Our picks for
Point-of-sale systems
Shopify Retail POS
on Shopify POS's secure website
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan).
and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Pros
- No long-term contracts or termination fees.
- All plans include an online store.
- Built specifically for online sellers.
- 24/7 chat support.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Cannot process cards in offline mode.
Square POS
on Square POS's secure website
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.
and up.
Pros
- Free plan option available.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- No long-term contracts or termination fees.
- All plans include a free online store.
Cons
- Can’t run on Windows devices.
- Complex industries might prefer a more specialized system.
Clover POS
on Clover POS's secure website
in-person; 3.5% + 10¢ online.
and up.
Pros
- 24/7 customer support.
- Can pay for hardware in installments.
- Can create a customized customer loyalty program.
- Includes online ordering capabilities.
Cons
- Cannot use existing tablets that weren’t bought through Clover.
Toast POS
on Toast POS's secure website
if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.
Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.
Pros
- Free plan available for restaurants with up to two POS terminals.
- 24/7 support via web messaging.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll and team management software, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- Built specifically for restaurants with in-house delivery platform available, among other industry-specific features.
Cons
- Requires a two-year contract and charges early termination fees.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Charges setup fee, and offline mode includes hidden cost of backup router.
- Online ordering is considered an add-on for all plans.
Lightspeed Retail POS
on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.
for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.
Pros
- Includes detailed inventory management tools for creating product variants.
- Free one-on-one onboarding session for all new merchants.
- 24/7 phone and live chat support.
- Generate unlimited barcode labels.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include e-commerce features.
- Charges termination fee and may require annual contract.
- Does not include a virtual terminal or offline mode.
Our picks for
Accounting
With careful bookkeeping and good accounting software, you can track your business's revenue, profit margins and overall financial health. It can also help you answer important questions, like, "How much can I afford to spend on marketing this month?"
QuickBooks Online
on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200.
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations, including live, in-house bookkeeping.
- Robust feature set includes thorough record-keeping, comprehensive reporting, excellent invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Limited account users with each plan.
Xero
on Xero's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78.
or monthly discount (terms vary).
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.
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.
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).
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 picks for
Payroll
Paying your employees is a must, and good payroll software can make it easier to manage and track wages, withholdings and tax filings. Many programs also give employees access to a portal so they can view their pay history.
Gusto Payroll
on Gusto Payroll's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $80, custom pricing. Fee per employee varies by tier.
for contractor-only businesses.
Pros
- Benefits administration (health benefits are available in 38 states and Washington, D.C.; 401(k) plans are available in all 50 states).
- Time-tracking features at higher-price tiers (limited at Simple level).
- Certified HR experts available (at the Premium level).
- Free account setup.
- Next-day direct deposit (at Plus and Premium levels).
Cons
- More expensive than some options.
- Limited hours for live support.
QuickBooks Payroll
on QuickBooks Payroll's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $80, $125. Fee per employee varies by tier.
or 50% off for three months; terms apply.
Pros
- Benefits administration at all levels.
- Time-tracking features and HR support available (Premium and up).
- Next-day direct deposit at Core level (same-day at Premium).
- The option to choose a 30-day free trial or 50% off base price for first three months; terms apply.
- Easy integration with QuickBooks Online. (Integrated accounting and payroll plans start at $75 per month.)
Cons
- Limited integration with non-QuickBooks products.
- Additional fees if you have employees in more than one state (Core and Premium).
OnPay Payroll
on OnPay Payroll's secure website
Plus $6 per employee.
Terms apply
Pros
- Benefits administration included.
- Integrates with third-party software for time tracking.
- HR tools included.
- One-month free trial; terms apply.
- Straightforward pricing.
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero.
Cons
- Doesn’t run payroll automatically.
- Limited customer support hours.
Patriot Payroll
on Patriot Payroll's secure website
Plus $4 per employee. Additional pricing tiers (per month): $37.
Terms apply
Pros
- Transparent pricing.
- One-month free trial; terms apply.
- Scales from one to 500 employees.
- Time tracking and HR support available as add-ons.
- Abundant payroll reports.
Cons
- Benefits administration limited to 401(k) plans.
- Extra fee for 1099 e-filing (at Basic level).
RUN Powered by ADP
on RUN Powered by ADP's secure website
Plus $4 per employee. Custom pricing also available.
Terms apply
Pros
- Benefits administration available as add-on.
- Time-tracking features available as add-on.
- HR features offered at higher tiers, including HR help desk support.
- First three months free; terms apply.
- Ability to scale up for growing businesses.
Cons
- Opaque pricing.
- Limited HR support at base level.
Roll by ADP
on Roll by ADP's secure website
Plus $5 per employee.
Terms apply
Pros
- 24/7 support via chat.
- Next-day direct deposit with options for same-day for a fee.
- Three-month free trial; terms apply.
- Chat-style interface streamlines setup.
- Employees have access to the app.
- App available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Lack of time-tracking features.
- Mobile-first interface may be an adjustment for traditional offices.
Our picks for
Invoicing
Zoho Invoice
on Zoho Invoice's secure website
Free.
Pros
- Send up to 500 invoices per year for free.
- Portal lets clients pay invoices and view their transaction history.
- Payment gateway integrations include Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
- Photograph receipts and attach them to expense reports.
- Free invoice app for iOS lets you add a timer widget to your home screen, send invoices via iMessage and add new contacts by taking photos of their business cards.
Cons
- Limited third-party integrations outside of other Zoho products and QuickBooks Online.
Square Invoices
on Square Invoices' secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.
of the Plus plan.
Pros
- Free plan supports unlimited invoicing and unlimited users.
- Create digital contracts for clients to e-sign.
- Send invoices via SMS.
- Integrates with various third-party products, including QuickBooks Online and Xero. You can accept online payments through Square, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Cons
- Must subscribe to paid plan to auto-convert estimates to invoices.
- No in-house time tracking or expense receipt scanning.
Harvest
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12 per user.
of the Harvest Pro plan.
Pros
- Offers a free plan (limited to two projects).
- Advanced time-tracking features, including integrations with Google Calendar, Slack, Asana, Trello and other project management tools.
- Display billable hours by task, person or project on invoices.
- Snap and upload photos of billable expense receipts with the mobile app.
- Integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting.
Cons
- Invoice customization options are limited. Free users can’t add company logos to invoices, and Harvest offers only two templates (one PDF and one GDoc).
- Payment integrations are limited to Stripe and PayPal.
Point-of-sale
- Hardware options including card readers, terminals, cash drawers and receipt printers.
- Inventory tracking features.
- Monthly software fees and payment processing fees.
- Accepts swiped, tapped and keyed payments.
- Offline and mobile payment processing options.
- Live support offered 24/7.
Accounting
- Easy to use.
- Robust accounting reports.
- Invoicing capabilities.
- Integrations with third-party apps including payroll and point-of-sale systems.
- Daily customer support.
- Scalability.
Payroll
- Unlimited payroll runs.
- Calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxes.
- Provides employee access through a portal or mobile app.
- Benefits administration.
- Next-day or same-day direct deposit options.
- Accounting integrations.
Invoicing
- How much do you want to pay each month?
- What features are must-haves?
- Does it need to be scalable?
- Does it need to integrate with other software you use?
- Are you interested in bundling with another app such as accounting?