Best Accounting Software in 2026: 7 Tools Compared by Company Size and Requirements

Top picks by situation

• A freelance designer starting from zero

  Wave

  The Starter plan costs nothing and handles invoicing, with Pro at $19 per month, though online payments carry per-transaction fees.

  From: $0 (Starter)

• A 10-person shop with an outside accountant

  QuickBooks Online

  User caps run 1, 3, 5 or 25 across the plans, two accountant seats ship from Simple Start, and a broad third-party app ecosystem is a stated draw.

  From: $38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)

• A growing team with many occasional users

  Xero

  There is no per-user license fee, three flat plans cover the range, and auto-reconcile comes bundled once you pick Growing or Established.

  From: $27/month (Early)

• A small firm already running Zoho CRM

  Zoho Books

  A free plan exists under a revenue cap, and extra users on paid tiers cost between $2.50 and $3 each.

  From: $15/month billed annually ($20 monthly) for Standard

• A consultancy billing hours to few clients

  FreshBooks

  Pricing is tied to billable client count, time tracking sits next to invoicing, and recurring invoices come on every tier.

  From: $23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)

• A nonprofit with several entities to consolidate

  Sage Intacct

  Outgrown QuickBooks? Sage Intacct brings entity consolidation and reporting sliced by dimension, a good match for a nonprofit that accounts for several funds.

  From: Contact sales

Accounting Software comparison table

Accounting Software compared

Tool	Best for	Starting price	Free plan	Free trial	G2 rating
Xero	Teams that need unlimited users without per-seat cost	$27/month (Early)	No	Yes	4.4 (1,558 reviews)
FreshBooks	Freelancers and service businesses billing a limited number of clients	$23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)	No	Yes	4.5 (981 reviews)
Zoho Books	Small firms already on Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps	$15/month billed annually ($20 monthly) for Standard	Yes	Yes	4.4 (327 reviews)
Oracle NetSuite	Multi-entity mid-market companies outgrowing QuickBooks	Contact sales	No	No	4.1 (4,400 reviews)
Sage Intacct	Mid-market and nonprofit finance teams that outgrew QuickBooks and need multi-entity consolidation	Contact sales	No	No	4.3 (4,000 reviews)
Wave	Freelancers and micro businesses wanting free bookkeeping	$0 (Starter)	Yes	Not stated	4.3 (327 reviews)
QuickBooks Online	Small businesses that work with an outside accountant who already uses QuickBooks	$38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)	Yes	Yes	4.0 (3,866 reviews)

What is accounting software?

Accounting software is where a business keeps its financial record: each sale, bill, payment and bank movement. A bookkeeper or owner sends invoices, matches bank lines against entries, pays suppliers and closes the month, while an outside accountant often logs in for review. The output feeds tax returns and everyday decisions about cash. Most accounting software for small business now runs in the cloud, and many products add payroll, inventory or project tracking. Bigger organizations use the same core idea with consolidation across entities layered on top.

Core capabilities

• Invoicing and payment collection

  Creates quotes and invoices, repeats them on a schedule and adds payment links and reminders so customers pay faster.

• Bank feeds and reconciliation

  Imports transactions from bank accounts and suggests matches so the books agree with the statement.

• Bills and expense tracking

  Captures supplier bills and receipts, codes them to accounts and schedules payment.

• Financial statements

  Delivers the statements owners, lenders and tax authorities ask for, such as income, position and cash movement.

• Payroll and sales tax

  Runs pay cycles and calculates tax obligations, either natively or through a connected add-on.

• Accountant access and apps

  Gives an external accountant a login and connects to payment, inventory and CRM tools.

The 7 best accounting software, reviewed

1

Xero

$27/month (Early)

Xero is a cloud ledger from New Zealand sold as three flat-priced plans, starting at $27 per month. Users are unlimited because no per-user fee applies. The Early plan caps invoices at 20 and bills at 5 each month, which small sellers should check.

• 1-10: workable
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: workable
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Teams that need unlimited users without per-seat cost
• Businesses with multi-currency needs
• Firms working with accountants who use Xero practice tools

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers needing annual billing discounts (none on the US page)
• Teams needing SAML SSO, which we could not confirm

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Quotes and invoices; Early plan limited to 20 invoices and 5 bills per month

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Auto-reconcile $5/month add-on on Early, included on Growing and Established

Financial reporting

Cash flow forecast 30/60/180 days by plan

Expense and bill management

Expense claims and project tracking only on Established

Payroll and sales tax support

Xero Payroll powered by Gusto, $36/month + $6 per employee

Accountant access and integrations

No per-user fees; integrations count not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing model

Flat per plan; usage charges for payroll, projects and expenses billed monthly in arrears

Target company size

Small businesses; Established for larger teams

What users like

• Usable for owners without accounting background
• Strong automatic bank reconciliation
• No per-user fees

