Xero vs Zoho Books: Singapore accounting software compared (2026)

In short: Zoho Books is cheaper and has a free plan: paid plans start at S$15 per organisation a month billed annually, before tax, with inventory and projects on mid tiers. Xero costs S$39 to S$95 a month including GST, files GST F5 directly to IRAS and is widely used by Singapore accountants. Both connect to InvoiceNow.

Pick Xero if you work with an outsourced accountant (most Singapore firms know it well), want direct GST F5 submission to IRAS, or need its large app marketplace. Pick Zoho Books if cost matters most, you are a very small business that fits its free plan, you need inventory or project billing without paying for a top tier, or you already use Zoho CRM and other Zoho apps. Both are credible Singapore choices with GST and InvoiceNow support.

All prices and features below were checked on each vendor’s own Singapore website in October 2026.

The quick comparison

Pricing

Xero Singapore has three plans priced in SGD with GST included and billed monthly: Starter at S$39, Standard at S$70 and Premium at S$95. Starter is capped at 20 invoices and quotes and 5 bills, so most active businesses need Standard. Xero’s page says prices will rise from 1 November 2026, so check the new figures before you budget.

Zoho Books prices per organisation per month in SGD, exclusive of local taxes, with a discount for annual billing. Standard is S$15 annually or S$18 monthly, Professional S$30 or S$36, Premium S$45 or S$54, Elite S$150 or S$193 and Ultimate S$300 or S$373. Add-ons include extra users at S$3 a month and extra locations at S$15 a month, billed annually.

For a growing business that needs unlimited bills and a few users, the realistic comparison is Xero Standard at S$70 a month against Zoho Books Standard or Professional at S$15 to S$36 a month. Zoho Books is materially cheaper at list price.

Features

Xero’s plans focus on core accounting: invoicing, bills, bank reconciliation, Smart Document Capture, reports and cash flow forecasts. Standard adds bulk reconciliation, budgets and auto-reconciliation; Premium adds multi-currency, KPI analysis and industry benchmarking. Expense claims (from S$6 a month) and project tracking (from S$10 a month) are add-ons. Hubdoc is included when connected to a Xero subscription.

Zoho Books packs more operational features into lower tiers. Standard adds bank feeds, multi-currency, custom fields, custom reports and API access. Professional adds sales and purchase orders, timesheets, project profitability, inventory and approvals. Premium adds fixed assets, budgets, cash flow forecasting and a vendor portal. Elite adds warehouses, serial and batch tracking and Shopify integration for up to two stores.

If you would otherwise pay for a separate inventory or projects app alongside Xero, include that in your comparison. Our inventory management guide covers the options.

GST and InvoiceNow

Xero’s Singapore site says you can submit your GST return directly from Xero to IRAS in one click. For InvoiceNow, you connect your organisation to Invoici from Xero, which Xero describes as free; you receive a Peppol ID and supplier e-invoices arrive as draft bills.

Zoho Books’ Singapore edition includes GST tracking and a module to generate and track GST F5 returns on every plan, including Free. Zoho notes that e-invoicing does not replace F5 filing, which you still submit to IRAS. For InvoiceNow, Zoho says it has partnered with a Peppol-accredited access point provider, and you connect by signing in with Corppass. Zoho’s help pages did not name the provider.

Ecosystem and accountants

Xero has a large app marketplace and broad support among Singapore accounting firms and bookkeepers. Singapore payroll apps such as Talenox and QuickHR state Xero integrations (see Talenox vs QuickHR).

Zoho Books sits inside the wider Zoho suite, which includes CRM, inventory and analytics. If you run sales in Zoho CRM, invoices and payments can stay in one family of apps. See our guide on how to choose a CRM for a B2B SME.

Which should you choose

• Sole trader or micro business with revenue under USD 50,000: Zoho Books Free costs nothing and covers GST F5.
• SME with an outsourced accountant: ask which they use. If it is Xero, the saving from Zoho may be outweighed by higher fees or friction.
• Trading business with stock and purchase orders: Zoho Books Professional includes inventory at S$30 a month billed annually.
• GST-registered company that wants one-click IRAS filing: Xero.
• Business already on Zoho CRM: Zoho Books keeps sales and accounting together.

For a comparison with QuickBooks, see Xero vs QuickBooks.

Questions to ask before you commit

• Will your accountant or bookkeeper work in this product, and does it change their fee?
• What is the full monthly cost after any discount, and is tax added on top?
• How many users and invoices will you need in two years?
• How will you prepare and file GST F5, and how will InvoiceNow e-invoices be sent and received?
• Which payroll, CRM, ecommerce or inventory tools must connect, and are those integrations available in Singapore?
• How easily can you export your data if you switch later?

Most businesses stay on their first accounting product for years because moving is disruptive. A short trial with real transactions, and a conversation with whoever will close your books, is worth the time.

Grants

PSG closed to new applications after September 2026 and EDGE replaced it. We do not state that either product is grant-eligible. See PSG for accounting software and the EDGE grant calculator.

Get help choosing

A concierge can introduce accounting firms that set up and run Xero or Zoho Books for you. If you want your accounting software connected to your CRM and sales process, see our CRM implementation and workflow automation services.