We compiled a list of the top best small business accounting software, free, and paid. You’ll find the leading software for small business owners, freelancers, and start-ups listed and rated here, including the key features, price range, and user reviews.
When it comes to small business accounting software, we know that you have a lot of choices available. We have created a guide to help you choose the right small business accounting software for you and your business. Our small business accounting software reviews can help you learn more about the top 10 accounting software.
SlickPie
SlickPie was an accounting solution for small business owners. Unlike some other programs that didn’t make the cut, we actually loved SlickPie. The software offered great features, a nice UI, and was 100% free. Unfortunately, SlickPie shut down its services on March 31, 2021, and is no longer available.
GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping
GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping offers very inexpensive bookkeeping plans, so it’s easy to see how some people might think of this vendor when looking for free accounting software. However, GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping isn’t free — its smallest plan costs $4.99/month. Additionally, we do not recommend GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping. The software is incredibly limited, and the security is highly doubtful at best, with numerous data breaches reported in the past.
GnuCash
GnuCash is a free, open-source personal and business accounting software platform. While GnuCash offers decent accounting features and receives fairly positive reviews from customers, the UI is very outdated. Furthermore, because the software is open-source, you also lose the benefits of the cloud, and the main form of customer support is just forums with other users.
TurboCASH
Slightly more modern in design than GnuCash, TurboCASH is another free, open-source accounting solution. However, unlike GnuCash, TurboCASH has very few user reviews to legitimize this software. The fact that the software’s webpage shows up as “not secure” on my browser is also not very reassuring.
CloudBooks
CloudBooks is an up-and-coming free invoicing software that often gets lumped into the list of “best free accounting software.” However, CloudBooks is not an accounting solution. The software offers some bookkeeping features, but it is actually a free invoicing program. To learn more about invoicing options, check out our top invoice software recommendations.
Akaunting
Akaunting is another up-and-coming free accounting software program. The software looks promising and has a much more modern and user-friendly design than Gnu Cash and TurboCASH. However, there is still a very small number of reviews from actual users about this startup. As Akaunting grows, this software may become a real contender — only time will tell.
ZipBooks: one of the best options if you’re new to accounting
ZipBooks is a powerful yet simple web-based program that is useful for streamlining your small business accounting.
ZipBooks pros
ZipBooks allows you to send unlimited invoices in multiple currencies. The software’s vendor tracking and expense management capabilities are right up there with several other free competitors. The free starter plan comes with multi-currency payment acceptance, separate records for 1099 expenses and payments, receipt tracking, and a chart of accounts.
ZipBooks is cloud-based, so you can use it on the go from any mobile device. An app is currently unavailable as new features are in development. However, you can use your device’s browser to access ZipBooks. The program uses 256-bit SSL encryption to keep your data secure.
ZipBooks allows you to toggle between cash and accrual accounting, while most other programs only let you choose one or the other.
ZipBooks cons
The free version only allows you to connect one bank account and view basic reports. If you need multiple accounts and additional team members added, it will set you back $15 a month or more.
The free plan only lets you generate a balance sheet and profit and loss statement. Additional financial statements can set you back as much as $35 a month as part of ZipBook’s Sophisticated plan.
The only support that we found was a self-service Knowledge Base with articles and tutorials. ZipBooks does have an active community of users on Facebook and Twitter that may be of some help if you run into problems.
CloudBooks: unlimited users, restricted invoicing for free
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.
Zoho Books: cloud-based, single-user platform with many features
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.
Freshbooks
Best all-rounder for small businesses
TODAY’S BEST DEALSFreshBooks LiteUS$15/mthFreshBooks PlusUS$25/mthFreshBooks PremiumUS$50/mthVISIT SITEat FreshBooks
REASONS TO BUY
+User-friendly interface+Plenty of depth and features+Integrates with many popular services
REASONS TO AVOID
-Too many features for some-Complex features need time-More costs for more featuresAdvertisement
FreshBooks is a popular cloud-based accounting service designed specifically for small business owners.
The package has plenty of features – invoicing, expense tracking, time tracking, a host of business reports, even an option to take credit card payments – and a straightforward interface aimed at non-accountants ensures you’ll be up-and-running right away.
Despite the simplicity, there’s real depth here. You can bill in any currency, save time by setting up recurring invoices, allow customers to pay via credit card by checking a box, and even automatically bill their credit card to keep life simple for everyone.
If you need more power, the system integrates with many other services, including PayPal, MailChimp, Basecamp, WordPress, Gusto, Zendesk and more.
Management hassles are kept to a minimum. You’re able to access and use the system from your desktop or its free iOS and Android apps, and because it’s a cloud-based system there’s no need to worry about backups.
If this sounds appealing, you can try FreshBooks for 30 days without using a credit card.
Conclusion
Our leading small business accounting software can be a valuable tool when it comes to your cash flow and tax obligations. For example, once you enter each transaction into the program, it will help you recognize an error in your bookkeeping that could end up costing you money. We offer several reputable versions of our software at an affordable price.