Best Nonprofit Accounting Software of 2024
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In addition to streamlining basic accounting tasks, nonprofit accounting software may also track how donations and grants are being used, store information about donors, include fundraising tools and make it easy to accept online donations, among other industry-specific capabilities.
Here are some of our top picks for nonprofit accounting software:
Best overall: Aplos.
Best scalable solution: QuickBooks Online.
Best for managing donor contacts: Xero.
Although products built specifically for nonprofits are more likely to deliver on those features, organizations can also use non-industry-specific accounting software, like Xero or QuickBooks, and integrate with third-party apps as needed. Before making a decision, consider whether you need a solution that uses fund accounting. Nonprofits use this bookkeeping method to monitor how funds are used and track each separately. Your decision will also boil down to the size of your nonprofit, your budget and whether or not you want an all-in-one product.
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The best nonprofit accounting software
Product | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|
Xero NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Xero's website | $15/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78. | 75% off for six months on Business Edition plans. | Learn more on Xero's website |
QuickBooks Online NerdWallet Rating Learn more on QuickBooks' website | $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' website |
Zoho Books NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Zoho Books' website | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | Learn more on Zoho Books' website |
FreshBooks NerdWallet Rating Learn more on FreshBooks' website | $19/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on FreshBooks' website |
Sage Intacct Learn more on Sage's website | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | Learn more on Sage's website |
QuickBooks Enterprise NerdWallet Rating | $1,481/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. | 30-day free trial | |
Wave Accounting NerdWallet Rating | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16 | N/A | |
Aplos | $79/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189. | 15-day free trial | |
AccuFund | N/A Quote-based. | N/A |
A closer look at our top nonprofit accounting software picks
Aplos
Aplos
$79
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $99, $189.
Why we like it: From its advent, Aplos software was designed for nonprofits and faith-based organizations. That means it comes with a wealth of features particular to the nonprofit sector, including customizable chart of accounts; fund tracking to efficiently keep tabs on grants and donations; a variety of reports to track accountability, such as fund-based balance sheets and income statements as well as contribution statements; as well as tools designed to encourage giving and track donations. With robust accounting features; tools related to fundraising, marketing and CRM; and optional add-on products for soliciting and receiving donations by text message, payroll and online bill payment, Aplos is a complete accounting and nonprofit management software solution.
Designed for nonprofits and churches.
Tools to build and host your website, plus the ability to accept online donations and tithes.
Donor database collects information like giving history and lets you create groups.
Fund accounting features for tracking how gifts, grants and donations are used.
Accounting features like budgeting and recurring transactions require a plan upgrade.
Sage Intacct
Why we like it: The more you can automate your accounting tasks and business workflows, the more time you and your staff can dedicate to doing good in the world. Sage Intacct’s software comes with a number of automation features to simplify your nonprofit accounting and reporting, including an AI-powered general ledger and a revenue recognition tool that’s built to save you time and ensure your organization remains compliant. You may also appreciate Sage Intacct’s reporting and insights capabilities, in particular the digital board book the software can generate to visualize and present your organization’s impact and financial health to interested parties. Read our full Sage Intacct review.
Manage grant budgets.
Revenue recognition tool helps nonprofits stay compliant.
Automation features streamline grant, fund and billing processes.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.
Lack of pricing transparency.
Not suitable for small nonprofits that don’t plan to grow.
QuickBooks Online
Why we like it: QuickBooks is a mainstay in the realm of accounting software, and with several plan options for its cloud-based QuickBooks Online product, the software can grow with your nonprofit organization. It lacks some of the industry-specific reporting and features that nonprofit-specific software offers, but its desktop software cousin, QuickBooks Enterprise, offers those capabilities if your nonprofit outgrows the substantial features and functions of QuickBooks Online. Read our full review of QuickBooks Online.
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.
Lacks industry-specific features.
Limited account users with each plan.
Xero
Why we like it: With more than 20 not-for-profit app integrations available, Xero is a user-friendly, scalable, cloud-based accounting software that can be customized to fit the needs of your nonprofit organization. Need to manage a membership base? Connect Xero with MembershipWorks. Need to track donations? You can link your Xero account to Infoodle for seamless donor communication and analysis. And even without integrating Xero with third-party software, you can manage your donor contacts directly in Xero’s built-in contact management tool. The feature allows you to view a record of all transactions with each contact, save documents relevant to each donor and include important notes to refer back to in the future. Read our complete Xero Accounting review.
