Choosing accounting software for your business is a hard task. Which features play the most important role? What are the benefits of each solution?

You want to manage expenses, pay bills, accept payments, send invoices, connect with your bank accounts, track projects, take care of tax, and so much more.

In other words, you want to keep track of every operation so that you know how your business is performing and its growth rate.

We compiled a list of the most reliable accounting tools and solutions for business of all sizes.

The vast majority of software solutions are premium but there are free ones as well.

Who is this list for?

Freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, mid-sized businesses, large organizations.

Let’s dive right in!

Xero

Main slogan: accounting software to do your to-do.

Features:

• Pay bills
• Claim expenses
• Bank connections
• Accept payments
• Track projects
• Payroll with Gusto
• Bank reconciliation
• Contacts and smartlists
• Capture data
• Files
• Reporting
• Inventory
• Send invoices
• Multi-currency accounting
• Purchase orders
• Quotes
• Sales tax

Benefits:

• Get your books done faster
• Feel confident in your numbers
• Add more to your software
• Do business from anywhere, on any device
• Get started in no time
• Connect with 800+ smart business apps: time tracking, invoicing and jobs, CRM, payments, inventory

Plans:

• Early: $5.50/mo
• Growing: $16/mo
• Established: $31/mo

There’s a 30-day free trial period.

For accountants and bookkeepers: Collaborate easily, automate tasks and access client records any time with accounting software for your practice.

• Xero for business
• Xero Cashbook or Xero Ledger
• Xero HQ
• Xero Practice Manager
• Xero Workpapers
• Partner program

Other departments: 

• Xero Learn: set your students up for life
• Xero Developer: Make apps for 2 million small businesses
• Investor information
• News & media
• Careers
• Governance
• Sponsorship
• Security
• Social/environmental impact
• Market announcements
• FAQ
• Small business guides
• Accounting glossary
• Find an accountant or bookkeeper
• Customer stories
• Resources
• Support
• Take a course
• Product updates
• Blog

About: 3,000+ employees, 1 global team, 2M+ subscribers. Founded in 2006 in New Zealand, Xero is one of the fastest growing software as a service companies globally. We lead the New Zealand, Australian, and United Kingdom cloud accounting markets. Forbes identified Xero as the World’s Most Innovative Growth Company in 2014 and 2015.

QuickBooks

Main slogan: trusted experts, guaranteed accurate books. Have peace of mind knowing your books are up-to-date. Get a certified expert to manage and maintain your books with 100% guaranteed accuracy.

Products by solution:

• Accounting
• Accounting with live bookkeeping
• Advanced accounting
• Inventory management
• Payments
• Payroll
• Time tracking

Products by business:

• New businesses
• Small businesses
• Mid-sized businesses

All products:

• Online
• Self-employed
• Online advanced
• Live bookkeeping
• Commerce
• Desktop for Mac, desktop pro, desktop premier
• Enterprise
• Medium-sized businesses
• Payroll
• Checks & supplies
• Point of sale
• Time
• Business insurance

Features:

• Track income and expenses
• Invoicing
• Accept payments
• Cash flow management
• Maximize tax deductions
• Track miles
• Run reports
• Send estimates
• Manage sales tax
• Manage bills
• Mutliple users
• Track time
• Track inventory
• Manage 1099 contractors
• Pay employees
• Get capital
• Accounting software
• Cash business banking
• Bookkeeping

Resources and other departments:

• Support
• Tutorials
• Blog
• Sales tax calculator
• Free invoice generator
• Product license agreement
• Apps
• What’s new
• Compare other software
• Partners: for accountants, for developers, for franchises, for business affiliates, for resellers
• Press
• Join the team

Plans:

• Small business – simple start: $12.50/mo
• Plus: $35/mo
• Advanced: $75/mo
• Freelancer – Self-employed: $7.50/mo

There’s a free trial for 30 days.

All plans include receipt capture, support, app integration.

200+

Business & Marketing Tools Collection

Work management, tracking, organizing, payments, accounting, Google, keyword, market, and competition research, SEO, analytics, and related, marketing & advertising, web development, website monitoring, domains & website hosting, coding, and related, design & multimedia, marketplaces, entrepreneurial communities, hiring & outsourcing.

FreshBooks

Main slogan: accounting software build for business owners and their clients. Balancing your books, client relationships, and business isn’t easy. FreshBooks gives you the info and time you need to focus on your big picture—your business, team, and clients.

