The very best alternatives to QuickBooks include all of the essential bookkeeping features required by small firms, but they are typically less complicated to operate and less expensive. You can get a comprehensive analysis of the appropriate accounting software right here, regardless of whether you're wanting to move from QuickBooks, looking for the first accounting software for your business, or looking for a free alternative to QuickBooks.
Learning to use Quickbooks is easy for someone familiar with accounting concepts and how the accounting software works, but it can be hard for someone tech-challenged or with no bookkeeping knowledge. While Intuit, the company behind Quickbooks, markets Quickbooks as ready to use – it all depends on the end-user.
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Simple Start | $25/month. |
| Essentials | $50/month. |
| Plus | $80/month. |
| Advanced | $180/month. |
If you’re looking for an alternative to QuickBooks Online, you should start by determining what you’re looking for that QuickBooks Online doesn’t offer.
Does the interface bother you? Is the feature you’re looking for not available? Are you looking for a more inexpensive product or better integration with your other applications?
Whatever your reason for seeking out alternatives, here are a few things you should pay close attention to while searching for a QuickBooks Online replacement.
Looking for a product that is packed to the gills with cool features is a perfectly acceptable course of action. Nevertheless, it makes little difference whether such capabilities are present or not if you have trouble accessing them and using them appropriately even if they are.
When thinking about a product for the first time, a new user should focus primarily on how simple it is to operate.
Take advantage of the free demonstration versions that many of these programmes provide since this is one method for accomplishing this goal. There is no substitute for exploring the features of a product on your own if you want to determine whether or not it is the best option for you.
Even though the majority of small business accounting software comes in various plans with different price points, it may still be expensive to obtain all of the features you want at a price that is within your budget.
Before you buy the most basic plan, check to see whether it has all of the features you need and if you end up having to buy the next level up, make sure the price is still within your price range. If it isn’t, consider upgrading to a plan with more features.
When looking at several accounting software options, assistance is one of the elements that is sometimes ignored.
It’s one of those things that, until you actually need it, you don’t give any thought to at all.
Make sure that any product you’re interested in has assistance choices that are suitable for your level of expertise if you’re not very experienced with computers. If you are, however, it’s likely that you’ll be able to make do with online support or a comprehensive knowledge base.
QuickBooks has achieved its current degree of success thanks to a number of factors, including its name recognition and marketing prowess (popularity), its easily accessible entry-level pricing point (affordability), and its dependability and user-friendliness for those who are just starting out (user-friendliness).
And as expected, QuickBooks is one of just eight solutions to feature on our Top 20 accounting software lists, and it does so in all three categories: most economical (#17), most user-friendly (#12), and most popular (#1).
Some of the most popular accounting tools, such as Xero (ranked fifth in popularity and eighth in user-friendliness), SlickPie (ranked eighth in affordability and second in user-friendliness), and FreshBooks (ranked sixth in popularity and thirteenth in user-friendliness), have a lot going for them, but they were not included on this list because they met only two of the three criteria described earlier.
Other reliable choices, such as Zoho Books, FreeAgent, and Manager, are included on all three of our rankings of the Top 20, but they have an overall ranking that is lower than that of QuickBooks. However, it is highly recommended that you look into each of these tools.
For the time being, though, let’s take a look at the four accounting software programmes that may compete well with QuickBooks for small businesses.
AccountEdge Pro is a comprehensive accounting software that caters to the needs of tech-savvy business owners who need such software.
AccountEdge Pro is a desktop programme that includes a tonne of functionality, making it the ideal tool for small to mid-sized enterprises and growing organisations.
If you are interested in AccountEdge Pro, it is recommended that you are familiar with how to use a computer and are accustomed to working with a programme that is installed locally on your business’s servers. Despite this, you are still able to use the programme remotely in order to carry out a variety of tasks.
Full account administration, banking, sales, time billing, inventory management, and buying are some features offered in AccountEdge Pro.
Payroll is also included in the platform, and users can use either self-service or full-service payroll. Although the programme does not currently offer an automatic bank feed, AccountEdge Pro includes capabilities common to other accounting software for small businesses. These features include a customer portal and the capacity to collect payments from customers through the internet.
The ability to keep track of your time and bill your clients for that time is a feature that is included in AccountEdge Pro. Due to the comprehensive nature of the inventory module, it is an excellent choice for users that need to keep track of product inventories.
AccountEdge Pro has four different options that range from those best suited for extremely small enterprises to those best suited for enterprise-level companies.
The reporting capabilities in AccountEdge Pro are fantastic, and each report can be modified to meet your specific needs. In addition, free email assistance is provided, and if you want telephone service as well, you may subscribe to that plan for an additional $199 each year.
The genuine benefits of utilising AccountEdge Pro much surpass this very little inconvenience, despite the fact that some people may view an on-premise solution as a disadvantage.
This software provides a total of four different plans, ranging from Basic, which is intended for extremely small enterprises, all the way up to Priority ERP, which enables you to keep using this high-quality programme regardless of where your company is its development.
AccountEdge Pro has a one-time price of $399 for a single user, and the price drops to $249 for each additional user after that. This price is paid only one once, not on a yearly basis. A yearly subscription to the payroll module will set you back $249, and telephone assistance will cost you an additional $199.
