What Is The Best Free Accounting Software For Small Business

If you’re an entrepreneur counting every penny, then free accounting software for pc is the right solution for you. As a business owner, I’ve learned that knowing exactly how much cash you have to spend means the difference between becoming the next Apple or just another startup. That’s why I’ve spent countless hours researching wave free accounting software to find out which ones offer the best price/value ratio.

Are you a small business owner or freelancer? Searching for ways to manage your finances without having to pay for expensive accounting software? There are plenty of options out there that range from free accounting software for pc all the way up to Wave accounting software. But how do you choose which is right for you? In this article, I tell you about different free accounting software.

Intuit QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks is one of the most comprehensive accounting software packages on the market, so it’s no surprise that it ranks #1 on our list. It has numerous features that make it an excellent choice for both small and large business operations.

Developed by Intuit, a leading Canadian software company specializing in financial software, QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting system you can access through a mobile app or web browser.

Small business owners and accounting professionals commonly use this software because of its fluid and efficient accounting features. In addition, you can conveniently access all of its featured accounting tools in one central dashboard.

Quickbooks offers a 30-day free trial and three subscription options. They are as follows:

  • EasyStart at $20 per month
  • Essentials at $40 per month
  • Plus, at $60 per month

Pros:

  • QuickBooks is the most comprehensive accounting package available.
  • It has a user-friendly interface that’s great for novice users.
  • Allows you to track job expenses efficiently.
  • Accept payments online (Visa, Mastercard, ApplePay, Discover)
  • Best payroll features (Direct deposits, Automated tax filing, Employee portal)

Cons:

  • The software is a bit pricey compared to other options on the market.
  • The payroll addon is extra $20/mo +$3/employee/mo
  • After subscription cancellation, you can access your records only for a year

Sage 50 cloud

Sage 50 cloud software is apt for all medium and small-size business who need accounting software for managing their business. One can efficiently manage their taxes, invoices, data management, e-commerce, budget, inventories, etc. using this software which is compatible with mobile phones making it an easy option for you to choose for your financial management. Another advantage of using this software is that it can combine desktop features with cloud enabling you to store data in the cloud simultaneously while performing other tasks.

FreshBooks

  • Available for: Web application
  • Mobile app: Android, iOS
  • Price: Plans begin at $15 per month
  • Free trial length: 30 days
  • Shopify app or integration: Yes

One of the most popular and well-known small business accounting tools available today is FreshBooks.

Many of FreshBooks’ tools feature smart assistive technologies and automations designed to make bookkeeping easy. FreshBooks can be configured to automatically reconcile credit and debit amounts and can automatically import financial data from a range of sources. Users can also adjust access permissions on an individual basis. For example, employees can be granted limited access to financial reports, while you can give your accountants administrator privileges.

Pricing starts at $15 per user per month for the Lite plan.

Wave Accounting 

Wave is an invoicing and accounting software founded in 2009 in Toronto, Canada. They offer small businesses free accounting and invoicing services. Wave Accounting is one of the most affordable accounting software out there, and it comes with numerous features that make it a competitive option for small businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface and is simple to use with just a few simple clicks. 

It’s easy to set up, and even employees with no prior accounting experience can learn and manage it. Wave accounting helps you to charge your clients online and process Mastercard/Visa/American Express payments. However, they charge a small fee per transaction. In addition, growing companies with employees have to pay for the Payroll package, which is an extra addon.  

Pros:

  • Wave Accounting is free software.
  • Perfect for small businesses with no employees
  • It’s easy to set up and use, which means less frustration if you’re new to an accounting software package. 
  • It’s very user-friendly and has several helpful features like report templates, reminders, and invoicing options.

Cons:

  • Payroll is a paid addon. 
  • Credit card processing fees.
  • No time tracking option 
  • Lacks inventory management

Free Agent

Free agent software is designed for the small business firm accounting and fledges them with all the essential accounting tools that they may be in need of. Using the intuitive navigation commonly known as the ’overview’ option, one can have the display of all their projects and time slips stored in the software. Another feature of this software that you would love to use it is its categorization functionality which helps you to segregate your expenses based on the different categories. You can also track all your expenses and facilitate payments using this accounting tool.

ZipBooks

  • Available for: Web application
  • Mobile app: iOS
  • Price: Plans begin at $15 per month
  • Free trial length: 30 days
  • Shopify app or integration: No

Aimed at business owners who might lack experience with bookkeeping, ZipBooks is a simple, lightweight small business accounting software tool that takes the headache out of accurate accounting.

ZipBooks keeps everything as simple as possible. The product emphasizes the basics, such as accounts receivables, so users won’t be surprised by any complicated menus or intimidating features. ZipBooks’ statements and reports are similarly clean and minimal, focusing on the essential information entrepreneurs need to run their business.

The product’s Starter plan is free and includes unlimited invoicing, basic reporting, and a single bank account connection. Additional plans start at $15 per month.

Xero

Suppose you’re looking for cloud-based software to aid you in managing your business accounts. In that case, Xero is the accounting software for you. Xero software revolutionizes the daunting process of accounting by designing a super simple and easy tool to use. 

Perfect for micro-businesses, the software has a straightforward interface making it easy to set up and navigate. Headquartered in New Zealand, Xero has become a favoured accounting software in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.

Xero quickly gained ground by offering reliability, ease to use, and powerful features at a reasonable price. The company targets small business owners or companies that require critical accounting functions and doesn’t include many advanced features; for example, the payroll feature is minimal. As a result, Xero can be great if you need an accounting package that works well on its own without any extra bells and whistles.

Pros:

  • Flexible pricing plans make this software accessible for businesses with smaller budgets.
  • Xero has received numerous awards and an “A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, so you can be sure that it’s reliable and safe to use.
  • Its simple interface is handy for both novice and experienced users.
  • Designed for users without an accounting background, so it is one of the most user-friendly software.

Cons:

  • Xero isn’t the best package if you’re looking for a comprehensive accounting system. 

OnPay

If you are looking out for options to ease your payroll management task, then there could be no other better software than the Onpay accounting software. From small-scale business to medium size business, all can use this software to ease up their payroll solutions. Apart from managing your payrolls, it also helps you in payments and tax filing. The finance managers can keep an account of the streamlined payroll of the company and directly make the salary transfers to their respective account of the employees using the direct deposit option. OnPay offers improved payroll compliance and also provides health insurance benefits which you can acquire by seeking assistance of the insurance brokers.

Conclusion:

Software that is free to use are beneficial for every small business. Small businesses benefit from free accounting software because they are not forced to spend on software which helps them save money for other resources. Free accounting software normally offer the same features although there are some that will have more features than others. Those who run small business and do not have a lot of cash in their bank account should search and identify which free accounting software best suits their business needs and download it.

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