Best Accounting and Bookkeeping Apps for Small Businesses
Most accounting software comes with a mobile app for on-the-go access. The best apps are feature-rich, with tools for invoicing, reporting, receipt capture and, in some cases, automatic mileage tracking.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
View profit and cash flow insights, including outstanding payments.
Invoice clients via email or messaging app and know when they’ve viewed it.
Xero Me app lets employees submit expenses and view personal information.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Must subscribe to the most expensive Established plan to access mileage tracking. Users can plug in start and end locations after their trip, but they cannot use GPS to automatically track mileage as they drive.
Must subscribe to the Established plan to access the receipt scanner.
The Xero app is a good choice for entrepreneurs who need to give mobile access to multiple employees, so that they can submit expenses or invoice clients. Employees can download the Xero Me self-service app to submit expense claims for things like team lunches or gas. They can also view their personal information, such as contact and employment details. Administrators can assign employees specific permissions based on their roles to determine which information and features they can access.
View profit and cash flow insights, including outstanding payments.
Invoice clients via email or messaging app and know when they’ve viewed it.
Xero Me app lets employees submit expenses and view personal information.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Must subscribe to the most expensive Established plan to access mileage tracking. Users can plug in start and end locations after their trip, but they cannot use GPS to automatically track mileage as they drive.
Must subscribe to the Established plan to access the receipt scanner.
The Xero app is a good choice for entrepreneurs who need to give mobile access to multiple employees, so that they can submit expenses or invoice clients. Employees can download the Xero Me self-service app to submit expense claims for things like team lunches or gas. They can also view their personal information, such as contact and employment details. Administrators can assign employees specific permissions based on their roles to determine which information and features they can access.
Photograph receipts, upload and pair them with expenses.
Automatically track mileage using GPS.
View profit and loss reports and balance sheets.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
QuickBooks Accounting, the app that accompanies the popular QuickBooks Online accounting software, covers the basics for most small-business owners. It lets users create and send invoices, upload receipts, track miles, and view accounting reports from their phone or tablet. All the features of QuickBooks Online Simple Start are available in the app. However, if you use a costlier QuickBooks Online plan, some features are available only on the browser-based version. QuickBooks also offers its own mobile card reader for processing payments on the go.
Photograph receipts, upload and pair them with expenses.
Automatically track mileage using GPS.
View profit and loss reports and balance sheets.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
QuickBooks Accounting, the app that accompanies the popular QuickBooks Online accounting software, covers the basics for most small-business owners. It lets users create and send invoices, upload receipts, track miles, and view accounting reports from their phone or tablet. All the features of QuickBooks Online Simple Start are available in the app. However, if you use a costlier QuickBooks Online plan, some features are available only on the browser-based version. QuickBooks also offers its own mobile card reader for processing payments on the go.
View financial insights like total profit and outstanding revenue.
Invoice clients, message them in-app and get notified when they view or pay invoices.
Automatically track mileage and label trips as business or personal.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Least expensive Lite plan doesn't include receipt scanning.
Lite and Plus plans limit how many clients you can invoice.
FreshBooks supports automated mileage tracking, mobile invoice creation and receipt capture to log expenses — all key features that small-business owners can benefit from. But it's especially ideal for freelancers because it makes it easy to stay in touch with clients. The notifications tab shows when invoices have been paid or become overdue, and you can send clients messages from within the app. Messages might consist of payment reminders, a response to a client’s question or a request for feedback.
View financial insights like total profit and outstanding revenue.
Invoice clients, message them in-app and get notified when they view or pay invoices.
Automatically track mileage and label trips as business or personal.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
Least expensive Lite plan doesn't include receipt scanning.
Lite and Plus plans limit how many clients you can invoice.
FreshBooks supports automated mileage tracking, mobile invoice creation and receipt capture to log expenses — all key features that small-business owners can benefit from. But it's especially ideal for freelancers because it makes it easy to stay in touch with clients. The notifications tab shows when invoices have been paid or become overdue, and you can send clients messages from within the app. Messages might consist of payment reminders, a response to a client’s question or a request for feedback.
View balance sheet, cash flow reports and income statements.
Invoice clients.
Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
To scan receipts and track mileage via GPS, you’ll need Zoho Expense, a separate app (free plan includes these features).
Zoho Books is part of the robust Zoho suite, which includes several business services at affordable price points. Its mobile-first features are what set its bookkeeping app apart, though. Take, for example, the ability to send invoices through iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen so that you can easily access timers and overdue invoices lists. There’s also an Apple Watch app that lets you track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices. Though you’ll have to download it separately, the in-house Zoho Expense app lets you track mileage via distance covered, point-to-point map locations, GPS or odometer reading, too. Other apps typically make only one or two of those methods available.
View balance sheet, cash flow reports and income statements.
Invoice clients.
Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
To scan receipts and track mileage via GPS, you’ll need Zoho Expense, a separate app (free plan includes these features).
