11 Best Accounting Software to Discover (2024)

List and ranking of accounting software for your business

Here is the list of the best accounting software to discover for auto-entrepreneurs, freelancers, SMEs or SMIs:

1. Zoho Books.

Zoho Books is an online accounting platform that is an all-in-one tool with artificial intelligence that allows you to manage your finances, automate business workflows, and help you collaborate across departments in your business.

Features

• Inventory Management - The accounting software allows a complete management of stocks, the monitoring of the level of stocks and their replenishment.
• Project management - You can perform the complete management of a project with functions such as tracking time, managing roles and their various views, recording project expenses, and drawing up invoices.
• Quotation management - Create quotes in seconds and convert them into invoices in one click as soon as they are accepted.
• Automation - Take advantage of one of the best general accounting software and automate tedious tasks that are often at the heart of common human errors (creation of tax returns, chart of accounts, accounting entries, etc.)
• Mobile application - accounting management and dashboards accessible everywhere on your mobile

Pricing

Accounting software packages start at $9 and go up to $29 per organization per month.

FIND OUT MORE >> Start using Zoho Books for free now

2. FreshBooks.

FreshBooks is one of the most popular online accounting tools out there. It can centralize the management of all your accounting activities, such as billing, time tracking, payments, etc.

Features

• Invoicing - One of the best accounting software that you can personalize your emails and create your own invoice with excellent customization, including your logo and signature.
• Automatic expense tracking - Simply link your bank account to the general accounting software to get automatic updates of your expenses at pre-determined frequencies.
• Time tracking - Track the exact time spent on activities such as recruiting, prospecting, marketing or finalizing a project, etc.
• Accountancy - Provides easy to use double-entry general accounting tools for employees or accountants
• Project management - Get started that provides project management tools that facilitate collaboration and each update
• SaaS - Accessible by web browser and available on all operating systems

Pricing

Freshbooks online accounting software offers 4 types of plans.

The first 3 plans are billed at $6, 10, and $20 per month (billed annually). The last plan is a customized plan to meet the needs of an auto-entrepreneur or freelancer.

In order to get a quote, you should contact their sales department for this online accounting software.

3. Intuit QuickBooks.

Intuit QuickBooks Online is one of the latest accounting software for small businesses and offers both cloud and on-premise versions. It provides a comprehensive solution for all accounting activities, such as accepting payments by businesses, managing and paying invoices, and payroll functions.

Features

• Invoicing - Create personalized and professional invoices, receipts, quotes that you can send in minutes.
• Accounting reports - The accounting software allows you to instantly see the performance of your business such as the income statement through customizable reports and dashboards.
• Cash flow management - Enter supplier invoices and only pay them when due. You can also schedule recurring payments to save time with accountants.
• Expense tracking - One of these accounting software makes it easy to record each expense. You can also photograph and save receipts and invoices with the QuickBooks Online mobile app.
• Inventory Management - Real-time update of the quantity available when you buy or sell. You can also access the real-time inventory assessment, which is automatically adjusted throughout the day and allows you to keep track of what you ordered from each supplier.

Pricing

Intuit QuickBooks Online accounting software offers five plans, starting at $4 per month and going up to $45 per month. All QuickBooks Online subscription plans come with a 30-day free trial.

4. Wave.

Wave is a comprehensive, integrated software that provides a solution to all of your accounting needs. It is one of the best software for small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and other freelancers.

Features

• Accountancy - This accounting software meets all of your accounting needs, including tracking expenses and income. You can connect your bank accounts, sync your expenses, your income statement, balance your books, and prepare for seamless tax compliance.
• Invoicing - The accounting software is very easy to create and send professional invoices, all with a single click. It's highly customizable, easy to use, and comes with an unlimited choice of templates to choose from.
• Receipts - You can receive and read receipts on any device. This software also allows you to scan receipts anytime, anywhere, even when you're not connected.

Pricing

Wave accounting software is one of the few accounting software platforms that are completely free. Don't worry, there are no hidden fees or charges.

5. Xero.

Xero accounting software is one of the most recent accounting applications on this list. It provides you with all the accounting tools you need to grow your small business.

Features

• Asset Management - Track all company assets, such as vehicles, machines, machines, hardware and office equipment, for real-time accounting purposes but also your income statement
• Project management - This accounting software allows you to carry out all your project management tasks, such as entering time and costs, sending invoices and monitoring the progress of work, on a single platform.
• Sales tax - Sales tax features make it easy to file taxes online, prepare and submit returns Of sales tax. It also calculates taxes on your sales and purchases using the most recent rates.
• Business Performance Dashboard - Use the dashboard, which includes integrated charts and graphs to gain actionable insights and make business decisions based on data by
• Inventory Management - Great inventory management tools allow you to master the numbers and keep track of your inventory.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $10 per month and go up to $33.5 per month. Each plan includes a 30-day free trial.

6. FreeAgent.

FreeAgent accounting software is a cloud-based accounting software that is perfect for freelancers, small businesses, and their accountant.

Accounting software approved by more than 90,000 companies and accountants around the world, it brings together everything related to invoicing, expense accounting, project management and sales tax on a single platform.

