accounting systems business plan

Accounting Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Accounting Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their accounting firms. 

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write an accounting business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is an Accounting Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your accounting business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for Your Accounting Firm

If you’re looking to start an accounting firm or grow your existing accounting business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your accounting business to improve your chances of success. Your accounting business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Accounting Firms

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for an accounting firm are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for accounting firms.

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How to write a business plan for an accounting firm.

If you want to start an accounting business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your accounting business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of accounting business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an accounting business that you would like to grow, or are you operating an established accounting business you would like to sell? 

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. 

• Give a brief overv iew of the accounting industry. 
• Discuss the type of accounting business you are operating. 
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. 
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team. 
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of accounting business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of accounting firms:

• Full Service Accounting Firm: Offers a wide range of accounting services. 
• Bookkeeping Firm: Typically serves small business clients by maintaining their company finances. 
• Tax Firm: Offers tax accounting services for businesses and individuals. 
• Audit Firm: Offers auditing services for companies, organizations, and individuals. 

In addition to explaining the type of accounting business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of clients served, or the amount of revenue earned. 
• Your legal business structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the accounting industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the accounting industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating. 

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your accounting business plan:

• How big is the accounting industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your accounting business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your accounting business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, organizations, government entities, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of accounting business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are othe r accounting firms. 

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes CPAs, other accounting service providers, or bookkeeping firms. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of accounting business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide options for multiple customer segments?
• Will you offer products or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a accounting business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type o f accounting company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide auditing services, tax accounting, bookkeeping, or risk accounting services?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of yo ur plan, yo u are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your accounting company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your accounting business located in a busy retail district, a business district, a standalone office, or purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your accounting marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites 
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your accounting business, including answering calls, scheduling meetings with clients, billing and collecting payments, etc. 

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth client, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your accounting business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your accounting business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company. 

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing accounting businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing an accounting business or bookkeeping firm.   

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance s heet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you see 5 clients per day, and/or offer discounts for referrals ? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your accounting business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt. 

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a accounting business:

• Cost of equipment and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or a list of your most prominent clients.    Summary Writing a business plan for your accounting business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the accounting business plan example above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the accounting industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful accounting business.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Accounting business plan?

  OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how a Growthink business plan writer can create your business plan for you.   Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

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Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample.

1. Don't worry about finding an exact match

We have over 550 sample business plan templates . So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details.

Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

3. Know why you're writing a business plan

To create a plan that fits your needs , you need to know what you intend to do with it.

Are you planning to use your plan to apply for a loan or pitch to investors? Then it's worth following the format from your chosen sample plan to ensure you cover all necessary information.

But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

More business planning resources

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Business Plan Template

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How to Write a Business Plan

How to Start a Business With No Money

10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

Industry Business Planning Guides

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How to create an effective business plan for an accounting firm, filter by category.

Thinking of starting your own accounting firm? That's great! Getting success in the high-demand finance industry needs persistence, hard work, and proper planning.

Yes, a detailed accounting firm business plan! Whether you are preparing to raise funding, applying for loans, or want to expand the company—a business plan is the key to all. 

But do you know how to write one? Worry not, you are at the right place. This guide on writing an accounting business plan effectively will help you get started. 

Why do you need a business plan for your accounting firm?

If you're planning to launch a new accounting firm or thinking of expanding the existing one, a well-crafted business plan is essential. It does not only act as a roadmap for your firm's growth, but it also improves your chances of securing funding if required. 

It also outlines the goals and strategies of the company, allowing you to make strong decisions that align with its long-term goals.

How to write an accounting firm business plan?

Writing an effective business plan is critical for the success of your accounting firm. It acts as a roadmap for your business. But writing it includes many steps—if you need help you can use any business planning software for support. Various steps to include in the plan are: 

1. Executive summary 

An executive summary is a brief overview of the entire business plan. It acts as a hook to engage readers, motivating them to further explore your business plan. 

This section should include important details such as mission, goals, services briefs, marketing & sales strategies, and financial goals.

The executive summary should be concise yet comprehensive, giving readers a clear understanding of your firm's potential and value proposition.

2. Company description 

Now, this is the section where you give a detailed description of your accounting firm. 

Start the section by mentioning the legal structure of your accounting firm, whether it's a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC) , or corporation. 

Also, highlight your firm's mission, values, long-term vision of the firm, location of your business, and business history (if any). You should also mention the owners of the business along with their experience and educational qualifications. 

3. Market analysis

Before you start writing your business plan, conduct market research . Identify the size and scope of the market, including the number of accounting firms. 

First, define your target market based on your research. Understand all their pain points and accounting needs, so you can customize your services accordingly. 

After that, do the competitive analysis. Identify your direct and indirect competitors, and conduct a SWOT analysis to understand your unique selling propositions. 

Mention any industry trends. You can adapt your strategies by staying informed about all the trends.

Finally, add the legal regulations you need to follow to run the accounting business in a particular location. Mention about all the licenses or permits your business needs. 

4. Accounting services

This is the section, where you highlight all the services and mention how you are the best in providing them. 

Give a detailed description of each service you provide. It can be about tax preparation, auditing, bookkeeping, or consulting. You can also mention the specialized services if you provide any such as business valuation, acquisition support, or anything else. 

Mention if you use any special software or technology to provide such services. For example, any accounting software, client portal software , communication tools, etc. 

5. Marketing and sales strategies

After mentioning your services, you need to highlight sales and marketing strategies to show how will you reach the customers. 

Here, you need to identify the types of customers you are going to serve. For example, individuals, firms, small businesses, startups, or NPOs. Once you know the target audience, describe your strategies to attract them. Not only attract them but also retain the existing customers. 

Some strategies your accounting firm can use are networking events, social media marketing, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, etc. 

6. Operational plan

The main essence of an operational plan is to showcase how you work daily. Here explain the procedure of the services you provide. 

For example, a client needs to register first, then schedule a meeting with the accountant, and then that particular accountant will be in the touch with client throughout. 

With the procedure, you need to mention the timeline too, in which you will provide the services. Along with all these, mention in detail all the technologies or software you plan to purchase like project management tool , bookkeeping & accounting software, file sharing software , or some other. 

7. Management team

Introduce your accounting firm's key members along with their roles, experience, and educational qualifications. This will build trust for your audience about who is behind the firm and how reliable they are. 

Include brief biographies or resumes of each key team member to show their expertise. You also need to give details about the CEO or the owners of the firm. 

Additionally, showcase the organizational structure of your team members and who will report to whom. Do not forget to include any advisory board or third-party consultants, if you have hired any. 

8. Financial plan

Here, you have to show the financial health of your accounting firm. You need to present the financial forecasts of the firm for at least three to five years. 

The financial forecasts should include profit & loss statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and cash flow tools .

With one view of the financial plan, your audience should get to know how much profit your business will make in the future. They should also get to know about the break-even point of the business. 

9. Funding request

In the funding request section, mention the financial ask you need for your business. For that, you need to calculate the startup costs first and be clear about your requirements from investors or bankers. 

Provide a breakdown of the funding required for various purposes, such as office rent, staff salaries, marketing, technology, and equipment. 

Highlight the potential return on investment for investors, including projected revenue growth and profitability. If you are not writing the accounting firm's business plan for funding then you can skip this section. 

10. Appendix

An appendix is kind of your supporting section, which has all the documents that support the main content of the whole business plan. 

This might include resumes of the team members, detailed financial projections, customer feedback, legal documents, or any other additional information that you feel like to be added. 

Including all this additional information can help provide a wider view of your accounting firm and support your business plan.

How Clinked Can Help You

Starting the adventure of managing an accounting firm can be significantly smoother with the right technological partners. Clinked is here to supercharge your firm’s operational capabilities and client interactions.

Here’s how Clinked can be a game-changer for your business:

• Secure Client Portal: Imagine a world where your clients have continuous access to a secure, branded client portal for your accounting firm . Here, they can view their financial documents, share necessary files, and communicate effortlessly with your team. This transparency not only boosts client satisfaction but also enhances client retention.
• Effortless Real-Time Collaboration: With Clinked, gone are the days of back-and-forth emails and disconnected workflows. Your team can now edit business documents simultaneously, streamline processes, and ensure that every financial statement or tax filing is perfect the first time around.
• Streamlined Task Management: Keep your projects on track with Clinked’s intuitive task management tools. Assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress in a way that ensures your team is always productive and no client query goes unanswered.

• Uncompromised Security and Compliance: In the realm of accounting, securing sensitive information is paramount. Clinked fortifies your client data with state-of-the-art security measures and ensures compliance with the latest financial regulations, thereby nurturing trust and maintaining your firm’s esteemed reputation.
• Mobile Accessibility: In today’s fast-paced world, access to information on the go is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. With Clinked’s mobile app, your team and clients can remain connected and operational from anywhere, at any time, facilitating unparalleled flexibility and responsiveness.

By integrating Clinked into your daily operations, you not only streamline complex processes but also enhance your firm’s overall productivity and client service capabilities. With Clinked, you’re not just surviving in the competitive accounting industry; you’re thriving.

So that's it! That is how you write an effective accounting firm business plan. If you are still confused about how to write one, then in this AI phase, you can use an AI business plan generator to write your plan or free business plan template.

Using an AI business plan generator can save you time and effort, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. Therefore, using these tools can be beneficial for business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals.

Alongside AI tools, integrating platforms like Clinked can further enhance your business operations and client interactions. Clinked offers a secure, customizable client portal, real-time collaboration tools, and mobile access to manage your business effectively from anywhere. These features ensure that your accounting firm not only meets but exceeds client expectations, setting you apart in a competitive industry. Embrace these technological solutions, and propel your firm towards a successful future.

• How To Start An Accounting Firm
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How To Write a Winning Accountant Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for accountant businesses who want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every accountant business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is an Accountant Business Plan?

An accountant business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write an Accountant Business Plan?

An accountant business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Accountant Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful accountant business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of an accountant business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your accountant company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your accountant business , you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your accountant firm, mention this.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of an accountant business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the accountant industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, the customers of an accountant business may include small business owners, individuals with complex financial situations, or other businesses that need accounting assistance.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or accountant services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or, you may promote your accountant business via word-of-mouth or referrals from satisfied customers.

Operations Plan

This part of your accountant business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for an accountant business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include adding new products or services, expanding to new markets, or opening new locations.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific accountant industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Accountant Business

Balance Sheet

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Accountant Business

Cash Flow Statement

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup accountant business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Accountant Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your accountant company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

The goal of any business plan is to provide a roadmap for the future. A winning accountant business plan does this by providing a detailed overview of your company, its operations, and its financials. If you are seeking funding, your business plan should also include an appendix with your full financial projections and supporting documentation.  

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10 Step Guide to a Successful Accounting Systems Implementation

A good accounting system makes running your business so much easier, yet implementing a new accounting system is no easy feat. It can take anywhere from months to years. The implementation process is also ripe for errors if not planned correctly.

Consequently, you need to treat your accounting systems implementation as a full-stop business project. By following a proven process, you can maximize your implementation speed and accuracy while minimizing disruption to your business.

Keep reading to learn a step-by-step process to accounting systems implementation.

The Three Approaches to Systems Implementation

You can implement your new accounting system in one of three ways.

The switch happens all at once. Everyone in your business begins using the new system on the same date. From that moment on, no one uses the old system unless they need to reference past data.

Big Bang implementations gone wrong can lead to delays and push you over your budget. If something isn’t working correctly, your employees may become frustrated, too.

Parallel Running

Parallel running is considered the safest approach to implementation. Users use both systems at the same time. In doing so, they can gradually learn the new system while being able to fall back on the old system. Plus, you can identify and fix problems while still having the old system as a safety net.

The downside is additional time investment from the users. They’ll have to input the same data twice — and one of those inputs will occur in an unfamiliar system.

Phased Adoption/Rollout

Phased adoption implements the new system in chunks. More important modules are implemented first.

Phased adoption tends to have higher integration costs than the other two methods.

The Accounting Systems Implementation Process

When you purchase an accounting system, the software company will provide you a skilled consultant to help you implement the whole thing.

Additionally, most software companies will send you a project manager to oversee the implementation.

With that said, here is your accounting systems implementation process.

1. Implementation Planning/Project Initiation

First, you’ll need to define several core pieces of the project.

• Assumptions
• Deliverables

When you’ve defined these, you should have a plan in place for the entire project.

Review your business’s processes and requirements as well. Find areas that need improvement as well as areas that are doing well. Factor these into your project plan.

