In earlier days, a big part of choosing the best accounting software for Macs involved finding out which programs were compatible with which systems. Now, things are more universal — especially for online, small-business accounting software. But some solutions have features that are a little friendlier for Mac users, such as desktop versions for Macs, iOS apps, iCloud compatibility and even Apple Watch apps.
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Best Accounting Software for Macs From Our Partners
Best Accounting Software for Macs From Our Partners
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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 Unlimited Mac users
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 software for Macs
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
$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 Apple Pay-friendly option
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): $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 Low cost, high value
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
$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 option
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.
NerdWallet’s picks for best accounting software for Macs
QuickBooks Online
Best overall accounting software for Macs
Price:
- $35 per month for the Simple Start plan.
- $65 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $99 per month for the Plus plan.
- $235 per month for the Advanced plan.
Why we like it: QuickBooks Online works on Macs, tablets and phones (among other options). It has solid accounting features such as invoicing, billing, inventory tracking, reporting, budget creation, sales and customer management. Several features simplify payment collection, including automated reminders, the ability to combine multiple invoices in one email and an online payment portal. Read our full QuickBooks Online review.
Xero
Best for unlimited Mac users
Price:
- $20 per month for the Early plan.
- $47 per month for the Growing plan.
- $80 per month for the Established plan.
Why we like it: Xero stands out by allowing unlimited users at every subscription tier, a potentially valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. You can also set up different permissions for each user so employees have access only to what's relevant to their job. Read our full Xero review.
» MORE: Top alternatives to Xero
FreshBooks
Best for Apple Pay-friendly option
Price:
- $21 per month for the Lite plan.
- $38 per month for the Plus plan.
- $65 per month for the Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for the Select plan.
Why we like it: FreshBooks' mobile app is intuitive and feature-rich, making it a great choice for entrepreneurs who spend more time on the phone than at a desk. Aside from general accounting functions, the mobile app also allows you to respond to clients' questions and get notified when they view or pay invoices or when invoices are overdue. FreshBooks receives generally strong industry reviews for its intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Entirely cloud-based, it covers the basics and includes some attractive automated features and reports. If you need to have more than one person access the system, be sure you factor that into the price. Read our full FreshBooks review.
» MORE: Best FreshBooks alternatives
Zoho Books
Best for low-cost, high-value accounting software
Price:
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $20 per month for the Standard plan.
- $50 per month for the Professional plan.
- $70 per month for the Premium plan.
- $150 per month for the Elite plan.
- $275 per month for the Ultimate plan.
Why we like it: Zoho Books packs an impressive collection of features and reporting capabilities for an affordable price. The free version is only for businesses that have less than $50,000 in annual revenue; it allows one user and one accountant. Its interface is easy to learn and use, and the option to automate workflows — for example, to send an email alert if an invoice exceeds a certain amount, or to apply a discount or late fee in certain cases — makes it stand out as an attractive choice. Zoho is perhaps best-known for its customer relationship management, or CRM, and productivity apps, which integrate well with its accounting software. Read our full Zoho Books review.
» MORE: Best Zoho Books alternatives
Wave
Best for free accounting software
Price: $0.
Why we like it: Wave doesn’t put out a bare-bones free product as bait, then load it down with costly upgrades. Even the free version has the ability to add unlimited collaborators, along with unlimited bank and credit card connections. Its separate invoicing product (also free) adds unlimited invoices and automated invoice reminders. The company makes money through payment processing, a service you can add. It's also among the best accounting software for payroll, as it offers a payroll add-on. Read our full Wave Accounting review.
» MORE: Best free accounting software
Accounting software features that Mac users should consider before buying
Consider the following when choosing the best small-business accounting software for your Mac-based business:
- Accessibility: Most new accounting software is cloud-based, meaning you can access it from any device with an internet connection, via either a browser or app for your iOS-enabled device. If wide accessibility, collaboration and integrations are important to your business, then a cloud-based option may be your priority.
- Collaboration: If you plan to work with an outside accountant or bookkeeper, choosing a software they can work in is paramount.
- Scalability: Your accounting software should be able to grow with your business. That means looking at whether you can upgrade your accounting software when you need to and whether there are limits on the use of certain features.
- Feature set: Beyond the standard accounting features, what else does your business need to run most efficiently? You may also find inventory management, built-in payment processing, multi-currency capabilities, integrations and more in today’s accounting products. Be sure the one you choose has everything you need. On the flip side, don’t pay for “extras” you won’t use.
- Cost: Price is probably isn’t the only deciding factor in your accounting software choice, but it's important to know what to expect. Monthly and annual subscription fees vary a lot, and add-ons could raise the price.
Last updated on June 18, 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.