a different tool with a flat £12 price and no invoice counter, but it does no bookkeeping and files nothing with HMRC. Which of those matters more depends entirely on whether your accountant has already asked for Xero.

Free plan, no card needed. £12/month for unlimited when you want it.

SoloDesks vs Xero, side by side

Xero's plans

Xero is full accounting software, sold in tiers, with a hard invoice cap on the entry plan. For reference, here is what Xero publishes, next to SoloDesks's flat £12/month.

All Xero figures exclude VAT. The number that decides this comparison is not the £16, it is the twenty invoices that £16 buys: past that you are on Grow at £37 plus VAT, which is £44 paid. An 80% discount for the first six months was running when we checked, so the entry price is temporary. SoloDesks Pro is £12 flat with no invoice cap.

Questions people ask

Is SoloDesks cheaper than Xero?

Yes, and the gap is wider than the headline suggests. SoloDesks Pro is £12 a month flat with unlimited invoices. Xero's entry Ignite plan is £16 plus VAT, which is £19.20 paid, and it caps you at twenty invoices a month; past that it is Grow at £37 plus VAT. But they are not the same product, and if you need the accounting side the price comparison is beside the point.

Can SoloDesks replace Xero?

Only for the quoting and invoicing part. SoloDesks does no bookkeeping, no bank reconciliation and no Making Tax Digital submissions. If you file through Xero, or your accountant does, you need to keep it or replace it with another HMRC recognised package.

What is the catch with Xero's £16 plan?

Twenty invoices a month, and it is on their own pricing page rather than hidden. It is a fair limit for someone invoicing a few large jobs and a tight one for anyone doing volume domestic work. Count last month's invoices before you choose the tier, because the step up to Grow is more than double.