2. Software Installation

Now, you’ll need to install the software onto your computers. You’ll want to ensure your hardware and network can support your new system as well as have any necessary hardware set up. 

3. Team Project Training

At this point, you aren’t training staff on how to use the systems. Instead, you’re teaching them how to participate in the implementation process so that things run as smoothly as possible.

4. System Design

The software’s installed, and your staff knows how to be a part of implementation. Before you can configure the system to fit your business, you need a system design plan. This plan will include information about all functional areas, transactions, processes, security, and database/coding structures.

At the end of this stage, you’ll have a system design document that demonstrates that your end goal for the implementation is achievable. This document should be detailed enough so that a consultant can configure the system to your liking.

5. Accounting System Configuration

Now, you work with the consultant to configure your accounting system to fit your business based on the system design document. Everything should be tested to ensure its working in this phase.

You’ll then sign off on this to state that the system is acceptable.

6. Clean Up Records in Old System

Before migrating your data over, clean up your records in the old system with which you’re familiar. Doing so will make the transition to the new system much more manageable.

7. Data Migration

Time to move all data from your legacy system to your new system. You should have a plan in place for all activities required in moving to the new system.

8. Systems Training

Before reaching this phase, you need a training plan in place. You may need to work with the consultant to create training materials covering all new software functions.

When you have these training materials, you can teach your staff how to use the software so your business runs smoothly.

It’s important to time this right. You want to train your employees far enough ahead of going live — but if you train them too early, they may forget how to use the system.

Finally, you go live with the software. You make the full, final transition to the new system.

10. Post-Implementation Support

Your software company should now provide on-going support through a helpdesk or something similar. Additionally, they may offer free resources — such as webinars — to train your employees on how to use the system better.

Upgrading to a new accounting system (or launching your first one) can pay off in spades. But are the time and resources involved holding you back? CFO Hub can take much of this monumental task off your hands so you can get back to growing your business. Contact us today for your free, no-obligation consultation.

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The 9 Best Small-Business Accounting Software of 2023

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *Only available for businesses with an annual revenue beneath $50K USD **Current offer: 50% off for 3 mos. or 30-day free trial †Current offer: 50% off for three months or 30-day free trial ‡Current offer: 75% off for 3 mos. Available for new customers only

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The bottom line:  Xero is our favorite accounting service for small businesses. With free unlimited users, it's an excellent pick for collaborative businesses like multi-partner LLCs. Its low starting price and excellent app also make it a prime fit for freelancers, contractors, and other sole proprietors.

Wave Accounting is a good free accounting option for budget-cautious freelancers and small-business owners.  QuickBooks Online works well for business owners who value solid reporting and tax tracking. Zoho Books affordably automates key tasks that can suck up business owners’ time. FreshBooks is a good alternative for business owners who want unlimited invoices.

• Wave : Budget pick
• Zoho Books : Best features
• Xero : Best overall accounting software
• QuickBooks : Most user-friendly
• FreshBooks : Best invoicing

If you're searching for accounting software that's user-friendly, full of smart features, and scales with your business, Quickbooks is a great option.

Compare the year's best accounting software

Wave is the most affordable accounting software

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

For exactly $0, Wave presents you with a slick, user-friendly dashboard and a slew of features that rival those of paid accounting systems. For instance, Wave Accounting includes multi-currency support, expense tracking, unlimited invoicing, unlimited bank account connections and double-entry accounting —a more accurate method of accounting that FreshBooks' basic business accounting plan notably lacks.

Wave also lets you juggle multiple businesses with the same account. If you're an Amazon or eBay seller who also manages a small team of contractors, you can track both sets of finances without paying anything.

Even though Wave has a useful payroll tool , its accounting software isn't necessarily right for businesses with dozens of employees. Since Wave offers just one accounting plan, businesses can't scale up to plans that include more accounting tasks for growing businesses. And Wave's lack of inventory tracking makes it better matched to service-based solopreneurs and freelancers who don't need both accounting and inventory software.

Zoho Books is the most comprehensive accounting software

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *Only available for businesses with an annual revenue of <$50K USD. Paid plans start at $15.00 a month when billed annually.

Zoho Books  automates the most common (and, let's face it, boring) bookkeeping tasks —which means you can dedicate more time to your business and customers and less time to the tedious task of data entry. Most notably, it lets you set automatic customer payment reminders, create recurring expense profiles, and manage 1099 contractors.

Plus, Zoho Books is just one piece of software in the larger suite of Zoho products. Each Zoho product integrates easily with the rest, which means that along with accounting, you can use Zoho for project management , inventory management , and customer relationship management (CRM)—just for a start.

Here's the best part:  if you make under $50K a year, you can take advantage of Zoho Books' free plan . Otherwise, Zoho Books starts at $15 a month if you pay annually or $20 if you pay month to month. The cheapest plan includes three users, but you can also pay an extra $2.50 per month for each additional user. That’s a standout bargain, especially compared to FreshBooks' extra $10 per user per month. Zoho also offers discounts to nonprofits—one reason it's among our top financial management software picks for nonprofits that need true fund accounting .

Unfortunately, even though it’s a solid accounting tool, Zoho Books has one huge flaw: Zoho doesn't offer a payroll plan integration unless you live in California, Texas, or India. And it doesn't integrate with third-party payroll providers either. Instead, you have to manually update the payroll-related aspects of your books, which detracts from Zoho's primary perk of automation in a big way.

Similarly, Zoho Books’s cheapest plan doesn’t include automatic journal entry creation. Instead, whenever you debit or credit an account, you’ll have to manually create an entry. If you log more than a few transactions a month, the lack of automation adds major time and hassle—you’ll want the $40 a month (or $50, billed monthly) Professional plan instead.

Xero is the best overall accounting software

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *Current promotion: 75% off for three months. Offer available for new customers only.

We love Xero for its robust features and low starting price. For the regular price of just $13 a month, Xero lets you send custom invoices, reconcile bank transactions , capture receipts for easier record keeping, and track inventory.

But as a small-business accounting tool, Xero really stands out on the collaboration front. Unlike nearly every other accounting solution (including QuickBooks and FreshBooks ), all of Xero's accounting and inventory software plans include unlimited users. You don't have to pay extra to delegate responsibilities like bank reconciliation or expense tracking to another team member: time-saving collaboration is built into your price.

However, Xero's $13 a month plan limits you to entering only five bills and sending only 20 invoices a month. You can send unlimited invoices and quotes with only the Growing and Established plans, which start at $37 and $70 a month, respectively. Plus, you can only track expenses with the priciest plan. In contrast, both QuickBooks and FreshBooks offer small-business expense tracking up front.

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QuickBooks Online is the most user-friendly accounting software

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *30-day free trial or 50% off for three months. Price increases to $30.00/mo. after promotional period.

QuickBooks is easily one of the most popular financial, tax, and accounting software options in the world. And while QuickBooks Desktop (especially the fairly comprehensive, comparatively affordable QuickBooks Pro Plus) is still an option for those who prefer desktops, QuickBooks Online is Intuit’s cloud-accounting software solution.

The basic Intuit QuickBooks Online plan includes typical features like invoicing, billing, and receipt scanning along with more comprehensive tracking than many competitors:

• Mileage tracking
• Sales tax tracking
• Automatic tax deduction categorization
• 1099 contractor payment tracking
• Thorough reporting, including accounts receivable

QuickBooks also has the absolute best mobile accounting app you can find. The app can do basically everything the software can (a rarity for any software provider, no matter the industry). If you work on the go, QuickBooks's app, which includes mobile mileage tracking, might make it a good fit.

Intuit QuickBooks's online reporting and tracking features come at a price, though: its cheapest small-business plan starts at $30 a month and restricts you to one user plus an accountant. The priciest plan, which includes 25 users, starts at $200 a month.

At $15 a month, QuickBooks Self-Employed is a cheaper financial management option. However, QuickBooks Self-Employed targets freelancers with just a few clients and limited expenses. Instead, it's primarily an invoicing, mileage-tracking, and tax-tracking plan. That means it helps sole proprietors who file Schedule C forms maximize their tax returns, but it's not a fully featured bookkeeping or accounting app for other business owners.

FreshBooks is the best software for invoicing

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *30-day free trial or 50% off for 3 mos. Price increases to $17.00/mo. when promotional period ends.

FreshBooks’s combination of stellar features, customizable invoices, and well-reviewed mobile apps make it pretty much perfect—especially for freelancers. Unlike Xero , FreshBooks lets you send an unlimited number of invoices and estimates with every plan. Each plan also includes time tracking for easier, more accurate client billing. FreshBooks’s built-in small-business expense tracking helps you maintain a balanced budget. And, like QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks includes built-in mileage tracking—a must for freelancers who plan to claim mileage expenses on their year-end tax forms.

But while FreshBooks doesn’t limit your invoices, it does limit the number of customers you can bill each month. You can send your customers an unlimited amount of invoices, but the cheapest plan limits that client number to just five.

Additionally, FreshBooks doesn’t include bank reconciliation with its cheapest plan. Since bank reconciliation is an absolutely foundational accounting task, we can only recommend FreshBooks’s cheapest plan to freelancers or brand-new startups with just a few transactions a month.

Accounting software honorable mentions

Not sold on our top picks? Here are five more small-business accounting software options that could work better for you.

• Sage Accounting : Best user experience runner-up
• OneUp : Best for sales teams
• Kashoo : Easiest setup
• ZipBooks : Most affordable runner-up

Top feature comparison: Accounting software honorable mentions

Sage Business Cloud Accounting: Best user-experience runner-up

Sage Business Cloud Accounting’s cheapest plan lets you create invoices, track amounts owed, and automatically reconcile your bank accounts . If you’re willing to pay a bit more ($25 a month), Sage Accounting adds unlimited users, quotes, estimates, cash flow forecasting, and purchase invoice management.

Unfortunately, Sage charges extra for receipt scanning, a feature competitors like Wave, FreshBooks, Xero, and QuickBooks include for free. And Sage’s pricier plan has built-in features than, say, Xero’s cheapest plan. (On the other hand, Sage's accounting system doesn’t limit your monthly invoice amount).

If you're looking for industry-specific accounting software, Sage some standout solutions beyond Sage Business Cloud Accounting. For instance, Sage 100 Contractor is a preferred accounting option for professionals in the construction business . And Sage Intacct is one of the best accounting services for nonprofits. 

Sage Business Cloud is currently offering new customers 70% off for their first six months of Sage Accounting—which typically costs $25 a month. With the discount, your price goes down to $7.50 for six months. If you're considering Sage, we highly recommend taking advantage of the discount to save more than $100. 

OneUp: Best for sales teams

All of OneUp's plans include customer relationship management (CRM) features, which makes it perfectly suited to sales teams that frequently follow up with customers. Plus, it's affordable: pricing for one user starts at $9 per month. If you’re a Mac user, though, you’re out of luck: OneUp works only for Windows users. And while every OneUp plan includes all of OneUp’s features, its plans limit your user numbers. Only the priciest plan, which starts at $169 a month, includes unlimited users.

Kashoo: Easiest setup

Got a minute to spare? You can set up Kashoo in 60 or so seconds, and the app immediately starts to categorize your expenses and learn your business spending habits. Like Zoho Books, Kashoo's automation is its selling point—and unlike Zoho Books, it syncs with SurePayroll , one of our top payroll providers . 

Kashoo's accounting software starts at $20 a month. If you’re looking for a cheaper solution, Kashoo offers an invoice-centric plan for $0.00. Along with sending invoices, you can use the free plan to track expenses, accept online payments, and send estimates. We're not sure if the free plan lets you track income and expenses or not—Kashoo's site gives contradictory answers.

Either way, though, it looks like Kashoo is  planning  on developing expense and income tracking for its free plan, if it doesn't include those two features already.

ZipBooks: Most affordable runner-up

If you don't need quite as many features as Wave offers, ZipBooks is a solid free accounting software alternative . Even though it's free, it doesn't limit the number of invoices you can send (like Xero) or clients you can bill (like FreshBooks) per month—you can access unlimited customizable invoices and accept payments too. ZipBooks' paid plan starts at $15 a month and offers better bookkeeping and automation features than its free accounting plan. But if you prefer your accounting tools on the go, look elsewhere. ZipBooks' iOS app has disappeared from the App Store, and it's never had a Google Play app worth mentioning.

The takeaway

If you want fully featured accounting software with an excellent app, clean dashboard, and affordable price, we recommend Xero . Based on its features and pricing alone, it's a great bookkeeping and accounting company for most business types, from freelancers to LLCs. 

