How does billing software differ from accounting software?

Billing software (Chargebee, Stripe Billing, Recurly) manages recurring subscriptions, invoicing, and revenue recognition for SaaS and subscription businesses. Accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero) handles the full general ledger — expenses, payroll, taxes, and financial reporting. Most subscription businesses need both: billing software for the customer-facing revenue lifecycle and accounting software for financial reporting. Many integrate via native connectors or Zapier.