Have you been looking for free accounting software, free accounting software for small business, accounting software download or offline accounting software? Well it does not have to be anymore!
Want to learn about offline accounting software? Or about free accounting software for pc? Check out this article on Best Accounting Software It is a new way to manage all your business accounts and track your expenses. It has a clear interface, which helps even a beginner user to get a firm grip on it from the beginning.
ZipBooks
ZipBooks is an online accounting package and is marketed as a free alternative to both QuickBooks and FreshBooks.
The reality is that although it offers a free version, it’s very limited and any serious freelancer or small business would have to upgrade to the Smarter plan for $15 per month to get anything on the same level as QuickBooks or FreshBooks.
However the free version allows you to do everything you’d expect from a simple accounting solution such as invoice, track expenses, and generally keep your own books in order for tax season.
ZipBooks is aimed at business-owners for invoicing and simple accounting processes so that you don’t need to be an accountant to organize your company’s finances.
It’s ideal if you need to regulate cash flows, organize accounting files and use it’s online invoicing software to speed up billing and payment with ease.
ZipBooks allows you to bill by project, task, staff rate, or a flat amount. You can assign different projects to different team members by checking the box next to their user names.
ZipBooks allows you to sync your bank account to add expenses automatically or add a new expense manually by entering the date, amount, vendor, expense category, and the customer you will bill.
You can also integrate payment from PayPal, Visa, Mastercard and American Express although it does charge a payment fee processing charge. Accepting Visa, Mastercard and PayPal costs 2.9% + $0.30/transaction for example.
On the downside, the import and export options are very limited if you’re migrating from another software and currently, all you can do is import CSV files such as invoices.
You can get started with ZipBooks for free to see for yourself.
Pros:
- Great for invoicing
- Good expense tracking tools
- Very easy to use
- Supports payment processing
Cons:
- No native desktop app
- No proper data import or export options
- Costs per transaction via credit card or PayPal
Wave
If you need a free accounting and invoicing software for Mac then Wave is excellent at creating invoices, tracking account history and managing customer transactions.
Wave is now focused on businesses based in the USA and Canada so it’s no longer suitable for UK based companies or other countries unfortunately.
Wave presents a clear overview of your accounts so that you can manage your income and expenses clearly.
You can also connect to other Wave products such as automated payroll and payments although this comes with a catch.
Like ZipBooks, Wave take a percentage of payroll and payments processing which is how it makes money but if you don’t use these features, you can still use the accounting part for free.
On the downside, the number of reports available in Wave is limited as are the personal budgeting features.
However, the free version of Wave also comes with 60 days free chat support and if you’re based in the USA or Canada and need a modern, free accounting solution that’s strong on invoicing, Wave is one of the best free accounting platforms out there.
Pros:
- Good invoicing tools
- Slick clear interface
- Easy to use
- 2 months free chat support
- Double entry accounting
- Scans and uploads receipts
- Focused on USA and Canada
Cons:
- Payroll and payment processing incurs fees
- No bill payment processing
- Limited reports
- No personal budgeting tools
- No time tracking
- Doesn’t track accounts payable
- No support for businesses outside US and Canada
Bx (Best For UK)
Bx is a modern free accounting and productivity software which works in any browser on a Mac. If you’re looking for the best free Making Tax Digital (MTD) accounting software for UK users then Bx is a serious contender.
Bx works via modules which you can add and remove depending on your needs such as invoicing and even project management.
Bx regularly adds new modules and allows UK users to submit VAT tax returns to HMRC directly and even has a handy Excel plugin to help you extract data.
The invoice templates in Bx are really tasteful and even allow you to send invoices to customers via WhatApp or SMS.
If you’re looking for a highly customizable free accounting solution on your Mac that includes project management tools, Bx is an interesting and modern small business solution.
You can get started with Bx for free to see for yourself.
Pros:
- Customizable modules
- Project management software
- Submits UK VAT returns
- Time tracking tools
- MTD accounting software
Cons:
- Module system takes some getting used to
- Focused on UK than US market
- Requires JavaScript
QuickBooks
Parent company Intuit was founded in 1983 and the QuickBooks brand was introduced in 2002, with QuickBooks Online following two years later. Today, QuickBooks has 2.2 million users across 225 countries.
Nifty features include a client portal, where customers can view, print and pay invoices and a customer relationship management (CRM) system, which helps you keep on top of your customer database.
Where QuickBooks stands out is the quality of its reporting, with punchy snapshots of how your business is performing financially. Its reporting facility is ahead of rivals such as Xero when it comes to customisation.
Pros:
- QuickBooks’s user experience (UX) is easy to understand and pleasing to the eye
- QuickBooks is mindful of scaling businesses and its software can have anything up to 25 users
- Professional accountants rate the professionalism of QuickBook’s reports and its bank reconciliation features
Cons:
- QuickBooks can be difficult to navigate with some features hidden in settings
- It’s a steep learning carver for anybody who’s not technically literate
- There have been complaints that QuickBooks online is still buggy with long waiting times for telephone customer support
Price:
Mobile: iOS, Android
Pricing:
QuickBooks is offering a 50 per cent discount for the first six months.
Simple Start is £6 per month, rising to £12.
Essentials is £9 for the first six months, rising to £18.
Plus is £14 a month for the first six months, rising to £27.
Xero
Xero’s popular online accounting software covers all the basics, and offers some great time-saving tools.
