Best Accounting Software for Freelancers and Self-Employed of December 2025

The best accounting software for freelancers and self-employed professionals is affordable, has strong invoicing features, can easily track expenses and may automatically track mileage. Here are our top picks.
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Our pick for simple accounting software
Xero
Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Xero

on Xero's website

Product Best for NerdWallet rating Starting at Promotion Learn more
Xero

Xero

Client management for freelancers

$25/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.

90% off

for 6 months.

on Xero's website

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online

Scalability

$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

50% off

for 3 months or free 30-day trial.

on QuickBooks' website

FreshBooks

FreshBooks

Overall freelance accounting software

$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

60% off

for the first 3 months (applies to new FreshBooks subscriptions).

on FreshBooks' website

Zoho Books

Zoho Books

Mobile accounting app

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

on Zoho Books' website

Wave

Wave Accounting

Free self-employed accounting software

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19

N/A

on Wave's website

Brightbook

Brightbook

Unlimited invoicing

$0

N/A

TrulySmall

TrulySmall Accounting

Sole proprietorship accounting software

3.3 /5
$20/month

14-day free trial

Product
Product
Best for
Best for
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet rating
Starting at
Starting at
Promotion
Promotion
Learn more
Learn more
Xero

Xero

Client management for freelancers

$25/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.

90% off

for 6 months.

on Xero's website

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online

Scalability

$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

50% off

for 3 months or free 30-day trial.

on QuickBooks' website

FreshBooks

FreshBooks

Overall freelance accounting software

$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

60% off

for the first 3 months (applies to new FreshBooks subscriptions).

on FreshBooks' website

Zoho Books

Zoho Books

Mobile accounting app

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

on Zoho Books' website

Wave

Wave Accounting

Free self-employed accounting software

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19

N/A

on Wave's website

Brightbook

Brightbook

Unlimited invoicing

$0

N/A

TrulySmall

TrulySmall Accounting

Sole proprietorship accounting software

3.3 /5
$20/month

14-day free trial

Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Best for Client management for freelancers

Close
Starting at
$25/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.

Promotion
90% off

for 6 months.

on Xero's website

Pros

  • Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
  • Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
  • Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
  • Simple layout and easy to use.

Cons

  • No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
  • Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
  • Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.

QuickBooks Online

Best for Scalability

Close
Starting at
$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

Promotion
50% off

for 3 months or free 30-day trial.

on QuickBooks' website

Pros

  • Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
  • More than 750 app integrations.
  • Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
  • Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.

Cons

  • Expensive compared with the competition.
  • Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
  • Limited account users with each plan.

FreshBooks

Best for Overall freelance accounting software

Close
Starting at
$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

Promotion
60% off

for the first 3 months (applies to new FreshBooks subscriptions).

on FreshBooks' website

Pros

  • Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
  • Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
  • Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
  • Weekday phone support in all plans.

Cons

  • Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
  • Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.

Zoho Books

Best for Mobile accounting app

Close
Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion
14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

on Zoho Books' website

Pros

  • Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
  • Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
  • Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
  • Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.

Cons

  • Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
  • No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).

Wave Accounting

Best for Free self-employed accounting software

Close
Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19

Promotion
N/A

on Wave's website

Pros

  • Free plan available.
  • Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.

Cons

  • Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
  • Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
  • No mileage tracking feature and must use Zapier for third-party integrations.

Brightbook

Best for Unlimited invoicing

Close
Brightbook

Starting at
$0

Promotion
N/A

Pros

  • Send unlimited invoices.
  • Add unlimited users.
  • Run basic reports, like a profit and loss statement and tax report.

Cons

  • Does not use double-entry accounting.
  • Must manually import bank statements.

TrulySmall Accounting

Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software

Close
TrulySmall

3.3

 
Starting at
$20/month

Promotion
14-day free trial

Pros

  • Features include basic reporting, mobile app, invoicing and reconciliation tools.
  • No cap on the number of users or invoices.
  • Phone, chat and email support.

