- 250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 95+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
- 75+ categories of best business software selections.
- Objective and comprehensive business accounting software ratings rubric. (Learn more about our star ratings.)
Sponsored partner picks for
Best Accounting Software for Small Retail Businesses
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Retail stores that sell online and in person | $35/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235. | 50% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. | Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website |
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Access for multiple employees | $15/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on Xero's secure website |
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for In-house e-commerce website builder | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website |
Wave Accounting | 3.5/5 Best for Free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16 | N/A | |
QuickBooks Enterprise | 4.0/5 Best for Advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores | $1,481/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. | 30-day free trial |
Our pick for
Retail stores that sell online and in person
QuickBooks Online
on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Built-in Amazon, Shopify and eBay store connections.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- More than 750 app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared to the competition.
- Must subscribe to Plus plan (or higher) to track inventory and cost of goods sold.
Our pick for
Access for multiple employees
Xero
on Xero's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
or monthly discount (terms vary).
Pros
- Unlimited users in all plans.
- Track up to 4,000 inventory items in all plans and calculate profit by item.
- More than 1,000 third-party app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Set custom sales tax rates.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- No phone number for customer support listed.
Our pick for
In-house e-commerce website builder
Zoho Books
on Zoho Books' secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
of the Premium plan.
Pros
- Design and build your online shop with Zoho Commerce (additional fees apply).
- Free accounting plan available for businesses with less than $50K in annual revenue.
- Zoho Inventory features are integrated by default and include shipping labels, inventory reports and the ability to generate barcodes.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- Email support in free plan; 24/5 phone and chat support in paid plans.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors; only direct POS and payroll integrations are Square, Zoho Payroll and SurePayroll.
Our pick for
Free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses
Wave Accounting
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16
Pros
- Free.
- Unlimited users.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
Cons
- Lack of third-party integrations makes it a poor fit for retail businesses that use in-store POS systems or want to sync online sales.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
Our pick for
Advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores
QuickBooks Enterprise
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Pros
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific ones for retail businesses.
- Use mobile devices as barcode scanners to count inventory in the Platinum plan and up. Users can also track inventory parts and assemblies.
- Set up volume discounts and customize pricing rules by sales rep, item category or customer in the Platinum plan and up.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems. E-commerce integrations cost extra.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
NerdWallet’s picks for the best retail accounting software
QuickBooks Online: Best for retail stores that sell online and in person
- $35 per month for the Simple Start plan.
- $65 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $99 per month for the Plus plan.
- $235 per month for the Advanced plan.
Xero: Best for access for multiple employees
- $15 per month for the Early plan.
- $42 per month for the Growing plan.
- $78 per month for the Established plan.
Zoho Books: Best for in-house e-commerce website builder
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $20 per month for the Standard plan.
- $50 per month for the Professional plan.
- $70 per month for the Premium plan.
- $150 per month for the Elite plan.
- $275 per month for the Ultimate plan.
Wave: Best for free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses
QuickBooks Enterprise: Best for advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores
- $1,481 per year for the Silver plan.
- $1,922 per year for the Gold plan.
- $2,363 per year for the Platinum plan.
- $4,668 per year for the Diamond plan.
How to choose retail accounting software
Inventory management
- Your cost of goods sold.
- The profitability of each product you sell.
- How long your inventory sits on the shelves or in the warehouse before it’s sold.
- The rate at which your entire inventory turns in a given period.
- Shrinkage due to theft or damage.