Which Accounting Programs Have The Best Mobile Apps?

If your mobile lifestyle keeps you on the go, you need an accounting program that can keep up with you. Luckily, almost all cloud-based accounting programs offer mobile apps now. But how do you know which of these mobile apps is the best?

Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to tell you.

We’ve researched and tested dozens of apps to bring you the mobile apps with the best features, prices, and user experiences. Here are the top six mobile apps for accounting:

1. Zoho Books

Zoho Books (see our review) is without a doubt number one in this lineup. While most companies have mobile apps, they often skimp on the features or don’t offer everything that the web version does. Not Zoho Books. This software has always received high praise for its full-featured and easy-to-use mobile apps.

Zoho Books also offers the most mobile apps on the market, with versions for iPhones and iPads (iOS 7+), for Androids (4.1+), for Windows phones and tablets (8, 8.1, or 10), and for the Apple Watch. They even have an app for Kindle Fire. You won’t find more options than with Zoho Books.

Features

Both the Android and iPhone app are incredibly easy to use and the features are well organized. In addition to the long list of features below, you can also have Zoho Books send notifications straight to your phone with real-time business updates.

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Client Portal
• Accept payments online
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Add attachments and receipts
• Record bills
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Purchase orders
• Reports
• Multi-currency support

Pricing

Zoho Books offers three pricing plans. Payments are made monthly. There is no additional cost for the mobile app and you can sign up for Zoho Books straight from the application if you don’t already have an account. Each pricing plan offers access to different features so be sure to read our full review or contact Zoho Books for pricing details.

• Basic: $9/mo
• Standard: $19/mo
• Professional: $29

Customer Reviews

Zoho Books receives 4.5/5 stars on iTunes (based on 78 ratings) as well as 4.5/5 stars in the Google Play Store (based on nearly 2,000 ratings).

The apps are praised for being easy to use and offering a lot of features. Many users feel that they get a lot of bang for their buck with Zoho Books competitive pricing.

The few complaints that do pop up are usually from users who don’t understand how to use the software or who are requesting a feature that is already there.

Overall, you can’t beat Zoho when it comes to mobile apps. The apps are intuitive and reliable, and the web-version of the software now even rivals QuickBooks Online. Check out our complete Zoho Books review for more details or jump straight to the app store if you’re already sold.

2. FreshBooks Classic

FreshBooks Classic (see our review) is another full-featured app that gives Zoho Books a run for its money. The app offers ample features, receives strong customer reviews, and looks wonderful. One of the coolest parts about the FreshBooks app is that you can use it offline. FreshBooks will sync the data at a later time when you have data again—you really can take your business anywhere. To top it off, FreshBooks offers some of the best customer service in the accounting software world, so you’re in good hands.

The FreshBooks Classic app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (iOS 8.0+) and for Android (4.2+).

Note: FreshBooks offers two mobile apps, one called FreshBooks Classic and one called FreshBooks Invoice + Accounting. The latter app is for the New version of FreshBooks, which is not nearly as developed. Many FreshBooks Classic users who switched over to the new mobile app regretted the decision, which is why that app didn’t make the cut (granted, users who had never used FreshBooks before still liked the new app). I recommend sticking with the robust features and affordable pricing of FreshBooks Classic (learn more about my grievances against New FreshBooks in our comprehensive FreshBooks review).

Features

Like Zoho Books, FreshBooks Classic offers an impressive number of features and the organization of these features is intuitive and appealing. The app offers:

• Invoicing
• Expense tracking
• Contact management
• Import contacts straight from address book
• Expense tracking
• Snap photos of receipts
• Live bank feeds
• Record bills
• Project management
• Time tracking

Pricing

FreshBooks is trying to push new users towards New FreshBooks. However, support for Classic FreshBooks isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. This does mean that creating a Classic FreshBooks account is a little more complicated if you don’t have a preexisting Classic account. Instead of being able to create a new account straight from the app, you’ll have to contact FreshBooks and sign up for a Classic account on the web first.

FreshBooks Classic offers five scalable pricing plans and there is no additional cost for the mobile app. Each pricing plan offers gives access to different features so be sure to read our full review for pricing details.

• Sprout: $12.95/mo
• Seedling: $19.95/mo
• Evergreen: $29.95/mo
• Mighty Oak: $39.95/mo
• Redwood: Call for pricing

Customer Reviews

FreshBooks Classic receives 4.4/5 stars on iTunes (based on 861 reviews) and 4/5 stars on the Google Play Store (based on 1,778 reviews).