Cons

  • No third-party integrations.
  • Can’t tag transactions to enable more granular reporting.
  • No inventory management or mileage tracking features.
Sort by:
Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Best for Client management for freelancers

Starting at
$25/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.

Promotion
90% off

for 6 months.

on Xero's website

Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Best for Client management for freelancers

Best for Client management for freelancers

Starting at
$25/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.

Promotion
90% off

for 6 months.

on Xero's website

QuickBooks Online

Best for Scalability

Starting at
$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

Promotion
50% off

for 3 months or free 30-day trial.

on QuickBooks' website

QuickBooks Online

Best for Scalability

Best for Scalability

Starting at
$38/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.

Promotion
50% off

for 3 months or free 30-day trial.

on QuickBooks' website

FreshBooks

Best for Overall freelance accounting software

Starting at
$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

Promotion
60% off

for the first 3 months (applies to new FreshBooks subscriptions).

on FreshBooks' website

FreshBooks

Best for Overall freelance accounting software

Best for Overall freelance accounting software

Starting at
$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

Promotion
60% off

for the first 3 months (applies to new FreshBooks subscriptions).

on FreshBooks' website

Zoho Books

Best for Mobile accounting app

Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion
14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

on Zoho Books' website

Zoho Books

Best for Mobile accounting app

Best for Mobile accounting app

Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion
14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

on Zoho Books' website

Wave Accounting

Best for Free self-employed accounting software

Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19

Promotion
N/A

on Wave's website

Wave Accounting

Best for Free self-employed accounting software

Best for Free self-employed accounting software

Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19

Promotion
N/A

on Wave's website

Brightbook

Brightbook

Best for Unlimited invoicing

Starting at
$0

Promotion
N/A

Brightbook

Best for Unlimited invoicing

Brightbook

Best for Unlimited invoicing

Starting at
$0

Promotion
N/A

TrulySmall

TrulySmall Accounting

Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software

3.3

 
Starting at
$20/month

Promotion
14-day free trial

TrulySmall Accounting

Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software

TrulySmall

Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software

3.3

 
Starting at
$20/month

Promotion
14-day free trial

Logo iconJump to

Do you need "freelancer" accounting software?

Some products market themselves as specifically for freelancers, the self-employed and other microbusinesses. But more robust, multi-plan small-business accounting software can work, too. Though higher-tier plans may be more suitable to small businesses with employees, the more basic plans are often adequate for freelancers and the self-employed.

What do freelancers and the self-employed need from their accounting software?

At a minimum, freelancer accounting products should help keep business and personal finances separate, while facilitating communication with clients to ensure you’re paid on time. Look for the following capabilities to help make your choice:

Invoicing

Freelancers and the self-employed should make sure their accounting software supports customer invoicing, as well as an easy way for clients to submit payment. The best accounting software lets you set up recurring invoices, automates late-payment reminders and may also have a mobile app so you can message with clients from anywhere. Freelancers and self-employed people who don’t need accounting software might consider free invoice software instead.

Billable expenses

Although freelancers and self-employed people do have some overhead costs, many of their expenses may also be billable to their clients. This means your freelance bookkeeping software must be able to not only record expenses but also easily pull them into invoices you can send to your clients. It should also let you easily markup those expenses to ensure profitability.

Mileage and time tracking

All small businesses can benefit from keeping a mileage log if the owner uses a personal vehicle for business. But, like with billable expenses, freelancers and the self-employed might need to track their mileage for billing. Your accounting software should have a built-in mileage tracker, or be able to easily integrate with one. The same goes for time tracking. Built-in timers, or integrated time tracking apps, make it easy to record hours and add them to invoices.

Tools for separating personal and business finances

It’s best practice to separate your business and personal finances. But if your business is very small, a side hustle or brand new, you might not want to open separate business banking and business credit card accounts right away. Regardless of its size, though, you’re still responsible for your freelance business’s taxes — so you need a way to clearly delineate between your business and personal expenses. The right accounting software for your business will help you do this with ease.
Last updated on January 2, 2025

Methodology

NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.