Amy Nichol Smith spent more than 20 years working as a journalist for TV and newspapers before transitioning to software and hardware product reviews for consumers and small businesses. Times, Tom’s Guide, Investopedia and various newspapers across the U.S. QuickBooks offers many different products at different price points.
He has a CPA license in the Philippines and a BS in Accountancy graduate at Silliman University. While it is our top-recommended small business accounting software, the subscription cost can be a major factor in why you should look for an alternative. A good invoicing software must also provide sufficient customer support options for users, like phone support and live chat.
Add new Zoho Books customers to new rows on Google Sheets
- It hands invoicing, online billing (via Stripe), basic expense management .
- We also considered our accounting expert’s opinion when assessing each product and generating our star ratings.
- It also provides a client portal where you can share invoices, estimates, and statements with clients.
- From there, you can design your own spreadsheets to your own liking, or use one of Tiller’s pre-made templates.
- It’s definitely a step up from the classic capture receipts feature, so if you’re handling a lot of paperwork, this could cut the sweat from the blood and tears equation.
QuickBooks enjoys accrued vs deferred revenue a very high profile, thanks in part to extensive advertising in the media and on TV. However, the best alternatives to QuickBooks accounting software have plenty to offer too including value. Switching accounting software typically means importing all of your business information and transactions into the new platform. However, that process can be avoided if you spend more on a platform that has features you would appreciate in the future.
Despite being a free tool, Zoho Invoice received high ratings for its invoice customization and overall invoicing features. However, it faced some usability concerns, as it requires integration with Zoho Books to unlock access to accounting features. In comparison, QuickBooks doesn’t require integration and doesn’t have any usability concerns. The software must have enough reports that can be generated with a few clicks. Moreover, we’d also like to see customization options to enable users to generate reports based on what they want to see.
Quick Comparison of QuickBooks vs. Top Free Alternatives
I have several years of experience in accounting software evaluation and providing small businesses with reliable, expert insights. Leveraging my accounting and bookkeeping expertise, I rigorously assess software using our internal case study that objectively scores key features while upholding editorial independence. For more options, check out our roundup of the best accounting software for small businesses. Our best apps roundups are written by humans who’ve spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software.
Is QuickBooks easy to learn?
Accounting software needs to be feature-laden for it to be useful for a small business, and that’s what we looked for when considering QuickBooks alternatives. We looked at multiple features, services and ease of use of various accounting programs to determine which ones are the best QuickBooks alternatives. At Forbes Advisor, we break down the cost, features available and the value of each software to ensure they’re best suited for small businesses. We also look at less tangible benefits, such as customer support quality and ease of use. Finally, we consider reviews from users of each platform to see how customers view the pros and cons of each accounting software. The client portal makes it easy for you to communicate with your customers about custom estimates, timesheets and invoices you create.
The software must have bank integrations to automatically feed bank or card transactions. The bank reconciliation module must also let users reconcile accounts with or without bank feeds for optimal ease of use. Xero is more affordable and flexible than QuickBooks Online, with no user limits and the ability to compare actual and budget project costs, a feature QuickBooks lacks. Xero’s fixed asset manager is also unique, handling asset sales and depreciation, something QuickBooks only offers at a higher cost. For instance, expenses cannot be assigned to particular checking or credit card accounts. Instead, the system compares entered expenses to all live bank feeds to determine which account the expense was paid from.
You can get QuickBooks Online for as low as $30 per month at regular cost or pay as much as $1,340 per year for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. Quicken is more for home use than business use, but it can be helpful for tracking expenses, especially when your expenses are mixed, such as for those who own and manage rental properties. The right free accounting software can certainly meet needs of many microbusinesses and solopreneurs on tight budgets.
Square Invoices
However, it has no live bank feeds or other essential bookkeeping features like paying bills or reconciling your account—features that QuickBooks offers. Compared with Solopreneur, QuickBooks Online has many more useful features, such as the ability to track using classes and locations, track inventory costs and units, and determine the COGS. You can also record a fixed asset in QuickBooks Online and assign labor and inventory to projects.