Accounting for small manufacturing businesses is a little different than accounting software for other industries — and manufacturers need to make sure that it can accommodate these differences. In particular, you’ll likely want the software you use for your manufacturing business to be able to manage inventory accounting for raw materials, work-in-process inventory and finished goods. You’ll also probably want features that help you track and manage labor costs, create and manage product schedules, produce and track work orders and manage and customize your bill of materials.
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Here are our top manufacturing accounting software recommendations.
Best Manufacturing Accounting Software Solutions
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fishbowl | Best for Overall manufacturing accounting software | $329/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee. | N/A | |
Katana | Best for Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations | $199/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999. | 14-day free trial plus $200 monthly discount on Professional plan. | |
QuickBooks Enterprise | 4.0/5 Best for Midsize to large manufacturing businesses | $1,481/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. | 30-day free trial | |
Odoo | 4.0/5 Best for Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses | $0 For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.70. | Monthly discount for the first 12 months. | |
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations | $35/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235. | 70% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. | Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website |
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations | $20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80. | 95% off for 3 months plus get a $300 Amazon voucher (terms apply). | Learn more on Xero's secure website |
Our pick for
Overall manufacturing accounting software
Fishbowl
Starting at
$329/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee.
Promotion
N/A
Fishbowl is a complete manufacturing software solution that helps you manage your bill of materials, labor costs, product schedules, work orders and more. And because it integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, it can also handle your manufacturing accounting needs.
Pros
- Specialized industry software designed for manufacturing businesses.
- End-to-end manufacturing software solution.
- Integrates with popular accounting software.
- Customer support available by phone, chat and email included in all plans.
- Mobile app available for all plans.
Cons
- Integration needed for accounting functions.
- Only two users included in plan pricing; additional users cost extra.
Our pick for
Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
Katana
Starting at
$199/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Promotion
14-day free trial
plus $200 monthly discount on Professional plan.
Katana’s inventory software lets you track both raw materials and finished products, set reorder points and see which items have the best profit margins.
Pros
- Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
- Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
- Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
Cons
- Additional users cost extra in all plans.
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
Our pick for
Midsize to large manufacturing businesses
QuickBooks Enterprise
Starting at
$1,481/year
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Promotion
30-day free trial
As far as locally installed desktop accounting software goes, QuickBooks Enterprise is one of the most feature-rich. It comes with industry-specific features that include specialized reporting for construction companies, nonprofits, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.
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.
Our pick for
Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
Odoo
4.0
NerdWallet rating Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.70.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
If you just want to use Odoo’s accounting app alone, you and an unlimited number of users can do so for free. If, however, you have need for any of Odoo’s dozens of other open-source business apps (for inventory, sales, marketing, manufacturing, HR and more), then you can choose a paid plan to open your access to the full library of apps that integrate seamlessly.
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.
Our picks for
General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
QuickBooks Online
Learn more
on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
Promotion
70% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
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.
Xero
Learn more
on Xero's secure website
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
Promotion
95% off for 3 months
plus get a $300 Amazon voucher (terms apply).
Xero allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. Xero also has a customizable analytics dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels.
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 phone number for customer support listed.
- 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.
Our picks for best manufacturing accounting software
Fishbowl
Best overall manufacturing accounting software
- Starting at $329 per month for Warehousing for Fishbowl Drive and Fishbowl Advanced.
- Starting at $429 per month for Manufacturing for Fishbowl Advanced.
- Pricing not disclosed for Manufacturing for Fishbowl Drive.
Why we like it: Fishbowl Manufacturing provides a full ERP system for your manufacturing business that directly integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for your accounting needs. It also integrates with a number of other third-party apps and platforms, as well, to round out your manufacturing software solution.
The software allows you to customize your bill of materials, manage work orders and labor costs and keep production plans and schedules organized. It also helps you create an efficient workflow, which is essential to running a manufacturing business.
Katana
Best manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
- $129 per month for the Essential plan.
- $349 per month for the Advanced plan.
- $999 per month for the Professional plan.
- Custom pricing available for the Enterprise plan.
Why we like it: Katana’s manufacturing inventory management software offers an “insights” dashboard for monitoring sales, spending, profits and other financial information as well as a Shop Floor app, which caters especially to manufacturers that need to closely track production progress. Katana’s purchase order functionality is another plus: When you create a purchase order, the software will take stock of your inventory from that particular vendor and let you know if you’re missing anything. The system even integrates with well-known accounting and e-commerce products, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Shopify.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for midsize to large manufacturing businesses
- $1,481 per year for the Silver plan.
- $1,922 per year for the Gold plan.
- $2,363 per year for the Platinum plan.
- $4,668 per year for the Diamond plan.
Why we like it: Although this is a desktop solution, QuickBooks Enterprise for Manufacturing & Wholesale can easily be hosted in the cloud (at an additional cost). This version of QuickBooks has many of the features manufacturers need, such as assemblies management, order management, bill of materials tracking and a hub for centralizing all your vendor details. Because QuickBooks Enterprise offers a wealth of advanced, industry-specific reporting and inventory management capabilities, and because costs for this product can add up quite quickly, it makes better sense for a larger, more established manufacturing business.
Odoo
Best scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
- $0 per month for use of a single app.
- $38.90 per user per month for access to all apps.
- $58.40 per user per month for access to all apps across multiple companies plus Odoo’s external API.
Why we like it: Odoo is a network of open-source business applications that have been designed to work seamlessly together. Odoo offers an enticing pricing model that allows you use of a single Odoo app, say accounting, completely free of cost. You only begin to pay a monthly fee as you add on applications. In that way, Odoo’s software is highly scalable. Start with the accounting and manufacturing apps, then add on sales, CRM, marketing and more as your business needs evolve.
Odoo’s accounting app will fetch you all the expected functions, including automated bank reconciliation, invoice templates, automatic invoice payment reminders for your customers, online payment enablement and financial reporting. Its manufacturing app gives you access to tools for capacity planning, barcode scanning, quality control and analysis, bill of materials management and more.
QuickBooks Online
Best general accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
- $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: You may have been told QuickBooks Online is not a good fit for inventory-based businesses like your small-manufacturing company. On its own, this is true. QuickBooks Online has a very limited inventory feature. However, there are more than a dozen third-party applications specifically designed for small-manufacturing businesses that integrate directly with QuickBooks Online, including Fishbowl.
QuickBooks Online is supported by thousands of accountants and bookkeepers around the world, making it easy to find a provider who specializes in accounting for small manufacturers. This, combined with the ease of integration with software specifically designed for manufacturing businesses, makes it a solid manufacturing accounting solution. Read our full QuickBooks Online review.
Xero
Best general accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
- $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 is another household accounting name with feature-rich software that can handle all your necessary accounting functions. Similar to QuickBooks Online, on its own, Xero isn’t specialized enough to serve as a singular manufacturing software solution. It does, however, offer dozens of manufacturing and inventory integrations, including Fishbowl, Katana and Cin7, to build on its strong accounting foundation and meet your manufacturing business needs. Read our full Xero Accounting review.
Billie Anne Grigg contributed to an earlier version of this article, which was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
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.
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