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.
No phone number for customer support listed.
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Zoho Books
Why we like it: Zoho Books is another well-established accounting software product with multiple plan options that allows for your nonprofit to grow without needing to switch software. One of its more unique features, however, is that the software is available in 10 languages including Spanish, German and Japanese. And it’s not just reports that are available in a variety of languages — it’s the entire product. That could be a game changer if your nonprofit staff and/or volunteers include nonnative English speakers. Read our Zoho Books review.
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.
Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
FreshBooks
Why we like it: FreshBooks accounting and invoicing software offers a strong list of features that many nonprofits will find useful, including expense tracking, time tracking, project management and more. For nonprofits that spend a good deal of time in the field and working on the go, FreshBooks’ highly rated mobile app for iOS and Android may be particularly appealing. The app enables you to create and send invoices; track expenses, time and mileage; manage client communications; and even view financial reports. Read our FreshBooks review.
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.
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.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Why we like it: QuickBooks Enterprise is a general accounting solution, but it still includes certain industry-specific features, like a nonprofit chart of accounts that shows your organization’s assets, expenses and revenue from both donations and retail sales. At tax time, you can easily transfer your data to the relevant IRS forms. Customizable reports allow you to manage budgets for various programs, view contributions by donor and track top-tier donors. QuickBooks Enterprise is desktop software, but users can pay more for cloud access. Read our review of QuickBooks Enterprise.
Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
24/7 phone and chat support.
Limited direct, third-party software integrations.
Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license and cloud access costs extra.
Wave Accounting
Why we like it: Free accounting software may be especially enticing to newer nonprofits; it will allow you to put your limited funds to work where they can have the most impact. With Wave’s free accounting software, you can enjoy unlimited expense tracking among unlimited users, access to standard accounting reports such as a profit and loss statement and balance sheet, automatic bank transaction syncs, and a customizable chart of accounts so you can track industry-specific accounts such as grants and donations, special events and in-kind contributions. Through Zapier, you can integrate Wave Accounting with dozens of third-party apps to fill the inevitable gaps you’ll encounter when using free software. Read our full Wave Accounting review.
Free plan available.
Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
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.
AccuFund
AccuFund
Why we like it: If you run a more established nonprofit with a large employee base, then you may need software to help you manage not only your organization’s finances but your employees as well. AccuFund’s core software includes general accounting functions such as bank reconciliation, a general ledger, financial reporting and dashboards and accounts payable. Additionally, AccuFund offers add-on modules and products to round out the solution you need for your particular nonprofit. The company’s robust HR management product includes payroll, tax management, time tracking, employee self-service portal and additional tools.
Built specifically for nonprofits and government agencies.
Fund accounting features for tracking how donations and grants are used.
Built-in human resources management system for payroll, benefits, time tracking and more.
Web payment module lets you accept donations online.
Lack of pricing transparency.
What is nonprofit accounting software?
Accounting software designed specifically for the nonprofit sector will handle general accounting functions — such as a general ledger, chart of accounts, profit and loss statements, balance sheets and other financial management tools — in addition to fund accounting, donation tracking and reporting on functional expenses, among others.
These more industry-specific features help to ensure that your organization remains accountable to its mission and board, accurately files Form 990 and other necessary tax forms, attracts and manages regular communications with donors and remains compliant with established nonprofit accounting standards.
How to choose nonprofit accounting software
When choosing nonprofit accounting software, you’ll want to identify the obstacles blocking your work. Then, look for features that can push those roadblocks aside.
That might be robust CRM functions that let you track, analyze and engage a large donor or membership base. Or maybe you need a way to easily accept online donations and some basic accounting functions.
Here are a few other features to look for:
The ability to budget by fund, project and/or tag.
Automated reporting for IRS Form 990.
Grant management features to meet time and use restrictions.
Balance the features you need alongside your budget and whether the software checks other boxes, like scalability and ease of use, to choose the best accounting software for your organization.
» MORE: Best grants for nonprofits
NerdWallet writer Kelsey Sheehy contributed to this article.
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.
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