Xero vs Tide Accounting: Which Is Better Accounting Software?

We compare them based on real user reviews, prices and what features they both offer.

Xero vs Tide Accounting Basics

	Xero	Tide Accounting
Software Website	Xero Website	Tide Accounting Website
HMRC MTD Status	Approved	Not Included
Who Can Use It?	Agents and businesses	Businesses and Self-employed
HMRC Listed Features	Digital record keeping, Updates to HMRC for self-employment, Tax estimates from HMRC based on provided updates, Updates to HMRC for UK property	None
Platforms	Web-based application, Android, iOS	Web-based application, Android, iOS

Note data for this section comes from HMRC here and here

Wondering if Xero or Tide Accounting has better user reviews. We compared them below.

	Xero	Tide Accounting
Trustpilot Rating	4.3	4.3
Number of Trustpilot Reviews	6017	17984
iPhone App Rating	4.7	4.4
Number of iPhone Reviews	12700	7
Android App Rating	4.6	4.5
Number of Android Reviews	11900	13

Please note ratings we’re accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed

Which is cheaper Xero or Tide Accounting? Here are their prices compared.

Data taken from each company’s website at the time of writing but may have since changed.

Data taken from each company’s website at the time of writing but may have since changed.

	Xero	Tide Accounting
Payroll Software Integration	Yes	Yes
Track VAT	Yes	Yes
VAT Filing	Yes	Yes
Real-Time Financial Reports	Yes	Yes
Prepare Self Assessment	Yes	Yes
Income Tax Estimates	Yes	Yes
Manage Income & Expenses	Yes	Yes
Create Invoices	Yes	Yes
Forecast Cash Flow	Yes	Yes
Accept and Make Payments In Different Currencies	Yes	No
Employee Time Tracking	Yes	No
Projects	Yes	No
Bank Feed Integration	Yes	Yes
End of Year Filings	Yes	No
Capture Bills And Receipts	Yes	Yes
Bulk Reconcile Transactions	Yes	Yes
Track Inventory & Stock Levels	Yes	No

	Xero	Tide Accounting
Pros	User Friendly User Interface Saves Time Integrations Cloud Based	A business account with no monthly fee is available. You can access your account digitally via an app on Android or iPhones and on the Tide website. Tide offers bank accounts provided by ClearBank that are eligible for protection through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Tide offers 24/7 support with the member support team
Cons	Expense Report Issues Not User Friendly Expensive Room for Improvement Technical Issues	E-money accounts (for some existing customers) from Tide are not protected by FSCS, though Tide is in the process of moving Tide accounts from PPS e-money accounts to ClearBank FSCS-protected bank accounts It is not possible to deposit cheques into a Tide account Business partnerships and charities cannot open a Tide account