Features:

• Invoicing
• Expenses
• Time tracking
• Accounting
• Mobile
• Projects
• Estimates
• Payments
• Reports

Stats:

• 192 hours each year can be saved by using FreshBooks. 
• 24M+ people have used it worldwide
• 160+ countries have businesses using it

Products:

• Invoice software
• Expenses and receipts
• Time tracking
• Managing projects
• Estimating software
• Online payments
• Financial reports
• Mobile apps
• High-volume billing

Who is it for:

• Freelancers
• Self-employed professionals
• Businesses with employees
• Businesses with contractors

Other departments:

• Integrations
• Education
• Referral and affiliate program
• Reseller program
• Developers
• Support
• Support webinars
• Invoice template
• Accounting templates
• Resource hub
• Tools
• Security
• Careers
• Press center
• Blog

Plans:

• Lite: $6/mo or $4.5/mo billed yearly
• Plus” $10/mo or $7.5/mo billed yearly
• Premium: $20/mo or $15/mo billed yearly
• Select (for businesses with more complex needs) – custom pricing, request a demo.

About: FreshBooks Founder and CEO Mike was self-employed and running a small design agency. One busy afternoon in 2003, he accidentally saved over an invoice and lost his work. Then and there, the inspiration for FreshBooks was born.

Over 60B invoices paid through it. 

WaveAccounting

Main slogan: accounting software for small business. Wave’s easy-to-use accounting software can connect your bank accounts, sync your expenses, balance your books, and get you ready for tax time. Start taking control of your finances today with the best accounting software for small businesses.

Products:

• Accounting
• Invoicing
• Receipts

Benefits: 

• Simple, reliable, and secure
• Easily manage cash flow
• Be ready for tax time
• Make tax time a breeze
• Security
• Accountant-friendly

Accounting software features:

• Unlimited income and expense tracking
• Track sales tax on income and expenses
• Add unlimited partners, collaborators, or accountants
• Fully-functional double-entry system. Generate financial statements for year-end
• Powerful reports on Overdue invoices and bills, cash flow, profit & loss, and more
• unlimited bank and credit card connections
• Easily organize income and expenses into tax categories
• Run multiple businesses in one account
• Instantly see how your business is performing in your dashboard

Receipt scanning features:

• Unlimited receipt scanning with the free mobile app
• Integrate seamlessly with the accounting software by Wave
• Capture receipts even offline
• Say goodbye to paper receipts and spreadsheets
• Snap a photo of your receipt, they’ll automatically fill in the rest
• Available on Android and iOS
• Incorporate receipts into your accounting reports
• Scan multiple receipts all at once
• No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees

Accounteer

Main slogan: online accounting made for entrepreneurs. Start your 30-day FREE trial today. Start sending invoices, track your expenses and more. No card needed, and no obligations.

Features:

• Invoices
• Offers
• Purchases
• Contacts
• Attachments
• Bank reconciliation
• Accept online payments
• Reporting
• Mobile
• Inventory
• Multi-currency
• Marketplace
• Fixed assets

For accountants:

Accounteer is a cloud accounting platform for small businesses. We enable business owners to be in charge of their finances. Our platform features online invoicing, bank reconciliation, reports, a digital document archive and much more.

Accounteer is not only there for business owners. It’s there for accountants too. Our platform integrates with third parties like banks, e-invoicing services and online payment gateways connecting businesses and accountants to an ever growing financial web.

Advantages:

• Colaborate
• Increase efficiency
• Focus on advisory services
• Strengthen your brand

Extra Features:

• Training program
• Conversion service
• Support

Plans:

• Small business: free forever
• Go for growth: 3300N /mo
• Enterprise: 8250N/mo

Other departments:

• User guide
• Find an accountant
• Developers
• Banks and financial institutions
• Telecom
• Incubators/accelerators
• Blog
• Careers
• Community

About: headquarters Lagos, Nigeria. Privately held, founded in 2015.

Final Thoughts

This is just the beginning of an extended catalog. I will keep the thread updated frequently.

In the meantime, check out the other related resources we have in store for you.

That’s it, another article has finished, here on Web Market Support. I’m waiting for your comments and thoughts. Which solution is the most promising? Which one should I add? Till next time.

Some of the links on this page are “affiliate links”. For more information, I refer you to the Disclaimer page