BEST OF

Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits of February 2023

Narrow down your choices by deciding whether you need a product made specifically for the nonprofit sector.

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On top of streamlining basic accounting tasks, nonprofit accounting software might also track how donations and grants are being used, store information about donors, include fundraising tools and make it easy to accept online donations, among other industry-specific capabilities.

While accounting software built specifically for nonprofits is more likely to deliver on those features, organizations can use non-industry-specific products, like Xero, and integrate with third-party apps, too.

Before making a decision, consider whether you need a solution that uses fund accounting. Nonprofits use this bookkeeping method to monitor how funds are used and track each separately. Your decision will also boil down to the size of your nonprofit, your budget and whether or not you want an all-in-one product.

Here are our top picks for nonprofit accounting software.

Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits

Our pick for

Built-in CRM tools

Aplos

Aplos

Aplos

Starting at

$79/Month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $139; $189.

Promotion

15-day free trial

Why we like it

Aplos is a full-fledged CRM tool that allows your organization to easily track, manage and engage members and donors. True Fund accounting helps you stay on top of donation restrictions to ensure funds are spent on time and in the correct manner. In addition to donor database and accounting features, the cloud-based software also includes an event management tool that lets you create registration forms and track attendance.

Pros

  • Designed for nonprofits and churches.

  • Tools to build and host your website, plus the ability to accept online donations.

  • Donor database collects information like giving history and lets you create groups.

  • Fund accounting features for tracking how grants and donations are used.

Cons

  • Accounting features like budgeting and recurring transactions require a plan upgrade.

Our pick for

HR management features

Accufund

Accufund

Accufund

Starting at

N/A

Quote-based.

Promotion

N/A

Why we like it

Similar to QuickBooks Enterprise, Accufund is available as both a desktop product and a cloud-based solution. In particular, nonprofits with lots of full-time employees may benefit most from the product’s HR management modules, which can assist with payroll, time tracking, tax management and HR policies. Each plan can be customized with other a la carte modules that address areas like budget development, payment portals and grants management.

Pros

  • Built specifically for nonprofits and government agencies.

  • Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.

  • Built-in human resources management system for payroll, benefits, time tracking and more.

  • Web payment module lets you accept donations online.

Cons

  • Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.

Our pick for

Integrations

Xero
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on Xero's secure website

Xero

Xero

Starting at

$13/Month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $37, $70.

Promotion

30-day free trial
Shop now

on Xero's secure website

Why we like it

With more than 1,000 third-party integrations available, Xero is a user-friendly, scalable, cloud-based accounting product that can be customized to fit the needs of your nonprofit organization. Need to manage a membership base? Connect Xero with MembershipWorks. Need to track donations? You can link your Xero account to Infoodle for seamless donor communication and analysis.

Pros

  • Unlimited users in all pricing plans.

  • Easy sharing with accountants or bookkeepers.

  • Scalable; integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps including MembershipWorks and Infoodle.

  • 25% off discount for nonprofits.

Cons

  • No live phone support.

  • Not built specifically for nonprofits.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Desktop option

QuickBooks
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on NerdWallet's secure website

QuickBooks Enterprise

QuickBooks

Starting at

$1,340/Year

Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,740; $2,140; $4,200. Prices also increase as you add users or cloud access.

Promotion

30-day free trial
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

Why we like it

QuickBooks Enterprise is an accounting solution for a variety of different industries, but it still includes certain industry-specific features, like a nonprofit chart of accounts that shows your organization’s assets, expenses and revenue from both donations and retail sales. At tax time, you can easily transfer your data to the relevant IRS forms. Customizable reports allow you to manage budgets for various programs, view contributions by donor and track top-tier donors. QuickBooks Enterprise is a desktop program, but users can pay more for cloud access.

Pros

  • Nine nonprofit-specific reports to track donors, manage budgets by program and more.

  • Integrates with more than 200 apps.

  • Priority customer service with 24/7 phone and chat support.

  • Customize donor forms and payment receipts.

Cons

  • Remote access is an additional charge.

  • Expensive annual subscription.

  • Limited to Windows users.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Large nonprofits

Sage
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on NerdWallet's secure website

Sage Intacct

Sage

Starting at

N/A

Quote-based.

Promotion

30-day free trial
Learn more

on NerdWallet's secure website

Why we like it

Sage Intacct is cloud-based accounting software that can be tailored to fit businesses in a variety of industries, including the nonprofit sector. It includes more automation features, like automated revenue recognition, than some of its competitors and is tailored to organizations that plan to expand. In fact, Sage Intacct has features intended for nonprofits that work with multiple currencies, entities and locations.

Pros

  • Manage grant budgets.

  • Revenue recognition tool helps nonprofits stay compliant.

  • Automation features streamline grant, fund and billing processes.

  • Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.

Cons

  • Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.

  • Not suitable for small nonprofits that don’t plan to grow.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Enterprise resource planning solution

NetSuite

NetSuite

NetSuite

Starting at

N/A

Quote-based.

Promotion

N/A

Why we like it

Similar to Sage Intacct, NetSuite offers specialized, advanced accounting functions for businesses in many industries. At its heart, the product is an ERP program that helps businesses manage both financial and operational tasks from one place. This makes it an especially good option for nonprofits that plan to grow in the future and prefer an all-in-one solution to having to integrate with various third-party apps.

Pros

  • Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.

  • Variety of fundraising and donor reports.

  • Dashboards made for different types of leaders within the organization, such as CEO, development manager and grants manager.

  • Built-in enterprise resource planning capabilities.

Cons

  • Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.

» MORE: Best accounting software for small businesses

How to choose nonprofit accounting software

When choosing nonprofit accounting software, you’ll want to identify the obstacles blocking your work. Then, look for features that can push those roadblocks aside.

That might be robust CRM functions that let you track, analyze and engage a large donor or membership base. Or maybe you need a way to easily accept online donations and some basic accounting functions.

Here are a few other features to look for:

  • The ability to budget by fund, project and/or tag.

  • Automated reporting for IRS Form 990.

  • Grant management features to meet time and use restrictions.

Balance the features you need alongside your budget and whether the software checks other boxes, like scalability and ease of use, to choose the best accounting software for your organization.

» MORE: 25 best small-business apps

Last updated on November 1, 2022

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits of February 2023

  • Aplos: Best for Built-in CRM tools
  • Accufund: Best for HR management features
  • Xero: Best for Integrations
  • QuickBooks Enterprise: Best for Desktop option
  • Sage Intacct: Best for Large nonprofits
  • NetSuite: Best for Enterprise resource planning solution