The software still resides on the desktop, but the 2018 and 2019 versions offer access to a website that contains Quicken's most often-used features and synchronizes its data with your own. Even more, accurately tracking expenses can help you lower your tax bill. But most accounting software isn’t cheap, and it can take a lot of work to learn how it all works. Here are the best top accounting software options to choose from for your business.
The software is available for macOS, Windows and Linux, as well as Android, and it's highly recommended that you try out this great tool before you consider any of the paid-for alternatives.
- Accounting software is a necessity when trying to run your own business, and the sooner you implement a good solution the better. Otherwise you can find yourself struggling through piles of.
- The Best Free Accounting & Billing Software app downloads for Windows: Tally.ERP 9 VersaCheck Presto Employee Attendance Management NolaPro Free Accou.
- The best accounting software for small businesses should be affordable, easy to use, and allow you to easily track income and expenses. The software should also include detailed financial statements to give you insight into the health of your business.
Best free accounting software
Read on for our detailed analysis of each app
Accounting software is a necessity when trying to run your own business, and the sooner you implement a good solution the better. Otherwise you can find yourself struggling through piles of receipts while hurtling toward a tax deadline.
If you're not sure which accounting software to use then there are free options available, so you don't have to commit to something you may find difficult to use. Free accounting software will at least get you used to using various features so you have a better idea of what you're doing, and what you need.
It is such a good idea to have something in place and organized at the start of your business for managing your accounts, and if you have to change later you can usually export the data into whichever program you decide to switch to.
In the meantime, here we'll feature the best in free accounting software to get you started on your journey.
- Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to [email protected] with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.
1. ZipBooks
Modern interface
Advanced features bundled into paid tiers
ZipBooks offers accounting software that has a contemporary interface along with a robust feature set. It promises to make accounting easy so the user can save time, and get on with other tasks.
The Starter tier is available for free. It provides unlimited invoices to an unlimited number of customers, making it less restrictive than some other free accounting offerings. It can also be used for unlimited bookkeeping, and can accept payments from credit cards and PayPal.
Paid tiers begins at $15 (£12) per month, and includes most of the features you'll ever need. However, if you need really advanced ones such as smart tagging, with advanced reporting and intelligence, it will cost $35 (£30) per month.
2. Money Manager Ex
Straightforward enough for home use, as well as small businesses
Impressively user-friendly
Can be used straight from a USB stick
Another superb open source tool, Money Manager Ex is well designed and packed with enough features to rival premium software. It's easy to understand, and you'll have your accounts and transactions set up in no time. Money Manager Ex's simplicity makes it a particularly good choice for sole traders or your own home finances.
This free accounting software is a portable app, so you can save and use it straight from a USB stick without even needing to install it. There's an Android app for updating your accounts on the move, too.
3. GnuCash
Hugely flexible software
Handles multiple currencies
GnuCash is accounting software designed for individuals and small businesses, and was initially conceived as an open source alternative to apps such as Intuit's Quicken.
This app has been around since the late 1990s, and the most recent version is GnuCash 3.4. It's available for Linux, GNU, OpenBSD, Android, macOS and Windows.
It handles invoicing and credit notes, accounts payable and receivable, employee expenses and some payroll features too, and it's quite happy with multiple currencies, cards and accounts. Its sheer flexibility makes it our top choice when it comes to accounting software for kitchen table businesses.
4. TurboCASH
A heftier accounting tool that will suit owners of SMBs
Big online community
TurboCASH is free accounting software that's been in continuous development since April 1985, and it's hugely popular in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. It's available in 23 languages and boasts an online community of more than 100,000 users.
Designed for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), it's probably a bit much for freelancers or sole traders, but if you need something a bit more useful than a cash book TurboCASH can handle VAT, debtors and creditors, purchase orders, multiple companies and multiple users.
While TurboCASH is free and covers most of the basics needed with accounting software, there's a paid-for version available as an upgrade which provides more advanced features. This paid-for version allows for it be to run from the cloud, as well as providing budgets, payroll, PDF reports, and a ledger analyzer among other things.
