Best Accounting Software for Small Retail Businesses of June 2025
If your retail shop uses multiple sales channels, narrow down your choices to products that include the right POS and e-commerce integrations.
Learn more Retail accounting software can help you manage inventory, track taxes and sync sales across multiple channels. Which of those channels your business uses will likely determine the best option for you. Have a brick-and-mortar? You'll want accounting software that works with your POS system. If you sell online, make sure your choice integrates with your e-commerce platform.
On top of retail-specific features, look for all the basics you’d want in typical small-business accounting software
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Here are NerdWallet’s picks for best accounting software for small retail businesses, organized by the capabilities that make them stand out.
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Best Accounting Software for Small Retail Businesses
| Product | Best for | NerdWallet rating | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Xero on Xero's secure website | Access for multiple employees | $20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80. | 90% off for 6 months. | on Xero's secure website | |
 QuickBooks Online on QuickBooks Online's secure website | Retail stores that sell online and in person | $35/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235. | 90% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. | on QuickBooks Online's secure website | |
 Zoho Books on Zoho Books' secure website | In-house e-commerce website builder | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | on Zoho Books' secure website | |
 Wave Accounting on Wave Accounting's secure website | Free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16 | N/A | on Wave Accounting's secure website | |
QuickBooks Enterprise on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website | Advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores | $1,703/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. | 30-day free trial | on QuickBooks Enterprise's secure website |
Best Accounting Software for Small Retail Businesses
Our pick for simple accounting software
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all plans.
- Track up to 4,000 inventory items in all plans and calculate profit by item.
- More than 1,000 third-party app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Set custom sales tax rates.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- No phone number for customer support listed.
Our pick for simple accounting software
Xero
Best for Access for multiple employees
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
Promotion
90% off
for 6 months.
on Xero's website
Pros
- Unlimited users in all plans.
- Track up to 4,000 inventory items in all plans and calculate profit by item.
- More than 1,000 third-party app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Set custom sales tax rates.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- No phone number for customer support listed.
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
Promotion
90% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Built-in Amazon, Shopify and eBay store connections.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- More than 750 app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared to the competition.
- Must subscribe to Plus plan (or higher) to track inventory and cost of goods sold.
QuickBooks Online
Best for Retail stores that sell online and in person
Starting at
$35/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
Promotion
90% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- Built-in Amazon, Shopify and eBay store connections.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- More than 750 app integrations, including Square, Lightspeed, Gusto and ADP.
- Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared to the competition.
- Must subscribe to Plus plan (or higher) to track inventory and cost of goods sold.
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
on Zoho Books' website
Pros
- Design and build your online shop with Zoho Commerce (additional fees apply).
- Free accounting plan available for businesses with less than $50K in annual revenue.
- Zoho Inventory features are integrated by default and include shipping labels, inventory reports and the ability to generate barcodes.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- Email support in free plan; 24/5 phone and chat support in paid plans.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors; only direct POS and payroll integrations are Square, Zoho Payroll and SurePayroll.
Zoho Books
Best for In-house e-commerce website builder
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
on Zoho Books' website
Pros
- Design and build your online shop with Zoho Commerce (additional fees apply).
- Free accounting plan available for businesses with less than $50K in annual revenue.
- Zoho Inventory features are integrated by default and include shipping labels, inventory reports and the ability to generate barcodes.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- Email support in free plan; 24/5 phone and chat support in paid plans.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations than some competitors; only direct POS and payroll integrations are Square, Zoho Payroll and SurePayroll.
Pros
- Free.
- Unlimited users.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
Cons
- Lack of third-party integrations makes it a poor fit for retail businesses that use in-store POS systems or want to sync online sales.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
Wave Accounting
Best for Free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16
Promotion
N/A
on Wave's website
Pros
- Free.
- Unlimited users.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
Cons
- Lack of third-party integrations makes it a poor fit for retail businesses that use in-store POS systems or want to sync online sales.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
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
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific ones for retail businesses.
- Use mobile devices as barcode scanners to count inventory in the Platinum plan and up. Users can also track inventory parts and assemblies.
- Set up volume discounts and customize pricing rules by sales rep, item category or customer in the Platinum plan and up.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems. E-commerce integrations cost extra.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for Advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores
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
on QuickBooks' website
Pros
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific ones for retail businesses.
- Use mobile devices as barcode scanners to count inventory in the Platinum plan and up. Users can also track inventory parts and assemblies.
- Set up volume discounts and customize pricing rules by sales rep, item category or customer in the Platinum plan and up.
- Set custom sales tax rates and track how much sales tax you owe.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems. E-commerce integrations cost extra.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
NerdWallet’s picks for the best retail accounting software
QuickBooks Online: Best for retail stores that sell online and in person
Price:
- $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: All QuickBooks Online plans include a built-in connection with an Amazon, Shopify or eBay e-commerce account — a convenient feature for retail shop owners who sell products on these platforms. QuickBooks Online also integrates with a variety of retail POS systems
QuickBooks Online’s robust feature set makes it versatile, too — it can be a good fit for very small retail businesses and growing ones alike. Whereas some competitors stand out for having excellent invoicing but potentially fall short in other categories, for instance, QuickBooks Online’s key features are solid across the board. Read our full QuickBooks Online review
» MORE: Top alternatives to QuickBooks
Xero: Best for access for multiple employees
Price:
- $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: For retail businesses that give multiple employees some level of access to their accounting software, Xero can be a big money saver. Whereas competitors often cap how many users can access the software or charge a monthly fee per additional user, all of Xero’s plans let you loop in as many users as you want. And you can assign them different permission levels: For example, one user might only be able to create invoice drafts and submit time entries, while another can view reports but not edit transactions.
