10 QuickBooks Alternatives to Consider

What Is QuickBooks?

QuickBooks is one of the most popular small business accounting software solutions. Its popularity is largely due to its introductory package and well-designed inventory management tools. QuickBooks offers online and desktop versions of the software.

QuickBooks allows business owners to manage invoices, pay bills, track cash flow, generate financial records, and prepare for quarterly and annual taxes. QuickBooks also offers several account types and payment plans. Anyone can try QuickBooks for free for 30 days, so it’s a great option for new business owners.

10 alternatives to QuickBooks

Despite its popularity, QuickBooks isn’t the best solution for everyone. Here are 10 excellent alternatives to consider.

1. FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a good choice if you’re a small business owner who’s looking for cloud-based accounting software. It’s one of QuickBooks’ main competitors. 

FreshBooks offers extra features — like software integrations, time tracking tools and contract management functions — and it recently added double-entry accounting to its software suite. Your employees can access the software from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. FreshBooks is a holistic replacement for QuickBooks; it offers a more versatile feature set and a much better pricing plan, especially for new account holders.

Key features of FreshBooks

• Excellent customer service 
• Over 70 integrations with third-party apps
• Good mobile app interface
• Double-entry accounting
• Time tracking, contact management and reports management tools
• Good invoicing options and flexibility
• Excellent selection of accounting tools

FreshBooks pricing

• Lite: $19 per month 
• Plus: $33 per month
• Premium: $60 per month
• Select: Custom pricing

2. Wave Accounting

Wave Accounting is completely free, making it a great budget-friendly option. However, you will need to pay for its credit card payment processing and payroll features.

Even if you don’t upgrade, Wave is easy to use. In addition, it provides accounting tools, invoicing tools, e-commerce checkout and dedicated Etsy integration. However, Wave is not the best choice if you need project management solutions, time tracking and third-party integrations.

Key features of Wave Accounting

• E-commerce checkout tools
• Accounting tool suite
• Etsy integration
• Intuitive and streamlined user interface
• Accounting support materials and tutorials
• Optional credit card payment software upgrade
• Optional payroll software upgrade

Wave Accounting pricing

• Starter plan: Free
• Pro plan: $16 per month

3. Xero

Xero is a New Zealand-based company with nearly 1 million subscribers. The software is designed for small businesses, but it has extra features that make it more versatile.

All of Xero’s controls and tools are accessible from an intuitive dashboard. These include inventory management, invoicing, payroll software and billing functions. 

Xero offers a mobile app for iOS and Android as well as a desktop app, so you can access the software across all of your devices. Also, you get a discount if you sign up for a six-month plan.

Key features of Xero

• Mobile and desktop apps
• Many accounting and invoicing features
• International invoicing
• Payroll software and billing functions
• Intuitive dashboard to control all of your tools
• Tax calculation software

Xero pricing

• Early: $15 per month
• Growing: $42 per month
• Established: $78 per month

4. Patriot Accounting

Patriot Accounting is a well-developed software suite. Its plans start at $20 per month, and it offers a free trial. Patriot’s features include 1099 preparation, CPA firm support, bank reconciliation, billing and invoicing tools, and invoice processing and management. You can even customize your invoices and handle your invoicing entirely online. 

Patriot Accounting is an excellent choice for midsize businesses that need affordable accounting software with a wide variety of features.

Key features of Patriot Accounting

• Some tax assistance
• Accounts receivable
• Aging tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Billing and invoicing
• Invoice customization
• Check writing
• Cash management
• Expense tracking 

Patriot Accounting pricing

• Accounting Basic: $20 per month
• Premium Accounting: $30 per month

5. Zoho Books

Zoho Books is the accounting software in the Zoho customer relationship management (CRM) suite. If you purchase Zoho CRM, it automatically integrates with Zoho Books, though you have to pay for both software solutions separately.

Zoho Books offers many of the same features as QuickBooks for a much more affordable price. Businesses on a tight accounting budget may find everything they need with this software.

Some of Zoho Books’ best features are its invoicing tools, which allow you to bill your clients all around the world. The software also provides accounts payable, time tracking, bank reconciliation and estimate tools. 

Key features of Zoho Books

• Tax support and bank reconciliation tools
• Contact management, accounts payable and estimate tools
• Report and invoice production
• Time tracking tools
• Good customer support through live chat, email and more
• Recording for charts of accounts

Zoho Books pricing

• Free: $0
• Standard: $15 per organization per month
• Professional: $40 per organization per month
• Premium: $60 per organization per month
• Elite: $120 per organization per month
• Ultimate: $240 per organization per month

6. Oracle NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite is cloud-based accounting software that’s a great option for enterprises. It offers robust planning tools, reporting features and customizable process workflows.

All of these features are available on NetSuite’s intuitive dashboard. Multiple people can access the software at once, which is a function QuickBooks lacks. But Oracle NetSuite is expensive, so it’s better for companies with a large accounting budget. 