5. Wave
Slick, cloud-based free accounting that works well for freelancers
Nicely designed and put together
With more than two million users, Wave is one of the most successful online accounting services - and it's completely free for accounting, invoicing and receipts, although if you want personal technical support you'll need to pay for it. Payroll isn't included in the free service either, and you do get the occasional advert – just as you do with pretty much any free online service.
It's a very well designed and carefully thought out application, and while it's probably a little basic for medium-sized businesses it's a good option for sole traders, freelancers and small firms.
However, note that while Wave is free to use, you still pay per transaction, currently between 1.4%-2.9% plus a fee of around $0.25. For start-ups and businesses with low sales volume this may not matter, but for businesses with significant sales volume they may be able to find a more competitive pricing model.
6. NCH Express Invoice
Generate forms, invoices, quotes and orders in moments
Useful range of reports
With versions for PC, Mac, iPad and Android, NCH Express Invoice caters for most kinds of businesses - and if you have fewer than five members of staff, you can have it for free without time limits or other restrictions.
It's designed to create invoices, quotes and orders easily, to automate recurring ones and to send them by email or fax, and there's a decent range of reports to pore over. The free accounting software is really just a front-end for a web-based service, but that's no bad thing unless your business struggles to get a decent internet connection.
7. VT Cash Book
Minimalist bookkeeping that uses Excel for the grunt work
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Can be used to prepare VAT returns
Top Accounting Software For Pc
It's not going to win any awards for aesthetics, but VT Cash Book isn't there to look good: its priority is to record day to day cash transactions with the least amount of fuss. It uses Autocomplete to speed up data entry, supports multiple bank accounts and bank reconciliation, can be used to prepare VAT returns and enables you to create profit and loss, balance sheets and ledgers.
The free accounting software installs alongside its companion program, the paid-for VT Transaction+, but you don't need to buy the latter to use the former.
8. Invoice Expert Lite Edition
A good option for anyone selling physical products
Handles invoicing and quoting
The free (Lite) version of Invoice Expert is limited to 100 customers/products, but it retains the features of the paid-for Advanced Edition – which retails at $69.95 (about £55) – including inventory and customer management, invoicing and quoting, purchase orders and inventory management.
This free accounting software is a little bit intimidating at first glance, especially in the template-editing screens, but it's straightforward enough. It's an American program but it uses your Windows location to set the currency, so it should adjust itself accordingly for those outside the US.
9. Adminsoft Accounts
A complete money-management toolkit for small business owners
Handles stock control and more
Adminsoft Accounts is a software accounting package that's powered by advertising to generate revenue, making it free to download and use. According to the website, more than 300,00 people have taken advantage of what is a surprisingly thorough free accounting system (and an refreshingly honest set of terms and conditions).
It can handle not just invoicing and statements but remittance advice, stock control, purchase orders, budgeting and some HR functions too. It's a UK program so the default is pounds sterling, but it works happily in other currencies too.
There is a paid-for version you can buy to run the software without advertising, with pricing starting at $259 (£199) for the main accounting software platform, with a slightly higher cost if you also want to include AutoManager or Shop/Cafe Manager.
10. QuickFile
Free small business accounting in the cloud – no desktop software needed
Supports multiple currencies
Designed specifically for non-accountants, QuickFile offers multiple free tiers for small businesses while still delivering automatic invoicing, purchase/receipt management, quotations and multi-currency support. Add in a fully branded client area, and this makes for a professional solution at a hard to beat price.
It’s cloud-based rather than a software download, and if you like the free version you can upgrade to an ad-free, more advanced version with bulk invoicing, revision history and a host of power user features for a modest fee of $58/£45 annually.
- You can get QuickFile here
- Need something a bit more complex? Try one of these best accounting software packages
Accounting software is a computer application that streamlines the process of recording and keeping track of transactions. It typically includes a wide range of functional modules that focus on specific areas of the accounting process. Some of the basic modules are the accounts receivable, accounts payable, and trial balances, as well as payroll and inventory systems. As a whole, it functions as an accounting information system for the business using it. While it can be developed by a company in-house, some of the best ones are created by third parties. Oftentimes, the purchased application can be incorporated with local modifications to best suit the user’s accounting needs. Listed below are some examples of free accounting software available.