All of our other picks have something to offer too, so if you find Xero isn't a good fit, try one of these alternatives: 

• QuickBooks Online is an extremely comprehensive accounting solution with one of the best accounting apps and most thorough financial statements you can find. With up to 25 users, its most expensive plan suits bigger businesses with large, collaborative accounting teams.
• FreshBooks easily offers the best invoicing of any provider on our list. Its invoice, estimate, and payment acceptance features make it ideal for on-the-go contractors and freelancers who frequently collaborate with clients.
• Zoho Books has about as many features as QuickBooks at a lower price and a low additional user fee. Its free plan is perfect for freelancers who want solid reporting and financial tracking without any overwhelming bells and whistles (for instance, QuickBooks' dozens of customizable reports). 
• Wave Accounting is the best free accounting solution for most freelancers, contractors, and other small-business owners. While it has fewer financial reports than other accounting systems, it's perfect if you juggle multiple businesses, want to add multiple users, or need unlimited expense tracking.

Finding the best online accounting software for your small business can seriously transform your working life. With less time spent on data entry, you have more time for the things you like most about small-business ownership, whether that's getting to know customers or making products you're proud of.

Most of our top accounting software picks include a free trial, so don't be shy about trying a few different brands if you don't hit on your favorite right away.

Need to pair payroll software with your new small-business bookkeeping and accounting software? Head over to our piece on the best payroll software for small businesses.

Still not sure which accounting provider is right for you? Answer some questions about your small business and we'll pair you with customized software options.

How to choose accounting software

We're going to walk you through the 10 best accounting software solutions below, but these are the best options out there—so how can you decide which one will work best for your business? First of all, you should talk to your accountant or financial professional for their input. Then work with your accountant to evaluate software based on the following criteria: 

• Price . Accounting software costs as little as nothing and as much as several hundred dollars a month. Free software usually offers fewer features than paid software, so we recommend it primarily to freelancers, solopreneurs, and businesses with few employees. Bigger businesses should plan on spending quite a bit more per month—or even on outsourcing to a virtual accountant .
• Accounting and bookkeeping features . At minimum, accounting software should sync with your business bank accounts to help you track each financial transaction. Even the most bare-bones financial software should include features like invoicing, expense and income tracking, bank reconciliation , and mileage tracking .
• Automation . Most paid accounting solutions will automatically generate journal entries for your chart of accounts every time you accept a payment or pay a bill. Some automatically reconcile your bank accounts, and still others automatically sync with your payroll software to keep your accounts in order. The more automation, the more time saved (hypothetically, at least)—but the more you'll pay for your software too. 
• User-friendly interface . If you can't figure out how to use your software, the amount of bookkeeping features it has doesn't matter. Before you commit to a plan, sign up for a demo or a free trial to get the hang of the software and find out if the interface simplifies your financial life or complicates it. 
• Number of users . If you're a sole proprietor, you probably don't need to worry about finding software that lets you add multiple users. (Typically, even the cheapest base plans should include access for both you and  an accountant for free.) But if you aren't the only person responsible for your business's finances, you'll want to look into software that lets you add multiple users, potentially with different permission levels.

Want to learn a little more about bookkeeping and accounting before you dive into our top reviews? Start out with our small-business accounting guide .

Accounting software FAQ

Xero offers fantastic accounting features at a reasonable starting price, but the best accounting software option for you depends on your business’s unique needs and budget. For instance, Wave works very well for freelancers on a budget, QuickBooks helps small-business owners who travel a lot for work, and FreshBooks’s customizable invoices are great for business owners who frequently collaborate with clients. Do you work off a Mac? Check out the best small business accounting software for Macs . 

QuickBooks Online  is definitely among the most popular accounting software for small businesses, and its thorough accounting features definitely make it the best accounting software for many users.

However, being popular isn't the same as being the best. Sure, QuickBooks could be the best software for your small business, or you might find its prices too high and its features too limited. Depending on what you need, another bookkeeping software pick like FreshBooks or Sage could be better for your business. Not sure what your other options are? Check out our list of the year's best QuickBooks alternatives to get started.

What is the easiest accounting software to use?

QuickBooks Online has a longstanding reputation as one of the easiest accounting software programs to use. The dashboard is well organized with clear graphics for each feature and easy-to-read reports that simplify finances for non-accountant business owners. 

That said, all five of the best accounting software for small-business owners on our list are impressively user friendly. We especially want to call attention to Xero and Zoho Books: Zoho Books' automation nicely complements its accessible dashboard, and Xero's integration with over 1,000 third-party apps simplifies business processes immensely.  

What is accounting software?

Accounting software is software that automates the most important bookkeeping tasks for small businesses. Depending on the type of accounting software you invest in, the software will help you create and send invoices, track projects and spending, and much more. 

Most small-business owners don't have an accounting background but need to carefully track their business's finances to make sure they're turning a profit. User-friendly accounting software was built specifically for non-accountant business owners, and it automatically tracks finances for you so you can spend your time on tasks you like more, such as finding customers and completing projects.  

Accounting software also generates financial reports for you, which is a crucial part of creating a small business that many first-time business owners aren't aware of.  You usually need to submit financial documents like profit and loss reports as part of your business taxes each year. Additionally, you need thorough documentation to secure a small-business loan or appeal to eventual shareholders. 

While you can  track data and create financial documents by hand, accounting software can do it for you—and while requiring less time, effort, and energy on your part.

What are the benefits of small-business accounting software?

The most important benefit of small-business accounting software is probably the time it saves. Once you sync your bank account and credit cards to your accounting program, the software automatically imports your financial transactions. This ensures you're always working with the most up-to-date numbers as you're making crucial business decisions. 

Most accounting software also streamlines traditionally time-consuming tasks like these: 

• Invoicing, including sending invoices and late-payment reminders 
• Automating bill payments
• Reminding you of quarterly tax deadlines
• Pre-filling some tax forms
• Generating common financial documents that help you (and related parties like lenders and shareholders) see where your business stands 
• Tracking mileage to simplify end-of-year tax write-offs
• Uploading receipts for easier categorization
• Automatic expense categorization

Most accounting software also syncs with payroll software so you don't have to transfer your paycheck data into your general ledger by hand.

If you don't use accounting software, you'll probably catalogue your financial transactions by hand using a spreadsheet . This method can be cheaper, but it means you're doing every financial task on your own. Not only will you spend hours of your time painstakingly entering and categorizing data, but you'll have a harder time catching mistakes.

In other words, doing accounting by hand is possible—but it's also more complicated, time consuming, and error-prone. 

How much does accounting software for small businesses cost?

Business accounting software can cost as little as $0. Free accounting software options like Wave Accounting and Zoho Books (which has a free plan for businesses that make less than $50K USD in revenue per year) remove the hassle of by-hand financial data entry without subtracting cash from your bottom line. 

If you want more features than just the basics, accounting software typically starts around $10 to $15 a month. Xero, for instance, charges $13 for its most basic plan while FreshBooks starts at $15. QuickBooks Online generally has the highest starting prices in the industry at $30 a month for a basic plan.

What accounting software do bookkeepers use?

Many bookkeepers and accountants use QuickBooks to track their clients' finances, including both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop . However, while QuickBooks is still the most popular accounting software for small-business owners and bookkeepers alike, a growing number of CPAs use QuickBooks alternatives like Xero, FreshBooks, and Sage Business Cloud to collaborate with their clients. 

Additionally, many outsourced bookkeeping companies use proprietary in-house software to keep their customers' books.

What is the best free accounting software for small businesses?

Wave Accounting is one of the most fully featured free accounting software options for small businesses. Its user-friendly dashboard, low learning curve, and easy expense tracking make it ideal for freelancers and small-business owners who don't mind finding another app to manage inventory. It’s also a lot more comprehensive than most other free cloud-accounting software options.

But if Wave doesn’t have the right features for your small business, you do have other free accounting options— ZipBooks , SlickPie , or another free accounting software provider could work better for you.

Can I use accounting software with payroll software?

Most accounting software providers sync with one or more popular payroll providers (Zoho Books, which doesn’t sync with most payroll software, is a notable exception). Xero, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks all sync with Gusto , our favorite payroll provider for small businesses. At $39 plus $6 per user per month, Gusto is also fairly reasonably priced.

Of the accounting software providers listed here, only QuickBooks and Wave offer payroll plans in all 50 states. Of the two, we recommend Wave Payroll over QuickBooks Payroll , which is on the pricier end and doesn’t offer a tax-filing guarantee—a key industry standard you should expect from any payroll provider.

Methodology

To find and rank the best accounting software for freelancers and small-business owners, we carefully examined each accounting company's performance in a few crucial areas: 

• Bookkeeping and accounting features , such as bank reconciliation, journal entry generation, charts of accounts, receipt scanning, invoicing, and expense and invoice tracking
• Pricing , including the number of features with each plan, user limits, and additional fees
• Scalability for growing businesses , including the number. of plans and user limits included with each plan
• Customer support , including customer service hours, means of contact, and overall customer reputation on consumer review sites like Trustradius, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau
• User-friendliness , including learning curve, mobile app access, dashboard functionality, setup tutorials, and overall interface design

We weighted each category equally to derive our star ratings, along with our accounting expert's opinion and advice. Star ratings are subject to frequent review and may change.

Related reading

• Wave vs. QuickBooks Online
• FreshBooks vs. Xero
• FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks Online
• Accounting 101: A Guide for Small-Business Owners

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.

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How to do accounting for small business: basics of accounting.

Accounting for small businesses is done by keeping a complete record of all the income and expenses and accurately extracting financial information from business transactions.

This is a necessary chore that helps small business owners track and manage their money effectively – especially during the early stages. Besides keeping you cognizant about your business’ past and present performance, small business accounting also helps in generating invoices and completing payroll.

What this article covers:

How Do You Do Bookkeeping for a Small Business?

How do i set up a small business accounting system, do you need an accountant for a small business.

Analyzing Financial Transactions

The process of accounting starts with analyzing financial transactions and entering the ones pertaining to the business entity into the accounting system . For example, loans taken for personal reasons are not included in the business documents

The first step of the accounting process involves the preparation of source documents. A source document or business document serves as the foundation for recording a transaction.

Journal Entries

Business transactions are recorded in a journal (also known as Books of Original Entry) in a chronological order using the double-entry bookkeeping system. The journal entries include two accounts – debit and credit .

To make this process easier, accountants use a special journal to record recurring transactions such as purchases, sales, cash receipts etc. the transactions that cannot be included in the special journals are recorded in the general journal.

The general ledger is a collection of accounts that display the changes made to each account based on past transactions, along with the current balances in each account. It is also known as the Books of Final Entry.

Unadjusted Trial Balance

A trial balance is prepared to test if the total debits equal total credits. The accounts are extracted from the ledger and arranged in a report. The balances of the debit and credit columns should be equal.

If not, the trial balance contains errors which need to be located and rectified with correcting entries. It’s important to note that some errors may exist despite the debits equaling credits, such as errors caused by double posting or due to the omission of entries.

Adjusting Entries

At the end of the accounting period, the accountant must prepare the adjusting entries to update the accounts that are summarized in the financial statements. For example, income earned but not recorded in the books.

Adjusting entries are made for accrual of income and expenses, depreciation , allowances, deferrals and prepayments.

Adjusted Trial Balance

Once the adjusting entries are made, an adjusted trial balance must be prepared. This is done to test if the debits match the credits after the adjusting entries are made. This is the final step before the preparation of the business’ financial statements.

Financial Statements

The financial statements which include the income statement , statement of changes in equity, balance sheet , statement of cash flow and notes are the end products of the accounting system.

Also Read: How to Make Financial Statement for Small Business

Closing Entries

To prepare the system for the next accounting, temporary accounts that are measure periodically, including the  income, expense and withdrawal accounts, are closed. The balance sheet accounts also called the permanent accounts, remain open for the next accounting cycle.

The last step of the accounting cycle is to prepare a post-closing trial balance to test the equality of the debits and credit amounts after the closing entries are made. This trial balance contains real accounts only as the temporary accounts are closed this accounting cycle.

If you want to learn more about bookkeeping and the correct methods, follow our guide titled How to Become a Bookkeeper .

Open a Business Bank Account

When you start a business, open a separate business bank account that will keep your business finances separate from your personal ones.

Choosing an Accounting Method

When setting up accounting for startups , you need to choose a method of recording financial transactions. There are basically two methods of recording income and expenses – the cash basis and the accrual basis of accounting.

