The Best Accounting Software For Small Businesses
These nine well-reviewed and easy accounting apps offer great prices and a good assortment of basic features.
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Expert Analyst & Reviewer
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Accounting doesn’t have to be difficult, and neither does finding good accounting software. Thanks to the cloud, there are plenty of full-featured, capable accounting programs that are easy to use and can help small business owners gain control of their business’s finances.
In this post, we’ll cover the top nine accounting software programs. We based our picks on several criteria: price, ease of use, available features, and customer reviews.
Each program on this list offers essential business accounting features and automations that will make your business’s accounting processes a breeze. We’ve included options to fit every budget and multiple business types.
Read on to see which is right for you!
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Summary | Next StepsSummary |
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FreshBooks  | Best customer support | Best customer support
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QuickBooks Online  | Best overall small business accounting software | Best overall small business accounting software
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Zoho Books  | Best invoicing & mobile apps | Best invoicing & mobile apps
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QuickBooks Self-Employed  | Best for freelancers | Best for freelancers
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ZipBooks  | Best easy accounting software for beginners | Best easy accounting software for beginners
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Other Featured Options:
- Wave: Best free accounting software
- Sage Business Cloud Accounting: Best for UK users
- Xero: Best for growing businesses with multiple users
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents
The 9 Best Accounting Software For Small Business
Good accounting software should be easy to use, have affordable pricing, and have enough features to handle all of your accounting needs. Here are eight of the best accounting software programs that meet these needs, including Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and more.
FreshBooks: Accounting Software With The Best Customer Support
FreshBooks
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Best for small businesses that are new to accounting software.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good mobile apps
- Great customer support
- Numerous integrations
- Strong invoicing
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited users
- Limited features
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 $50/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
Would FreshBooks Work For My Business?
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: Best Overall Small Business Accounting Software
QuickBooks Online
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Best for small businesses that need a comprehensive accounting software tool.
Pros
- Scalable
- Advanced features
- Strong invoicing and mobile apps
- Expert help from accountants is available
- 650+ integrations
Cons
- Occasionally unintuitive
- Poor customer support
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 $25/month to $180/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 $4+/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
Would QuickBooks Online Work For My Business?
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.
Get Started with QuickBooks Online
Zoho Books: Small Business Accounting & Invoicing On-The-Go
Zoho Books
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Best for businesses that need to manage invoices and accounting on the go.
Pros
- Advanced features
- Easy to use
- Good customer support
- Strong mobile apps
Cons
- Limited integrations
- Unsuited for large businesses
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 in need of strong online accounting, great mobile apps, and good invoicing. The software is ideal for international businesses.
Zoho Books Pricing
Zoho Books offers four pricing plans ranging from $0/month to $60/month (for a yearly plan — expect to pay more if you have a month-to-month plan). 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 of 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’s other top features:
- Time-tracking
- Inventory management
- Tax support
- Bank reconciliation
- Reports
- Invoice customization
- 30+ integrations
Would Zoho Books Work For My Business?
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: Accounting Software For Independent Contractors
QuickBooks Self-Employed
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Best for self-employed business owners in need of basic accounting software.
Pros
- Designed for freelancers
- Good tax support
- Easy to use
- TurboTax integration
Cons
- Limited invoice features
- No state tax support
- Unscalable
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
Would QuickBooks Self-Employed Work For My Business?
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.
Get Started with QuickBooks Self-Employed
ZipBooks: Easy-To-Use Small Business Accounting Software
ZipBooks
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Best for simple accounting software for small businesses.
Pros
- Free plan available
- Easy to use
- Good customer support
- Attractive UI
Cons
- Limited invoice customizations
- No inventory feature
- Limited mobile apps
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
Would ZipBooks Work For My Business?
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: Best Free Accounting Software
Wave
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Best for small businesses looking for a free accounting software.
Pros
- Free
- Easy to use
- Numerous features
- Expert help from accountants is available
Cons
- Limited mobile apps
- Poor customer support
- Not scalable
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
Would Wave Work For My Business?
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 Business Cloud Accounting: Accounting Software For UK Small Businesses
Sage Business Cloud Accounting
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Best for small businesses based in the UK.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Unlimited users
- Numerous integrations
- Suited for UK users
Cons
- Limited features
- No payroll
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
Would Sage Work For My Business?