Key benefits:
- take photos or scan bills and receipts to automatically extract data
- intelligent transaction-matching helps with bank reconciliation
- large marketplace of apps you can connect to add extra functionality
Disadvantages:
- basic starter plan is restricted to very limited numbers of monthly invoices and purchases
- cannot yet automatically link with bank accounts at several UK banks
- cash flow forecasting beyond one month ahead is an optional extra
Pricing:
- monthly plans £10-£30 (plus VAT) per month
- add-ons like payroll or project tracking typically £5 per month
Find out more about Xero online accounting software for small businesses.
Zoho Books
You can integrate Zoho Books with lots of apps from Zoho’s own suite, as well as third-party apps. It can help you issue invoices, sort expenses, and track inventory. Zoho Books is part of an overall suite of cloud-based software – other apps include Zoho Invoice and Zoho Expense, although there isn’t a payroll feature yet for the UK.
Zoho Books can also connect to your bank account for real-time updates on cash flow. Prices start at £10 a month, with the option to have a free trial before you buy. Zoho Books is Making Tax Digital compatible.
Clear Books
Designed for ease of use, and with plenty of support on offer, Clear Books can be an excellent choice for business owners who want accounting to be as easy as possible.
Best for ease of use:
Typically £24 per month | Excellent support and solid all-round features | Go to website
Key benefits:
- good all-round features, even on entry level package
- strong support through online guides and videos, plus free email/phone helplines
Disadvantages:
- optional payroll software can become expensive with more employees
Pricing:
- £12 per month for non-VAT businesses, £24 per month for VAT and multi-currency functionality
- discounts for yearly subscriptions and for Metro Bank and Revolut Business customers
- £2.70 per employee for optional payroll
AccountsIQ
AccountsIQ is a cloud accounting software that simplifies the capture, process, and reporting of financial data. It offers intuitive tools to automate consolidation, manage budget, audit, digital VAT returns, and cash flow. It is suitable for small to medium-size businesses in all industries and is designed specifically to suit business environments where multiple entities need access to a common platform. With a flexible 3-tier General Ledger and 6 dimensions BI coding structure, AccountsIQ enables detailed and granular reporting and performance to be benchmarked across a group network. It includes 250 reports, management reporting packs, and dashboards and has an Excel Add-In and Power BI connection for customized analysis. AccountsIQ’s consolidation module makes it easy to consolidate multiple subsidiaries and manage complex ownership, handle foreign currency, centrally control exchange rates, and simplify intercompany recharging. Additionally, the stock management feature allows companies to track inventory levels and create multiple price lists. It is an ideal time-saving solution for multi-company and multi-location businesses. AccountsIQ’s budgeting feature enables users to measure actual results compared with planned budgets to analyze consistencies and variances in performance. This solution allows users to create budgets in different currencies to be converted into common currencies for comparison. Project accounting features enable easy billing and measurement against KPIs and a Time and Expenses Module enables users to manage projects and avoid Revenue Leakage. With an expense capture and approval mobile app, AccountsIQ is able to streamline workflow approvals of purchase orders and invoices. User and client access management controls are included with customizable charts of accounts, GL coding, and dashboards. AccountsIQ is easily integrated through its open API with other Cloud systems to deliver business-wide efficiencies. It is priced per month and pricing scales depending on the number of entities and functionality.
FreeAgent
FreeAgent is targeted at freelancers and small businesses, so it focuses on daily admin tasks like invoicing, time tracking, and expense management. It’s a cloud accounting software package.
You can set invoice reminders and upload pictures of your receipts. Pricing starts at £19 a month (for sole traders) with 50 per cent off for the first six months. Plus, if you’re a Simply Business customer, you can get a 15 per cent lifetime discount. Find out more.
FreeAgent say it’s ready for Making Tax Digital, and has been submitting digital VAT returns to HMRC for customers since 2010.
Sage Accounting
Another UK-based payment-processing platform, Sage began life in 1981 when its founder got in touch with Newcastle University students asking them to help him develop an automatic accounting processes program. Jump forward nearly 40 years and Sage now has 13,000 employees across 23 countries serving over three million businesses using its software. Sage says that every month it helps UK firms create over 500,000 invoices, process 700,000 transaction and sell 1.5 million products.
Like all the other small business accounting software packages listed here, Sage is cloud based and links seamlessly to your bank account for real-time reporting.
Features it offers include:
- Estimates and invoicing
- Payroll
- Corporation Tax calculator,
- Multi-currency support
- Bank account connectivity
- Stock management
- Linked to Stripe payments processing system.
Pros:
- Sage Business Cloud Accounting’s bottom Accounting Start tier is well priced, simple and easy to navigate.
Cons:
- Sage Business Cloud Accounting’s user experiences looks dated compared with other small business accounting software and some of the terms it uses are clunky, better suited to accountants than small business owners
- Its inventory app is not the best choice if you have a business dealing with hundreds of product lines
Price:
Start for sole traders and microbusinesses: free for 3 months then £12pm + VAT
Standard (includes invoicing and cash flow management): free for 3 months then £24pm + VAT
Plus (adds multicurrency invoicing and inventory management) free for 3 months then £30pm + VAT
Mobile: iOS, Android
Conclusion
There are many accounting software companies available in online market for small business accounting, but only very few accounting software companies offer free accounting software download. When you pick free accounting software download option you can save your money up to $300 because you don’t need to pay for product update or upgrades. It is much better than offline accounting software because it is the most convenient way to do your Accounting homework.