Accounting and bookkeeping apps can help you document business expenses and track income all from your smartphone. The best apps include detailed invoicing tools, run multiple reports, snap photos of receipts and, in some cases, automatically track mileage.
Most of NerdWallet’s picks for the best accounting software have robust mobile apps built into their functionality, so that you can access your finances on the go. While they may not have all the functionality of the software’s browser version, a bookkeeping app should make it easy to check in on your business’s financial health.
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small-business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
Objective and comprehensive business accounting software ratings rubric. (Learn more about our star ratings.)
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, 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.
Here are our top choices for accounting and bookkeeping apps, along with their accompanying software programs.
Best Accounting and Bookkeeping Apps for Small Businesses
Best Accounting and Bookkeeping Apps for Small Businesses
Sort By
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.
Xero
Best for Employee access
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.
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
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 Overall accounting app
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
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.
Starting at
$0
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 Mobile-first features
Starting at
$0
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).
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Learn more
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.
FreshBooks
Best for Freelancers
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Learn more
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.
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16
Promotion
N/A
Learn more
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.
Wave Accounting
Best for Free accounting app
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16
Promotion
N/A
Learn more
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.
Odoo
4.1
Best for All-in-one business management app
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
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
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
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Need a crash course in bookkeeping?
Visit our Bookkeeping 101 page to learn the basics so you can get started with confidence in whatever bookkeeping software you choose.
How to choose accounting and bookkeeping apps
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.
2. Understand which apps you need to sync with.
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. Check compatibility with your mobile device.
Most, but not all, of our picks for best accounting and bookkeeping apps are available for both iOS and Android devices. Before subscribing to an accounting software product, make sure its app is compatible with your team’s mobile devices.
🤓 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 7, 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.