Best Small Business Accounting Software 2023

FreshBooks used to be an invoicing software with a few bookkeeping tools tossed in. The introduction of double-entry accounting helped propel FreshBooks into a comprehensive accounting solution that will help your business quickly catch and rectify any accounting errors. The software is incredibly easy to use and free of accounting jargon.

FreshBooks is best for small businesses that are looking for simplicity, strong invoicing, proposals, and good customer support. If you are running a small business, you know that even small accounting problems can lead to major headaches. With FreshBooks’ convenient customer support, help is only a phone call away.

FreshBooks Pricing

FreshBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $15/month to $55/month. Most features are included in all plans, so each larger level mainly adds more billable customers.

FreshBooks only supports a single user (additional users cost an extra $10/month each). Additional features such as advanced payments and payroll through Gusto are offered as plan add-ons.

To learn more about FreshBooks pricing, check out our post: The Complete Guide To FreshBooks Pricing.

FreshBooks Features

FreshBooks boasts a straightforward user experience and has an attractive UI. Setup is simple, and the software takes very little time to learn. FreshBooks’s customer support sets it apart from the competition, but the software also hosts a ton of useful accounting features. Here’s a look at FreshBooks’s top features:

• Simple and easy to use UI
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Reports
• Customizable invoice templates
• Over 80 integrations
• Expense tracking

When FreshBooks Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

This easy bookkeeping software is ideal for small businesses that need to save time on sending invoices, tracking expenses, and creating proposals. If the simplicity of FreshBooks sounds appealing to you, take the software for a spin with a free trial or read our comprehensive FreshBooks review to learn more.

QuickBooks Online is a fully-featured accounting software program that is generally easy to use. With over 600 integrations, strong mobile apps, and tax support, it’s no wonder this software is popular.

QuickBooks Online is best for small businesses looking for a full-featured accounting solution and is ideal for businesses with five users or fewer (though you can add up to 25 users for an additional cost).

QuickBooks Online Pricing

QuickBooks Online offers four pricing plans ranging from $30/month to $200/month. The larger the plan, the more features you can access, and the more users you can have.

Payroll services cost an additional $45-$125/month (plus $5+/month per employee). Read our QuickBooks Online pricing post to learn more, and don’t forget to check if Intuit is running any sales promotions.

QuickBooks Online Features

QuickBooks offers business accounting essential features, but the platform also offers some advanced accounting features that come in handy when automating your business’s accounting processes.

Top QuickBooks features include:

• Double-entry bookkeeping
• Client portal
• Tax support
• Contact management
• Budgeting
• Inventory management
• Reports

When QuickBooks Online Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

QuickBooks Online may be a good fit for businesses looking to get the most bang for their buck in terms of features. However, it may be a bit daunting for any businesses that are new to accounting software, as the interface can be unintuitive at times.

Read our comprehensive QuickBooks Online review to learn about all that this software has to offer, or sign up for a free trial to see for yourself.

Zoho Books offers unbeatable invoicing and strong mobile apps. Recent updates have put Zoho Books on par with QuickBooks Online in terms of features, but with better customer service and a more user-friendly UI, Zoho Books is a great option for small businesses.

Zoho Books is best for small businesses needing strong online accounting, great mobile apps, and good invoicing. The software is ideal for international businesses.

Zoho Books Pricing

Zoho Books offers six pricing plans ranging from $0/month to $275/month. Each plan comes with basic features. The larger the plan, the more contacts, users, invoices, and advanced features you’ll have access to.

Zoho Books Features

With good customer support and a well-designed UI, Zoho Books is easy to learn and use. Zoho Books has all the features you’d expect from a fully-developed accounting solution, including invoicing, contact management, expense tracking, time tracking, inventory, project management, and even tax support.

The best part about Zoho Books is its invoicing offerings. Zoho Books offers 16 customizable invoice templates, a client portal where customers can pay invoices directly online, recurring invoices, and the unique ability to encrypt invoices. Here’s a look at some of Zoho Books’ other top features:

• Time tracking
• Inventory management
• Tax support
• Bank reconciliation
• Reports
• Invoice customization
• 30+ integrations

When Zoho Books Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

With almost as many features as QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books is an accounting software contender worth considering. The software is easy to use, and its invoicing features are unbeatable. Great customer support, a good number of integrations, and international features are also perks of the software. If your business offers field service, you’ll absolutely love the convenience of mobile invoice management.

If Zoho Books sounds like it might be a suitable choice for your small business, start a free trial, or read our complete Zoho Books review to learn more.

QuickBooks Self-Employed is tax software designed to help freelancers with basic bookkeeping and tax support.

While QuickBooks Self-Employed isn’t exactly accounting software, it offers easy bookkeeping and tax support for freelancers.