Bonsai is the next entry on our list of alternatives to QuickBooks. Bonsai is a project management software designed specifically for freelancers, and it comes equipped with a number of useful accounting functions. For example, you may keep track of your billable expenditures with Bonsai by first establishing an expense, then assigning it to a project, and then linking the invoice to the expenses you incurred for that project. You may also import your costs by connecting your bank account so that they can be imported. In addition, Bonsai will provide expense reports and statistics for you, allowing you to comprehend your expenditures over time better.
In addition, you are able to accept payments through credit card, ACH transfer, PayPal, and even bitcoin with the use of Bonsai, which enables you to set up recurring payments. A freelance tax calculator, reporting options, time tracking, and the capability to develop individualised customer proposals and contracts are some of the other features offered by the software.
The Plus plan of Bonsai costs $16 per month, while the Premium plan costs $24 per month to subscribe to. White labelling, the ability to subcontract, and the capacity to add new users to your account are all part of the Premium plan, including everything previously listed as part of the Standard plan.
FreeAgent is a piece of accounting software that was developed with the needs of small business owners in mind. It simply has one pricing, which is $24 per month, and it comes with pretty much everything you would want in terms of accounting. Invoicing, keeping track of expenses, calculating sales tax, and providing you with a dashboard that displays your cash flow in real-time are all included in this service. A smartphone app and automatic bank feeds are two additional benefits offered by FreeAgent.
What began as software for generating invoices and keeping track of working hours has developed into a formidable tool for freelancers and independent contractors. With FreshBooks, you can bill and collect customer payments, keep track of your business spending, and connect with the independent contractors you work with. In addition, it is compatible with a wide variety of third-party apps, enabling you to construct a solution that is genuinely tailored to your company’s needs.
If you’re concerned that you could run into a problem when using the programme and have to go through several online frequently asked questions to figure out how to fix it on your own, you shouldn’t be. FreshBooks features exceptional customer-service representatives that answer your queries as promptly as possible, typically reacting within an hour of receiving them.
A balance sheet is not something that FreshBooks maintain. There is a template available for you to use in the event that you need to construct one, but FreshBooks suggests that you seek the assistance of your accountant in the event that this is necessary. Because of the potential for this to become an expensive endeavour very soon, FreshBooks is not the option you should go with if your company requires a balance sheet.
FreshBooks has a pricing structure that begins at $15 per month, however, the vast majority of small businesses will require the $25 per month subscription. There is also a premium version available for an additional fee of $50 per month; but by the time a firm reaches this point, it will probably require a more robust solution. In addition, for a limited time only, FreshBooks is providing new customers with a discount of fifty percent off for the first three months of service if they opt out of the thirty-day free trial period.
Sage is a comprehensive accounting software suite. It generates a balance sheet and makes it possible to reconcile the bank accounts. It also has very reasonable pricing, beginning at just $10 per month for Sage Accounting Start, and anybody can use it.
Do you require more features than those that are included in the version that costs $10 a month? For example, you may access limitless collaboration, bids and estimates, vendor bill monitoring, cash flow predictions, and the ability to pick between cash or accrual basis accounting if you go with Sage Accounting, which costs $25 per month to use. Sage Accounting is available to you. In addition, there are tools for human resources, connectors for point-of-sale systems, online retail capabilities, and marketing and sales features.
Sage, the company that makes QuickBooks, offers a wide variety of options to help you scale your business, including an accountant partner programme and its own series of conferences to help you learn, collaborate, and grow. These options are similar to those that are offered by Intuit, the company that makes QuickBooks.
Sage 50cloud Accounting is a hybrid solution that provides the same level of dependability as a traditional desktop application while also providing the opportunity to view data remotely.
Sage 50cloud Accounting is a solution that works well for folks who have a stronger understanding of technology. In addition, Sage 50cloud Accounting is scalable so that customers may add more as their business expands. There are three different plans available, with the Quantum plan having the capacity to accommodate up to 40 users.
They provide a comprehensive range of features for small enterprises, such as strong customer management, sales monitoring, purchase orders, and a decent inventory management module. Among these features is also a good customer management module.
In addition, Sage 50cloud Accounting provides automated bank feeds, payment of vendors, and two different payroll options: Essentials Payroll for firms with up to 15 workers and Full-Service Payroll for organisations with more than 15 employees.
They have an excellent reporting capacity, with reports that can be fully customised and arranged in a number of different categories. The quality of the technical assistance is excellent, and it can be reached via phone, email, or live chat.
The scalability of Sage 50cloud Accounting is one of the finest benefits that small firms can derive from using the software.
When you finally locate an accounting programme that you feel confident with, the last thing you want to do is to outgrow that programme before you’re ready. However, you won’t have to be concerned about this when you use Sage 50cloud Accounting since the powerful Quantum plan, which allows for as many as 40 users, can be scaled to meet your needs at any time.
