Best Accounting Software
The best accounting and bookkeeping software, ranked for small businesses, freelancers, and growing teams.
We ranked 5 picks for Accounting Software. QuickBooks Online takes the #1 spot at 4.4/5 (from $35/mo). Entry pricing runs $19–$35/mo. 2 offer a free tier. 4 have a public API.
Our picks at a glance
Zoho Books
Genuine free tier — test it before committing budget.
FreshBooks
4.5/5 across 6,200 reviews.
QuickBooks Online is the dominant small-business accounting platform, with deep features for invoicing, expenses, payroll, and reporting, plus a huge accountant network.
FreshBooks focuses on invoicing and time-tracking for freelancers and service businesses, with an exceptionally easy interface and strong client billing features.
Zoho Books delivers strong accounting at a low price and integrates tightly with the wider Zoho suite. A great-value pick, especially for existing Zoho users.
QuickBooks Online
4.4(18,900)The market-leading small-business accounting suite
The full ranking
| # | Tool | Starts at | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QuickBooks Online The market-leading small-business accounting suite | $35/mo | 4.4/5 | Small businesses & accountants |
| 2 | Xero Beautiful cloud accounting with unlimited users | $20/mo | 4.4/5 | Small businesses & startups |
| 3 | FreshBooks Simple accounting built for freelancers | $19/mo | 4.5/5 | Freelancers & service businesses |
| 4 | Zoho Books Affordable accounting inside the Zoho suite | Free | 4.5/5 | SMBs & Zoho users |
| 5 | Wave Free accounting & invoicing for tiny businesses | Free | 4.3/5 | Micro-businesses & freelancers |
Side-by-side comparison
| Comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Starting price | $35/mo | $20/mo | $19/mo | Free |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid | Paid | Freemium |
| API available | ||||
| Best for | Small businesses & accountants | Small businesses & startups | Freelancers & service businesses | SMBs & Zoho users |
| Invoicing & payments | ||||
| Expense tracking | ||||
| Financial reports | ||||
| Payroll add-on | ||||
| Accountant access | ||||
| Unlimited users | ||||
| Bank reconciliation | ||||
| Invoicing | ||||
| 1000+ app integrations | ||||
| Time tracking | ||||
| Project billing | ||||
| Client portal | ||||
| Inventory | ||||
| Workflow automation | ||||
| Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit |
What to look for in accounting software
- Check whether pricing is per seat — it multiplies with team size.
- Headline prices usually assume annual billing; monthly costs more.
- Confirm the integrations you already depend on are supported.
- Start on a free tier or trial before committing to a year.
How we rank: we weigh user ratings, feature depth, pricing value, and fit for this specific use case — not rating alone. Rankings are updated as products and prices change, and affiliate relationships never affect the order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best accounting software?+
QuickBooks Online is our #1 pick, rated 4.4/5 and starting at $35/mo. Most complete feature set The full ranked list with pricing and trade-offs is above.
Is there a free accounting software option?+
Yes — Zoho Books, Wave offer a free tier, so you can start without paying.
What is the cheapest accounting software?+
FreshBooks at $19/mo. Across our picks, entry pricing runs $19–$35/mo.
Which of these is rated highest by users?+
FreshBooks, at 4.5/5 across 6,200 reviews. We rank on overall fit for the use case, not rating alone, which is why it is not automatically #1.
How did you rank these tools?+
Rankings weigh user ratings, feature depth, pricing value, and fit for this specific use case — not rating alone. We update them as products and prices change.