Best Nonprofit Accounting Software of 2024
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The best nonprofit accounting software streamlines basic accounting tasks, like transaction tracking and invoicing, while meeting a nonprofit’s unique needs. That means it either includes industry-specific capabilities — such as helping you track the use of donations and grants, storing information about donors and accepting online donations — or integrates with products that do.
NerdWallet compared more than a dozen accounting software products, and Aplos is our top choice for most nonprofits.
🏆 Our pick: The best nonprofit accounting software
Aplos tops our list because it’s built specifically with nonprofit businesses and churches in mind. That means you don’t have to spend extra money on nonprofit integrations to get the tools you need. Plus, unlike some of its industry-specific competitors, Aplos is transparent about its pricing — making it easy to estimate and compare subscription costs.
Aplos is a comprehensive solution for nonprofits, but it’s not cheap — especially if you need features like recurring transactions, which requires an upgrade. Smaller nonprofits with limited budgets might opt for more universal accounting software with less expensive plans, like Xero or QuickBooks, and then integrate with a nonprofit-focused app if needed. On the other hand, large organizations may prefer an option like AccuFund that has employee management features as well.
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The best nonprofit accounting software
| Product | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
 Xero NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Xero's website | $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 website |
 QuickBooks Online NerdWallet Rating Learn more on QuickBooks' website | $35/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235. | 70% 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 |
 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 | |
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.
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.
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
QuickBooks Online
$35
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.
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
Xero
$20
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $47, $80.
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
Zoho Books
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Why we like it: Zoho Books is one of the few accounting software products that has a free plan, as well as five paid ones in case your nonprofit needs to scale up. Plus, it offers nonprofits 15% off paid plans, which can help make them more affordable. The downside is that, unlike other products on our list, Zoho Books doesn’t integrate directly with nonprofit-specific apps for managing donor databases and fundraising. However, if cost is your number one concern, it can be a good fit. 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).
QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Enterprise
$1,481
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
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.
What is nonprofit accounting software?
Nonprofit accounting software is a bookkeeping program tailored to the needs of tax-exempt organizations. In addition to the basic functions of standard accounting software, it typically offers fund accounting — a method that monitors how donations are used — as well as capabilities like Form 990 filing, fundraising tools and a system for communicating with donors.
These features may be available in more universal products. For instance, tracking donations in QuickBooks is possible through workarounds, but not as straightforward as with a product built for nonprofits. If you choose to use regular accounting software, make sure you can integrate with an app like Donor Receipts or Kindful that provides nonprofit-specific tools.
How to choose nonprofit accounting software
Consider cost, ease of use and must-have features to choose the best accounting software for your nonprofit. Pay particularly close attention to the following:
CRM functions that let you track, analyze and engage a large donor or membership base.
Tools for easily accepting online donations.
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.
Ultimately, you’ll want to balance the features you need alongside your budget and whether the software checks other boxes, like scalability. Your nonprofit accounting software should accommodate your nonprofit today and down the road if it grows.
» 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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