Common complaints

• Repeated list price increases
• US payroll and tax depth thinner than QuickBooks (not confirmed by the vendor)
• Plan limits on bills and invoices on Early

Full Xero profileRequest an offer

2

FreshBooks

$23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)

Invoicing is the core of FreshBooks, built for freelancers and service firms. Tiers depend on how many clients you bill, beginning at $23 monthly. Hourly tracking feeds straight into invoices, though every added staff member costs $11.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: poor fit
• 500+: poor fit

Best for

• Freelancers and service businesses billing a limited number of clients
• Teams wanting time tracking and invoicing in one tool
• Buyers who want simple, guided accounting

Look elsewhere if

• Teams that need many staff seats cheaply ($11 per extra user)
• Businesses needing inventory or deep ledger control

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Recurring invoices and late payment reminders on all tiers

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Bank reconciliation from Plus

Financial reporting

Financial and double-entry accounting reports from Plus

Expense and bill management

Expense tracking all tiers; bill scanning and accounts payable on Premium

Payroll and sales tax support

FreshBooks Payroll $40/month + $6 per user

Accountant access and integrations

Accountant access from Plus

Pricing model

Client-count tiers plus $11 per extra user

Target company size

Freelancers to small service firms

What users like

• Very easy invoicing for non-accountants
• Strong customer support reputation
• Time tracking integrated with billing

Common complaints

• Cost for solo users and annual price increases
• Limited invoice flexibility
• Access to records after cancelling

Full FreshBooks profileRequest an offer

3

Zoho Books

$15/month billed annually ($20 monthly) for Standard

A revenue-capped free plan sits beside six paid tiers in Zoho Books, which prices by organization instead of by seat. Extra users add little. Teams already inside the Zoho family benefit most, while reviewers flag the missing offline mode.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: workable
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Small firms already on Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps
• Cost-sensitive teams that need several users
• Microbusinesses under the free plan's revenue limit

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers needing a large US accountant ecosystem
• Teams requiring offline use (reviewer complaint)

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Invoice volume caps per year by plan (1,000 to 100,000)

Bank feeds and reconciliation

not confirmed by the vendor from pricing page

Financial reporting

not confirmed by the vendor

Expense and bill management

Expense claim add-on $9/$7 per active user; BillPay add-on

Payroll and sales tax support

not confirmed by the vendor

Accountant access and integrations

Free plan includes 1 accountant seat; Zoho app ecosystem

Pricing model

Per organization tiers with $2.50 to $3 extra users

Target company size

Solo to mid-size small business

What users like

• High ease-of-use score
• Good value versus competitors
• Fits well with other Zoho apps

Common complaints

• Customization limits
• No offline use
• Smaller US accountant familiarity (not confirmed by the vendor)

Full Zoho Books profileRequest an offer

4

Oracle NetSuite

Contact sales

NetSuite, from Oracle, is cloud ERP priced only by quote: a base fee plus users plus modules. It joins finance, stock and CRM for mid-market firms. Reviewers call configuration difficult and cost high, so plan for a partner-led rollout.

• 1-10: poor fit
• 11-50: poor fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: workable

Best for

• Multi-entity mid-market companies outgrowing QuickBooks
• Distributors and product firms needing financials plus inventory

Look elsewhere if

• Small teams needing public pricing and quick setup
• Budgets without room for implementation partners

Key features

Pricing model

Quote-only: base fee + users + modules

Target company size

Mid-market

What users like

• Centralized anywhere access
• Third-party integrations
• Single system for finance and operations

Common complaints

• Hard setup and configuration
• Support quality scored 7.0 of 10 on G2
• High total cost

Full Oracle NetSuite profileRequest an offer

5

Sage Intacct

Contact sales

Sage Intacct is a finance-first cloud system for mid-market companies and nonprofits, sold by quote and through partners. Billing extras and revenue recognition are separate modules. Users say the learning curve is steeper than QuickBooks.

• 1-10: poor fit
• 11-50: poor fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: workable

Best for

• Mid-market and nonprofit finance teams that outgrew QuickBooks and need multi-entity consolidation
• Companies that want a finance-first cloud system and will add modules as they grow

Look elsewhere if

• Very small businesses or freelancers (entry subscriptions reported around $10k per year plus implementation)
• Manufacturers needing deep production planning built in

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Core AR and billing; advanced billing and revenue recognition are separate modules per Vendr guide

Financial reporting

Dimension-based financial reporting and dashboards (not confirmed by the vendor)

Pricing model

Quote-based; core financials plus separately priced modules (inventory, project accounting, consolidation, revenue recognition per Vendr guide)

Target company size

Mid-market; also nonprofits (G2 Spring 2026 report summary via PKF SCS)

What users like

• Strong multi-entity and dimension-based reporting for finance teams
• Good fit for nonprofit and revenue-recognition-heavy accounting

Common complaints

• Limited non-financial features compared with full ERPs
• Steeper learning curve than QuickBooks
• Setup scores lowest of G2 sub-scores (7.8)