Features

• Advanced Expense Management - Complete management where you can categorize expenses by currency. You or your accountant can also keep track of items such as documented and paid invoices or the income statement.
• Tax Management - The tax management module allows you to perform all activities related to managing the taxation of your bank account and compliance.
• Account Management - The accounting software can generate and manage invoices effectively, and can also personalize each invoice by adding quick notes.
• Contract Management - Easily create and send invoices to your customers and choose from a variety of templates.

Pricing

With FreeAgent, you only have a single plan that will cost you $12 per month for the first 6 months and then $24 per month after that.

You get a 30-day free trial.

7. Tipalti.

Tipalti is a comprehensive accounting software platform that provides end-to-end solutions to automate all payment transactions.

The Tipalti accounting software thus makes payments between different B2B partners and their accountant smoother and more frictionless.

Features

• Supplier Management - You can easily guide suppliers by submitting contact information, bank details, tax forms, etc.
• Invoice management - Provide automated invoice capture, approvals, payments, and reconciliation in a single end-to-end accounts payable management platform to increase efficiency and standardization.
• Tax compliance - The accounting software solves the complex manual process of collecting tax information through digital capture, guaranteeing the validation of the payment even before it is processed. It has a tax module certified by KPMG that guarantees compliance with tax and VAT laws.
• Tipalti Detect function - It can proactively prevent fraud through detailed beneficiary monitoring that effectively mitigates risk exposure.

Pricing

Tipalti accounting software offers three pricing plans, starting at $299/month and up to $1599/month.

8. Kashoo

Simplifying Accounting for SMEs

Kashoo is presented as an online accounting solution, aimed at simplifying financial management for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and self-employed workers or accountants.

Features

• Intuitive interface: Designed to be easily accessible, even for non-accountants, with a quick grip.
• Invoice and Expense Management: Allows you to create, send invoices and track expenses or turnover with ease.
• Financial reports: The accounting software automatically generates essential reports, such as balance sheets and income statements, for a clear overview of the financial health of the company.
• Bank compatibility: Synchronization with bank accounts for automatic reconciliation and real-time transaction updates.
• Multi-Currency: Support for transactions in multiple currencies, ideal for businesses operating internationally.

Pricing

Kashoo offers a simple pricing plan, designed to meet the needs of the majority of small businesses, with a monthly or annual subscription model, offering a free trial to test its features before engaging.

While it covers basic accounting needs effectively, businesses looking for more advanced or specific features may find its options limited. However, its user-friendly interface and essential tools make it an attractive option for those who are just starting out or looking to simplify their accounting management.

9. OneUp

OneUp is positioned as a complete accounting software, offering advanced functionalities for inventory management, billing, and accounting.

Features

• Inventory Management : Advanced tools for monitoring and managing inventories in real time.
• Accounting automation : the accounting software synchronizes bank transactions, turnover and automatically categorizes expenses.
• Billing and Payment Tracking : Create and send professional invoices, with tracking of late payments.

Pricing

• Self : Starting at $9/month for one user, ideal for auto-entrepreneurs.
• Pro : Starting at $19/month for two users, designed for small businesses.
• Plus : Starting at $29/month for three users, offers advanced inventory management features.
• Team : Starting at $69/month for seven users, suitable for larger teams.

OneUp stands out for its functional richness, offering not only accounting tools but also inventory management and invoicing tools, making it ideal for SMEs.

Its ability to automate accounting tasks and synchronize bank transactions makes it a powerful tool for optimizing business processes.

10. WorkingPoint

WorkingPoint offers an all-in-one online accounting solution that is ideal for small businesses and freelancers looking to simplify their accounting and billing.

Features

• Simple billing : The accounting software offers easy-to-use tools for creating and sending invoices.
• Accounting Management : Monitoring of income (turnover), expenses, and preparation of financial statements for a chartered accountant.
• Intuitive dashboard : A clear overview of the financial health of the company.

Pricing

• Single plan : Starting at $15/month, offers full access to all accounting and billing features with no user or transaction limits.

WorkingPoint is perfect for small businesses and freelancers looking for a simple and effective accounting solution.

Its intuitive interface and solid basic functionalities allow easy management of invoicing and daily accounting. Its main advantage lies in its competitive pricing, offering excellent value for money.

11. Odoo

Odoo is an open-source business application suite that includes modules for accounting, inventory management, billing, and more. Its flexibility and modularity make it suitable for a wide variety of businesses, from startups to large companies.

Features

• Full accounting : Manages all aspects of accounting, including billing, accounts payable/receivable, sales, and financial reports.
• High customizability : Accounting software allows extensive customization to meet the specific needs of each company.
• Multiple integrations : Offers integrations with a multitude of other Odoo applications, including sales, purchasing, human resources, inventory, and more.

Pricing

• Accounting application : Free for an app, with additional costs for additional modules or additional users.
• Price per additional application : Varies by application, generally starting at $12/month per user.
• Custom packages : Odoo offers personalized quotes for businesses requiring a complete set of ERP (enterprise resource planning) modules, including accounting, inventory management, CRM, and more.