Customers love how easy the app is to use and all of the features that are packed into it.

There are hardly any complaints about the app on the iTunes store at all, though some Android users are concerned that the company’s focus on New FreshBooks will hinder FreshBooks Classic updates. Recent reports of slow load times aren’t helping this theory, but the company did just complete mobile app updates for the Classic mobile apps in September 2017 and October 2017.

For now, FreshBooks Classic is still a major player, and its scalable pricing and ample features give it the rank of second best mobile accounting app. If you need an app that you can use on and offline, FreshBooks Classic can’t be beat. Read our complete FreshBooks review to learn more.

3. AND CO

Developed as a mobile app first, AND CO (see our review) knows what it’s doing when it comes to running a business on the go. AND CO was created in 2015 and designed specifically for freelancers, a fact which is reflected in its mobility and feature set. While not technically accounting software, AND CO offers a few great bookkeeping tools including in-depth expense tracking and reports. The company is also the first of its kind to allow freelancers to create and send contracts. While the software still has some growing to do in terms of being a complete freelancing solution (as it does not offer any tax support), the mobile app is a joy to use and the customer service is spot on.

The AND CO mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (iOS 10.3+) and for Android (5.0+).

Features

In addition to the features below, each AND CO customer receives a personal chief operator, which is basically a team of experts who are there to answer any questions you might have about the software.

• Invoicing
• Send invoice reminders
• Accept payments online
• Send receipts
• Expense tracking
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Create contracts
• To do lists
• Reports

Pricing

AND CO offers a free pricing plan and two paid plans. Payments are made monthly. There is no additional cost for the mobile app and you can sign up for an AND CO account straight from the application if you don’t already have an account. Each plan provides access to different features so be sure to read our full review or contact AND CO for pricing details.

• Free
• Gold: $14/mo
• Black: $39/mo

Customer Reviews

AND CO receives 4.5/5 stars on iTunes (based on 51 reviews) and 4.1/5 stars on the Google Play Store (based on 59 reviews). Users find the software easy to use and many praise AND CO for saving them time. Freelancers, in particular, share their appreciation for the app and its features.

There’s only one complaint in all of the iTunes reviews, and a few Android users complain that there are slight glitches with the software.

AND CO shows incredible progress and already is one of the best designed mobile apps on the market. This app is a good fit for freelancers who need to send invoice and track expenses, and it is the only bookkeeping app available for sending contracts. The app still doesn’t have the tax support some freelancers need, but I have a feeling AND CO and its features will only get better with time. Read our complete AND CO review for the full scoop on this app.

4. QuickBooks Self-Employed

QuickBooks Self-Employed (see our review) is another freelance accounting solution. The thing that sets this software apart from AND CO and other freelance accounting apps is the sheer amount of tax support QuickBooks Self-Employed offers. The software gives freelancers the flexibility and mobility that their work requires. While QuickBooks doesn’t have the best customer support, the software is easy to use, looks nice, and receives strong customer reviews.

The QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (iOS 9+) and for Android (4.4+).

Features

The QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app offers most everything the web version does. Features are well organized and easy to use.

• Invoicing
• Send invoice reminders
• Expense tracking
• Automatic transaction matching and categorization
• Snap photos of receipts
• Separate personal and business expenses
• Track mileage (using your phone’s GPS)
• Tax deductions estimator
• Calculate estimated quarterly taxes

Pricing

QuickBooks Self-Employed offers two pricing plans. Payments are made monthly. There is no additional cost for the mobile app and you can sign up for a QuickBooks Self-Employed account straight from the application if you don’t already have an account.

If you have purchased Turbo Tax Self-Employed already, the QuickBooks Self-Employed app is free with your Turbo Tax Self-Employed subscription.

The two pricing plans have the same features; the only difference is whether or not you want the Turbo Tax integration or not.

• Self-Employed: $10/mo
• Self-Employed Tax Bundle: $17/mo

Customer Reviews

QuickBooks Self-Employed receives 4.5/5 stars on iTunes (based on 3,000+ reviews) and 4.4/5 stars on the Google Play Store (based on 9,000+ reviews).

The most common praises of the mobile app are that it’s easy to use and makes tax time a breeze. Users also like the feature selection available.

