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.
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, 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.
Best Accounting Software for Small Businesses From Our Partners
Best Accounting Software for Small Businesses 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 Simple accounting software
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 Working with an accountant
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 Free accounting software 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).
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.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for Enterprise accounting software with advanced reporting capabilities
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
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for Enterprise accounting software with advanced reporting capabilities
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
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
Striven
3.9
Best for Industry-specific features
Starting at
$35/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.
Promotion
7-day free trial
Learn more
on Striven's website
Pros
- Offers industry-specific features for consulting businesses, nonprofits, manufacturing companies, professional services and more.
- Tools to ensure tax compliance.
- Other features include inventory tracking, reporting, invoicing, project management tools and the ability to categorize transactions using classes.
- Customer support available by phone and live chat.
Cons
- Monthly costs could add up quickly if you require multiple users.
- No mobile app.
- Limited third-party integrations available; no payroll integrations.
Striven
Best for Industry-specific features
3.9
Starting at
$35/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.
Promotion
7-day free trial
Learn more
on Striven's website
Pros
- Offers industry-specific features for consulting businesses, nonprofits, manufacturing companies, professional services and more.
- Tools to ensure tax compliance.
- Other features include inventory tracking, reporting, invoicing, project management tools and the ability to categorize transactions using classes.
- Customer support available by phone and live chat.
Cons
- Monthly costs could add up quickly if you require multiple users.
- No mobile app.
- Limited third-party integrations available; no payroll integrations.
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 Very small, service-based businesses
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.
Starting at
$62/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $103.92, $177.17.
Bonus
$0
Learn more
on Sage's website
Pros
- Advanced inventory tracking and job costing features.
- Industry-specific features for construction, retail and professional services businesses.
- Phone and chat support, plus a dedicated account representative in all plans.
Cons
- Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include audit trails.
Sage 50 Accounting
Best for Desktop accounting software
Starting at
$62/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $103.92, $177.17.
Bonus
$0
Learn more
on Sage's website
Pros
- Advanced inventory tracking and job costing features.
- Industry-specific features for construction, retail and professional services businesses.
- Phone and chat support, plus a dedicated account representative in all plans.
Cons
- Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include audit trails.
Get additional details about the features these products do and don't include.
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✅ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✖ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
» MORE: Best alternatives to Xero
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✖ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
» MORE: Best alternatives to QuickBooks
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✖ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
» MORE: Best Zoho Books alternatives
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✖ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✖ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
» MORE: Best alternatives to FreshBooks
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✅ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✖ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✅ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✖ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✖ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✅ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✖ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✖ |
Industry-specific reports | ✖ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✖ |
Project tracking features | ✖ |
Mobile app | ✅ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✖ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
Double-entry accounting | ✅ |
Automatic bank imports | ✅ |
Automatic transaction reconciliation | ✅ |
Unlimited users with at least one plan | ✖ |
Accountant access with all plans | ✅ |
Standard accounting reports (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, AP and AR) | ✅ |
Customizable reports | ✅ |
Industry-specific reports | ✅ |
Invoicing features | ✅ |
Inventory management features | ✅ |
Project tracking features | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✖ |
Business software integrations (e.g., payroll, HR, CRM, time tracking) | ✅ |
Live customer support | ✅ |
Accounting software helps your small business follow basic accounting principles so that you can keep your books up to date and in order, which is especially important come tax season. Think of it as a database for all of your business’s financial transactions.
Without dedicated accounting software, the following crucial financial tasks would be tedious and more vulnerable to human error:
- Entering and organizing financial transactions.
- Recording income and expenses.
- Reconciling accounts.
- Generating financial statements and reports.
- Keeping track of how much money you’re owed and vice versa.
Most accounting software goes beyond these tasks with additional built-in modules for invoicing, bill-pay and inventory management, among other functions. The more your accounting software becomes a one-stop shop for these financial chores, the fewer integrations you need to consider.
Learn more about how accounting software works
You’ll get the most out of your accounting software if you understand its main use cases and which features to look for. If used correctly, it can help minimize manual data entry and simplify tedious back-office tasks.
» MORE: What is accounting software?
Determining which accounting tools you require will depend on your business type, size and industry, among other factors. Here are some features to keep top of mind as you compare options.
This means your accounting software enters a balancing debit or credit for each transaction, so that you don’t have to do it manually.
Most accounting software comes with a built-in chart of accounts you can use to categorize transactions. You should be able to add or remove accounts as needed.
You may have the option to automatically pull transactions from your business’s bank and credit card accounts into your software. This reduces time and error from manual entry.
Tracking money-in and money-out transactions is central to bookkeeping.
Some accounting software products will automatically match your bank and credit card statements with the transactions in your accounting software to ensure alignment, meaning you only have to look them over and approve.
Cloud-based accounting software makes it easy to invite your accountant to look over your books remotely.
Look for report templates — think a profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement — along with reports on aged receivables and sales tax. You should be able to customize them by date so that you can compare time periods.
The ability to invoice clients from your accounting software is key for service-based businesses. You want to be able to customize invoices with your logo, easily turn estimates into invoices, add terms and due dates, and accept online payments. While it might not be as convenient, third-party invoicing software is also available.
To minimize manual data entry, you’ll want to integrate your accounting software with the rest of your business software ecosystem so they can exchange information automatically. This may include your point-of-sale software, payroll software, inventory software and third-party time or mileage tracking tools.
Accounting software for freelancers, for example, often includes mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that let you track time and miles. Accounting apps are also convenient for sending invoices on the go and snapping photos of receipts and other documents.
It’s not uncommon for accounting software to include basic inventory management in lower-tier plans, though you might have to pay extra or integrate with a third-party app to sync in-store and online sales.