Odoo stands out as a solution ERP robust and flexible, able to adapt to a wide range of business needs thanks to its modularity and its extensive customization options.

Accounting software is ideal for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution to manage not only accounting but also other aspects of their operations.

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Other accounting management software not covered: Sage 50 (formerly Ciel Compta)

How do I use accounting software?

It's easy to use accounting software once you've taken control of it. You can use accounting software to do the following:

1. Invoice processing.

Accounting software allows you to create an invoice and quickly store it in your database.

When creating an invoice, you need to enter details like:

• Customer name
• Delivery date
• Payment due
• Advance paid, if applicable
• Invoice number
• Invoice creation date
• Product (or service) details, such as quantity and specifications

When you receive an invoice from a supplier, you need to enter details like.. :

• Seller's name and address
• Products/Services purchased
• Advance paid, if applicable
• Amounts due
• Invoice number
• Invoice creation date

Accounting software helps you keep track of how much money you owe salespeople.

Take Invoice Meister, for example:

This accounting software takes care of all billing functions for you, including sending invoices online, setting up recurring invoices, tracking your invoices, etc.

2. Track revenue, expenses, and pay suppliers.

You have to record every detail in the software : the income earned, their sources, and the expenses incurred.

Once you have entered all the data into your software, you no longer need to bother with all the accounting entries and manually calculate these numbers.

For example, FreshBooks can help you track things like:

• What is due to which vendor or supplier
• The amount you still need to receive from customers
• The advance payment that was received or paid (if applicable)
• Number of units of products sold
• Number of units in stock in your inventory

Most accounting software can also help you predict future trends and areas of interest.

3. Create financial statements.

Every business needs financial documents such as journals, ledgers, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, and bank statements.

Manually creating all of these statements can be time consuming and tedious without accounting software.

You need to create individual statements for the specific periods of time you want to study.

However, you can save yourself valuable time and effort by using accounting software to do these tasks for you.

All you need to do is select the desired period, and the accounting software will create the statements for you.

Plus, automated statements are decidedly more secure than paper-based documents, which can easily be damaged or lost. Electronic statements eliminate this problem.

4. Comply with taxation rules.

Strict compliance with your local tax compliance rules is essential for doing business in any country.

Any deviation from absolute compliance with standards may result in the cancellation of an operating license, fines, and legal proceedings.

With accounting software, you can easily create and send your legal documents to the relevant authorities at the click of a single button.

5. Integrations with business proposal software

The right accounting software can help you save time on repetitive but essential tasks so you can focus on your business goals.

One of these tasks is to create commercial proposals.

When working with customers, you want to be sure you have the most up to date and accurate information at your fingertips.

That means you need to have a system that allows you to quickly gather data from past projects, as well as your current projects, and bring it all together in one place.

Choose the best proposal software that integrates well with your accounting software can save you a lot of time.

What is accounting software?

As the name suggests, accounting software can help businesses manage daily accounting calculations.

Accounting software is particularly important for freelancers, who have only a limited number of customers and a low activity rate.

One accounting software tracks and processes accounting transactions thanks to its various integrated functional modules. It allows you to focus on daily tasks.

Key Features of Accounting Software

The selection of a accounting software is crucial for the financial management of a company. Here are the essential features for optimal efficiency.

Transaction Automation : Automating transactions reduces errors and saves time. An ideal software connects to your accounts to automatically download and categorize transactions, offering accurate financial tracking.

Bank reconciliation : Bank reconciliation ensures the accuracy of your accounting by comparing software transactions with those in bank statements, an essential step for the reliability of accounts.

Billing Management : Integrated management of invoices and payments accelerates collections, with tools to create, send, track invoices, and accept payments online, improving cash flow.

Expense Tracking : Precise monitoring of expenses makes it possible to monitor financial flows and identify savings opportunities, a pillar for the financial health of the company.

Financial reports : Financial reports provide an overview of the economic health of the company. The ability to generate balance sheets and cash flow reports is essential for informed decisions.

Payroll Management : Integrating payroll management simplifies wage calculations and tax compliance, ensuring employee satisfaction and avoiding penalties for non-compliance.

Tax compliance : Tax compliance is facilitated by constant updates to tax laws and tools that simplify the submission of returns, ensuring hassle-free tax management.

Cloud accessibility : Cloud accessibility allows secure access to accounting data from anywhere, offering flexibility and operational efficiency for dynamic businesses.

Choosing software that has these features will allow you to transform the financial management of your business, focusing on growth and success. It is crucial to assess your specific needs to find the most suitable solution.

Summary.

Every business is different and has different accounting software requirements.

To choose the good accounting software for your business (SME, PMI, auto company, etc.), you can focus on accounting characteristics such as:

• Automation
• Tax compliance facility
• Integrations with third party software
• Invoice templates
• Multilingual and multi-currency capacity
• Payment reminders
• Recurring billing

Many accounting applications focus on the characteristics mentioned above.

For example, Zoho Books is perfect for automation and 3rd party integrations, FreeAgent for multiple invoice models, multi-lingual and multi-currency capabilities, and Wave for recurring billing.

In the end, you need to choose the software that you want. offers the best value for money within your budget.