QuickBooks Self-Employed is best for freelancers, contractors, and other self-employed individuals and is ideal for managing estimated quarterly taxes and maximizing deductions.

QuickBooks Self-Employed Pricing

There are three pricing options for QuickBooks Self-Employed. There’s a $15/month plan that includes all of the software’s features. Going with the $25/month plan adds a TurboTax integration, so you can easily file your self-employment taxes. The $35/month plan includes live tax support from a CPA.

QuickBooks Self-Employed Features

QuickBooks Self-Employed is well-organized and easy to use. The features help simplify estimated quarterly taxes and allow freelancers to manage their expenses and track deductions. This software also makes it easy to separate personal and business expenses, which is ideal for freelancers who don’t have a designated business bank account.

Additionally, QuickBooks Self-Employed offers:

• Invoicing
• Fixed asset management
• Schedule Cs
• Tax checklist
• Lending through QuickBooks Capital
• Turbo Tax integration

When QuickBooks Self-Employed Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

If you’re a freelancer looking for a way to manage your finances and taxes, QuickBooks Self-Employed could be a good option for your business. The software is easy to use, and the QuickBooks app allows for quick access to your data.

To learn more about this software, read our complete QuickBooks Self-Employed review. If you’re already convinced, sign up for a free trial, or start using the software today.

ZipBooks is an up-and-coming accounting software program that launched in 2015. The software may be fairly new, but it has already mastered simplicity. ZipBooks is one of the easiest accounting programs out there. With a free plan, unlimited users, and ample automations, it’s not hard to see why this software gets a good rating.

ZipBooks is best for small businesses in need of affordable, strong accounting. The software is ideal for business owners with little previous accounting experience.

ZipBooks Pricing

ZipBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $0/month to $35/month. Each plan comes with unlimited invoicing. ZipBooks’s Accounting pricing tier offers more advanced accounting features for you and your clients at a custom price rate. Each pricing level adds more features and users, with the most expensive plan supporting unlimited users.

ZipBooks Features

ZipBooks offers a good number of features that are easy to use and has one of the most attractive interfaces out there. The software’s design is simple and intuitive, using automations to save you time. The UI is even color-coded to make navigation a breeze. ZipBooks offers the basics you’d expect from accounting software, including invoicing, contact management, and expense tracking.

Additionally, ZipBooks offers:

• Time tracking
• Project management
• Reports
• Category tracking
• Business health score and recommendations
• Integrations
• Good customer support

When ZipBooks Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

If you’re looking for easy accounting software, ZipBooks is hard to beat. With a great design and good learning resources, ZipBooks does everything it can to make accounting simple. If ZipBooks sounds like a good fit for your business, use the free plan to take the software for a spin. Read our complete ZipBooks review to learn more.

Wave is an eminently easy-to-use accounting software — and with a price of $0, it’s easy on the budget as well. Excellent customer support, competitive pricing, and great features have earned this software a great score on our site.

Wave is best for small businesses on a tight budget that still want strong accounting capabilities. This software is ideal for Etsy sellers and micro businesses.

Wave Pricing

As we mentioned earlier, Wave accounting is free, with no gimmicks or strings attached. With a Wave account, you get access to all Wave features and unlimited users. The only extra costs to be aware of are payroll, payment processing, and professional bookkeeping services.

Wave Features

Wave is well-developed software that rivals even some paid programs in terms of features. The software covers all of the accounting basics, including invoicing, expense tracking, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, and more. Wave also has several unique features. In Wave, users can separate personal and business expenses, which is ideal for freelancers or side hustlers who don’t have a separate business bank account.

Other top Wave features include:

• Integrations (including Zapier)
• Item management
• Reports
• Receipts
• Contact management

When Wave Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

If you’re looking for an affordable accounting option, it doesn’t get better than Wave. With positive customer reviews and a well-organized UI, it’s no wonder this free accounting software is popular. It’s easy to jump straight in and start using Wave, even with little previous accounting experience.

Read our full Wave review or sign up for an account to test the software yourself to learn more. You’ve got nothing to lose — after all, it’s free.

Sage is known for traditional accounting, but Sage Business Cloud Accounting software comes with the same strong accounting without the learning curve. Sage Business Cloud Accounting is affordable, easy to use, and offers unlimited users, making it a great choice for small businesses. The software is also suited for UK-based businesses needing VAT support.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is best for small businesses with many users or that operate in the UK.

Sage Business Cloud Pricing

Sage Business Cloud Accounting offers two pricing plans ranging from $10-$25/month. The main difference between the two plans is that the latter gives you access to more features, such as cash flow analysis and accounts payable, and allows you to have unlimited users.