Under the cash-basis method of accounting, you record income and expenses when cash transactions are done. For example, you record revenue for a product only when the customer pays you for the product.

Accrual basis

While cash basis may be easier to use, most businesses choose the accrual basis accounting for recording transactions. Under this method, you record income when you make a sale and expenses when you incur them. This is irrespective of whether you received or paid cash for the product or service. You must use a double-entry accounting system and record two entries for every transaction.

Recording Transactions

As a small business owner , you have the option of hiring an accountant, recording transactions by hand or using an accounting software to record your business transactions.

Compile a Chart of Accounts

A   chart of accounts lists all business transaction and is used to compile statements, review progress and locate transactions. These charts have to be updated often to include various business transactions.

Determine your Payment Terms

Based on the nature of your business, you might decide to offer credit to customers. Instead of collecting payments at the point of sale, you may choose to invoice them at a later date.

If you decide to extend credit to customers, you will need a consistent system of creating and sending invoices.

If you’re a small business owner, hiring an accountant for your small business can save you a lot of time and money. Accountants can help small business owners with the following tasks:

• During the formation of your business, an accountant can help you write a business plan
• Advise you on your business’s entity structure
• Help you obtain appropriate licenses such as business licenses, sales tax permits and employment accounts
• Set up your accounting software and chart of accounts when you do not want to incur the bookkeeper’s services on a regular
• Deal with compliance and complex sales tax issues
• Handle complex labor costs including wage and labor compliance issues that can sink even the most profitable businesses.
• Help you meet the requirements for creditors or licensing agencies
• Maintain inventory records by dates purchased, stock numbers, purchase prices, dates sold and sale prices

Small business owners who cannot afford to hire a professional may in the meantime consider automating their small business accounting practices with one of the many cloud-based accounting software applications .

Most of these applications cover the basics of accounting from invoicing, payments and payroll. The software can assist you in keeping accurate records and create basic financial statements.

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The best accounting software makes it easy to track how money moves in and out of your small business and helps you keep a detailed financial record so that you’re ready come tax season.

Our top accounting software picks include:

Best overall: QuickBooks Online .

Best for simplicity: Xero .

Best for freelancers: FreshBooks .

Best free accounting software: Wave .

Below, our full list of the best small-business accounting software includes why we selected each product, monthly price details and features checklists for easy product comparisons.

Why trust NerdWallet

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Objective and comprehensive business accounting software ratings rubric. ( Learn more about our star ratings .)

NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.

• 8 best accounting software solutions for small businesses

• A closer look at our top accounting software picks

QuickBooks Online

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.  

$35 per month for the Simple Start plan.

$65 per month for the Essentials plan.

$99 per month for the Plus plan.

$235 per month for the Advanced plan.

» MORE: Explore all QuickBooks plans and pricing

QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set and scalability. In addition to core accounting capabilities, it has robust reporting and transaction tracking tools, invoicing capabilities, inventory management features and mobile app functionality.

In particular, entrepreneurs trying to measure performance in different segments of their business will like QuickBooks’ granular transaction tracking tools that let you group transactions by department or location, among other categories. Reporting capabilities increase with each plan, but even the least expensive Simple Start plan includes more than 50 reports.

Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.

More than 750 app integrations, including live, in-house bookkeeping.

Robust feature set includes thorough record-keeping, comprehensive reporting, excellent invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.

Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.

Lacks industry-specific features.

Limited account users with each plan.

» MORE: Best alternatives to QuickBooks

Many of the household accounting software names, such as QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho Books, can be classified as integrated accounting software solutions. This means that in addition to maintaining a general ledger and assisting with day-to-day bookkeeping, the software includes functions for tracking accounts receivable and accounts payable , reconciling bank transactions (often with some level of automation for convenience and time-saving), managing inventory and purchase orders and handling the billing process.

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78.  

$15 per month for the Early plan.

$42 per month for the Growing plan.

$78 per month for the Established plan.

Xero is another reliable product when it comes to standard accounting capabilities. It also has excellent reporting features and a capable mobile app as well as a customizable dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels according to their preferences.

Xero allows an unlimited number of users on a single account at each plan level, a valuable feature in situations where several users need some level of access to the system. And you can assign them different permission levels: For example, one user might only be able to create invoice drafts and submit time entries, while another can view reports but not edit transactions. Competitors’ plans limit how many users you can add, or they charge an additional monthly fee for each user, which can add up quickly. Xero offers a large number of integrations, too.

Unlimited users in all pricing plans.

Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.

Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.

Simple layout and easy to use.

No phone number for customer support listed.

Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.

» MORE: Best alternatives to Xero

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.  

$0 per month for the Free plan.

$20 per month for the Standard plan.

$50 per month for the Professional plan.

$70 per month for the Premium plan.

$150 per month for the Elite plan.

$275 per month for the Ultimate plan.

Unlike some competitors, none of Zoho Books’ plans put a limit on billable clients, and even its free plan lets you send up to 1,000 invoices per year. On top of that, the free option offers a customer portal, automatic payment reminders, mileage tracking and the ability to schedule reports. Higher-tier plans let users automate workflows and track project profitability, and give access to advanced inventory and analytics tools.

The software’s mobile-first features — such as the ability to send invoices by iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen to easily access timers and overdue invoices — really help set it apart, though. There’s also an Apple Watch app that lets you track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices.

Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.

Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.

Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.

Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.

Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.

No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).

» MORE: Best Zoho Books alternatives

To find startup accounting software that will best serve your business at any stage, consider scalability as well as strong customer support. You will also want to choose software that uses the accrual basis accounting method for recording transactions. It’s a more detailed (and therefore more involved) method of accounting, but for many businesses — especially those tracking a large amount of inventory and those in need of a business loan — it’s the preferred method.

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.  

$19 per month for the Lite plan.

$33 per month for the Plus plan.

$60 per month for the Premium plan.

Custom pricing for the Select plan.

With standout invoicing features and client management resources, FreshBooks is a great accounting solution for freelancers, particularly if you have 50 or fewer total clients and can therefore opt for the Lite or Plus plan. Your clients can even choose to create their own accounts. This lets them save and comment on invoices, save their payment information, invite others to access the account and collaborate on projects they’ve been invited to view.

Unlike some competitors that require you to pay extra for a time-tracking module, all FreshBooks plans come with unlimited time tracking. You can start a timer from within the mobile app to log hours spent on a particular project or sync data from tools like Asana and Trello.

Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.

Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.

Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.

Weekday phone support in all plans.

Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails for accountants to review.

Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.

Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.

» MORE: Best alternatives to FreshBooks

Sage 50 Accounting

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $101.92, $172.  

$58.92 per month, for 1 user, for the Pro Accounting plan.

$101.92 per month, for 1 user, for the Premium Accounting plan.

$172 per month, for 1 user, for the Quantum Accounting plan.

Prices increase with each additional user.

Sage 50 Accounting, unlike some of its competitors, offers inventory management and job costing features at all plan levels. Also included with every plan is Sage’s own cybersecurity offering, which will keep tabs on your business credit score and monitor for data breaches. Business owners working in construction or manufacturing may be especially drawn to Sage 50’s advanced inventory, job costing, reporting and budgeting capabilities.

Sage 50 Accounting advertises “cloud-connected capabilities,” which refers to a few features of the software that reach beyond typical desktop software functionality: bank feeds, which flow all your business transactions into the software to assist with the reconciliation process; data backups in the cloud for safeguarding your important financial information; and remote data access so you, your team and your accountant can securely access your data from devices other than the machine the software is locally installed on (though perhaps not simultaneously or seamlessly).

Advanced inventory tracking and job costing features.

Industry-specific features for construction, retail and professional services businesses.

Phone and chat support, plus a dedicated account representative in all plans.

Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include audit trails.

Pricier than many other solutions on this list.

Also sometimes called on-premise software, desktop accounting software must be locally installed on a specific computer and can only be accessed from that one device or location. For some small-business owners, this type of program feels more secure than online accounting software from a data protection perspective, though regular manual backups are necessary to protect against total loss of data in the event of a technology failure.

Wave Accounting

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16  

$0 for the Starter plan.

$16 per month for the Pro plan.

Wave is a simple solution for very small businesses that need a place to consolidate bookkeeping records and invoices, but don’t have to log more than a handful of transactions each day. The free version of the accounting software lets you track income and expenses, send unlimited invoices and automatically send reminders for late online payments. It also gives you access to more than a dozen pre-built financial reports, including a profit and loss statement and balance sheet.

If you don’t want to manually enter transactions into Wave, you can opt for the Pro plan to link an unlimited number of bank and credit card accounts for automated reconciliation. The paid plan offers more competitive online payment processing rates, too (starting at 2.9% per transaction vs. the free plan’s 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction).

Free plan available.

Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.

Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human

No third-party integrations, mileage tracking feature or ability to accept in-person card payments.

» MORE : Best free accounting software

QuickBooks Enterprise

Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,922; $2,363; $4,668. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.  

$1,481 per year for the Silver plan.

$1,922 per year for the Gold plan.

$2,363 per year for the Platinum plan.

$4,668 per year for the Diamond plan.

With QuickBooks Enterprise, business owners can set up volume discounts and customize pricing rules according to sales rep, item category or customer in the Platinum plan and up. The same plans help speed up the inventory count process by allowing businesses to use mobile devices as barcode scanners. And unlike some competitors that only track single inventory items, QuickBooks Enterprise lets you track inventory parts plus assemblies. You can also track the cost of goods sold and adjust inventory for loss or shrinkage.

It is possible to purchase cloud access so your team can better collaborate and access the software and its data from anywhere, but costs add up quickly with an additional monthly charge per user.

Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.

More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.

24/7 phone and chat support.

Limited direct, third-party software integrations.

Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license and cloud access costs extra.

Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.  

$35 per month per user for the Standard plan.

$70 per month per user for the Enterprise plan.

With Striven’s integrated accounting software, you have access not only to your general ledger and standard reports like profit and loss but also to tools for accounts receivable and accounts payable plus billing, order management and more. Striven’s accounting software will also help ensure your business is operating in a tax-compliant manner by automating tax calculations and giving you access to various tax reports.

Striven has designed accounting solutions tailored to a dozen industries. Its retail solution, for example, includes CRM, inventory management and marketing features to integrate with its accounting platform. But its nonprofit solution includes tools for managing records and scheduling events and even includes a donation portal. And because it’s a cloud-based system, you’ll be able to access your real-time accounting and other business data on the go from anywhere.

Offers industry-specific features for consulting businesses, nonprofits, manufacturing companies, professional services and more.

Tools to ensure tax compliance.

Other features include inventory tracking, reporting, invoicing, project management tools and the ability to categorize transactions using classes.

Customer support available by phone and live chat.

Monthly costs could add up quickly if you require multiple users.

No mobile app.

Limited third-party integrations available; no POS or payroll integrations.

» MORE: Best business software

• How we determined the best accounting software

NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.

NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software .

These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines .

• How to choose accounting software

Ideally, your accounting software will make your day-to-day routine easier through automation. Here are some key factors to consider when researching and choosing the best accounting software for your small business.

Accessibility: Cloud-based software enables access through any device with an internet connection. This generally allows for easier collaboration with accountants and seamless integration with other business software. Desktop-based software, however, can only be accessed from a single computer.

Scalability: Take a look at products’ plan offerings, including how many employees and users the software can support, to make sure you can upgrade to a more robust version of the software as your business grows. If you anticipate rapid or high growth, consider accounting software for medium-sized businesses . 

Your budget: Determine how much your business can afford to spend monthly on accounting software in conjunction with other recurring costs, like utilities, rent and additional software subscriptions for a POS system or payroll, for example. If you’re a solopreneur and want to keep costs down, check out our list of best accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed .

Ease of use: Accounting software that isn’t intuitive and user-friendly can take up an unnecessary amount of your time or discourage you from using it as often as you should to keep your finances in order. Test out free trials of accounting software, request a demo and watch tutorial videos to get a feel for navigating the software. 

Integrations: Think about the other types of software you already use or plan to use, and check to see if direct integrations are available between those products and the accounting software you’re considering. If not, you may need to pay for an indirect integration or manually transfer data from one product to another. 

Customer support: Think about what time of the day you’re most likely to reach out for assistance and how you’d like to communicate with customer service representatives. Free accounting software options typically offer less robust customer support solutions than paid products do. 

Sharing with your accountant: If you’re working with an outside accountant, take note of how easy (or not) a product makes it for you to share your financial details and reports with your accountant. Many popular accounting software products allow you to easily share access, but some require upgrades to costlier plans for this access and some products only enable you to export data to be sent to your accountant.

