And thousands of accountants and bookkeepers do use Xero already, so you can search Xero’s directory to find a local accountant who’s already familiar with the software. Most are the type that any small business owner could customize, generate, and understand. Next, you have to ask yourself whether you want access to the transactions you have stored in online financial accounts (checking, credit cards, and so on). Enter your login credentials for that account, and the software imports recent transactions, usually 90 days’ worth, and adds them to an online register.

Unfortunately, even though QuickBooks Online is our top pick, it’s also our priciest one. The cheapest QuickBooks plan starts at $30 a month—higher than any of our other recommended bookkeeping solutions. And if you want the best reporting QuickBooks can offer, you’ll need at least the $55 Essentials plan or, preferably, the $85 Plus plan. Keep reading to learn more about QuickBooks Online, Xero, and five additional bookkeeping solutions tailor-made for small-business owners like you. If you’re traveling and have expenses on the road, you can usually take pictures of receipts with your smartphone and upload them to your accounting app.

Features

Even though we generally prefer Xero to QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online remains the most popular accounting software for US-based accountants, bookkeepers, and auditing clerks. For instance, most virtual and outsourced bookkeeping services still use QuickBooks or proprietary in-house software—though some, like Bookkeeper360, also sync with Xero. Accounting software can improve productivity by automating time-consuming bookkeeping and payroll services tasks, such as invoicing and tracking payments. Plus, software can help keep your books in compliance, which can save you time and money in the long run. Tax calculations, a typically complex endeavor, are made simple with ZarMoney. The software takes the lead by automatically determining the right taxes but also offers businesses the flexibility to manually adjust, ensuring absolute control.

• For example, it might specify access for one user plus one accountant.
• Cloud-based human capital management (HCM) systems that include payroll applications are becoming the new norm.
• Every business creates a chart of accounts—or a list of each account needed to manage the business and a corresponding account number.
• Freelancers and solo-operated businesses need accounting software, but maybe not as robust as QuickBooks—that’s where FreshBooks makes sense.
• The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence.
• Not only can this help you set goals, but it can also help you identify problems in your business.

His work has been frequently quoted by such publications as Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, and LA Times. With more than 1,800 solutions scrutinized in the last 5 years spent on our team he always prioritized offering readers an unbiased perspective on modern financial technologies. Odoo is an ecosystem of business software applications that are intended to smoothly integrate with one another. Because the core software is developed through the open-source model, thousands of business professionals and coders work together to ensure seamless integration of all of Odoo’s apps. Money movement services are brought to you by Intuit Payments Inc. subject to eligibility criteria, credit and application approval. Track your expenses to maximize tax deductions for things like business mileage.