Unlimited users aside, Xero also includes the most third-party integrations of the products listed here. Just keep in mind that some popular e-commerce store apps aren’t direct integrations, which means they may require extra steps to set up or charge additional fees. Still, the product can suit both online shops and physical storefronts alike. Read our full Xero review
» MORE: Top Xero alternatives
Zoho Books: Best for in-house e-commerce website builder
Price:
- $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.
Why we like it: If you’re looking to bundle your retail accounting software with additional business tools from the same provider, Zoho Books should be on your list of considerations. On top of its accounting software, Zoho has a range of other products — like Zoho Inventory, Expenses and CRM — that conveniently integrate with each other to form an all-in-one retail software solution.
Unlike some of its competitors, it offers its own online shop builder through Zoho Commerce, which starts at $27 per month. First, you choose a website template and add images of your products. From there, Zoho Commerce lets you accept payments, manage orders and shipping, automate emails to customers and gather product reviews in a single platform.
It’s also one of the most affordable business accounting solutions out there, with plans starting at $0 per month. It’s worth noting that although Zoho Books has two lower-level plans, many of the retail-specific features — sales orders, purchase orders, etc. — are only available with the Professional plan. Read our full Zoho Books review
» MORE: Best Zoho Books alternatives
Wave: Best for free accounting for invoice-based retail businesses
Price: $0.
Why we like it: Wave can be a simple solution for entrepreneurs who operate their retail business out of their homes and do most of their sales via invoice, as opposed to through an online store or POS system.
Unlimited online bank connections enable business-related credit card transactions to flow seamlessly into Wave, and the software automatically sends invoice payment reminders to customers for you. The software also includes basic reporting, as well as income and expense tracking. You’ll only pay associated fees if you choose to utilize Wave’s online payment processing services or integrated payroll. Read our full Wave Accounting review
QuickBooks Enterprise: Best for advanced inventory tracking for larger brick-and-mortar stores
Price:
- $1,703 per year for the Silver plan.
- $2,210 per year for the Gold plan.
- $2,717 per year for the Platinum plan.
- $5,364 per year for the Diamond plan.
Why we like it: QuickBooks Enterprise has advanced inventory tracking and other industry-specific features you don’t typically find in competitors’ products. These can be valuable for larger small retail businesses that need more complex inventory tracking and pricing capabilities built in.
In addition to having a prebuilt chart of accounts tailored to retail businesses, Enterprise includes 14 retail-specific reports that calculate insights like gross margin by inventory item, monthly sales by customer and purchase volume by vendor. You can also track the cost of goods sold, adjust inventory for loss or shrinkage and create up to four inventory categorization levels to organize your items.
It’s important to remember that QuickBooks Enterprise is locally hosted unless you pay extra for cloud access, which starts at $171 per month for one user. If you operate multiple stores or an online business and want to be able to manage your finances from anywhere, a cloud-based accounting software QuickBooks Enterprise review
How to choose retail accounting software
You can use any business accounting software for a retail business. This being said, certain accounting software solutions offer features that are better suited for small retail businesses than others.
The best retail accounting software should help you find opportunities to save money and boost profits. For example, by calculating the cost of goods sold and collecting sales data from your POS system or e-commerce website, your software can help determine which products are most profitable or, on the flip side, not worth producing anymore.
In addition to standard bookkeeping and accounting tools, here are a few important features retail businesses should consider when choosing accounting software:
Inventory management
Inventory is the lifeblood of a retail business, so it's extremely helpful to have inventory management tools integrated within your accounting software.
However, inventory management should expand beyond monitoring the merchandise you have in stock. Along these lines, you’ll want to look for accounting software that can determine:
- Your
cost of goods sold - The profitability of each product you sell.
- How long your inventory sits on the shelves or in the warehouse before it’s sold.
- The rate at which your entire inventory turns in a given period.
- Shrinkage due to theft or damage.
Although your POS system might be able to take care of some of these functions, having these inventory tools in your retail accounting software can be more convenient.
Sales tax tools
Most states charge a sales tax, though certain items like medication, food and clothing may be exempt in your state. With the increased impact of online business on sales tax revenues, many states are passing laws requiring out-of-state retailers to collect and remit sales taxes. You’ll want to look for retail accounting software that can track sales taxes due and customize your sales tax rates.
» MORE: How sales tax deductions work
Sales channel integrations
If you have multiple sales channels — both online and offline — it’s important to choose an accounting product that has plenty of integrations with retail POS systems e-commerce websites
Payroll integrations
If you have employees operating your retail store, payroll software
A version of this article was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.