Best Accounting Software

FreshBooks uses cloud-based accounting and invoice software that can be accessed via iPhone, Android, and iPad apps. It claims our top spot for best accounting software because it's easy to use. Even business owners with little or no accounting experience can take advantage of its robust features and helpful functions. It's also reasonably priced and can be used on the go.

FreshBooks' features include:

• Payment reminders
• Recurring invoices with customizable options including due dates and discounts
• Online credit card payments
• Multi-currency and language billing
• Automatic tax calculations for sales tax
• Tax-friendly expense categories
• Remembered vendors 
• Time tracking with a Chrome browser extension
• Bank deposits, recurring payments, and auto bills with bank integration
• Tax help integrations with tax apps, estimates, deductions, and filing tools
• Easily integrates with other products including GSuite and Gusto

FreshBooks' pricing is tiered as follows:

FreshBooks may also offer discounts or bundled pricing if you pre-pay, so make sure you check the website for any offers before you sign up.

Although customer reviews on third-party sites are mostly positive for FreshBooks, with some users lauding the ease of use in invoicing customers, others note ongoing problems with being double charged. Other users have expressed that their personal information was compromised in data breaches.

QuickBooks is another cloud-based accounting software program that also offers separate desktop options you can purchase and download. Its products are typically geared toward small- and medium-sized businesses, and more than 7 million businesses use this software. 

We chose it as our runner-up for best accounting software because it is another program that is easy for business owners with no accounting experience to use. It’s also quick to set up, reasonably priced, and offers tools and features that are helpful for small business accounting. It keeps everything organized in one place and keeps your business tax-ready all year long.

Features of QuickBooks include:

• Financial institution integration
• Integration with PayPal, Square, Shopify, and more
• User guides and tax data exporting to help file quarterly and annual tax returns
• Sales tax calculations, returns, and recorded tax payments
• Automatically sort transactions and expenses into tax categories
• Track expenses in one place
• Scan receipts and attach them to invoices
• Share with your accountant or export documents
• Cashflow tracking visible on your dashboard
• Track miles with your smartphone’s GPS

QuickBooks offers tiered pricing so you can pick the best plan for your needs:

Contact QuickBooks directly to see which specific features are included in each tier.

Although some customers are impressed with the ease of use, not all users are fans. Third-party customer reviews point to some problems with customer service with users noting that it takes a long time to reach help.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting, formerly known as Sage One, is cloud-based accounting software and allows you to choose your industry, company size, and needs. It will match you with specific accounting solutions and is used by more than 6 million businesses. 

Sage is our pick as best accounting software for multiple users because the program is designed for multiple users. If your business has its own account, they can use the software and access your books for no additional fees. 

Sage Business Cloud Accounting's features include:

• Manage business finances and cash flow
• Accept and receive payments
• Create and send invoices
• Manage payroll
• Available on all devices so you can check your financials on the go
• Integrate with your financial institution and other apps including AutoEntry, Zync, and more
• Tax compliance tools
• Dashboard view with easy-to-read financial reports and analysis
• Inventory control
• Forecast cash flow
• Share access with your accountant in real-time on any device
• Add-ons such as human resources management and estimating

Pricing is tiered for Sage Business Cloud Accounting as follows:

Contact the company directly for specific features your business may need.

Although some users praise customer service, others note that customer service is not available 24/7, which makes it difficult for companies to get help outside normal business hours. Additionally, some users report that they purchased a perpetual license from Sage, but they've been informed that they will no longer be provided desktop software access in September 2022.

AccountEdge Pro is desktop accounting software for small businesses. It made our pick as best accounting software for experienced accountants. It offers robust features and reporting capability.

This is not beginner-friendly software, so if you're not familiar with accounting terminology, you might want to skip this one.

It’s geared toward small- to medium-sized businesses, has a basic version and a pro version, and offers comprehensive accounting solutions full of customizations.

Although AccountEdge Pro is a desktop program, it does offer a cloud-based app you can access from your smartphone.

