How Much Does It Cost to Move from Xero to QuickBooks Online (and How Long It Takes)

A supervised Xero to QuickBooks Online migration typically costs a flat per-file fee and completes in 1 to 3 business days once your data is received. WOW BookSwitch, the migration service from WOWzer Technologies Inc., runs this path at $399 per file with a 95% accuracy guarantee. Free do-it-yourself routes exist, but the real cost is the cleanup time they create later. This guide breaks down what you actually pay, what drives the number up or down, and how long each option takes.

• A professional Xero to QuickBooks Online conversion runs on a flat per-file model. WOW BookSwitch charges $399 per file.

• Turnaround is usually 1 to 3 business days after your file is received.

• Free tools and manual re-entry look cheaper but shift the cost to reconciliation and correcting entries afterward.

• Cost drivers: number of files, years of history, multi-currency, and how clean the source data is.

• Volume discounts apply for accounting firms moving several client files at once.

What does it cost to convert Xero to QuickBooks Online?

The direct answer: expect a flat fee per company file for a done-for-you conversion, plus your own staff time for review. WOW BookSwitch prices the Xero to QuickBooks Online path at $399 per file, and that figure covers the full data transfer plus a validation pass against the source.

Pricing in this market usually follows one of three models:

A flat per-file fee is easier to budget than a bottom-up hourly quote, because it does not balloon when the file turns out to be more complex than expected. That predictability matters most for firms converting a portfolio of client files.

Why "free" migration is rarely free

Free routes carry a hidden bill. When you re-key data or run an unsupervised import, the errors surface weeks later during reconciliation: opening balances that do not match, duplicated transactions, and a chart of accounts that no longer ties to your reports. Fixing those requires correcting entries and, often, a bookkeeper's billable hours. The sticker price of $0 becomes a real number once you count that rework.

How long does a Xero to QuickBooks Online migration take?

Most supervised conversions finish in 1 to 3 business days after the source file is received. The clock starts when you hand over access or an export, not when you first enquire.

The timeline splits into three phases:

1. Preparation. You lock the Xero data (reconcile open items, note the conversion date) and share access. This is the part you control, and rushing it is the main cause of delays.
2. Conversion and validation. The service maps your Xero master lists and transactions into QuickBooks Online, then runs a validation pass so the trial balance ties back to Xero.
3. Review. You check the delivered QuickBooks Online file against agreed reports before you start working in it.

A DIY import can appear instant, but the true timeline includes the days or weeks you later spend hunting mismatches. Speed on paper is not the same as a file you can close the month on.

What makes a migration take longer?

Several factors stretch both cost and time:

• Years of history. More historical transactions mean more data to map and validate.
• Multi-currency. Foreign currency balances and gains or losses need careful handling so history is preserved. See our guide on migrating a multi-currency Xero file.
• Source data quality. Unreconciled accounts and duplicate contacts in Xero slow the mapping and add validation work.
• Number of files. A single company is quick. A firm moving fifty client files needs batch scheduling, which changes the plan (and usually earns a volume discount).

What is included in the price, and what is not?

The direct answer: a per-file fee covers the data that can be reliably converted. Some items in Xero do not carry across at all, and no honest quote should imply otherwise.

Transferred in a standard Xero to QuickBooks Online conversion:

• Chart of accounts, customers, suppliers, and items
• Invoices, bills, credit notes, and payments
• Historical transactions and account balances up to the conversion date

Not transferred, and worth planning for separately:

• Bank feeds (you reconnect these in QuickBooks Online)
• Payroll history and settings
• Document attachments
• Reconciliation history

For the full list of what stays behind, read what data does not transfer when you convert Xero to QuickBooks Online. Knowing the gaps up front is what keeps the project on budget, because you set up the excluded items yourself instead of paying to chase them.

Do accounting firms pay less per file?

Yes. Firms moving several client files at once generally qualify for volume pricing, which lowers the effective cost per file. If you run a practice and are standardising clients onto QuickBooks Online, a batch conversion is both cheaper per file and easier to schedule than converting one client at a time. Our Xero to QuickBooks Online service page covers the batch and volume options.

Cost and time: a realistic example

Consider a single-entity services business with three years of history in Xero, one currency, and clean reconciliations. The professional path looks like this:

• Fee: $399 flat.
• Your prep time: a few hours to reconcile and export.
• Turnaround: 1 to 3 business days.
• Your review: an hour or two comparing the trial balance and key reports.

The same business attempting a free DIY import might pay nothing in software, then spend one to two bookkeeper days over the following weeks fixing opening balances and duplicates. At any reasonable hourly rate, the "free" option costs more than $399 in labour, and it delays a clean first close.

Key takeaways

• Budget a flat per-file fee for a supervised conversion. WOW BookSwitch runs the Xero to QuickBooks Online path at $399 per file.
• Plan for 1 to 3 business days once your file is received, plus your own prep and review time.
• The cheapest sticker price is not the cheapest outcome once cleanup labour is counted.
• History depth, multi-currency, and source data quality are the levers that move cost and time.

Ready to move from Xero to QuickBooks Online?

WOW BookSwitch converts your Xero file to QuickBooks Online at a flat $399 per file, validated against your source data and delivered in 1 to 3 business days.

See the Xero to QuickBooks Online service → Get a quote →

Sources and further reading:

• Convert from Xero to QuickBooks Online, Intuit
• Migrating Data from Xero to QuickBooks Online, SaasAnt

WOW BookSwitch and WOWzer Technologies Inc. are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit or Xero. QuickBooks and Xero are trademarks of their respective owners.