Note: The list takes into account only the accounting software that you need to install on your Windows system. There are some great web based free accounting systems that are not considered in this list. We might create a separate article for best free online accounting software.
1. Delta60
This application was developed primarily for small and medium enterprises. It is able to capture all accounting operations and integrates international accounting standards into its processes. Its features include invoice processing, making purchase deliveries and orders, and determining historical sales. Moreover, it supports stock inventory management using various methods such as the weighted average cost, last-in last-out method, etc., or whatever method that best suits the users.
- Our Rating:
- Pros: It’s free, making it great for start-up enterprises that want to cut back on costs.
- Cons: May require sufficient background in accounting to use.
- OS: Windows 8 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows 7,95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP
2. Icebergo
This is free accounting software that can help small businesses with contacts management, inventory control, purchase order preparations, point-of-sale billing, and stock re-order. It is often deployed using Microsoft Access Runtime for users who do not have full versions of Microsoft Access. Because of its sales and admin module, it has become the favourite application for inventory management and POS billing for warehouses, stores, malls, and other establishments that buy and sell goods.
- Our Rating:
- Pros: It offers a lot of useful features, which include but are not limited to: statistics, accounts, taxes, orders, and reports, among others.
- Cons: There are some modules that you don’t have access to in the free version.
- OS: Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows Vista, Windows XP
3. BS1 Accounting
This is also free software with a compact launch pad that fits snugly on the users’ screens. Its basic modules include accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, sales analysis, and general ledger. It is upgradable, however, and by upgrading to the BS1 Professional you get the time billing module. On the other hand, upgrading to BS1 Enterprise Accounting gets you the following module: Delphi accounting source code, manufacturing, purchase orders, sales orders, and royalty-free customization.
- Our Rating:
- Pros: It can handle multiple ledgers and can easily be customized for adding or deleting accounts. In addition, it allows easy importation of back-up report copies.
- Cons: You may have to purchase upgraded versions for more features; not to mention there are big version updates each year.
- OS: Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows XP
4. TurboCASH
This is an open-source accounting software that is available in 17 languages is capable of running on major operating systems. It is aimed at small- and medium-sized businesses and can easily be configured for the accounting conventions and terms, as well as taxation standards of different countries. In addition, it is a multi-user platform that includes modules such as cashbook, general ledger, suppliers, customers, and invoicing.
- Our Rating:
- Pros: Has modules that are capable of handling expenses and accounts that manage income taxes, debtors, invoices, creditors, etc.
- Cons: It can be too ‘simplistic’ for users with in-depth accounting backgrounds
- OS: Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, 95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP
5. Adminsoft Accounts
This is a multi-company, multi-user, multi-currency accounting software, which features a full double entry system. Its modules include: accounts payable (purchase ledger), accounts receivable (sales ledger), general ledger (nominal ledger), sales invoicing, purchase order processing, inventory/stock control, and payroll. In addition, it offers special modules for businesses in the retail industry, as well as those in the café, restaurant, and autotrade sector. It can operate on almost any PC.
- Our Rating:
- Pros: It simply has a lot of useful features, such as: management for personnel, contacts, clients, and suppliers; response functionality for answering questions about discounts, shipping, taxes, and customer relations.
- Cons: The free version is rather limited, since it only has single-currency and single-user capability.
- OS: Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, 95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP
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100 Best Freeware for Windows - Free eBook
You've already spent a lot to purchase your laptop that runs on Windows.
Don't waste any more purchasing commercial software for your Windows systems when there are several very good free alternatives available.
There are a total of 100 freeware programs listed in this eBook, each with a brief description, download link, and review link.
You've already spent a lot to purchase your laptop that runs on Windows.
Don't waste any more purchasing commercial software for your Windows systems when there are several very good free alternatives available.
There are a total of 100 freeware programs listed in this eBook, each with a brief description, download link, and review link.