book keeping app

While the user experience is not exactly on the cutting edge, it’s still fairly easy to learn. Intuit QuickBooks Online has been the small business accounting service to beat for many years. It puts highly effective accounting functionality into an exceptional user experience.

The small-business apps we listed above might be our favorites, but they’re definitely not the only fish in the great app sea—and the best app for one business owner might not be the best one for you. Scan this list for more accounting solutions that could better handle your needs. As I mentioned earlier, if you need to shift from one accounting application to another, your existing data will have to shift too. Some free accounting solutions make that process more convoluted and frustrating than others — bear that in mind when you pick your preferred platform. The platform has end-to-end accounting resources to handle the more monotonous, frustrating elements of this side of your business — including invoicing and raising sales orders. The program also has a client portal to help you seamlessly connect with your customers.

Zoho Books [Small businesses]

The company offers a free plan called ZipBooks Starter — an option that includes basic bookkeeping functionality, along with profit, loss, and balance sheet reporting. All online accounting services simplify the accounting process, but there will undoubtedly be times when you have questions. Some apps also provide context-sensitive help along the way and a searchable database of support articles. The bulk are the type that any small business owner could customize, generate, and understand. You can do a lot with these transactions once they appear in a register. For one thing, they should be categorized (office expenses, utilities, travel, and meal costs are some examples) so you know where your money is coming from and where it’s going.

With no limits, users send invoices and receive timely payments for free. Whether you want to reconcile and categorize your transactions or stay on top of your unpaid invoices, this bookkeeping app’s got you covered. This bookkeeping software offers many of the tools in QuickBooks, but it’s more straightforward for users with little to no bookkeeping experience. Reports are your reward for keeping up with your daily work and completing it correctly. Every small business accounting service comes with templates for numerous types of insightful output. You select one, customize it by using the filter and display options provided, and let the software pour your own company data into it.

  • There’s no need to wait until you get back to the office at the end of the day.
  • There, you can record and categorize expenses and bills, create and send estimates and invoices, send purchase orders, track billable time, and download and print reports.
  • Most service-based small businesses will find that Simple Start meets all of their needs.
  • OneUp can also match individual bank transactions with overdue invoices, saving business owners even more time.

That said, the depth of its features might be overwhelming to very small businesses but welcomed by companies with more advanced needs. Whether you’re a part-time independent contractor or growing your enterprise, you’ll need to manage your finances, and that means seeking out an accounting app. InDinero is a full-service accounting software with accounting and tax preparation service in one.

And the secure invoicing via text feature works well for freelancers who need a quick, easy way to get paid on time. Some users report trouble with Akaunting’s support department’s responsiveness. The application also seems to be one of the less accessible ones on this list when it comes to ease of use. But if you’re in the market for a free, comprehensive how to do accounting for your e-commerce store accounting solution and are willing to tough those issues out, look into Akaunting. You can gather all business data in a centralized platform with ultra-advanced features such as serialized inventory and lot tracking. Opt for the QuickBooks Self-Employed plan if you’re a freelancer with simple needs (e.g., run basic reports and estimate quarterly taxes).

From there, you can create and send estimates and invoices, record and categorize expenses and bills, send purchase orders, track billable time, and download and print reports. Though not nearly as popular as the QuickBooks app, this companion app to Zoho Books is a great option for small business owners who want an accounting app with a lot of functionality. It’s been downloaded more than 100,000 times and has almost 3,500 user reviews on Google Play – most of which rate the app highly. The best free bookkeeping apps usually offer 30 day free trial periods and charge their users per month. Bookkeeping has become so complex that most small business owners turn to the best bookkeeping software to best address their bookkeeping needs, like inventory management. For the record, though, all of our top accounting software recommendations are notably easy to use.

Compare the Best Accounting Software for Small Businesses

Accounting software for small businesses is invaluable in making sure you have gotten your numbers right and that there has been no double entry. By keeping accurate records, your business can get a snapshot of its health in the form of financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and more. At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don’t guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services. Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software.