Key features of Oracle NetSuite

• Cloud-based software
• CRM features 
• Enterprise resource planning
• Customizable workflows and project management tools
• Report generation
• Ledger controls for financial planning
• Multiple customizable dashboards
• Simultaneous user access

Oracle NetSuite pricing

• Custom: Typically charges a $999 monthly licensing fee
• Additional per-user cost: Typically around $99 per month

7. Plooto

Plooto isn’t traditional accounting software, but it’s an excellent option for businesses that need a way to accept and oversee customer payments. It’s an all-in-one platform that manages every aspect of your business’s accounts receivable and accounts payable processes. 

You can set up automated workflows that meet your business’s needs and help you get paid faster, as well as pay vendors via online checks or pre-authorized debits. Plooto syncs with popular accounting software, including QuickBooks, so it can be a valuable tool in your accounting system.  

Key features of Plooto

• Ability to send and receive international payments
• Vendor payments via online check or pre-authorized debit
• Invoice management and cash flow tracking
• Federal payroll deductions and corporate tax payments
• Integration with accounting software, including QuickBooks, Xero and Oracle NetSuite

Plooto pricing

• Go plan: $9 per month
• Grow plan: $32 per month
• Pro plan: $499 per month

8. Sage Accounting

Sage Accounting is accounting software as a service that’s perfect for midsize businesses. Its features include fee calculation, fraud detection, project management software and invoice tracking.

However, Sage is one of the more expensive accounting options. The cost depends on how many users you add to your account, so the price can escalate quickly for large companies. 

Key features of Sage Accounting

• Cloud-based software
• Tax assistance and management tools
• Fee calculation and posting
• Fraud detection
• Project management, team assignment and report generation tools
• Invoice tracking and exemptions

Sage Accounting pricing

• Pro Accounting: $595 per year
• Premium Accounting: $970 per year
• Quantum Accounting: $1,610 per year

9. ZarMoney

ZarMoney is one of the best accounting platforms, and you can test out the software for free before committing to it. It’s also a very affordable solution with an impressive suite of tools.

The features include account tracking tools, bank reconciliation, account management and tax assistance. ZarMoney also supports ACH payment processing, so you can accept payments and instantly sync them with your accounting spreadsheets.

ZarMoney may be a good choice for new accountants or small businesses. It comes with a variety of tutorials and webinars that can help you understand smart accounting practices.

Key features of ZarMoney

• CPA filing tools for certified accountants in your organization
• Tax assistance
• Bank reconciliation tools
• Check processing and writing, plus ACH payment processing
• Billing and invoicing
• Cash management tools
• Contact database management

ZarMoney pricing

• Entrepreneur: $15 per month
• Small Business: $20 per month
• Enterprise: $350 per month

10. Kashoo

If you’re a sole proprietor, Kashoo could be the perfect accounting software for your needs. It’s very easy to set it up and add tax details, and the interface is easy to navigate.

You can manage and process transactions, manage invoices, set up bills to pay, and organize your contacts and accounts, all from a single dashboard. Kashoo can also provide tax assistance and generate reports to help you understand your business’s financial situation.

Key features of Kashoo

• Tax management and assistance
• Invoicing
• Bill management
• Report generation
• Account and contact tracking

Kashoo pricing

• TrulySmall Accounting: $216 per year
• Kashoo: $324 per year

QuickBooks alternatives compared

There are many reasons you may need to consider a QuickBooks alternative. Fortunately, plenty are available, and most have a variety of features and functions. 

What are the pros and cons of QuickBooks?

You may need to switch from QuickBooks to another accounting software platform, but it helps to know exactly where QuickBooks excels and falls short of its competitors.

QuickBooks pros

• QuickBooks is very easy to learn and use, which makes it a great choice for small business owners without a dedicated accounting department.
• QuickBooks integrates with many other systems and third-party applications.
• It offers a free 30-day trial and affordable prices at the lower tiers of service.
• You can create accounting reports.
• QuickBooks is easy to access across all devices.
• It’s easy to look up and review customer information.

QuickBooks cons

• QuickBooks can become pricey if you need to use the full range of features.
• It doesn’t have many industry-specific features, like barcode scanning, lot tracking or e-commerce tools.
• There’s no real professional support. 
• A limited number of users can access the software simultaneously.
• QuickBooks experiences some instability and system crashes.
• There are no invoice design tools. 
• Accounting data is not always backed up, so it could be lost.

When should you look for new accounting software?

When you first start your small business, QuickBooks will probably meet all of your accounting needs. After all, it provides invoicing and basic accounting functions that let you track your expenses and income as well as prepare for taxes. [Read related: Revenue vs. Income: What’s the Difference?]

However, you may eventually need more robust accounting software. You’ll know it’s time to switch when one or more of these situations apply:

• Many people need to access the software simultaneously.
• You need project management, a content management system or other software in addition to accounting tools. 
• You need more complex or in-depth accounting tools. 
• You want accounting software that provides excellent customer service.

Find the best accounting software for your business

If you’re new to accounting software, QuickBooks is a great place to start. It’s relatively inexpensive in the beginning, and it provides the basic functionality business owners need. But at some point, you may outgrow QuickBooks and need more features and tools. 

All of the software packages we’ve outlined in this article are excellent QuickBooks alternatives. Figure out which features are most important to your business, do your research and find the solution that’s best for you.