Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits of 2024

Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
Aplos	Overall nonprofit accounting software		$79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.	15-day free trial
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website	Donor contact management	5.0 /5	$20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.	90% off for 6 months.	Learn more on Xero's secure website
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website	Scalable accounting software for nonprofits	5.0 /5	$38/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.	90% off for first three months or free 30-day trial.	Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website	Budget accounting software for nonprofits	5.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.	14-day free trial of the Premium plan.	Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website
Sage Intacct Learn more on Sage Intacct's secure website	Nonprofit accounting automation tools		N/A	N/A	Learn more on Sage Intacct's secure website
QuickBooks Enterprise Learn more on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website	Enterprise nonprofit accounting software	4.5 /5	$1,703/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.	30-day free trial	Learn more on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website
AccuFund	Nonprofit HR management features		N/A	N/A

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
Aplos	Overall nonprofit accounting software		$79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.	15-day free trial
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website	Donor contact management	5.0 /5	$20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.	90% off for 6 months.	Learn more on Xero's secure website
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website	Scalable accounting software for nonprofits	5.0 /5	$38/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.	90% off for first three months or free 30-day trial.	Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website	Budget accounting software for nonprofits	5.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.	14-day free trial of the Premium plan.	Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website
Sage Intacct Learn more on Sage Intacct's secure website	Nonprofit accounting automation tools		N/A	N/A	Learn more on Sage Intacct's secure website
QuickBooks Enterprise Learn more on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website	Enterprise nonprofit accounting software	4.5 /5	$1,703/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.	30-day free trial	Learn more on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website
AccuFund	Nonprofit HR management features		N/A	N/A

Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits

Aplos

Best for Overall nonprofit accounting software

Starting at

$79/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.

Promotion

15-day free trial

Pros

Designed for nonprofits and churches.
Tools to build and host your website, plus the ability to accept online donations and tithes.
Donor database collects information like giving history and lets you create groups.
Fund accounting features for tracking how gifts, grants and donations are used.

Cons

Accounting features like budgeting and recurring transactions require a plan upgrade.

Aplos

Best for Overall nonprofit accounting software

Starting at

$79/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.

Promotion

15-day free trial

Pros

Designed for nonprofits and churches.
Tools to build and host your website, plus the ability to accept online donations and tithes.
Donor database collects information like giving history and lets you create groups.
Fund accounting features for tracking how gifts, grants and donations are used.

Cons

Accounting features like budgeting and recurring transactions require a plan upgrade.

Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

5.0

Best for Donor contact management

Starting at

$20/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.

Promotion

90% off

for 6 months.

Learn more

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.

Our pick for simple accounting software

Xero

Best for Donor contact management

5.0

Starting at

$20/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.

Promotion

90% off

for 6 months.

Learn more

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

5.0

Best for Scalable accounting software for nonprofits

Starting at

$38/month

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

Promotion

90% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

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.

QuickBooks Online

Best for Scalable accounting software for nonprofits

5.0

Starting at

$38/month

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

Promotion

90% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

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.

Zoho Books

5.0

Best for Budget accounting software for nonprofits

Starting at

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

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

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).

Zoho Books

Best for Budget accounting software for nonprofits

5.0

Starting at

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

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

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).

Sage Intacct

Best for Nonprofit accounting automation tools

Promotion

N/A

Learn more

on Sage's website

Pros

Manage grant budgets.
Revenue recognition tool helps nonprofits stay compliant.
Automation features streamline grant, fund and billing processes.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.

Cons

Lack of pricing transparency.
Not suitable for small nonprofits that don’t plan to grow.

Sage Intacct

Best for Nonprofit accounting automation tools

Promotion

N/A

Learn more

on Sage's website

Pros

Manage grant budgets.
Revenue recognition tool helps nonprofits stay compliant.
Automation features streamline grant, fund and billing processes.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.

Cons

Lack of pricing transparency.
Not suitable for small nonprofits that don’t plan to grow.

QuickBooks Enterprise

4.5

Best for Enterprise nonprofit accounting software

Starting at

$1,703/year

Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.

Promotion

30-day free trial

Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

Pros

Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
24/7 phone and chat support.

Cons

Limited direct, third-party software integrations.
Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license and cloud access costs extra.

QuickBooks Enterprise

Best for Enterprise nonprofit accounting software

4.5

Starting at

$1,703/year

Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.

Promotion

30-day free trial

Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

Pros

Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
24/7 phone and chat support.

Cons

Limited direct, third-party software integrations.
Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license and cloud access costs extra.

AccuFund

Best for Nonprofit HR management features

Promotion

N/A

Pros

Built specifically for nonprofits and government agencies.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.
Built-in human resources management system for payroll, benefits, time tracking and more.
Web payment module lets you accept donations online.

Cons

Lack of pricing transparency.

AccuFund

Best for Nonprofit HR management features

Promotion

N/A

Pros

Built specifically for nonprofits and government agencies.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.
Built-in human resources management system for payroll, benefits, time tracking and more.
Web payment module lets you accept donations online.

Cons

Lack of pricing transparency.

What is nonprofit accounting software?

Nonprofit accounting software is a bookkeeping program tailored to the needs of tax-exempt organizations. In addition to the basic functions of standard accounting software, it typically offers fund accounting — a method that monitors how donations are used — as well as capabilities like Form 990 filing, fundraising tools and a system for communicating with donors.

These features may be available in more universal products. For instance, tracking donations in QuickBooks is possible through workarounds, but not as straightforward as with a product built for nonprofits. If you choose to use regular accounting software, make sure you can integrate with an app like Donor Receipts or Kindful that provides nonprofit-specific tools.

How to choose nonprofit accounting software

Consider cost, ease of use and must-have features to choose the best accounting software for your nonprofit. Pay particularly close attention to the following:

CRM functions that let you track, analyze and engage a large donor or membership base.
Tools for easily accepting online donations.
The ability to budget by fund, project and/or tag.
Automated reporting for IRS Form 990.
Grant management features to meet time and use restrictions.

Ultimately, you’ll want to balance the features you need alongside your budget and whether the software checks other boxes, like scalability. Your nonprofit accounting software should accommodate your nonprofit today and down the road if it grows.

» MORE:

Best grants for nonprofits

NerdWallet writer Kelsey Sheehy contributed to this article.

Last updated on October 25, 2024

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

Meet the editorial team

Hillary Crawford

Business software

Hillary Crawford is a small-business writer at NerdWallet, with a special focus on business software products. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur, in addition to other publications. She is based in Traverse City, Michigan.