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Comparison

QuickBooks vs Xero for farms and food makers

The two general accounting tools most small farms and food businesses run on. Neither was built for farming, so both need setting up for enterprises, crops or product lines. The bigger difference is who will use the books.

Get a plan and a priceSee the picks

Updated November 2026 by the Madeline's team, who set these tools up for makers and farms.

QuickBooks vs Xero
5In view
1On track
2Needs you
QuickBooks OnlineXero
Best for Working with a US accountant Many people in the books
Users Limited by plan Unlimited
Enterprise tracking Classes, locations Tracking categories
Farm add-ons Many apps Figured and others
Built for farming No, needs setup No, needs setup
Plans and pricing change; check each vendor before you buy.

The short answer

Choose QuickBooks Online if your accountant or bookkeeper already uses it, which is the case for most US farm accountants, and you want class and location tracking for enterprises. Choose Xero if several people need access, since every plan includes unlimited users, and your accountant is happy with it.

Side by side

  1. QuickBooks Online

    Best for working with a US accountant

    The most common small business ledger in the US, with the largest pool of accountants and bookkeepers. Class and location tracking split results by enterprise or market, and it connects to Square, Shopify and most farm sales tools.

    Good fit if
    • Your accountant uses it
    • You want results split by enterprise or channel
    Watch for
    • Class tracking needs a higher plan
    • Users are capped by plan

  2. Xero

    Best for many people in the books

    Cloud accounting with unlimited users on every plan, bank rules, tracking categories and a large app marketplace, including farm planning tools such as Figured.

    Good fit if
    • Owners, staff and an outside accountant all need access
    • You want farm budgeting through an add-on
    Watch for
    • Fewer US farm accountants use it
    • US payroll usually means an add-on

Want one of these set up for you?

Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.

Get a plan and a price

How it works

  1. Tell us what you make

    What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.

  2. Get a short plan

    Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.

  3. We set it up

    Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.

  4. Run it or hand it off

    Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.

Questions

Is QuickBooks or Xero better for a farm?

Use whichever your accountant uses. If you are choosing fresh, QuickBooks Online has the larger US accountant network; Xero is better when many people need access.

Does either handle Schedule F?

Neither is built for Schedule F out of the box; both can be set up with farm income and expense accounts that map to it. Farm-specific tools such as FarmBooks handle it natively.

Can I connect Square and Shopify sales?

Yes, both connect to Square and Shopify directly or through a connector, so sales post on their own.

Can Madeline's set up my books?

Yes. We set up the chart of accounts for your farm or kitchen, connect every sales channel and bank, and hand off cleanly to your accountant.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

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