How much does accounting software cost?

• Compare more accounting software products

If you’d like to shop by industry, check out NerdWallet’s picks for:

Best church accounting software .

Best construction accounting software .

Best consultant accounting software.

Best e-commerce accounting software .

Best farm accounting software .

Best hotel accounting software .

Best law firm accounting software .

Best manufacturing accounting software .

Best medical accounting software .

Best nonprofit accounting software .

Best property management accounting software .

Best accounting software for Amazon sellers .

Best real estate accounting software .

Best accounting software for restaurants .

Best accounting software for retailers .

Best accounting software for SaaS businesses .

Best trucking accounting software .

• Compare NerdWallet’s top accounting software picks by features

To help determine which accounting software is best for your business, start by comparing each product’s maximum user limit, invoicing capabilities, time-tracking tools, inventory tracking features and phone support availability.

Accounting software is like a database for all of your business’s financial transactions. It helps you follow basic accounting principles so that you can keep your books up to date and in order, which is especially important come tax season. Most software uses double-entry accounting , meaning it factors in assets, liabilities and equity, in addition to revenue and expenses.

Most accounting software goes beyond these tasks with additional built-in modules for invoicing and billing as well as inventory management, among other functions. The more your accounting software becomes a one-stop shop for these financial chores, the fewer integrations you need to consider.

» Learn more about accounting: What is accounting?

In most cases, yes. While you can try using spreadsheets to keep track of your business’s finances, they can become messy and time-consuming. Accounting software is less susceptible to human error and makes it easy to quickly run crucial financial reports, like a profit and loss statement or balance sheet.

On top of that, double-entry accounting software enters debits and credits for you so you don’t have to worry about manually balancing your books. Ultimately, investing in accounting software will save you time and help make sure your books are accurate.

QuickBooks Online is one of the most ubiquitous accounting software products on the market. Xero, FreshBooks and Zoho Books are also used widely.

NerdWallet likes Xero for its simplicity and ease of use. Its clean layout, global search function and customizable dashboard are a plus, especially for accounting novices.

Chances are, there will be some sort of learning curve no matter what software you select. Testing out free demos and free trials can help you get a feel for these products’ usability before committing to them.

Wave Accounting offers a free software plan that covers basic accounting and invoicing. It doesn’t offer time or mileage tracking or a billable expense feature, but it does allow for unlimited users and recurring invoicing. Zoho Books also offers a free monthly subscription plan along with several paid plan options, starting at a competitively low cost of $20 per month.

Free accounting software can be a great solution for micro businesses that don’t have a large volume of transactions and only need income and expense tracking, basic reporting and invoicing. But even if the basics are sufficient for your business, remember that free products have their downsides.

For example, Wave’s free accounting plan lacks audit trails, third-party integrations and live customer support. It also doesn’t offer additional plans if your business grows in the future, which means you could eventually have to transfer your data to another provider.

Accounting software is like a database for all of your business’s financial transactions. It helps you follow

basic accounting principles

so that you can keep your books up to date and in order, which is especially important come tax season. Most software uses

double-entry accounting

, meaning it factors in assets, liabilities and equity, in addition to revenue and expenses.

» Learn more about accounting:

What is accounting?

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• Pets Best sample rates
• Allstate home insurance vs. competitors
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• TaxSlayer's support options
• Trupanion sample rates
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• TurboTax's human tax help
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• Liberty Mutual pet insurance discounts
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• If you're ready to start a budget
• What Reddit users say about Progressive
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• Homeowners of America home insurance: The bottom line
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• Safety home insurance: The bottom line
• How to file a claim with Pumpkin
• Waiting periods
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• How much does homeowners insurance cost in Illinois?
• Banfield discounts
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• Complaints 
• Shopping for classic car insurance
• Frequently asked questions about Chase checking accounts
• The cheapest home insurance in New York
• Erie homeowners and renters insurance
• ManyPets pet insurance discounts
• Amica homeowners and renters insurance 
• Prudent Pet insurance discounts
• Allstate pet insurance discounts
• H&R Block’s human tax help
• Safeco home insurance: The bottom line
• Best tax software: Overview
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• Homeowners and renters insurance from Travelers
• How to file a claim with Fetch
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• How to contact Pumpkin customer service
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• How to file a claim with Amica
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• How to file a claim with Geico
• How we rate homeowners insurance
• Auto-Owners life insurance
• What to know about Massachusetts homeowners insurance
• Lemonade pet insurance discounts
• Other insurance from Erie 
• More about State Auto insurance
• Other insurance from Amica 
• Embrace pet insurance discounts
• What Reddit users say about State Farm
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• How to file a claim with MetLife
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• Getting a quote
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• How to contact Farmers customer service
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• Allstate home insurance: The bottom line
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• How we ranked the top life insurers
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• Best overall: SimpliSafe
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• Best multifunction sensors: Arlo
• Best DIY system: Ring
• Best smart home integration: Abode
• Best monitoring: ADT
• Best professionally installed option: Vivint
• What to know about Medicare in Massachusetts
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• If I signed up for a plan today: First American Home Warranty
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• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Minnesota
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• What to know about Medicare in Connecticut
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• Best for warranty coverage: Freedom Solar Power
• Top-rated Medicare Supplement plans in Florida
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• Best overall: AARP/UnitedHealthcare
• Best for size of network: UnitedHealthcare
• Best for Medigap plan options: AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Best overall: Liberty Home Guard
• Best for size of dental network: UnitedHealthcare
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts
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• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Florida
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in New York
• When to sign up for Medicare in Alaska
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Connecticut
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Maine
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Michigan
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Oregon
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Montana
• Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Illinois
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• #1: Atlas Van Lines
• Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in New York
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• Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in NC
• Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Ohio
• Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Illinois
• Medicare resources in Alaska
• If I were looking for the best customer reviews: Liberty Home Guard
• Best for extra perks: Aetna
• Best for member satisfaction: AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D
• #2: United Van Lines
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in New York
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Delaware
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in MA
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in North Carolina
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• Best for financing options: Palmetto Solar
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Illinois
• Best for additional coverage options: Anthem
• GoodTrust: Best for digital assets
• Best for member satisfaction: State Farm Medicare Supplement Insurance
• How we picked top home security systems
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in New Jersey
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Florida
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Pennsylvania
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in West Virginia
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in California
• What to know about Medicare Advantage in California
• Best for comprehensive coverage: Cigna
• Top Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Wisconsin
• Best for inclusive coverage: American Home Shield
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Massachusetts
• Third-party ratings
• #3: Mayflower
• Medicare resources in Massachusetts
• Medicare resources in Virginia
• Medicare resources in North Carolina
• Medicare resources in Iowa
• Medicare resources in Colorado
• Medicare resources in New Jersey
• If I planned on dying in Houston: Old Republic Home Protection
• Medicare resources for Ohio
• Medicare resources in Maine
• Medicare resources in Michigan
• Medicare resources in Oregon
• Medicare resources in Indiana
• Medicare resources in Montana
• Medicare resources in Illinois
• Medicare resources for Wisconsin
• Best for local support: Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Wisconsin
• Additional Medicare Part D companies
• #4: Allied Van Lines
• Best for high coverage limits: Old Republic Home Protection
• Medicare resources in California
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• Medicare resources in New York
• Medicare resources in Delaware
• Medicare resources in Pennsylvania
• Medicare resources in Florida
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• Best for leasing: Momentum Solar
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Florida
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in California
• Best for high-deductible Medigap Plan G: Mutual of Omaha
• Trust & Will: Best for ease of use
• Best for premium discounts: Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in New Jersey
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in PA
• Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in West Virginia
• How Medicare Supplement Insurance works in Massachusetts
• Medicare resources in Wisconsin
• #5: North American Van Lines
• Most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types in Florida
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• Best for low-cost plan availability: Humana
• How does a home warranty work?
• Most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types in New Jersey
• Most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types in West Virginia
• Other companies we looked at
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• Best for a quick quote: Tesla Solar
• Best for high coverage limits: First American Home Warranty
• Best for repair guarantee: 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
• How much does a home warranty cost?
• Honorable mention: Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Rocket Lawyer: Best customer service
• Best for extra benefits: Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Medicare resources in West Virginia
• How much does a home warranty cost in Texas?
• Best of the Blues: Highmark
• Is a home warranty worth the cost in California?
• Best for low-cost plans: Humana
• What to look for in a solar company
• Home warranty complaints in California
• What a home warranty covers for HVAC systems
• What moving services are available?
• What states have 5-star Medicare Advantage plans?
• LegalZoom: Best state-specific legal advice
• Best for multiple refrigerators: American Home Shield
• Best for nationwide availability: Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Runner-up for high coverage limits: Choice Home Warranty
• Solar warranties and performance guarantees
• How to choose the best Medicare Advantage plan
• How much a home warranty costs
• What’s the best way to compare Part D plans?
• Before buying a home warranty in California
• Tracking your stuff
• Bottom line: Our top picks for Medicare Advantage plans
• What does a home warranty cover?
• What to look for with home warranty HVAC coverage
• Best among startups: Devoted Health
• How much does a move cost?
• Do Your Own Will: Best free will software
• Medigap plan types
• What does a home warranty not cover?
• Best for pre-existing conditions: Cinch Home Services
• Best basic plan coverage: Old Republic Home Protection
• How do I know if a moving company is legit?
• Are home warranty companies regulated in Texas?
• Fabric by Gerber Life: Best online will maker for young families
• How much does Medicare Advantage dental coverage cost?
• Best for commercial brand appliances in the home: First American Home Warranty
• What if you have Original Medicare?
• Best repair guarantee: 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
• How to shop for Medicare Advantage plans with dental benefits
• What other services does each will maker offer?
• How to find your Medicare Advantage plan's dental benefits?
• Are online wills legit?
• Compare appliance warranty coverage by cheapest plan
• Other ways to write a will
• Bottom line: Our top picks for Medicare Advantage dental plans
• Other companies we considered
• How we chose the best companies for appliance coverage
• How do home warranties work?
• Is a home warranty worth it?
• How we choose the best home warranties
• 6 no-credit-check loans in 2024
• Our top 10 inventory management software picks
• Best real estate accounting software
• The best business loans with same-day funding
• Deciding factors
• 8 best equipment financing loans
• 7 best church accounting software solutions
• The best nonprofit accounting software
• Our take on Blue Raven
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• NW Overview
• Our take on Tesla solar
• NerdWallet Overview
• A closer look at our picks for the top bookkeeping services
• A detailed look at the best inventory management software
• Best Texas small-business loans from nonprofit lenders
• Our take on Choice Home Warranty
• 1. Local moves are a focus, with some long-distance options
• Our take on First American Home Warranty
• Our take on Palmetto Solar
• How does Blink work?
• A closer look at our top invoicing and billing software picks
• Best Georgia small-business loans from nonprofit lenders
• How does Landmark Home Warranty work?
• A closer look at our top equipment financing picks
• A closer look at our top church accounting software picks
• Our take on Momentum Solar
• A closer look at our top nonprofit accounting software picks
• How does Liberty Home Guard’s warranty work?
• How does Select Home Warranty work?
• How to shop for no-credit-check loans
• What is Trust & Will?
• How does ADT work?
• A closer look at our top real estate accounting software picks
• The best auto and home insurance bundles of 2024
• How does 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty work?
• How does Cinch Home Services work?
• How does Nest work?
• How does OneGuard Home Warranty work?
• How does Vivint work?
• Viva Medicare Advantage pros and cons
• Atlas Van Lines basics
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• USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance
• 2. You can hire moving labor separately
• Lumico and Elips Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Aflac Medicare Supplement Insurance
• How much does Arlo cost?
• How much does Ring cost?
• How much does Abode cost?
• How much does SimpliSafe cost?
• Our take on American Home Shield
• Allstate Medicare Supplement Insurance
• Brigit cash advance basics: Amounts, fees and funding time
• Klover cash advance basics: Amounts, fees and funding time
• How does Old Republic Home Protection work?
• Dave cash advance basics: Amounts, fees and funding time
• State Farm Medicare Supplement Insurance
• AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance from UnitedHealthcare
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• United American Insurance Company Medicare Supplement Insurance
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• Why you can trust us
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• Empower cash advance basics: Amounts, fees and funding time
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• 3. A deposit is often required
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• What it looks like
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• 4. The company generally charges an hourly rate for moving, plus fees
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• What is the star rating for Alignment Health Plan?
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How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

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• Understanding AIS

2. Procedures and Instructions

4. software, 5. it infrastructure, 6. internal controls, the bottom line.

