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Software · head to head

BlackLine vs Xero

BlackLine logo

BlackLine

Software

Finance & accounting automation

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

Software

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BlackLine listed on UK G-Cloud 13 at £1,150 to £2,160 per user per year for the public sector, with no free trial offered, per BlackLine's Finance Operations Management Solution pricing document; Xero the Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • They diverge on capability: BlackLine covers Account reconciliation, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BlackLine and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where BlackLine and Xero differ
AttributeBlackLineXero
Starting price$29/month$13/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20012006

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BlackLine

  • Account reconciliation
  • Journal entries
  • Task management
  • Variance analysis
  • Financial close
  • SAP
  • Oracle
  • NetSuite

Only in Xero

  • Bank reconciliation
  • Invoicing
  • Bill payment
  • Expense claims
  • Financial reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project tracking
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BlackLine

  • Financial closenot Xero
  • Reconciliationnot Xero
  • Continuous accountingnot Xero

Xero

  • Small business bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliationnot BlackLine
  • Bill payment and purchase order managementnot BlackLine
  • Sharing books with an accountant or bookkeepernot BlackLine

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BlackLine

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud 13 at £1,150 to £2,160 per user per year for the public sector, with no free trial offered, per BlackLine's Finance Operations Management Solution pricing document

Xero

  • The Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • Invoices created by connected app partners count against the Early plan invoice limit
  • Multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims and industry benchmarking are restricted to the top Established plan at $90 per month
  • Cash flow forecasting is capped at 30 days on Early and 60 days on Growing, with 180 days only on Established
  • Payroll is not included in any plan and costs an extra $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor through Gusto
  • Inventory Plus is a paid optional add-on rather than part of any plan
  • The advertised 90% off applies only to the first 6 months, after which the regular $25, $55 or $90 monthly price auto-renews
  • The introductory discount excludes add-ons, usage charges and payment fees
  • Payment fees apply to online invoice payments and to bill payments other than standard domestic ACH, and are billed on top of the subscription
  • Subscriptions are billed monthly with no annual payment option, and after upgrading you must wait one month before downgrading to a cheaper plan
  • Xero states subscription prices are increasing from October 1, 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

BlackLine

$29/month
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Account reconciliation
    • Task management

Xero

$13/month
  • Early$13/month
    • Send 20 invoices
    • Enter 5 bills
    • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Growing$37/month
    • Unlimited invoices & bills
    • Bulk reconcile transactions
    • Short-term cash flow
  • Established$70/month
    • Everything in Growing
    • Use multiple currencies
    • Track projects

Which should you pick?

Choose BlackLine if

  • You need account reconciliation.
  • You also want journal entries.
BlackLine review

Choose Xero if

  • You need bank reconciliation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
Xero review

Questions people ask

Is BlackLine or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. BlackLine starts at $29/month and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BlackLine or Xero?
BlackLine starts at $29/month and Xero at $13/month.
Does BlackLine or Xero run on more platforms?
BlackLine runs on Web. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is BlackLine best used for?
BlackLine is most often used for financial close, reconciliation, continuous accounting. Of those, financial close and reconciliation are not what Xero is typically brought in for.
What can BlackLine do that Xero cannot?
BlackLine covers Account reconciliation, Journal entries, Task management, Variance analysis. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims.
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