Best Free Accounting Software for Small Businesses
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Wave Accounting | 3.5/5 Best for Overall best free option Unlimited users Unlimited invoicing Double-entry accounting | $0 Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products). | N/A | |
Zoho Books | 4.0/5 Best for Scalability Double-entry accounting Third-party integrations Bank account sync | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | |
Akaunting | Best for Customization Unlimited invoicing Third-party integrations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $36. | N/A | |
ZipBooks | Best for Free third-party payment integrations Unlimited invoicing Double-entry accounting Third-party integrations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15, $35, custom. | 30-day free trial |
Our pick for
Overall best free option
Unlike some paid accounting software plans, Wave doesn’t put limits on the number of collaborators, accountants, invoices, expenses or bank connections you can add. There are also in-house payroll and bookkeeping assistance options available to businesses that need them.
Wave Accounting
on NerdWallet's secure website
$0
Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products).
N/A
Pros
- Free.
- Unlimited partners, collaborators and accountants.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
- Only receive customer support with a human if you subscribe to Wave’s paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.).
- No third-party integrations or additional plans to increase functionality.
Our pick for
Scalability
Zoho Books is a good choice for small businesses that know they’ll grow out of free accounting software down the road. It includes a handful of higher-tier plans with reporting tags, project tracking and workflow rules, among other features for more complex businesses.
Zoho Books
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; 24/5 phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Our pick for
Customization
Akaunting’s free plan is intended for freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs who don’t need features like expense tracking or a general ledger. Users can pick and choose from add-ons for inventory, double-entry accounting, payroll and expense tracking — for a fee.
Akaunting
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $36.
N/A
Pros
- Free plan available.
- Ability to manage multiple businesses.
- Send unlimited invoices and bills.
- Unlimited customer and vendor management.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include live customer support.
- Key features like a chart of accounts, general ledger and expense tracking cost extra.
- Limited to one user and one accountant in the free plan.
Our pick for
Free third-party payment integrations
ZipBooks’ free plan stands out for its Square and PayPal payment integrations, a feature some companies only provide in paid plans or as an add-on. Aside from payments, free plan subscribers can also integrate with business apps like Gusto and Slack.
ZipBooks
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15, $35, custom.
30-day free trial
Pros
- Free plan available.
- Send unlimited invoices and add expenses.
- Unlimited customer and vendor management.
- Free plan includes direct integration with Square and PayPal for payment processing.
Cons
- Free plan lets users connect to only one bank account.
- Limited to one user in the free plan.
- Free plan doesn’t include live customer support.