• Corporate Finance

6 Components of an Accounting Information System (AIS)

Amy Fontinelle has more than 15 years of experience covering personal finance, corporate finance and investing.

• Accounting Explained With Brief History and Modern Job Requirements
• Accounting Equation
• Current and Noncurrent Assets
• Accounting Theory
• Accounting Principles
• Accounting Standard
• Accounting Convention
• Accounting Policies
• Principles-Based vs. Rules-Based Accounting
• Accounting Method
• Accrual Accounting
• Cash Accounting
• Accrual Accounting vs. Cash Basis Accounting
• Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
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• Understanding the Cash Flow Statement
• Breaking Down The Balance Sheet
• Understanding the Income Statement
• Financial Accounting
• Financial Accounting and Decision-Making
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• Cost Accounting
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• Accountant vs. Financial Planner
• Tax Accounting
• Forensic Accounting
• Chart of Accounts (COA)
• Double Entry
• Closing Entry
• Introduction to Accounting Information Systems CURRENT ARTICLE
• Inventory Accounting
• Last In, First Out (LIFO)
• First In, First Out (FIFO)
• Average Cost Method

An accounting information system (AIS) is a system that a business uses to collect, store, manage, process, retrieve, and report its financial data. This data can then be used by accountants, consultants, business analysts, managers, chief financial officers (CFOs), auditors, regulators, and tax agencies.

Specially trained accountants work in-depth with an AIS to ensure the highest level of accuracy in a company's financial transactions and record-keeping. They make financial information easily available to those who legitimately need access to it while keeping that data intact and secure.

Key Takeaways

• An accounting information system (AIS) is used by companies to collect, store, manage, process, retrieve, and report financial data.
• AIS can be used by accountants, consultants, business analysts, managers, chief financial officers, auditors, and regulators.
• An AIS helps the different departments within a company work together.
• An effective AIS uses hardware and software to effectively store and retrieve data.
• The internal and external controls of an AIS are critical to protecting a company's sensitive data.

Understanding Accounting Information Systems (AIS)

An accounting information system tracks all accounting and business activity for a company. It generally consist of six primary components: people, procedures and instructions, data, software, information technology infrastructure, and internal controls. Below is a breakdown of each component.

The people involved with an AIS are the system users. An AIS helps the different departments within a company work together. Professionals who may need to use an organization's AIS include:

• Accountants
• Consultants
• Business analysts
• Chief financial officers

Management can establish sales goals for which staff can then order the appropriate amount of inventory. The inventory order notifies the accounting department of a new payable.

For sales, the ways an AIS is used could include the following:

• Salespeople enter the customer orders into the AIS.
• Accounting bills or sends an invoice to the customer.
• The warehouse assembles the order.
• The shipping department sends the order out to the customer.
• The accounting department gets notified of a new accounts receivable , which typically is paid within 30, 60, or 90 days. 
• The customer service department tracks the order and customer shipments.
• Management creates sales reports and performs cost analysis, which can include inventory, shipping, and manufacturing costs.

With a well-designed AIS, everyone within an organization can access the same system and retrieve the same information. An AIS also simplifies the process of reporting information to people outside of the organization, when necessary.

For example, consultants might use the information in an AIS to analyze the effectiveness of the company's pricing structure. They'd retrieve and look at cost data, sales data, and revenue. Also, auditors can use the data to assess a company's internal controls, financial condition, and compliance with regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) .

The AIS should be designed to meet the needs of the people who will use it. The system should also be easy to use and should improve, not hinder, efficiency.

The procedures and instructions for an AIS relate to the methods it uses to collect, store, retrieve, process, and report data. These methods are both manual and automated. The data can come from internal sources (e.g., employees) and external sources (e.g., customers' online orders).

Procedures and instructions will be coded into the AIS software. However, the procedures and instructions should also be "coded" into employees through documentation and training. The procedures and instructions must be followed consistently in order for the AIS to be effective.

An AIS must have a database structure to store information. Structured query language (SQL) is a computer language commonly used for databases. SQL allows the data that's in the AIS to be manipulated and retrieved for reporting purposes.

The AIS also needs various input screens for the different types of system users and data entry, as well as different output formats to meet the needs of different users and various types of information.

The data contained in an AIS is all of the financial information pertinent to the organization's business practices. In addition, any business data that impacts the company's finances should go into an AIS.

Types of Data

The type of data included in an AIS depends on the nature of the business, but it may consist of the following:

• Sales orders
• Customer billing statements
• Sales analysis reports
• Purchase requisitions
• Vendor invoices
• Check registers
• General ledger
• Inventory data
• Payroll information
• Timekeeping
• Tax information

Examples of data that would not go into an AIS include memos, correspondence, presentations, and manuals. These documents might have a tangential relationship to the company's finances, but, excluding the standard footnotes, they are not really part of the company's financial record-keeping.

Use of Data

The data can be used to prepare accounting statements and financial reports, including accounts receivable aging, depreciation or amortization schedules , a trial balance , and a profit and loss statement.

Having all of this data in one place—in the AIS—facilitates a business' record-keeping, reporting, analysis, and auditing. It informs better decision making. For the data to be useful, it must be complete, accurate, and relevant.

The cost of accounting software depends on the complexity of the software and the number of users who will have access to it. Subscription-based software can cost anywhere from $9 to $999 per user per month.

The software for an AIS relates to the computer programs used to store, retrieve, process, and analyze the company's financial data. Before there were computers, an AIS was a manual, paper-based system. Today, most companies use computer software as the basis of their AIS.

Here are just some of the software packages that a business might choose to use for an AIS:

Small to Mid-Sized Businesses

• Intuit's Quickbooks
• Sage's Sage 50 Accounting
• SAP 's Business One

Mid-Sized to Large Businesses

• Microsoft's Dynamics GP
• Sage Group's MAS 90 or MAS 200
• Oracle's PeopleSoft
• Epicor Financial Management

Quality, reliability, and security are key aspects of effective AIS software . Managers rely on the information it outputs to be of high quality in order to make sound decisions.

Customization

AIS software programs can be customized to meet the unique needs of different types of businesses. If an existing program does not meet a company's needs, the necessary software can be developed in-house with substantial input from end-users. Or it can be outsourced to a company that specializes in developing accounting information systems.

For publicly-traded companies, no matter what the software program and customization options, Sarbanes-Oxley regulations dictate the structure of the AIS to some extent. This is because these regulations established internal controls and auditing procedures with which public companies must comply.

Information technology infrastructure is just a fancy name for the hardware used to operate the accounting information system. It can include the following:

• Mobile devices
• Surge protectors
• Storage media
• A back-up power supply

In addition to cost, factors to consider in selecting hardware include speed, storage capacity and capability, and whether a device can be expanded and upgraded.

Compatibility With Software

Perhaps most importantly, the hardware selected for an AIS must be compatible with the intended software. Ideally, strive for an optimal match—a slow, clunky system will be much less helpful than a speedy one.

One way businesses can easily meet hardware and software compatibility requirements is by purchasing a turnkey system that includes both the hardware and the software that the business needs. A turnkey system means, theoretically, that the business will get the optimal combination of hardware and software for its AIS.

A good AIS should also include a plan for maintaining, servicing, replacing, and upgrading components of the hardware system, as well as a plan for the disposal of broken and outdated hardware, so that sensitive data is completely and securely destroyed.

The internal controls of an AIS are the security measures it maintains to protect sensitive data. These can be as simple as passwords or as complex as biometric identification. Biometric security protocols might include storing human characteristics that don't change over time, such as fingerprints, voice, and facial characteristics.

An AIS must have internal controls to limit access to authorized users and to protect against unauthorized access. Authorized users will include individuals inside and outside the company. Internal controls must also prevent unauthorized file access by individuals who are allowed to access certain select parts of the system.

An AIS contains confidential information belonging not just to the company but also to its employees and customers. This data may include:

• Social Security numbers
• Salary and personnel information
• Credit card numbers
• Customer information
• Company financial data
• Financial information of suppliers and vendors

All of the data in an AIS should be encrypted, and access to the system should be logged and surveilled. System activity should be traceable, as well.

An AIS also needs internal controls that protect it from computer viruses, hackers, and other internal and external threats to network security. It must also be protected from natural disasters and power surges that can cause data loss.

A well-designed AIS allows a business to run smoothly on a day-to-day basis while a poorly designed AIS can hinder its operation. When a business is in trouble, the data in its AIS can reveal the story of what went wrong. The noteworthy cases of WorldCom and Lehman Brothers provide two examples.

Telecom company WorldCom's internal auditors Eugene Morse and Cynthia Cooper used the company's AIS to uncover nearly $4 billion in fraudulent expense allocations and other accounting entries.

Their investigation led to the termination of CFO Scott Sullivan, as well as new legislation—section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Section 404 regulates companies' internal financial controls and procedures.

Lehman Brothers

When investigating the collapse of the venerable global financial services firm Lehman Brothers, an examination of its AIS and other data systems was essential, along with document collection and review, plus witness interviews.

The search for the causes of the company's failure "required an extensive investigation and review of Lehman's operating, trading, valuation , financial, accounting, and other data systems," according to the 2,200-page, nine-volume examiner's report.

Lehman's systems provided an example of how an AIS should not be structured. Examiner Anton R. Valukas' report states, "At the time of its bankruptcy filing, Lehman maintained a patchwork of over 2,600 software systems and applications. . . . Many of Lehman's systems were arcane, outdated or non-standard."

The examiner decided to focus their efforts on the 96 systems that appeared most relevant. This examination required training, study, and trial and error just to learn how to use those systems.

Valukas' report also noted, "Lehman's systems were highly interdependent, but their relationships were difficult to decipher and not well-documented. It took extraordinary effort to untangle these systems to obtain the necessary information."

What Is Meant by Accounting Information System?

An accounting information system refers to a system that collects, stores, and processes financial and business data. This system can then distribute this data to various authorized users who can use it to carry out a business' activities.

What Are Examples of AIS Systems?

They are any of the software tools that relate to the objectives of collecting, storing, processing, and distributing financial data. These can include invoicing, payment processing, and accounting software, as well as reporting and payroll/time-tracking software.

What Duties Does an AIS Analyst Have?

Depending on the company, an AIS analyst may have system-focused duties, including designing the AIS database, system monitoring, fraud detection, forensics, and data analytics. Alternatively, they might do such things as track budgets and spending, perform audits, create custom reports, and train associates to use the AIS.

The six components of an AIS all work together to help key employees collect, store, manage, process, retrieve, and report financial data. Having a well-developed and maintained accounting information system that is efficient and accurate is an indispensable component of a successful business.

American Accounting Association. " Accounting Information Systems (AIS) Mission Statement ."

Franklin, Mitchell, et al. “Principles of Accounting Volume 1 - Financial Accounting,” 12th Media Services, 2019. 

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry ."

Taipalus, Toni. "A Notation for Planning SQL Queries,"  Journal of Information Systems Education , vol. 30, no. 3, 2019, pp. 160-166.

SoftwareAdvice. " Accounting Software Pricing ."

Intuit Quickbooks. " Home ."

Sage. " Sage 50cloud Accounting ."

SAP. " SAP Business One ."

Microsoft. " Microsoft Dynamics GP ."

Sage. " Sage ERP MAS ."

Oracle. " PeopleSoft ."

Epicor. " Epicor Kinetic Financial Management ."

U.S. Congress. " Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ," Pages 33-34 & 40-42.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Report of Investigation by the Special Investigative Committee of the Board of Directors of Worldcom Inc. ," Page 2.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Re: WorldCom, Inc., HO-09440 ."

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Study of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Section 404 Internal Control over Financial Reporting Requirements ," Pages 1-3.

Stanford University. " In re Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., et al., Chapter 11 Case No. 08‐13555 (JMP) Report of Anton R. Valukas, Examiner Volume 1 of 9 ," Pages 34, 76-77.

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Best accounting software in 2024

Alison Kilian

Sierra Campbell

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 2:59 p.m. UTC Aug. 20, 2024

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Accounting software products for small business owners do way more than crunch numbers. These modern technologies can handle all kinds of tasks, from inventory management to employee time tracking. With their multifaceted nature, these tools can help streamline your business operations and save time.

Functionality is a major consideration when selecting an accounting tool, but it isn’t the only thing to think about. We researched some of the top technologies on the market, looking at technical capabilities, value for money, customer support and reputation. Below, we review the top performers, so you can select the right accounting software for your unique business needs.

