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Accounting software helps you track how money moves in and out of your small business. The best accounting software makes it easy to keep a detailed financial record so that you’re ready come tax season. It also includes tools for streamlining accounting tasks, like the invoice process, and gaining insight into your business’s financial health.
To choose the right option for you, think about the present and future versions of your business — your accounting software should be able to support both. Right now, check that it’s within your budget and is compatible with your point-of-sale and/or payroll software, as well as your accountant’s system. Based on how much you expect your small business to grow, keep an eye on scalability, too.
QuickBooks Online
Starting at
$38/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
50% off
for 3 months or free 30-day trial.
Learn more on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
FreshBooks
Starting at
$23/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $43, $70, custom.
Promotion
70% off
for 4 months.
on FreshBooks' website
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
Xero
Starting at
$25/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Zoho Books
Best for Excellent for Mobile-first features
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
on Zoho Books' website
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
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Default QuickBooks Online
Starting at
$38/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
50% off
for 3 months or free 30-day trial.
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
With a decades-long reputation, QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field. Intuit, its parent company, was founded in 1983 and currently has more than 100 million customers globally. If you’re planning on working closely with your accountant, it’s hard to go wrong with QuickBooks Online, one of the company’s most popular offerings. Most accountants are very familiar with it.
In addition to core accounting capabilities, QuickBooks Online has robust reporting and transaction tracking tools, invoicing capabilities, inventory management features and mobile app functionality.
In particular, entrepreneurs trying to measure performance in different segments of their business will like QuickBooks’ granular transaction tracking tools that let you group transactions by department or location, among other categories. Reporting capabilities increase with each plan, but even the least expensive Simple Start plan includes more than 50 reports.
Read full review
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
With a decades-long reputation, QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field. Intuit, its parent company, was founded in 1983 and currently has more than 100 million customers globally. If you’re planning on working closely with your accountant, it’s hard to go wrong with QuickBooks Online, one of the company’s most popular offerings. Most accountants are very familiar with it.
In addition to core accounting capabilities, QuickBooks Online has robust reporting and transaction tracking tools, invoicing capabilities, inventory management features and mobile app functionality.
In particular, entrepreneurs trying to measure performance in different segments of their business will like QuickBooks’ granular transaction tracking tools that let you group transactions by department or location, among other categories. Reporting capabilities increase with each plan, but even the least expensive Simple Start plan includes more than 50 reports.
Read full review
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
FreshBooks
Starting at
$23/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $43, $70, custom.
Promotion
70% off
for 4 months.
on FreshBooks' website
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
With standout invoicing features and client management resources, FreshBooks is a great accounting solution for freelancers, particularly if you have 50 or fewer total clients and can therefore opt for the Lite or Plus plan. Your clients can even choose to create their own accounts. This lets them save and comment on invoices, save their payment information, invite others to access the account and collaborate on projects they’ve been invited to view.
Unlike some competitors that require you to pay extra for a time-tracking module, all FreshBooks plans come with unlimited time tracking. You can start a timer from within the mobile app to log hours spent on a particular project or sync data from tools like Asana and Trello.
Read full review
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
With standout invoicing features and client management resources, FreshBooks is a great accounting solution for freelancers, particularly if you have 50 or fewer total clients and can therefore opt for the Lite or Plus plan. Your clients can even choose to create their own accounts. This lets them save and comment on invoices, save their payment information, invite others to access the account and collaborate on projects they’ve been invited to view.
Unlike some competitors that require you to pay extra for a time-tracking module, all FreshBooks plans come with unlimited time tracking. You can start a timer from within the mobile app to log hours spent on a particular project or sync data from tools like Asana and Trello.
Read full review
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
Xero
Starting at
$25/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero is known for its intuitive user interface and simplicity. For business owners with no accounting experience, it can be a great alternative to QuickBooks Online. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Xero also has excellent reporting features and a capable mobile app, as well as a customizable dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels according to their preferences. And, all plans allow you to add an unlimited number of users and assign them different permission levels. For example, one user might only be able to create invoice drafts and submit time entries, while another can view reports but not edit transactions. Competitors’ plans limit how many users you can add, or they charge an additional monthly fee for each user, which can add up quickly. Xero offers a large number of integrations, too.
Read full review
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero is known for its intuitive user interface and simplicity. For business owners with no accounting experience, it can be a great alternative to QuickBooks Online. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Xero also has excellent reporting features and a capable mobile app, as well as a customizable dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels according to their preferences. And, all plans allow you to add an unlimited number of users and assign them different permission levels. For example, one user might only be able to create invoice drafts and submit time entries, while another can view reports but not edit transactions. Competitors’ plans limit how many users you can add, or they charge an additional monthly fee for each user, which can add up quickly. Xero offers a large number of integrations, too.
Read full review
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Zoho Books
Best for Mobile-first features
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
on Zoho Books' website
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Zoho Books packs in an impressive collection of features and capabilities for an affordable price, and higher-tier plans let users automate workflows and track project profitability. Unlike some competitors, none of Zoho Books’ plans put a limit on billable clients, and even its free plan lets you send up to 1,000 invoices per year. On top of that, the free option offers a customer portal, automatic payment reminders, mileage tracking and the ability to schedule reports.
The software’s mobile-first features — such as the ability to send invoices by iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen to easily access timers and overdue invoices — really help set it apart, though. There’s also an Apple Watch app that lets you track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices.
The software is an especially good fit for entrepreneurs who already use other Zoho suite products (like Zoho CRM, Zoho Inventory or Zoho Commerce), since they directly integrate. Third-party integrations, however, are limited compared to the competition.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Zoho Books packs in an impressive collection of features and capabilities for an affordable price, and higher-tier plans let users automate workflows and track project profitability. Unlike some competitors, none of Zoho Books’ plans put a limit on billable clients, and even its free plan lets you send up to 1,000 invoices per year. On top of that, the free option offers a customer portal, automatic payment reminders, mileage tracking and the ability to schedule reports.
The software’s mobile-first features — such as the ability to send invoices by iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen to easily access timers and overdue invoices — really help set it apart, though. There’s also an Apple Watch app that lets you track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices.
The software is an especially good fit for entrepreneurs who already use other Zoho suite products (like Zoho CRM, Zoho Inventory or Zoho Commerce), since they directly integrate. Third-party integrations, however, are limited compared to the competition.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).