You can also help your clients pay by integrating an online payment portal with FreshBooks. Have an eye on the big picture so you can make better decisions. Our accounting reports are easy to use and show monthly or yearly comparisons, so you can easily identify cash flow trends.

book keeping app

Intuit QuickBooks Online is already one of the best accounting software tools for small business owners—and its accounting app is just as solid as its well-known online interface. With a user-friendly interface and a solid mobile application, Zoho Books is one of the more straightforward, accessible solutions listed here. But it still comes with its share of limitations, including a lack of payroll management resources. The free plan also only gives you access to email support — not chat or voice. For instance, Sage Accounting Start, which provides entry-level accounting features, is ideal for freelancers and micro-business owners. IAccountant helps users to become their own accountants and manage their money like never before.

These sorts of apps connect to your business bank account over the internet and copy across transactions into your business accounts. That’s a massive time saver and explains why these are also called mobile bookkeeping apps. This bank connection means that you get a very recent and accurate picture of money coming in and going out of your business. You will still need to reconcile and categorize this information but a lot of the raw data entry is taken care of. Wave’s free invoicing app for small businesses helps you track your revenue.

Truly Small Accounting supports only transaction and contact management, invoices, and bills at this early stage, and it’s likely to stay small and uncomplicated. Patriot Software Accounting Premium is  best for uncomplicated small businesses who probably won’t outgrow it. The integration with Patriot’s payroll application is a definite plus, but the accounting side lacks depth in areas like contact records, inventory, time tracking, and merchant account choice. Its price, voluminous support, and usability make it a great choice for a novice or a small startup. Sage 50cloud Accounting offers comprehensive, cloud-based accounting software for small businesses with extensive customization options and advanced features. Mobile accounting apps – or mobile bookkeeping apps – are useful for almost any business.

What’s the best bookkeeping software?

Transactions will appear in your bookkeeping automatically, and you can say goodbye manual receipt entry. Founded in 2003 in Toronto, FreshBooks started as just an invoicing software. Over time, more features have been added, and as of 2023, FreshBooks has over 30 million users.

book keeping app

While it isn’t as widely used or robust as QuickBooks, Book Keeper‘s accounting app has more than half a million users and ranks high among accounting apps. Both the software and app have a minimalistic interface that makes it easy to find the features you need. The app shares many features with the software and allows you to set up notifications on your phone that instantly update you with customer activities, such as viewing or paying invoices. QuickBooks Online is the best overall accounting software for small business owners. Not only do the majority of small business accounting professionals use QuickBooks Online, but there are also endless online training resources and forums to get support when needed.

Company

If you answered yes to either, or are just looking to get on top of your finances, then check out our list of the best accounting and bookkeeping apps for the iPhone. This list is filled with apps that provide a wide range of functions from advanced business purposes to small at-home money management. After you’ve supplied information about your company structure, one of your next setup tasks will be to add information about your customers and vendors.

What software do most small businesses use?

The drawback to using apps over software is that most apps only do so much. The desktop versions of most accounting plans have more features and reports than the apps do. Plus, desktop versions are just easier to read—with a bigger screen, it’s easier to see your program’s navigation and options and to read reports.

One of the key features is the ability to manage expenses by taking photos of receipts. Also, you can view reports, add and search customer contact information, generate and track invoices, and reconcile transactions using the app. The first plan is $20 per month plus $6 per employee or contractor.

Our double-entry accounting software is trusted by over 2 million small business owners. One of the most unique features Sage offers on its mobile app is a chat function that lets you send texts to manage your transactions. That chat feature can help you track receipts, log recent payments and check your current balance. You may add “payment reminders” if you need accounting software that helps you keep track of payments you need to make. “Taxes” is a word you can enter into the search engine if you’re looking for an accounting solution to your tax issues or handle your sales tax.

You (or your staff) can also raise a personal expense claim using the app. The lack of English-language video tutorials and a U.S. phone number for customer service are disadvantages of this program. If you have questions or have problems with the app, you have to get in touch with the company by email, live chat, or iMessage. Inventory management is one of the app’s most useful capabilities.