Featured accounting software offers

Via Sage’s website

Starting price

Free trial available

Maximum users

Via Xero’s website

Special offer: 75% off for 6 months

Unlimited users on all plans

Intuit QuickBooks Online

On QuickBooks’ website

Starting monthly fee

$15 per month (for the first 3-months, then $30 per month)

Key Features

Expert help, Invoicing, maximize tax deductions, track mileage

Best accounting software

• FreshBooks : Best if you want to scale your business.
• Zoho Books : Most affordable.
• Intuit QuickBooks Online : Best if you’re managing a team.
• Xero : Outstanding industry-specific features.
• AccountEdge Pro : Outstanding inventory management features.
• ZarMoney : Best if you aren’t great with technology.
• OneUp : Excellent automation features.
• Neat : Outstanding document management features.
• NetSuite : Best cloud tool.
• Wave Accounting : Best for just the basics.

Why trust our small business experts

Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

• 18 companies reviewed.
• 1,120 data points analyzed.
• 100+ hours of research.

Best if you want to scale your business

Double-entry accounting

Payroll functionality, pros and cons.

• Clearly tiered pricing.
• Comprehensive functionality, even for lower-tier plans.
• Reasonable cost.
• Convoluted customer service.
• No purchase order functionality.
• No direct inventory management features.

Who FreshBooks is best for

The aim of any business is growth, right? More business means more customers, greater clout in the market and increased opportunities for innovation. FreshBooks includes features to support expansion, such as the ability to track loans and monitor unique income and expense categories. The tool’s reporting features can help you gain insights for future planning.

The FreshBooks double-entry accounting method also helps you stay organized as you expand, supporting compliance with tax and other regulations. If you bring on an accountant as you scale up, you can invite them to your FreshBooks account so that they can take the number-crunching off your plate.

Why is FreshBooks the best?

FreshBooks is a well-known name in accounting software and for good reason. The company offers clearly-tiered plans at varied price points. The array of features is comprehensive, covering essential entrepreneurial needs and then some. The company’s reputation is also relatively positive, as online reviewers on platforms like G2 and Capterra have given favorable feedback to its products.

That said, no product is perfect, and we’d love to see more direct customer support options.

Another reason we like FreshBooks for businesses that want to scale is thanks to its clearly defined pricing. If you’re just starting out, the Lite version, at $19 per month, will probably fulfill your needs.

As your entrepreneurial endeavors expand, you can scale up to higher-tiered plans at higher price points, like Plus ($33 per month) or Premium ($60 per month). Higher-tier plans have additional functionality, such as double-entry accounting. There is also a Select plan, with pricing available upon request.

FreshBooks’ plans are flexible, giving companies the option of paying monthly or annually and providing a discount for those paying annually. There is also a 30-day free trial available, which can be important for businesses that want to try out software before committing.

Functionality 

FreshBooks supports essential accounting needs, including managing accounts payable, creating balance sheets and calculating the cost of goods sold. The automated bank reconciliation allows you to import transactions straight from your business bank account, saving time.

The expense and invoice management tools are also excellent. You can upload bills, import expenses from your bank account and calculate sales tax. All of this saves you time on your accounting, so you can focus on more important things, like actually running your business and keeping your customers happy. One feature that isn’t included, which some competitors offer, is inventory management.

Let’s face it: if you aren’t a numbers person by nature, small business accounting can seem overwhelming. FreshBooks helps clients out with a comprehensive online support system. Step-by-step tutorials take you through the essentials, like how to create invoices, implement time tracking, set up bank account connections and generate financial reports.

If you’re still struggling, you can get help through the FreshBot virtual assistant. FreshBooks recommends logging into your FreshBooks account first and then using FreshBot, so that your query is linked to your account.

While we weren’t able to test this out for ourselves without a FreshBooks account, we learned that if you take this step, one of three things will happen, depending on your region and the time: you are given a region-specific phone number to call; you can live chat with a support agent; or, you will be asked to complete an email ticket that will be directed to the appropriate support specialist.

Our expert opinion

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Most affordable

• It’s free (but you can upgrade to a paid plan).
• Excellent inventory management features.
• Training programs help users level up accounting skills.
• Purchase order functionality available only for Professional plans and up.
• E-commerce integrations require at least an Elite account.
• Budgeting dashboard for Premium and up only.

Who Zoho Books is best for

Starting a business can be a drain on your finances. After all the startup costs are taken care of, the last thing you want is to spend even more on is your accounting. Enter Zoho Books. The free version is recommended for businesses with revenue of less than $50,000 per year. Although the features are less comprehensive than Zoho’s pricier plans, it covers the essentials.

Even the Standard plan, the next level up from the free plan, comes in at an affordable $20 per month. It offers expanded functionality that the free version won’t give you, like the ability to manage up to 5,000 invoices per year instead of 1,000.

Why is Zoho Books the best?

Zoho Books gives you a great value for your money with its free option. Yes, the functionality is limited, but for entrepreneurs who are just starting out, it fulfills basic needs like generating invoices. You’ll even get access to email customer support. The more expensive plans offer expanded functionality, including additional support options (chat and voice).

It’s hard to argue with free when it comes to value. Zoho Books beats out the competition with its permanent freebie option, which offers an impressive slew of features, from invoice customization to customer portals and reporting.

Beyond the free version, Zoho Books offers five additional plans with prices to suit a diversity of budgets. These plans differ on points like the number of users they allow, available integrations and analytical capabilities. For example, the Standard plan allows three users; the Professional plan ($50 per month) allows five users; the Premium plan ($70 per month) and the Elite plan ($150 per month) allow 10 users; finally, the Ultimate plan ($275 per month) allows 15 users.

As is often the case, signing up for an annual plan will save you money. If you consider a paid plan, opt for the free 14-day trial first, so you can see if the software will fit your needs.

Zoho Books ticks the essential boxes when it comes to small business accounting needs. You can manage accounts receivables by creating invoices (and chasing them with payment reminders!) and accounts payables by uploading expense receipts and tracking payments you’ve already made.

Zoho’s time-tracking capabilities can further help you maintain oversight of projects and track hours, which is handy when billing clients. It’s also possible to track inventory levels, which is a big plus if you sell products.

Finally, the accounting tool’s reports feature lets you gather data for tax and other purposes. That said, lower-tiered plans have limited functionality. For example, purchase order functionality is available only for Professional plans and up.

The support you’ll get as a Zoho Books customer will depend on the type of plan you’re paying for. Free plans get email support only, while Standard plans and higher get email, chat and voice support.

The company clearly lists a toll-free phone number to contact for customer support, which we were able to reach during the given hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Once we selected the type of support we needed via an automated dashboard, we were connected to a human operator. An email address is also clearly listed and functional. We were unable to find the chat option to contact Zoho Books, but this may be only available via an active customer account.

There is also a comprehensive online knowledge base where you can search popular query topics, covering everything from invoices to sales orders. If you’re looking for a fast answer and can’t wait to contact customer service during business hours, this can be useful.

Also available is the Zoho Books training program, which can help you learn cloud accounting and master the technology so you can get the most out of it. This online course is designed for everyone, from students to business owners.

Best if you’re managing a team

• Stellar team management functions, including clock-in/out reminders.
• Inventory management available.
• Industry-specific products.
• More expensive than a lot of the competition.
• Financial planning tools only for Plus plan and higher.

Who Intuit QuickBooks Online is best for

For business owners who also carry the title of “boss,” Intuit QuickBooks offers some useful features. The time tracking function allows you to track and approve team members’ hours on a desktop or mobile device, so you can see exactly who’s working and when, wherever you are. You can sync the time-tracking data with payroll to simplify invoicing and employee payments. You even have the option to set up reminders for team members to clock in or out.

Compared to the competition, Intuit QuickBooks stands out for these management features. That said, if you’re self-employed, that doesn’t mean Intuit QuickBooks isn’t for you. If you’re a solopreneur, QuickBooks Solopreneur is for you.

Why is Intuit QuickBooks Online the best?

Intuit QuickBooks is one of the more expensive providers we surveyed, so it’s not ideal if you’re on a budget. However, if you’re willing to spend, it offers excellent functionality. The inventory management and team management tools are especially noteworthy, as all providers don’t offer these assets.

Intuit QuickBooks also has comprehensive support. The highest tier plan will even give you 24/7 assistance.

Compared to some of the other providers on our list, Intuit QuickBooks trends toward the pricier side. The most affordable plan, Simple Start, starts at $30 per month. The Essential plan costs $60 per month, while the Plus plan costs $90 per month and the Advanced plan costs $200 per month. Adding payroll to any plan will cost extra.

There is no free plan available, but you can get a 30-day free trial of any of the paid plans. This is a generous trial when compared to other accounting software and will allow small business owners to take the time to learn if QuickBooks is for them.

Intuit QuickBooks is another all-arounder that spans the breadth and depth of any small business owner’s accounting needs. The most affordable account lets you log income and expenses, capture receipts and calculate sales and sales tax. You can connect to one sales channel (like Amazon, Shopify or eBay), which is a big plus if you sell online.

If you upgrade to a higher-tier plan, you’ll be able to connect up to three sales channels, manage multiple currencies and benefit from time tracking. The most expensive plans help you save time with perks like workflow automation and Excel data sync.

Intuit QuickBooks offers lots of training materials, so you can get the knowledge you need in a way that fits your learning style. Choose from in-person events, virtual conferences, videos or webinars. There’s also an online learning hub where you can get detailed information about specific topics and pose questions in a community forum.

If you still need help, you can log into your customer account to reach support; however, we were unable to test this directly without a QuickBooks account. To access support, QuickBooks asks users to first log into their account and then select “Help.” You can then either search the QuickBooks Online knowledge base or select “Contact Us” to start a chat with a support expert.

You can also request a callback and have the next available expert contact you. For Plus, Essentials and Simple Start plans, human support is available from Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and Saturday 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. Advanced plans supposedly can access support any time, any day.

Outstanding industry-specific features

• Industry-specific accommodations.
• Registered nonprofits are eligible for 25% off.
• Purchase order capabilities included.
• Customer portal through plug-in only.
• Basic plan caps monthly invoices, quotes and bills.
• 24/7 customer support requires you to raise a case online.

Who Xero is best for

Accounting software doesn’t need to be a one-size-fits-all solution. Xero knows that different businesses have different needs and accommodates these with customizable solutions.

For example, if you’re in real estate, it’s important to keep detailed client records. If you’re in e-commerce, it’s essential to integrate with online tools like Shopify. If you’re in a niche that Xero serves, from landlords to farmers, its tools are worth a look.

Pro tip: If your business qualifies as a nonprofit, you may be eligible for 25% off (you have to provide your registered charity number or certification for eligibility).

Why is Xero the best?

Xero offers good value and three clearly defined plans. The most affordable plan has strict caps on the number of invoices, bills and quotes you can send each month, which may make a mid-tier plan preferable. Overall, Xero’s financial functionality is comprehensive, covering everything from expense claims to 1099 reporting.

Zero offers three tiers of plans. The Early plan costs $15 per month. It allows you to send quotes and 20 invoices per month and enter up to five bills per month. The Growing plan ($42 per month) doesn’t cap quotes, invoices or bills. Also, it allows you to reconcile transactions in bulk.

The Established plan ($78 per month) offers further perks, like multi-currency management, project tracking and analytics. You can add payroll with Gusto to any plan for an extra cost. Overall, the pricing is transparent, offering a fair value for money when compared to other providers we surveyed. You can use a demo to test the product.

Xero’s user-friendly tool is all about helping business owners keep track of their money. You can use Xero to pay bills, claim expenses and accept payments. The job-tracking feature is convenient for budgeting, quoting and invoicing specific projects. With bank reconciliation, you can keep your account balances updated in real-time.

Xero also allows for integration with Hubdoc, so you can capture documents like receipts and bills and quickly upload that data to Xero. Finally, Xero offers financial reporting tools to help you improve your money management. You can even customize reports and use them for technicalities like 1099 reporting.

Xero helps new business owners master the software through webinars and events. Accountants and bookkeepers can even get Xero certification.

As a business owner, if you’re going to work with an accountant, you may want to make sure they have this credential and know the tool. Xero’s online topic catalog can help users learn how to use the tool for tasks like sending invoices or reconciling transactions.

There is also a community forum for answering and asking questions. If you cannot solve the issue on your own, there is reportedly an online customer support team available 24/7. You will find the button to reach them and raise a case at the bottom of any Zero support article. When you click “Contact Xero support,” you are taken to your Xero login page. We were unable to test the support options without a Xero account.

