One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is finding affordable accounting software. There are many top rated free accounting software available online, but it is difficult to decide which one to use. Here at best accounting software reviews site you will find reviews of free small business accounting software that will help you find the right one for your need.
Make your accounting chores a cinch with a free accounting software. Make a business budget in a matter of minutes, track your goods and services, bills, taxes and payroll with a small business accounting software.
CloudBooks
While CloudBooks’ basic features are free, it doesn’t offer as much as the competition.
CloudBooks pros
CloudBooks is an online accounting software program that allows you to manage your online invoices, expenses, and projects. You can also view financial reports from any mobile device with their free app. Their platform allows for unlimited staff users, which means you can share access to your books as needed.
CloudBooks cons
CloudBooks is generally geared towards freelancers with few clients. Unless you are willing to shell out $10-$20 a month, you are limited to only five unbranded invoices per month. There is also no phone support or Paypal integration for the free version.
NCH Software (Express Accounts)
Express Accounts, owned and operated by NCH software, has a pretty dated website. While multiple users can log on to your account, the software requires an initial desktop download, which makes it a little less flexible than the cloud-based providers on our list. But if you don’t mind the dated look, Express Accounts can simplify your basic bookkeeping in a big way.
For starters, it offers 20 financial reports (much better than ZipBooks’ two) that help you get a clear picture of your fiscal health. Express Accounts also easily tracks accounts payable and accounts receivable. You can even print checks using the software to streamline bill payments.
Express Accounts’ customer service is much less robust than our other top five picks. You can reach out to technical support over email if you have an issue with your download, but that’s the extent of your support. On the other hand, most customers use Express Accounts solely to track their business’s figures—so you shouldn’t need the kind of support you would with more complex accounting or payroll software.
Xero
Xero might grab your attention with its low-cost Early plan account but look closely and limitations soon become apparent – like being restricted to sending a maximum of five invoices, entering five bills, or reconciling only 20 bank transactions.
Still, if you can live with those restrictions there are some pluses here. The service offers smart expense tracking and management, optionally on your mobile with Xero’s excellent app for Android and iOS. There are dozens of configurable reports, simple budgeting, and no limits at all on additional users or the accountants you might want to access the data.
If the invoice, bank or billing issues are a problem then the Xero Growing plan looks like a better deal. It’s a lot more money, but you can issue as many invoices and enter as many bills as you like.
Xero offers plenty of functionality for any small business, including a handy “convert your QuickBooks files” service to help you get started, and it’s certainly easy to use. But if you don’t quite need all that power, there’s better value to be had elsewhere.
Zoho Books
Zoho Books offers a free plan for small businesses that need help invoicing customers and managing payments with a single account.
Zoho Books pros
The free version of Zoho Books includes up to 1,000 customizable, branded invoices per year. The user-friendly software also features contact management, expense tracking, multiple bank and credit card accounts, and the ability to import bank and credit card statements.
A useful client portal allows you to share recent transactions and allow clients to make bulk payments. You can also set up recurring invoices and automatic payment reminders.
The client portal even allows you to capture customer satisfaction feedback to share on social media, leveraging that all-powerful social proof to build your brand.
Zoho Books cons
The biggest drawback to Zoho Books? It’s only for businesses with less than $50K in annual revenue. Only one user and one accountant can access the program, unless you pay monthly for one of their subscription packages.
Only email support is available in the free version, while the paid versions use voice and chat.
Expensify
With Expensify, your only task is to scan receipts (or, honestly, any other piece of paper with a number on it)—the software automatically generates an expense report, and once it’s approved, you can reimburse the right employee within 24 hours. Expensify also generates expense-specific reports that simplify tax time for you and your employees.
Expensify isn’t an all-in-one online accounting solution—it’s a targeted expense-tracking app. If you’re looking for more thorough accounting and bookkeeping software, try Wave or QuickBooks. But if you could use some help keeping your expenses in order, Expensify’s free plan is a good option.
Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting makes a good first impression with its clear and gimmick-free pricing. The top Sage Accounting plan offers decent value and there is also a 30-day free trial.
For this, you get modules to manage quotes, invoices, handle and submit VAT online, smart bank feeds and reconciliation, cash flow forecasting, some detailed reports, multiple currency support, project tracking and more, all available from your desktop or via a mobile app.
All this is well presented and generally easy-to-use. If you run into trouble, detailed web help and video tutorials are only a click or two away, with the offer of “free unlimited 24/7 telephone and email support” that should help make any newbie comfortable.
Sage also has a more basic offering called Accounting Start. This doesn’t include support for quotes, estimates or vendor bills, and has no cash flow forecasts, but it could be enough for start-ups as well as small businesses.
Akaunting
Akaunting is an accounting solution that is completely online and has all the features you need to manage your small business’s financials. Akaunting is open-source, which means it has a large library of add-ons you can use to customize the software to suit your needs.
Akaunting pros
Akaunting’s easy-to-use interface is mobile and tablet-friendly. The cloud-based option allows you to access and update your financial information from any location on your device.
The software allows you to create and schedule recurring invoices, revenues, bills, and payments for continuous jobs. Akaunting also includes detailed financial reports.
A client portal is also available to share transactions and invoices with your clients and accept online payments. You can even set your clients up with a sign-in to access information.
Akaunting allows an unlimited number of bank and cash accounts. You can easily add deposits and make transfers between all accounts. The ability to add non-billable expenses as payments helps to keep the account balances up-to-date.
Akaunting cons
While Akaunting is one of the more customizable accounting options available, you may need to invest in some pricey apps available through Akaunting’s app store to get the most out of the program.
Free support is only available through the community forums, and dedicated support requires an expensive subscription plan. The support ticket system is only for users who purchased an app from their App Store.
Conclusion:
Now, you can do your bookkeeping for your small business with style and ease, thanks to the best online small business accounting software. These best apps for small business include essential features that will help you manage your financials with accuracy and ease. With the best free online accounting software, tracking revenues and expenses is simple, allowing you to focus on growth.