Zoho Books is part of the robust Zoho suite, which includes several business services at affordable price points. Its mobile-first features are what set its bookkeeping app apart, though. Take, for example, the ability to send invoices through iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen so that you can easily access timers and overdue invoices lists. There’s also an Apple Watch app that lets you track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices. Though you’ll have to download it separately, the in-house Zoho Expense app lets you track mileage via distance covered, point-to-point map locations, GPS or odometer reading, too. Other apps typically make only one or two of those methods available.
View a profit and loss chart, invoicing details and total income and expenses.
Create and send invoices to clients.
Available for iOS and Android.
Scan receipts and automatically generate new expenses for a monthly fee.
Cons
No mileage tracking feature.
Wave, one of NerdWallet’s top free accounting software picks, has a convenient mobile app that lets you send invoices and view basic financial information, like overdue invoices and your taxable income for the fiscal year. More detailed reports, like a full profit and loss statement plus your balance sheet, are available in your Wave account, but not on the mobile app. While the app is free, you will incur fees if you choose to accept invoice payments online or scan receipts from the mobile app. The mobile receipts feature — which uploads your receipts and uses the information to create new expenses for you — costs $8 per month or $72 per year.
View a profit and loss chart, invoicing details and total income and expenses.
Create and send invoices to clients.
Available for iOS and Android.
Scan receipts and automatically generate new expenses for a monthly fee.
Cons
No mileage tracking feature.
Wave, one of NerdWallet’s top free accounting software picks, has a convenient mobile app that lets you send invoices and view basic financial information, like overdue invoices and your taxable income for the fiscal year. More detailed reports, like a full profit and loss statement plus your balance sheet, are available in your Wave account, but not on the mobile app. While the app is free, you will incur fees if you choose to accept invoice payments online or scan receipts from the mobile app. The mobile receipts feature — which uploads your receipts and uses the information to create new expenses for you — costs $8 per month or $72 per year.
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
Pros
View balance sheet, profit and loss statement and more.
Send invoices to clients with the accompanying Invoicing app.
Snap pictures of receipts.
All Odoo business software apps are available on one home screen.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
No mileage tracking.
Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Odoo offers a variety of in-house business management apps for accounting, customer relationship management, subscriptions, projects, time tracking, human resources and marketing. Instead of having to download a separate app for each one, though, you can access them all through the same app home screen. If you’d like to centralize your accounting app and other business management apps under the same umbrella, Odoo could be a good all-in-one solution for your business.
Odoo
Best for All-in-one business management app
4.1
Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
Pros
View balance sheet, profit and loss statement and more.
Send invoices to clients with the accompanying Invoicing app.
Snap pictures of receipts.
All Odoo business software apps are available on one home screen.
Available for iOS and Android.
Cons
No mileage tracking.
Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Odoo offers a variety of in-house business management apps for accounting, customer relationship management, subscriptions, projects, time tracking, human resources and marketing. Instead of having to download a separate app for each one, though, you can access them all through the same app home screen. If you’d like to centralize your accounting app and other business management apps under the same umbrella, Odoo could be a good all-in-one solution for your business.
Generally, no accounting or bookkeeping software lives totally on an app. All our picks for the best accounting and bookkeeping apps accompany cloud-based software. Some or most features are available on the apps, but users will probably still need their computers for certain tasks.
The less cumbersome bookkeeping is, though, the easier it will be to keep up. Accounting and bookkeeping apps should feel intuitive, automate simple tasks and make it easy to track receipts and expenses on the go. Here are three steps to take before you decide on the best app for your business.
1. Determine which tasks you need to do from your phone.
Some work functions lend themselves to mobile, like tracking mileage, accepting in-person payments or uploading photos of receipts. Creating and sending estimates and invoices at a job site can be helpful, too.
If you prefer to work on your desktop computer or laptop, software that offers a fairly simple mobile app may be good enough. But if you’re mobile-first in other aspects of your business, then a powerful, intuitive mobile app may be more important.
Many accounting and bookkeeping software companies also offer payment processing or expense-tracking software, and you may need to use those apps in tandem for the full suite of services. For instance, if you use the Zoho Books app for bookkeeping, you’ll also need the Zoho Expenses app to upload photos of receipts.
If any other business apps or software programs are key to your operations, choose an accounting or bookkeeping app that integrates with those programs.
3. Confirm compatibility with your mobile device.
All of our picks for the best accounting and bookkeeping apps are available for both iOS and Android devices. If you choose a product that isn't listed, though, make sure its app is compatible with your team’s mobile devices.
4. Check user reviews
If you plan to use your accounting software’s mobile app on a daily basis, navigability and ease of use are paramount. One of the best ways to gauge usability — aside from testing it out yourself — is to scan over user reviews in the App Store and Google Play Store. And since some companies roll out app updates frequently, it’s best to filter reviews by “most recent.” That way, you’re seeing reviews of the app's most updated version.
🤓
Nerdy Tip
Many small business owners who use accounting and bookkeeping software themselves still choose to enlist the help of a bookkeeping service to feel confident they’re keeping accurate financial records and correctly filing their taxes.
Last updated on June 3, 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.
Learn more