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.
Get Started with Sage Business Cloud Accounting
Xero: Accounting Software For Growing Businesses
Xero
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Best for businesses scaling their operations up.
Pros
- Mobile app
- Over 1,000 app integrations
- Scalable
- Unlimited users for every pricing tier
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Price
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 $12/month to $65/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, where many other accounting software solutions don’t. You can also add on Payroll with Gusto for $39/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
Would Xero Work For My Business?
Xero’s many integrations and impressive range of features means 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.
Looking For One Of These Accounting Software Options?
Didn’t see a particular software on our list? We only included the best of the best on this list. All of our picks had to be easy to use, have great features, be competitive with pricing, and have a strong and secure reputation.
Here are some of the other popular accounting software programs out there and why they didn’t make the cut as one of the best small business accounting software options.
SlickPie: Shut Down Services
SlickPie was free accounting software with a great UI and strong features. While we were fond of SlickPie, the company closed its doors on March 31, 2021.
QuickBooks Desktop: Hard To Learn
QuickBooks Desktop is one of the biggest names in accounting for a reason. This tried-and-true accounting software offers customizable accounting, strong features, and a traditional feel. While some users may want and need the complexity that this software provides, it comes with a steep learning curve, and the software is locally-installed, so it loses some of the usability you would get with cloud-based software.
GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping: Questionable Security
GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping fits the bill when it comes to easy accounting software, so why didn’t it make the list? First of all, GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping does not have the features to be considered accounting software — it’s glorified bookkeeping software. Second, the company has a history of numerous data breaches, so we do not recommend this software.
FreeAgent: Limited Features
FreeAgent is an easy-to-use accounting software program designed for UK-based businesses. The software offers strong international invoicing and numerous features for an affordable cost. There are some limitations, such as limited reporting, no cash-basis accounting, a limited chart of accounts, and no bank reconciliation, all of which are big drawbacks for performing your business’s accounting needs.
Kashoo: Limited Features & Integrations
Kashoo is an easy-to-use accounting app with great customer support. However, the software has limited features and integrations. If you are looking for accounting software that covers just the basics and has no learning curve, then Kashoo could still be an option, but you’ll get more bang for your buck using one of the other options on this list.
Which Accounting Software Is Best For Your Business?
Any of these simple small business accounting software options will allow you to easily manage your business’s finances and balance the books, no matter what level of accounting experience you bring to the table. Ultimately, the decision will come down to your budget and the features your business needs.
Want a good double-entry accounting solution that’s more robust than the options we discussed above? I suggest trying AccountEdge Pro or QuickBooks Pro. These apps come with advanced features. If you need higher-level inventory management, payroll software, or a more refined method to track bank accounts, credit card payments, or credit card charges, you’re going to be better off with one of these solutions.
Conversely, for small business owners who are in the market for something very simple and don’t want to pay anything for an accounting app, we’ve compiled a list of the best free online accounting software programs out there.
If you need more help with your small business accounting, download the Beginner’s Guide to Accounting. This free ebook makes accounting simple and teaches you everything you need to know without confusing accounting jargon.
As always, let us know if you have any questions and happy hunting!
Small Business Accounting Software FAQs
In Summary: The 9 Best Accounting Software For Small Business
- FreshBooks: Best customer support
- QuickBooks Online: Best overall small business accounting software
- Zoho Books: Best invoicing & mobile apps
- QuickBooks Self-Employed: Best for freelancers
- ZipBooks: Best easy accounting software for beginners
- Wave: Best free accounting software
- Sage Business Cloud Accounting: Best for UK users
- Xero: Best for growing businesses with multiple users
Davina Ward
Expert Analyst & Reviewer
A New York native, Davina earned her BA in English from SUNY Geneseo in 2018. After graduating, she began her career as a freelance writing generalist before finding a niche writing about SaaS. Davina unironically enjoys testing and reviewing software on her free time but otherwise can be found oscillating between hobbies every few weeks or so — most recently, longboarding.
View Davina Ward's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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Thanks for sharing such an informational blog which will, surely be a big help to the small business owners
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