Sage Business Cloud Features

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is incredibly easy to use, partially because the software sticks to the basics in terms of features. This makes Sage Business Cloud Accounting easy for any business owner to learn, no matter how much or little experience you have with accounting. Sage offers basic accounting features, such as expense tracking, accounts payable, a chart of accounts, and reports (e.g., Profit & Loss and Balance sheets). The software also offers:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Cash flow management
• Inventory
• Reporting
• 60+ integrations

When Sage Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is a great solution for small businesses looking to handle basic accounting and invoicing for their company. Recent upgrades to the software have made this program more user-friendly and feature-rich. The UK version of the software is especially well-developed, but the US version could also work for small businesses looking for affordable, simple software that isn’t cluttered by too many features.

Xero is a major player in the business accounting software space. The company has made a name for itself by offering over 1,000 integrations through the Xero App Store. As a cloud-based accounting software solution with a robust mobile app, you’ll appreciate the ability to conveniently access and manage your business’s accounting with Xero.

Although Xero offers all the essential accounting features a business may need, the software also offers a host of advanced accounting features. Unfortunately, Xero’s price point may put it solidly out of reach for some small businesses. However, Xero is a great match for those growing businesses or startups whose accounting needs have outstripped their current system’s capabilities. If you’ve got the budget for it, Xero would make a great asset to your growing business.

Xero Pricing

Xero offers three price plans ranging from $13/month to $70/month. As you move up through the pricing tiers, you get more features, invoices, and accounting management tools. Xero supports unlimited users at every price plan, whereas many other accounting software solutions don’t. You can also add on Payroll with Gusto for $40/month.

Xero Features

Xero is a full-bodied accounting software solution with a host of features that range from the basics, such as invoicing, accounts payable, reports, and more, to the advanced, such as multiple currency support, email templates, tax forms and support, and more. The sheer volume of Xero’s app integrations means it will likely complement any system you are currently using or be compatible with any new solutions you add in the future.

Here’s a look at Xero’s top features:

• Contact management
• Invoicing
• Quotes
• Expense tracking
• Client portal
• Reports
• Inventory

When Xero Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

Xero’s many integrations and impressive range of features mean that it will likely work well for a variety of business situations. However, as Xero is so scalable, it’s a good match for businesses that are experiencing significant growth or eCommerce businesses that would benefit from the software’s integrations. Xero may not be a good fit for smaller businesses at its current price point.

Small businesses looking for an easy way to consolidate accounting, payroll, HR, and time tracking may need to look no further than Patriot. Patriot is easy-to-use, cloud-based software. Patriot features four different types of software to best fit the needs of any small business: accounting, payroll, time and attendance tracking, and HR management. You can sign up for any combination of these programs, which all seamlessly integrate.

Patriot software is extremely affordable when compared to some of its competitors. Many users rave about the quality of its customer support, the ease of setup, and the overall ease of use. Patriot offers everything you’d expect from accounting and payroll software, including expense tracking, invoicing, unlimited payroll runs, and free direct deposit. However, Patriot isn’t a great fit for every business, specifically those that need inventory tracking, job costing, or project management. However, for smaller businesses, freelancers, and contractors with less advanced accounting and payroll needs, Patriot is a top contender.

Patriot Pricing

Patriot Accounting is priced at $20 – $30/month, with the higher priced tier adding in features like recurring invoices, payment reminders, estimates, and account reconciliation. Adding on Patriot Payroll costs $17 – $37/month + $4/employee or contractor. The more expensive payroll plan is full-service, automatically filing and paying payroll taxes for your business. Time tracking and attendance can be added to your plan, each at a cost of $6/month + $2/employee.

Patriot Features

Patriot software offers a nice set of features in its software that’s clean, modern, and easy to navigate, making it simple for even beginners to track their income and expenses and run payroll. In order to take advantage of all of these features, you must subscribe to both Patriot Accounting and Patriot Payroll. Notable features include:

• Income & expense tracking
• Invoicing
• Vendor payments
• Unlimited payroll runs
• 1099 e-Filing
• Two-day direct deposit
• Paid time off accruals
• Automatic payroll tax filings & deposits
• Filing accuracy guarantee

When Patriot Is The Best Accounting Software Choice

Patriot is a solid choice for businesses that want simple, easy-to-use accounting and payroll software. Though it does lack some of the bells and whistles you’ll find with other options on this list, the trade-off is intuitive, easy-to-navigate software that’s a good option for beginners. With its affordable monthly subscription fees, Patriot is a solid choice in accounting and payroll software that doesn’t break the bank. Although it lacks advanced features like inventory tracking, Patriot Accounting and Payroll software offer enough features for many small business owners, independent contractors, and freelancers.