Full Sage Intacct profileRequest an offer

6

Wave

$0 (Starter)

Freelancers and micro businesses can run bookkeeping and invoices on Wave at no charge, or step up to the $19 Pro tier. Income comes from card-payment fees and paid extras like payroll. Slow support is the complaint reviewers raise most.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: workable
• 51-500: poor fit
• 500+: poor fit

Best for

• Freelancers and micro businesses wanting free bookkeeping
• Service businesses collecting card payments through invoices

Look elsewhere if

• Teams wanting a wide app ecosystem or inventory
• Buyers needing fast support (slow support is the main G2 complaint)

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Invoicing on both tiers; online payments are paid by transaction

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Automatic bank imports on Pro per Gappsy; not confirmed by the vendor on vendor page

Expense and bill management

Receipt capture add-on $11 or $8/month

Payroll and sales tax support

Payroll add-on from $25 or $40/month

Accountant access and integrations

Block Advisors tax pros can be added free on Starter

Pricing model

Free Starter, $19 Pro, per-transaction payment fees

Target company size

Solo and micro businesses

What users like

• Free core bookkeeping
• Simple interface

Common complaints

• Slow customer support
• Payment fees replace subscription revenue
• Limited depth for growing firms

Full Wave profileRequest an offer

7

QuickBooks Online

$38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)

Intuit's QuickBooks Online comes in four paid tiers limited to 1, 3, 5 or 25 users, opening at $38 monthly. Accountants widely recognize it, and plenty of apps plug in. Reviewers point to several list-price rises.

• 1-10: workable
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: workable
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Small businesses that work with an outside accountant who already uses QuickBooks
• Teams that want a wide third-party app ecosystem
• Businesses needing inventory, projects and budgeting on the Plus tier

Look elsewhere if

• Companies needing SAML SSO with an external identity provider
• Very small freelancers watching cost, since list prices rose in 2025

Key features

Invoicing and billing

Invoicing with online payments from Simple Start; Free plan limited to 2 invoices per month; bulk invoice creation in beta on Essentials

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Automated bookkeeping from Simple Start; reconciliation tools listed from Plus; Free plan limited to 1 bank connection

Financial reporting

Top 3 reports on Free, general business reports on Simple Start, enhanced reports on Essentials, custom KPIs and dashboards on Advanced

Expense and bill management

Expense categorization and free ACH bill pay from Simple Start; $0.50 per standard ACH over monthly allotment; Bill Pay Elite listed for Advanced

Payroll and sales tax support

Payroll sold as an optional add-on; pricing not on the pricing page

Accountant access and integrations

2 accountant seats on Simple Start to Plus, 3 on Advanced; integrations not available on Free

Pricing model

Tiered flat price with user caps; no per-user price listed

Target company size

1 to 25 users; Advanced aimed at the upper small business end

What users like

• Easy to learn and intuitive for non-accountants
• Large ecosystem of connected apps and accountant familiarity
• Cloud access lets owner and bookkeeper work at the same time

Common complaints

• Repeated price increases and promo-then-list pricing
• Support quality and billing issues reported by some reviewers
• User caps force a jump from Plus (5 users) to Advanced (25 users)

Full QuickBooks Online profileRequest an offer

How to choose accounting software

Feature coverage at a glance

A check means the vendor documents the capability publicly (hover for the detail). A dash means we found no public documentation, which is a question to put in your request, not proof the feature is missing.

Accounting Software requirements checklist

Use this list to write down what your team actually needs. Sorting requirements into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have is what lets vendors quote accurately instead of pitching their biggest plan.

Turn this checklist into a request

Questions vendors will ask you

Have answers ready for these, and your first conversation with a vendor starts at pricing instead of discovery.

1. How many people need to log in, and how many are only an accountant or approver?User caps and extra-seat fees decide which plan or vendor fits.
2. How many invoices and supplier bills do you handle each month?Several entry plans cap monthly invoices or bills.
3. Which bank accounts and card providers must connect?Bank feed coverage and the number of connections differ by region and plan.
4. Do you sell products, track stock, or only bill for services?Inventory support pushes some buyers toward higher tiers or an ERP.
5. Which accounting package does your outside accountant already use?Sharing a platform with the accountant shortens month-end work.
6. Do you need payroll, multiple currencies or more than one legal entity?Each of these can be a paid add-on or a reason to move to a larger system.

Example request

Write your own request

More vendors listed on SaaSBid

• The Finance LeadMonth-end close checklists with evidence, signoff and reminders

Accounting Software FAQ

The bottom line

Start by removing any product that does not suit your stage, then check user limits, invoice caps and accountant access against your real numbers. Most buyers end up comparing two or three tools. A precise request on SaaSBid tells vendors your volumes, bank accounts and payroll needs, so the offers you get back are comparable and carry fewer surprise add-ons.

Related categories

• Invoicing Software
• Expense Management Software
• Payroll Software
• ERP Software