We chose AccountEdge Pro as our best accounting software for experienced accountants because of

AccountEdge Pro's features include:

• Bank feeds with integration
• Direct deposit 
• Inventory management 
• Payment processing
• Turn quotes into invoices
• Customer and vendor management
• Full-service payroll
• Free accountant copy
• Unique sales tax code per line item on a single invoice
• Data sync with company files
• Email support

Pricing for AccountEdge Pro is as follows:

To find out more about what features are included and how much add-ons cost or to add custom features, it’s best to contact the company directly.

Wave Accounting is an invoicing and accounting software program that also has credit card processing and payroll services. Most of its features also happen to be free, which is why it made our pick as best accounting software for value.

Keep in mind that payroll services and credit card processing have charges associated with them, so not all of the features are free, and the free features aren’t as robust as some of the other software options. However, it’s great for new businesses, especially those working with an accountant or another software program.

It’s cloud-based, easy to use, and can be used by business owners with no accounting or bookkeeping experience. All of your data is backed up for extra security, and you can connect your bank accounts to sync your expenses at any time from anywhere.

Wave Accounting's features include:

• Unlimited income and expense tracking
• Track sales tax on income and expenses
• Double-entry system
• Multiple users
• Dashboard with easy-to-read financials
• Organize income and expenses into tax categories
• Reports including profit and loss statements and cashflow 

Pricing for Wave Accounting is as follows:

Xero is a web-based accounting system designed for small and growing businesses. No accounting knowledge is necessary, but what sets it apart are its extra features.

We chose Xero as our accounting software with the best extra features because it offers a Hubdoc where you can capture bills and receipts, as well as track projects and costs. It has a two-step authentication to keep your data secure, as well as different subscription plans for different business needs.

The software itself is generally considered easy to set up and use. It’s cloud-based and also has Android and iPhone apps. Not to mention its dashboard is intuitive and easy to read, and it can be used to collaborate with multiple users including team members, employees, and your accountant. 

Xero's features include:

• Create expense claims
• Send invoices
• Fast bank reconciliation and integration with your financial institution and over 800 add-on apps including HubSpot and Square
• Up-to-date financial reports
• Business data protected
• Real-time cash position
• Collaborate with staff or your accountant

Pricing for Xero is as follows:

Each plan comes with a free 30-day trial.

And although most customers rave about Xero's customer service, some complain that prices are frequently raised.

GoDaddy is a big name in the web hosting and website creation space, but it also offers accounting software. It has tools to automate and organize your bookkeeping and accounting solutions and requires no prior accounting knowledge. You can automatically create and send invoices, accept online payments, and view business reports. 

We chose GoDaddy as our best accounting software for an e-commerce business because this is exactly what the software is designed for. It’s made for e-commerce sellers, so you can get started in a few minutes, and it syncs to Amazon, Etsy, eBay, PayPal, and more. Keep in mind that GoDaddy is great for online sellers, but it may fall short if you’re a small business looking for comprehensive accounting solutions including automation, tax forms, and payroll. 

GoDaddy's features include:

• Syncing with online retailers
• Online payment processing
• Track sales and expenses
• Create and send invoices
• Recurring invoices
• View business reports including profit and loss

GoDaddy's pricing is tiered as follows:

Zoho's online accounting software lets you track your finances, create invoices, collaborate with your accountant in real-time, and more. It includes multiple products including accounting software, customer relationship management (CRM), inventory control, and human resource management software. 

We chose Zoho Books as our best accounting software for automation because it offers robust accounting features and automation for bank feeds, categorizing, invoices, and more. It also has nearly 40 app integrations so it can be used with the software you’re already using. Zoho Books requires no accounting knowledge and can be easily set up. However, it only offers payroll features to companies in India, so if you need payroll solutions, you will have to choose another accounting software.

Zoho Books' features include:

• Tax compliance and audit reports
• Sales orders
• Invoicing
• End-to-end accounting
• Reconcile bank transactions
• Client portal
• Reports and schedules
• Automatic tax calculations
• 1099 forms and sales tax reports that can be exported

Pricing for Zoho Books is tiered as follows: