When it comes to buying accounting software, the best option may not necessarily be the most expensive. The truth is that many small businesses can use free accounting software . Small businesses don’t require the same level of flexibility and control that large corporations demand. For this reason, there are plenty of free accounting software programs available.
These programs are also robust enough for smaller operations.
Xero
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- Available for: Web application
- Mobile app: Android, iOS
- Price: Plans begin at $9 per month
- Free trial length: 30 days
- Shopify app or integration: Yes; third-party integrations available
For business owners who find themselves constantly on the go, Xero might just be the accounting tool they’ve been waiting for.
Xero is an intelligent accounting software tool aimed at small businesses, with an emphasis on ease of use and mobile utility. Xero can be synced across multiple devices and offers users updates in real time, giving business owners the latest information wherever they might be.
The product features a clean, intuitive user interface and can handle a range of accounting tasks, including payroll (via an integration with Gusto), expenses, billing and invoicing, and sales tax calculation, among other features. Pricing starts at $4.50 per month.
Sunrise
- Available for: Web application
- Mobile app: Android, iOS
- Price: Plans begin at $149 per month
- Free trial length: No free trial, but Self-Service plan is free
- Shopify app or integration: No
Accounting and bookkeeping can be tedious and time-consuming, which is why Sunrise makes accounting simpler, easier, and more intuitive.
Sunrise helps you manage your business’ accounts. The tool lets users create branded invoices with just a few clicks, create and send quotes to customers, build reports quickly, and gain an at-a-glance overview of their business’ financial health.
Xero is the best in our review for micro-businesses that are looking for very simple accounting software. This software has a clean interface and also fully integrates with a third-party payroll service. Businesses can collect payment online from customers through Xero’s integration with Stripe and GoCardless.Pros
- Cloud-based
- Mobile app
- Payroll integration with Gusto
- Third-party app marketplace
- Simple inventory management
Cons
- Limited reporting
- Fees charged for ACH payments
- Limited customer service
Xero was founded in 2006 in New Zealand and now has over 2.7 million users worldwide. This accounting software is popular in New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Xero has over 3,500 employees and is growing rapidly in the U.S., as well.1
Xero offers three monthly subscription options and a full-service payroll add-on: Early at $11 per month, Growing at $32 per month, and Established at $62 per month. The full-service payroll option is offered through Gusto and is an additional $39 per month, plus $6 per employee. The company offers a 30-day free trial and a promotion for 50% off for two months.
The Early plan limits usage and only allows entry for five invoices or quotes, five bills, and reconciliation of 20 bank transactions per month. This limited plan may be suitable for a micro-business with high-ticket transactions, but only a few per month, such as a consulting or small service provider. Both the Growing and Established plans offer unlimited invoices, bills, and transactions. The only difference between the two is that the Established plan has additional features like multi-currency, expense management, and project costing. All three plans offer Hubdoc, a bill and receipt capture solution.
BEST FOR SERVICE-BASED BUSINESSESFreshBooks
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The most crucial accounting need for most service-based businesses is invoicing. FreshBooks offers more customizations for invoicing compared to other accounting software. Its primary function is to send, receive, print, and pay invoices, but it can also take care of a business’ basic bookkeeping needs as well. This accounting software makes it easier for service-based businesses to send proposals and invoices, request deposits, collect client retainers, track time on projects, and receive payments.Pros
- Cloud-based
- User-friendly interface
- Third-party app integration
- Affordable
- Advanced invoicing features
Cons
- No inventory management
- No payroll service
- Mobile app has limitations
Founded in 2003 in Toronto, FreshBooks started as just an invoicing software. Over time, more features have been added and FreshBooks now has over 500 employees.2 There are four different plans, and businesses can get a 10% discount if they choose to pay yearly, rather than monthly. Additionally, FreshBooks offers a 60% off discount per month for six months. The four plans are: Lite at $6 per month, Plus at $10 per month, Premium at $20 per month, and Select, which is a custom service with custom pricing.
The main difference between the four plans is the number of different clients that are allowed to be billed per month. In the Lite plan, up to five clients can be billed per month. In the Plus plan, up to 50 clients can be billed per month. In the Premium plan, unlimited clients can be billed per month. The Select plan also does not have a limitation on the number of clients that can be billed per month, but adds unique features. It costs an additional $10 per month for multiple team members to use the accounting software and it costs an additional $20 per month for the advanced payment feature, which allows users to charge a credit card in real-time or set up a recurring credit card charge for a client.
There are many third-party app integrations available, such as Shopify, Gusto, Stripe, G Suite, and more. A unique feature of FreshBooks is that invoices can be highly stylized and customized for a professional look and feel. FreshBooks is a great tool for budgeting out projects, sending estimates or proposals, and collecting customer payments.
Wave
Wave provides completely free accounting that allows small businesses to track expenses, send invoices, get paid and balance their books. Businesses can send professional invoices and track the status of invoices and payments, so they know when to expect money in their bank account. Businesses can also accept credit cards and get paid faster with Wave.
Inv24
Inv24 is a free inventory management and invoicing software, which enables small businesses to automatically organize and invoice their customers. With Inv24, business owners can download PDF versions of invoices or send them by email.
Brightbook
Brightbook is a free online accounting system, designed to help time-strapped and cash-strapped small businesses with no accounting experience run their business easier. Businesses can send professional-looking invoices in any currency, track bills and find out who owes them money in an instant with the easy-to-use Brightbook system.
TurboCash
TurboCash 4 provides free accounting software that is recommended for people earning less than $10 an hour. TurboCash 5 is recommended for small businesses, with cash book, general ledger, stock, debtors, creditors and invoicing features. TurboCash 5 is now available as a Cloud Service. Unlike TurboCash which is free, TurboCash 5 costs $60 a year.
Inveezy
Inveezy is a free invoicing tool for small businesses. Users can customize their invoices with their own logos and use the service to send repeated invoices. Businesses can get paid with PayPal or credit cards with the Inveezy system. Businesses also have the option to send an invoice as a quote as opposed to an actual bill.
GnuCash
GnuCash provides a simple approach to bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses. This free accounting software is available for Android, Linux, Windows, OS X, FreeBSDm GNU and OpenBSD. The software manages invoices, accounts payable and receivable, as well as employee expenses and some payroll features.
CloudBooks
CloudBooks provides businesses with an effective invoicing tool designed to create efficient and timely billing. The CloudBooks’ Free Forever is a free tool for a single client. Businesses can take advantage of CloudBooks’ dedicated team, which can provide an integrated assistance and priority support to meet the needs of their business.
Accounting Seed
- Available for: Salesforce, web application
- Mobile app: Yes, via the Salesforce app
- Price: Available by request
- Free trial length: N/A
- Shopify app or integration: No
Many small business accounting tools are standalone programs that exist in isolation from the core of a business. This is most definitely not the case with Accounting Seed, which integrates tightly with Salesforce to offer insights into every aspect of your business’ financial operations.
Accounting Seed is a cloud-based accounting solution native to the Salesforce customer relationship management (CRM) platform that can serve as a single, authoritative source of financial truth for your business. You don’t need to be a Salesforce customer to use Accounting Seed, as the product is available as a standalone web application. It’s easily customizable without manual IT deployments or custom code, making it an ideal solution for business owners who lack advanced technical knowledge.
Unfortunately, Accounting Seed’s pricing isn’t publicly available, but business owners can contact Accounting Seed directly for a quote.
Conclusion
Many accounting software programs are expensive, however some are considered the best free accounting program. These top three free accounting software programs are convenient, simple to use and include computerized invoicing options. If you run a small business or are looking for an accounting program for home use then one of these programs might be the one you are looking for.