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ERP & Business Operations · head to head

QAD vs Xero

QAD logo

QAD

ERP & Business Operations

Cloud and on-premise ERP for manufacturers

From
$2000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

All industries

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QAD no price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link; 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: QAD covers Financial management, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QAD and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where QAD and Xero differ
AttributeQADXero
Starting price$2000/month$13/month
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryERP & Business OperationsAll industries
Founded19792006

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

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 QAD

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply chain
  • Inventory management
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT integration

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.

QAD

  • ERP for manufacturers covering production execution and schedulingnot Xero
  • Supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory controlnot Xero
  • Quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturingnot Xero
  • Field service and enterprise asset managementnot Xero

Xero

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

Where each one falls short

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

QAD

  • No price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • Field service management, enterprise asset management and quality management are presented as separate functional areas rather than a single priced bundle

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

QAD

$2000/month
  • Standard$2000/month
    • Financial management
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$4000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • Priority support

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 QAD if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
QAD 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 QAD or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. QAD starts at $2000/month and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QAD or Xero?
QAD starts at $2000/month and Xero at $13/month.
Does QAD or Xero run on more platforms?
QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is QAD best used for?
QAD is most often used for erp for manufacturers covering production execution and scheduling, supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory control, quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturing, field service and enterprise asset management. Of those, erp for manufacturers covering production execution and scheduling and supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory control are not what Xero is typically brought in for.
What can QAD do that Xero cannot?
QAD covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Inventory management. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims.
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