Our final recommendation for an alternative to QuickBooks is SpendWise, which is a good choice for proprietors of retail businesses. This is due to the fact that this accounting software comes with comprehensive tools for tracking inventories. You may generate purchase orders for third-party suppliers using SpendWise and sales orders and bids for end-user customers. SpendWise will automatically revise your inventory’s quantities as well as its prices once purchase orders are fulfilled.
SpendWise is an accounting programme that enables you to track outstanding invoices, sales, and spending on your business’s behalf. In addition, there are options for reporting. SpendWise does not interface with users’ bank accounts or credit cards at this time. In addition to this, you will not have access to all of the capabilities until you pay for the Enterprise plan, which comes with features such as inventory management and the ability to accept payments in many currencies. SpendWise Basic (which costs $9 per month) will put a cap on the amount of buy orders you may place in a given month; however, SpendWise Pro (which costs $19 per month) will not let you view an updated stock level once a purchase order has been fulfilled.
Wave Accounting is a piece of accounting software that is entirely free to use. However, in order to access the complete set of services, an additional fee will be required (later will talk about an accounting option you can truly use at no cost whatsoever). You can quickly and easily set up your Wave account, connect your company bank account, and enjoy all of the features the programme offers when you use Wave Accounting. When you connect your bank account, the bookkeeping information for your business will show instantly.
Some of the capabilities include tracking income and expenses, individualised billing and receipt scanning, guest collaboration, exportable accounting reports, billing and receipt printing, and the capacity to integrate with PayPal, Shoeboxed, and Etsy that are included into Wave Accounting. And to again, none of this costs anything.
However, to use Wave’s capabilities, you will be required to pay an additional fee. Additional fees are required for functions such as sending and receiving payments and processing payroll. As a result, we are unable to endorse Wave for use by teams of a significant size. Conversely, Wave is the best option available if you want a straightforward accounting solution that doesn’t cost you anything.
Xero is another complete accounting software suite. This corporation, which has its headquarters in New Zealand, is the market leader in that country, Australia, and numerous European nations. Xero was developed “in the cloud, for the cloud,” and as a result, it was able to avoid many of the apparent blunders that its competitors had made when they migrated to cloud-based accounting systems. As a result, it is an excellent alternative to QuickBooks.
Xero markets itself as “beautiful accounting software,” which accurately describes the product. The user-friendliness of this alternative to QuickBooks Online’s interface and the fact that it does not utilise any accounting or finance jargon are two things that small company owners appreciate the most about it. You won’t find any debits or credits here; instead, you’ll find straightforward language that makes it easy to comprehend what should be done with your transactions. Even though many accountants and bookkeepers prefer a separate reconciliation tool, the functionality that allows you to reconcile transactions as you go is a favourite among owners of small businesses.
There are three different price options for Xero. It’s possible that the Starter plan, which costs $9 per month, will meet your needs if you run an extremely tiny firm. Nevertheless, the vast majority of small firms rapidly outgrow this subscription and upgrade to the Standard package, which costs $30 per month. Finally, the Premium plan, which has a starting price of $70 per month, is required for companies that are more sophisticated and deal with numerous currencies and higher payrolls.
A large number of small businesses uses YNAB despite the fact that it is not officially accounting software. It didn’t take long for knowledgeable YNAB users to figure out how to take use of the software’s zones of genius—expense monitoring, goal setting, and debt management—in their companies once they had used it effectively in their personal affairs.
YNAB does not have a balance sheet, does not handle invoicing or payroll, and does not have a tool that allows you to reconcile your bank accounts. However, it does feature bank synchronisation, stunning reporting, and an active support network to assist you in setting goals and being committed to them. Despite the fact that it is not nearly a free alternative to QuickBooks, the pricing is reasonable at only $6.99 per month (if paid annually).
Zoho Books is one of the many business applications that are included in the Zoho suite of services. These other business applications include customer relationship management (CRM), human resources (HR) capabilities, and reporting alternatives. Because Zoho Books is a web-based platform, you are able to access your account from any location as long as you have internet connection. Additionally, you are able to utilise their mobile accounting app on your iOS or Android device.
The cost of using Zoho Books is split into three tiers, which enables you to upgrade as your company grows while still being able to afford the software. The three distinct Zoho Books plans each offer a different set of features and mostly differentiate themselves based on the total number of contacts, users, and processes available with each subscription. The monthly cost of the Basic plan is $9, the monthly cost of the Standard plan is $19, and the monthly cost of the Professional plan is $29, respectively.
Invoicing, cost estimates, the ability to integrate your bank accounts, project and expense tracking, reporting tools, a client portal, custom tax options, and the ability to integrate with any of Zoho’s other software or third-party tools like Zapier and Square POS are features that you will get no matter which plan you choose.
It’s likely that you were unaware of how many different options there are besides QuickBooks to pick from. Xero is the greatest alternative to QuickBooks that you can use if you are seeking accounting software with all of the features available in QuickBooks.
We strongly suggest that you give FreshBooks a try if you are a freelancer who does not require all of the bells and whistles that Xero provides for its users. You will be able to automate the process of paying your customers with the help of FreshBooks, which will save you time and enable you to return to focusing on the activities that bring you the most satisfaction. Visit their website to sign up for a free trial that lasts thirty days.
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