Best Startup Accounting Software of 2024
You’ll want proven software with strong reporting capabilities, app integrations, an intuitive user experience and multiple plan options so the software can evolve with your business.
Learn more Startups typically operate at a fast pace with a tight budget while working to secure funding and get off the ground. Once funding is secured, budgets and finances need to be meticulously accounted for and tracked to retain investor or lender confidence and continue to secure capital as needed. Spreadsheets simply won’t cut it, and you won’t want to waste time with free or barebones software that you’ll quickly outgrow.
That’s why the best accounting software
Here are our top picks for startup accounting software.
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Best Startup Accounting Software
| Product | Best for | NerdWallet rating | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoho Books on Zoho Books' secure website | Overall accounting software for startups | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | on Zoho Books' secure website | |
 Xero on Xero's secure website | Simple startup accounting software | $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 | Accounting software for well-funded startups | $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 | |
 FreshBooks on FreshBooks' secure website | Accounting software for startups in creative fields | $21/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom. | 50% off for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. | on FreshBooks' secure website | |
 Odoo | Accounting software for tech-savvy startups | 4.1
/5
| $0 For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80. | Monthly discount for the first 12 months. |
Best Startup Accounting Software
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
- 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).
Zoho Books
Best for Overall accounting software for startups
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
- 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 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 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 inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- 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 pick for simple accounting software
Xero
Best for Simple startup 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 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 inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- 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.
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
- 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.
QuickBooks Online
Best for Accounting software for well-funded startups
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
- 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.
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
on FreshBooks' website
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
- 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.
FreshBooks
Best for Accounting software for startups in creative fields
Starting at
$21/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
50% off
for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
on FreshBooks' website
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
- 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.
Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
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.
Odoo
Best for Accounting software for tech-savvy startups
Starting at
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months.
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.
NerdWallet’s picks for the best startup accounting software
Zoho Books
Best overall accounting software for startups
Price
Why we picked it: Zoho Books is one of our top picks for small-business accounting software in general. We’ve given it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars because of its relatively affordable cost, pricing transparency, inclusion of standard accounting features such as double-entry accounting chart of accounts
One of the primary reasons Zoho Books takes the No. 1 spot on this list is that it offers six different accounting plans, ranging in price from free to over $250 per month. That means the software can see your startup from early stage with its recurring invoice, automatic bank reconciliation, basic reporting and additional features, to post-IPO stage with advanced inventory and analytics, multicurrency transactions and more. Zoho Books also offers multiple avenues for customer support: You’ll get email support with the free plan and additional chat and phone support options once you upgrade to any plan beyond the free one.
The one area Zoho Books falls short in is third-party software integrations. Zoho offers a full suite of useful business software ranging from CRM and inventory management e-commerce Zoho Books review
Xero
Best simple startup accounting software
Price
Why we picked it: Xero is an increasingly recognizable name in accounting software, and NerdWallet rates it 5 stars because it matches the ubiquitous QuickBooks Online in all the important accounting features and functions plus it comes at a lower price point. It stands out especially for its simple, easy-to-use software as well as its highly rated mobile app for iOS and Android.
Startups can take advantage of Xero’s 30-day free trial to start out, and then choose from three plan options ranging from simple invoicing and billing expense tracking payroll review of Xero
QuickBooks Online
Best accounting software for well-funded startups
Price
Why we picked it: For startups in a secure financial position and with a little more breathing room in their software budgets, QuickBooks Online is an obvious and solid choice for accounting software. It’s tried and true, most accountants and bookkeepers are familiar with it (and likely prefer to work with it over other accounting software) and its app library of more than 750 integrations means that it will likely play nicely with the rest of your business software.
Like others on our list, QuickBooks Online offers a variety of plans that enable the software’s capabilities to expand with your growing business. It ticks all the boxes for standard accounting features, including double-entry and accrual methods of accounting, and it offers from 55 to more than 100 financial reports, depending on your plan. Read our QuickBooks Online review
» Not sure if QuickBooks is right for you? Check out the top QuickBooks alternatives
FreshBooks
Best accounting software for startups in creative fields
Price
Why we picked it: If your startup is currently a business of one or only a few employees — particularly in a creative field where the financial focus of the business lies primarily in invoicing, collecting payment, tracking projects and running reports — then FreshBooks could be a great fit for you. The software lends itself well to freelance and very small creative and client-focused businesses. FreshBooks does offer multiple plan tiers and does have the ability to grow with you from a single-person startup to a small business with contractors or employees.
The software will generate double-entry accounting reports, automatically reconcile your bank transactions and grant your accountant easy access to your books in all but the cheapest plan. And, like QuickBooks Online and Xero, FreshBooks has a marketplace of nearly 150 apps that integrate directly with the accounting software. Read our full FreshBooks review
Odoo
Best accounting software for tech-savvy startups
Price
Why we picked it: Odoo has built an ecosystem of open-source business software apps for business point of sale
We recommend Odoo for more tech-savvy startups because while its modular setup and user interface is meant to be fairly easy to learn and navigate, it’s still more involved than out-of-the-box accounting solutions like the others on this list. Especially when it comes to customizing the software (including integrating with third-party software), Odoo will often require developer skills or implementation assistance.
Bookkeeping for startups
While accounting software will help you automate your bookkeeping and reduce the risk of errors in your startup’s accounting, it’s still a good idea to hire a bookkeeper to review and manage your books as well as help you prepare for tax season. Our list of the best bookkeeping services names Pilot as the best online bookkeeping service for fast-growing startups.