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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.
By Karrin Sehmbi
Last updated on June 20, 2024
Edited by Sally Lauckner
Fact checked and reviewed

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

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 for startups is a well-established product that adheres to current accounting standards, has solid financial reporting features, integrates with other business-related software and is easy to work in. It should also offer multiple plan tiers that ideally begin with a free or very low-cost option so that the software can grow with your business.
Here are our top picks for startup accounting software.

Best Startup Accounting Software

Product
Promotion
Learn more

Zoho Books

Learn more

on Zoho Books' secure website

4.5/5

Best for Overall accounting software for startups

$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

Xero

Learn more

on Xero's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Simple startup accounting software

$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

QuickBooks Online

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Accounting software for well-funded startups

$35/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.

50% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

FreshBooks

Learn more

on FreshBooks' secure website

4.5/5

Best for Accounting software for startups in creative fields

$19/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.

Get 80% off

for 4 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

Learn more

on FreshBooks' secure website

Odoo

4.0/5

Best for Accounting software for tech-savvy startups

$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.

Our pick for

Overall accounting software for startups

Zoho Books

Learn more

on Zoho Books' secure website

Starting at
$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion
14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Our pick for

Simple startup accounting software

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).

Our pick for

Accounting software for well-funded startups

QuickBooks Online

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

Starting at
$35/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.

Promotion
50% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Our pick for

Accounting software for startups in creative fields

FreshBooks

Learn more

on FreshBooks' secure website

Starting at
$19/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.

Promotion
Get 80% off

for 4 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

Our pick for

Accounting software for tech-savvy startups

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.

NerdWallet’s picks for the best startup accounting software

Zoho Books

Best overall accounting software for startups
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 and a customizable chart of accounts, the fact it includes audit trails and users can easily share their books with their accountant, plus key additional features like reporting, invoicing, inventory and a mobile app.
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 to e-commerce and analytics, but it has only a couple dozen direct integrations outside of the Zoho software ecosystem (compared with the library of hundreds of apps that Xero, QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks all have). Read our full Zoho Books review.

Xero

Best simple startup accounting software
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, bank reconciliation and short-term cash flow monitoring to project tracking, multicurrency business transactions, expense tracking and analytics. You can also add payroll functions through Xero’s Gusto integration with any of its three plans. In addition to the direct Gusto integration, Xero has an entire marketplace of third-party apps that integrate with its accounting software, so you can build the full software solution your startup needs. Read our review of Xero.

QuickBooks Online

Best accounting software for well-funded startups
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
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
Why we picked it: Odoo has built an ecosystem of open-source business software. It can be a great option for startups, which can add apps from Odoo’s library of dozens of options as business needs grow and evolve. Similar to Zoho Books, Odoo’s insular network of apps have been designed from the ground up to integrate seamlessly, but connecting Odoo to third-party software becomes more technically complex and costly. With apps for business needs ranging from accounting and inventory to e-commerce and point of sale, however, it’s likely that you can build the full suite of software to best suit your startup’s needs right from within Odoo’s own offerings.
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.
Last updated on June 20, 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.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
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