It is very simple, and very good at what it does. It's aimed at self-employed people who need to track income and expenses, separate business from personal spending, and calculate quarterly taxes. If your business grows, it can’t scale with you.īut QuickBooks Self-Employed is more a tax tool than true accounting software. It doesn’t offer double-entry accounting, invoicing is basic and advanced features are thin on the ground. QuickBooks Self-Employed is not a great accounting and bookkeeping package, even within its chosen freelancer and sole proprietor market. No estimates, project management or time tracking But it is very good value for money and worthy of consideration. Zoho’s integrations are some way behind those of QuickBooks, and it lacks a native payroll solution. There is a mobile app for Android, iOS and, a little unusually, Windows phone. There’s also tax support, mileage deduction tracking, project management and time tracking, all built in to a clean and attractive design. That includes more advanced tools like fixed asset management. For that, you get best-in-class invoicing, excellent contact management and a full list of accounting features. With a starting cost of just $9 a month, it is also very competitively priced. The result is a powerful accounting package for small business that is a match for sector leaders like QuickBooks Online and Xero. The software has been flying under the radar for a few years now, gradually adding features and fans and at the same time refining its design and user experience. Zoho Books deserves an honorable mention in any list of the best accounting software for small business. Oh, and if you're looking to upgrade other small business software, then take a look at our guides to the best online payroll services and best expense management software.

Some of the solutions we have reviewed offer both, for added flexibility. We've looked at both online cloud-based accounting software and ones that provide software as a service deployment. With all that in mind, here’s our top picks for the best accounting software for small business, based on various criteria and requirements. A good solution can automate much of the drudgery of financial management. In accounting, as in so much else, technology is your friend.

Time spent filling in spreadsheets or manually calculating quarterly tax is time taken away from making a better business. In both cases, the less time you have to spend on basic accounting and bookkeeping functions, like chasing invoices or bank reconciliation, the better. That’s as true for freelancers and sole-proprietor businesses as it is for SMBs with 50 employees.

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