There are a few reports of glitches and several users mention QuickBooks’ poor customer support. A few users claim that the mileage tracking is unreliable, but most say it works great.

Ultimately, QuickBooks Self-Employed is an easy-to-use mobile app that offers the best tax support for freelancers. If you’re a freelancer or independent contractor in need of expense tracking, deductions, and tax support, QuickBooks Self-Employed is the way to go. Learn more about this product in our full QuickBooks Self-Employed review.

5. QuickBooks Online

You can’t talk about accounting software without mentioning QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online (see our review) is a generally easy to use software with ample features and strong accounting. The key thing that sets this software apart from its desktop counterpart is the mobility it offers users. QuickBooks Online has good mobile apps, and although these apps don’t offer the complete feature set of the web version, you’ll still find impressive features and a beautiful organization (that I currently like better than the actual web version).

The QuickBooks Online is available for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch (iOS 9.0+) and for Android (4.1+).

Features

In addition to the long list of features below, you can also have the QuickBooks Online mobile app send notifications straight to your phone with real-time business updates.

• Invoicing
• Track invoice progress
• Accept payments online
• Contact management
• Vendor management
• Expense tracking
• Live bank feeds
• Snap photos of receipts
• Banking
• Add bank deposits
• Chart of Accounts
• Reports

Pricing

QuickBooks Online offers three pricing plans. Payments are made monthly. There is no additional cost for the mobile app and you can sign up for QuickBooks Online straight from the application if you don’t already have an account. Each pricing plan offers gives access to different features so be sure to read our full review for pricing details.

• Simple Start: $15/mo
• Essentials: $35/mo
• Plus: $50/mo

Customer Reviews

QuickBooks Online’s mobile app receives 4/5 stars on iTunes (based on 6,000+ reviews) and 4.3/5 stars on the Google Play Store (based on nearly 19,000 reviews).

Most users find the software easy to use and love the features the app offers. However, there are substantial reports of slow loading times and a few bugs and glitches within the apps.

If you are already a QuickBooks Online lover, then the QuickBooks Online app is a great choice for making your business mobile. For new users, the app is a bit expensive compared to other programs and, as we mentioned earlier, QuickBooks doesn’t offer the best customer support. However, the feature set could still be a valuable tool for many small business owners and there are plenty of happy customers using the software. Read our comprehensive QuickBooks Online review to weigh the pros and cons of this software.

6. FreeAgent

FreeAgent (see our review) was created in 2006—in the UK and for the UK. FreeAgent is a basic accounting solution complete with VAT support and project management. While the app is not as highly rated as the other mobile apps in this post, FreeAgent receives the highest reviews and has the most features available in comparison to other UK accounting apps.

The FreeAgent mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (iOS 9.0+) and for Android (4.1+).

Features

While the FreeAgent mobile app does not offer as many features as the web version, the app still covers the most important features for business life on the go, including tax support.

• Invoicing
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Snap photo of receipts
• Time tracking
• Run UK payroll
• Submit VAT
• Submit self-Assessment returns

Pricing

FreeAgent has a single pricing plan with unlimited access to all features. Payments are made monthly. There is no additional cost for the mobile app. You have to have an existing FreeAgent account before downloading the app, so you’ll need to create your FreeAgent account online using the web version first.

• FreeAgent: $24/mo

Customer Reviews

FreeAgent receives 3/5 stars on iTunes (based on 59 reviews) and 3.6/5 stars on the Google Play Store (based on 9,000+ reviews).

FreeAgent users love the UI of the mobile app and the ability to send invoices. However, several users report glitches and slow loading times.

FreeAgent is a great choice for UK users in need of a strong mobile app and VAT support. US businesses can still use FreeAgent if they like, but there are much better options out there (like Zoho Books or FreshBooks). If you are a UK user or want to learn more about whether or not FreeAgent is a good choice for you, check out our complete FreeAgent review.

Which App Is Right For Me?

Now you’ve learned about six great mobile app choices for running your small business on the go. For freelancers and UK users, choosing the ideal software is a bit easier. For other businesses, the deciding factors will most likely be feature set and price. Think about which features matter the most to your business, read as many customer reviews of the apps as you can, and take advantage of any free trials the company offers.

Whichever app you choose, you really can’t go wrong with these six strong contenders. Each app will let you control your business and its finances from wherever life takes you, saving you time and peace of mind.