- Xero: Best overall QuickBooks alternative.
- Wave: Best free QuickBooks alternative.
- Square Invoices: Best invoicing-only solution.
Best QuickBooks Alternatives
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Xero Learn more on Xero's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall QuickBooks alternative | $15/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78. | 75% off for six months on Business Edition plans. | Learn more on Xero's secure website |
FreshBooks Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Freelancer-friendly features | $19/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website |
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Zoho suite integrations | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website |
Sage 50 Accounting Learn more on Sage 50 Accounting's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Desktop solution | $59/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $101.92, $172. | Discount for the first year (terms vary). | Learn more on Sage 50 Accounting's secure website |
Wave Accounting | 3.5/5 Best for Free QuickBooks alternative | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16 | N/A | |
NetSuite | Best for Enterprise solution | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | |
Striven Learn more on Striven's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Industry-specific plans | $35/month Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70. | 7-day free trial | Learn more on Striven's secure website |
Square Invoices Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Invoicing-only solution | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20. | 30-day free trial of the Plus plan. | Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website |
Our pick for
Overall QuickBooks alternative
Xero
on Xero's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78.
for six months on Business Edition plans.
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.
Our pick for
Freelancer-friendly features
FreshBooks
on FreshBooks' secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.
or monthly discount (terms vary).
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
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails for accountants to review.
- 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.
Our pick for
Zoho suite integrations
Zoho Books
on Zoho Books' secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
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; 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).
Our pick for
Desktop solution
Sage 50 Accounting
on Sage 50 Accounting's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $101.92, $172.
(terms vary).
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.
Our pick for
Free QuickBooks alternative
Wave Accounting
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16
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 third-party integrations, mileage tracking feature or ability to accept in-person card payments.
Our pick for
Enterprise solution
NetSuite
Quote-based.
Pros
- Can scale to accommodate larger, enterprise businesses.
- Offers an array of other software products, like CRM, HR, supply chain management, global business management and commerce software for larger companies.
- Industry-specific software solutions for a wide range of businesses, including nonprofits, advertising and digital marketing, consulting, retail and food and beverage.
Cons
- Pricing is not transparent.
- Setup fee.
Our pick for
Industry-specific plans
Striven
on Striven's secure website
Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.
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 POS or payroll integrations.
Our pick for
Invoicing-only solution
Square Invoices
on Square Invoices' secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.
of the Plus plan.
Pros
- Unlimited invoicing, estimates, contracts, users and clients in all plans.
- Integrates with Square’s all-in-one payment platform.
- Streamlined and intuitive.
- Ability to process in-person and online card payments as well as cash, checks, ACH transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Send recurring invoices.
- Automatic payment reminders.
- Gives clients the option to include a tip.
Cons
- Must use Square’s in-house payment processing to accept online payments.
- Free plan does not enable custom invoicing fields and the ability to auto-convert estimates into invoices.
ASK OUR NERDY EXPERTS
When it comes to transaction tracking, QuickBooks’ granularity is one of its strengths. For example, on top of basic categories, you can assign classes and/or locations to transactions.
But that level of customization also means there’s a steep learning curve — as I found out when studying for my QuickBooks certification exam.
It took me hours just to learn all the different ways you can track and group transactions. If your business doesn’t need that level of detail, a simpler, less hands-on accounting solution may be a better fit.
Lead Writer
When it comes to transaction tracking, QuickBooks’ granularity is one of its strengths. For example, on top of basic categories, you can assign classes and/or locations to transactions.
But that level of customization also means there’s a steep learning curve — as I found out when studying for my QuickBooks certification exam.
It took me hours just to learn all the different ways you can track and group transactions. If your business doesn’t need that level of detail, a simpler, less hands-on accounting solution may be a better fit.
Lead Writer
Xero
- $15 per month for the Early plan.
- $42 per month for the Growing plan.
- $78 per month for the Established plan.
Feature | Xero | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
FreshBooks
- $19 per month for the Lite plan.
- $33 per month for the Plus plan.
- $60 per month for the Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for the Select plan.
Feature | FreshBooks | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
Wave
- $0 for the Starter plan.
- $16 per month for the Pro plan.
Feature | Wave | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✖ | ✅ |
Zoho Books
- $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.
Feature | Zoho Books | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
Sage 50 Accounting
- $58.92 per month, for 1 user, for the Pro Accounting plan.
- $101.92 per month, for 1 user, for the Premium Accounting plan.
- $172 per month, for 1 user, for the Quantum Accounting plan.
- Prices increase with each additional user.
Feature | Sage 50 Accounting | QuickBooks Enterprise |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
NetSuite
Feature | NetSuite | QuickBooks Enterprise |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
Striven
- $35 per month per user for the Standard plan.
- $70 per month per user for the Enterprise plan.
Feature | Striven | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
Square Invoices
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $20 per month for the Plus plan.
Feature | Square Invoices | QuickBooks Online |
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 | ✅ | ✅ |
Recognizable brand with a longstanding reputation in the accounting industry.
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.
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
- QuickBooks is too expensive. QuickBooks’ pricing is competitive, but subscriptions to its higher-tier plans, which include more features like inventory tracking, can be steep. Plus, unlike Zoho Books and Wave, there are no free plans.
- You need to mark expenses as billable. QuickBooks’ Simple Start and Essentials plans don’t let you mark expenses as billable, which could be a dealbreaker for service-based and project-based businesses. FreshBooks, however, lets you assign billable expenses to clients in all plans.
- You need to grant access to more users. QuickBooks’ highest-tier Advanced plan lets you add up to 25 users. If you need more users than that, you may want to go with an alternative, like Xero, that allows unlimited users.
- You’re a solopreneur. QuickBooks is packed with features, like detailed transaction tracking and reporting, that are nice to have but not necessary for many very small businesses. If you’re a solopreneur, you’ll find a couple of simpler options in our list of the best accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed.
Do you use QuickBooks for invoicing?
🤓 Nerdy Tip
If you’ve ruled out QuickBooks and haven’t decided on an alternative, consider reaching out to your accountant or bookkeeper and ask which software products they prefer or commonly work with. This is especially important if they review your books periodically.