Just like you keep track of how much money your business is owed, you may need to keep tabs on what your business owes. Bill management features can help you schedule payments so you don’t risk late fees.
Service-based businesses may want insight into each job’s profitability, so they know how to best spend their time.
Many of the popular accounting products can work well for a variety of business types and sizes, but they do come with limits. If you work in an industry with more stringent tax requirements, such as the nonprofit sector or legal professions, or in a field that benefits from detailed and specialized financial reporting, such as construction or manufacturing, then accounting software designed specifically with those needs in mind may be the way to go.
How much does accounting software cost?
Accounting software for small businesses can cost anywhere from $0 for the basics to $200 or more per month for the most advanced plans. The picks listed above include both free and paid products, and most options have multiple plans at different price points. Here are a handful of factors that could impact how much you’re paying for accounting software:
» MORE: Best free accounting software
Ideally, your accounting software will make your day-to-day routine easier through automation. Here are some key factors to consider when researching and choosing the best accounting software for your small business.
- Accessibility: Cloud-based software enables access through any device with an internet connection. This generally allows for easier collaboration with accountants and seamless integration with other business software. Desktop-based software, however, can only be accessed from a single computer.
- Scalability: Take a look at products’ plan offerings, including how many employees and users the software can support, to make sure you can upgrade to a more robust version of the software as your business grows. If you anticipate rapid or high growth, consider accounting software for medium-sized businesses.
- Your budget: Determine how much your business can afford to spend monthly on accounting software in conjunction with other recurring costs, like utilities, rent and additional software subscriptions for a POS system or payroll, for example. If you’re a solopreneur and want to keep costs down, check out our list of best accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed.
- Ease of use: Accounting software that isn’t intuitive and user-friendly can take up an unnecessary amount of your time or discourage you from using it as often as you should to keep your finances in order. Test out free trials of accounting software, request a demo and watch tutorial videos to get a feel for navigating the software.
- Integrations: Think about the other types of software you already use or plan to use, and check to see if direct integrations are available between those products and the accounting software you’re considering. If not, you may need to pay for an indirect integration or manually transfer data from one product to another.
- Customer support: Think about what time of the day you’re most likely to reach out for assistance and how you’d like to communicate with customer service representatives. Free accounting software options typically offer less robust customer support solutions than paid products do.
- Sharing with your accountant: If you’re working with an outside accountant, take note of how easy (or not) a product makes it for you to share your financial details and reports with your accountant. Many popular accounting software products allow you to easily share access, but some require upgrades to costlier plans for this access and some products only enable you to export data to be sent to your accountant.
💬 Tips for setting up your accounting software
"My husband plans to open a brewery this year, and I’m going to help him choose the right accounting software and maintain his books. I’m QuickBooks certified and write about small-business software for a living, but taking on a business’s bookkeeping tasks is still daunting. That’s why I’m not doing it alone.
"As I’m setting up the accounting software, I’m going to check in with a certified public accountant to make sure I’m on the right track. More specifically, I want to ensure I’m organizing the chart of accounts efficiently and categorizing transactions correctly. That way, we can run accurate reports from day one.
"Other small-business owners can benefit from doing the same early on. And ideally, your accountant will have experience in your specific industry, too."
If you’d like to shop by industry, check out NerdWallet’s picks for:
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 more than 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories.
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.
A guide to our star ratings
Accounting software that receives a NerdWallet rating of 5 stars is outstanding among its competition. It delivers great value to users with a range of features and integrations at an affordable — and transparent — price. It also offers multiple avenues for customer support.
Accounting software that earns 4 to 4.9 stars is excellent. It includes all the standard features and most advanced features but is lacking in areas such as integrations, a mobile app and/or pricing transparency.
Accounting software with a rating of 3 to 3.9 stars is a solid choice. It lacks certain key features and integrations, and it may also lack pricing transparency. Alternatively, it may be a free product that lacks certain desirable features but offers enough to be worth consideration for businesses on a tight budget.
Accounting software that we rate below 3 stars is found to be lacking in several key categories, and we therefore won’t typically recommend it.
Last updated on May 12, 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, yes. While you can try using spreadsheets to keep track of your business’s finances, they can become messy and time-consuming. Accounting software is less susceptible to human error and makes it easy to quickly run crucial financial reports, like a profit and loss statement or balance sheet.
On top of that, double-entry accounting software enters debits and credits for you so you don’t have to worry about manually balancing your books. Ultimately, investing in accounting software will save you time and help make sure your books are accurate.
QuickBooks Online is one of the most ubiquitous accounting software products on the market. Xero, FreshBooks and Zoho Books are also used widely.
NerdWallet likes Xero for its simplicity and ease of use. Its clean layout, global search function and customizable dashboard are a plus, especially for accounting novices.
Chances are, there will be some sort of learning curve no matter what software you select. Testing out free demos and free trials can help you get a feel for these products’ usability before committing to them.
Wave Accounting offers a free software plan that covers basic accounting and invoicing. It doesn’t offer time or mileage tracking or a billable expense feature, but it does allow for unlimited users and recurring invoicing. Zoho Books also offers a free monthly subscription plan along with several paid plan options, starting at a competitively low cost of $20 per month.
Free accounting software can be a great solution for micro businesses that don’t have a large volume of transactions and only need income and expense tracking, basic reporting and invoicing. But even if the basics are sufficient for your business, remember that free products have their downsides.
For example, Wave’s free accounting plan lacks audit trails, third-party integrations and live customer support. It also doesn’t offer additional plans if your business grows in the future, which means you could eventually have to transfer your data to another provider.