Xero purposefully doesn’t publish a phone number. However, it claims that you can provide your phone number and ask the company to contact you if needed.

Outstanding inventory management features

Accountedge pro.

Double-entry accounting supported

• In-depth inventory management features.
• Excellent customer training tools through AccountEdge University.
• Diverse add-on features, like web pay.
• Desktop-based, no cloud access for basic accounts.
• Payroll for an unlimited number of employees costs extra.

Who AccountEdge Pro is best for

AccountEdge Pro is a desktop accounting tool, which means that you can’t easily access it anytime, anywhere (as with cloud-based alternatives). However, if flexible accessibility isn’t an issue for you, there’s lots to like about AccountEdge Pro.

We especially like this tool for businesses that have to deal with a lot of inventory. It lets you track stock by location using serial codes, monitor inventory and set up stock alerts when you’re running low on an item. You can also create product variations, for example, depending on size, style and color.

Why is AccountEdge Pro the best?

AccountEdge Pro is great for product-based businesses that have a lot of inventory to keep track of. That said, it can be useful for any small business looking for a solid accounting tool. Even if you don’t use the inventory management functions, other features like the industry-specific financial reporting templates may be useful. The pricing is clear, even allowing you to pay for the level of customer service you want (phone versus email).

AccountEdge has three tiers of plans. AccountEdgePro is the most popular version and costs $20 per month for a single user. The AccountEdge Network Edition costs $30 per month and allows for two users. Finally, the multi-user AccountEdge Hosted plan ($40 per month) is a hosted desktop model, allowing you to use cloud technology to access your files.

If you want access from anywhere, you’ll automatically have to pay for the most expensive plan, which also comes with free technical support. The Pro and Network Edition plans come with free email support. You can try this software out with a 30-day free trial.

Let’s start with the basics. When it comes to accounting, AccountEdge Pro has you covered. You can manage your general ledger, maintain budgets and create financial reports using fully customizable templates. There are even industry-specific templates. You can also manage your payroll processing, issue paychecks and manage payroll taxes.

If you have a big team, you can pay $20 per month extra for unlimited employees. Other useful functions (on top of the inventory management we already mentioned) include invoicing capabilities, integrated bank feeds and contact management to help you manage your relationships with vendors, employees and customers.

AccountEdge Pro and AccountEdge Network Edition plans come with free email support. If you want telephone support, you can add this for $10 per month. You’ll then be able to reach the trained help reps from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Although this added cost is annoying, it may be worth it if you regularly need assistance.

The company also publishes an introductory support number on its website and says that intro support is available for all new customers 30 days from enrollment. We tried this number during the posted business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday) and it took us to an automated bot that requested our product ID number. Without a product ID number, we were unable to test the tool further.

We appreciate the clarity regarding the type of help available, as some providers are less transparent about their support offering. For example, a company may claim to offer 24/7 service, but only make this accessible through online support ticketing. In this case, the help isn’t as immediate as it might seem. AccountEdge also offers a clear and well-organized knowledge base, while AccountEdge University provides a good intro for beginners.

Best if you aren’t great with technology

• Accessible customer service, even for the cheapest plans.
• Small business-friendly integrations with tools like Stripe and Gusto.
• Project management capabilities.
• No mobile app.
• No receipt scanning.
• Payroll functionality requires a plug-in.

Who ZarMoney is best for

If you aren’t the most tech-savvy person, you might be worried about learning the ins and outs of an accounting tool. ZarMoney is here to help. This software company prides itself on its U.S.-based customer service, available even for the more cost-efficient plans.

And they won’t leave you stuck talking to a chatbot. You can call the support team directly from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Chat and email support can be reached at any time.

Enterprise plans (the most expensive option) get a dedicated account rep and priority support. Entrepreneur and small business plans can get a free trial. If you’re interested in an Enterprise plan, you can request a demo.

Why is ZarMoney the best?

ZarMoney has a good selection of features, including both financial-specific tasks like invoice generation and non-finance-specific tasks like inventory management. The pricing is straightforward. One drawback is that if you want more than two users on your account, you’ll automatically have to pay for an Enterprise plan.

However, you will get dedicated account management and priority support if you go that route. We also generally liked their customer support offering.

ZarMoney offers three plans to choose from. The Entrepreneur plan ($15 per month) allows one user and unlimited transactions. The Small Business plan ($20 per month) includes two users and unlimited transactions, plus you can add additional users for $10 per person. Both of these plans have access to ZarMoney’s U.S.-based customer service.

The Enterprise plan includes 30-plus users, customer features and specialized training to make sure you’re getting the most out of your software product. You also get priority support and a dedicated account rep. Overall, we think the value for money is good, given the array of features included.

You can request a free trial for entrepreneur and small business plans; Enterprise plans can request a demo.

ZarMoney provides a lot of essential financial tools small business owners can use. You can create and send customized invoices, even including payment links, upload receipts, pay vendors and track the status of bills. It’s also possible to create and send quotes, automatically calculate sales tax and generate purchase orders.

One standout point is the advanced inventory tool, which can help reduce overstocks and minimize the risk of out-of-stocks using predictive analysis. We also like the plug-ins/APIs ZarMoney accommodates, including startup-friendly tools like Zapier, Gusto and MailChimp. If you’re already using these technologies, it’s a seamless connection.

ZarMoney’s transparent and accessible customer support offering stands out in a world where companies are increasingly shoving customer service to chatbots. Even the cheapest ZarMoney plan has telephone-based customer service, with a readily advertised phone number available.

You can reach the customer support team over the phone during regular business hours, Monday to Friday. We tried calling during the hours listed (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST) and, after clicking through a quick series of automated prompts, we were in fact connected to a real life person.

Outside of business hours, email and chat are available. ZarMoney also has plenty of other resources to help those who aren’t tech-savvy, such as the ZarMoney academy, which includes tutorials on basics like “how to create and send an invoice” and “how to add new vendors.”

The ZarMoney help forum further lets you search for articles based on keywords.

Excellent automation features

Pro and cons

• Automation and synchronization capabilities to save time.
• User-friendly mobile app with identical features across all devices.
• App for Android only.
• Geared more heavily toward accountants than business owners.
• No payroll functionality.
• No support for the Self plan.

Who OneUp is best for

OneUp largely targets professional accountants, advertising itself as a tool that can help pros automate their work and reduce the monthly costs of managing accounting clients. That said, this tool can serve small business owners, too.

OneUp can save anyone time with its automation and synching capabilities. You can synchronize your bank account with the software, which then provides you with suggested bookkeeping entries based on your banking activities. All you have to do is validate the entries.

OneUp can also automate your inventory ordering, further saving time on admin, so you can focus on what really matters: your customers.

Why is OneUp the best?

OneUp is a logical choice for any business owner who wants to leverage the power of automation to save time. The accounting software can sync with your bank accounts to automate accounting or with your point of sales or e-commerce tools to automate inventory management.

OneUp’s plans offer good value for money, with even the cheapest plan covering all features. The main difference is in support availability and the number of users allowed. For Pro plans and up, OneUp promises one-on-one support.

OneUp has five plans to choose from. All plans include all features, with the main difference in cost being determined by the number of users allowed. The Self plan, intended for sole proprietors or independent contractors, is $9 per month for one user. Beware, it includes no customer support.

All other plans include all features and one-on-one support: the Pro plan is $19 per month for two users, the Plus plan is $29 per month for three users, the Team is $69 per month for seven users and the Unlimited plan is $169 per month for unlimited users. You can get a free unlimited-user trial for 30 days.

OneUp focuses on four main capabilities: invoicing, accounting, inventory and customer relationship management (CRM). The invoicing module lets you create customized invoices, send them to customers via the software’s built-in email system and send automatic reminders to customers when payments are due. The bookkeeping module works by syncing your bank account to collect transactions for your bookkeeping automatically.

The inventory module synchronizes with your e-commerce or point of sale (POS) to automate inventory. Finally, the CRM tool allows you to store customer data, send quotes and collect data to monitor your sales impact. One account gets you access to all of these features.

OneUp goes the extra mile to make set up easy, helping you get started by migrating your first account over for you. The company further promises live support and advertises one-on-one support for all of its plans except for the Self plan.

There is a comprehensive knowledge base where you can look up specific topics like Square integration and automatic accounting. At the bottom of the knowledge base main page, there is a link where you can submit a support ticket if you’re having specific issues you can’t solve with these tutorials.

When we clicked the submit a request button, we were taken to a simple online form to fill in, with the possibility to add an attachment. We were unable to find a direct email address or phone number to contact without having an active account.

Outstanding document management features

• Upload paperwork through a scanner or your mobile device.
• Detailed document organization according to specific categories.
• Automated insights into trends like spending and sales.
• No double-entry accounting.
• No tiered plans to choose from.
• More of a document management than an accounting tool.

Who Neat is best for

Staying on top of business finances is largely a question of document management. Receipts, invoices, purchase orders, bank statements – reconciling all that paperwork can be tricky. Enter Neat.

This tool’s priority is simplifying document management, saving you the trouble of manual data entry by allowing you to automatically upload receipts and other documents from your mobile device or scanner. It is especially useful for anyone looking to digitize their paperwork or to organize it better. For example, you can sort documents by categories from expense type to tax category. It can also help those who want to avoid wasting time on data entry.

Why is Neat the best?

Neat offers fantastic document management features, which can help make accounting processes easier. In addition to simplifying tasks like uploading receipts, Neat also lets you consolidate incoming and outgoing expenses with bank data, which can speed up accounting.

The integrations with accounting tools like QuickBooks enhance the overall functionality. While the $200 per year price seems fair, you’ll likely also end up paying for an accounting tool on top of it.

Neat only gives you one option: pay $200 per year. There is no possibility of monthly payments and there aren’t different levels of plans you can choose from. For smaller businesses or the more frugal, this can present problems.

There are more affordable options available that may better meet your needs. If the functionality Neat offers is a perfect fit, the price might be worth it to you. However, if Neat doesn’t check all the boxes and/or includes features you won’t use, then it’s a potential waste of cash.

That said, there is a 14-day free trial available, so you can check it out for yourself.

Full disclaimer: Neat is more of a document management tool than an accounting tool. However, it can still contribute to faster and easier accounting by simplifying the paperwork related to bookkeeping and tax preparation.

You can upload receipts quickly by snapping a photo with the Neat mobile app or using a compatible scanner and even break down receipts with line itemization. Your receipts can be consolidated with your invoices, bank transactions and email data in a single screen, making it easy to reconcile data.

All of this gets even easier with Neat’s integrations with QuickBooks, H&R Block and Quicken, to name just a few.

Neat promises unlimited email and chat support to all customers. It’s reportedly possible to access all support and contact options via the Neat app. However, you need a Neat account to sign into the app, so we weren’t able to test this functionality.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any indication that phone support is available. That said, Neat also has a comprehensive help center where you can view guides on specific topics from scanning to integrations.

The help center also has a webinar library with tips on how to enhance your use of Neat. Finally, we do like that you can get help via the Neat app, for example by opening a support ticket or starting a chat. The app is available for iOS and Android via the Apple or Google Play stores.

Best cloud tool

• Integrates with other Oracle NetSuite products for HR, e-commerce and inventory management.
• Automates repetitive tasks like reconciling account statements.
• Complies with multiple financial compliance regulations (ASC 606, GAAP, SOX).
• Lack of pricing transparency.
• Other NetSuite integration products incur added costs.
• No telephone support for the most basic customer support plan.

Who NetSuite is best for

If you’re looking for a cloud-based tool from a reputable provider, Oracle’s NetSuite is a solid bet. The company’s cloud accounting tool is in line with financial compliance regulations, like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which requires publicly traded companies in the U.S. to adhere to financial reporting standards.

The cloud tool keeps all your accounting in one place, allowing access anytime, anywhere. All you need is an internet connection. NetSuite also has an app available for iOS and Android, further simplifying access. That said, the company warns that some issues to ensure functional parity across platforms are still being worked on.

Why is NetSuite the best?

If you already use the Oracle suite of products, NetSuite is an obvious choice, as this tool integrates with other technologies for purposes like HR and inventory management. Even if you aren’t using Oracle’s NetSuite yet, this tool can provide you with comprehensive accounting support, from general ledger balancing to accounts receivable/payables management.

One thing we don’t like is the lack of transparent pricing.

NetSuite is unique from the other software products on this list, as there is no clear pricing data advertised on the website. You have to contact the provider for an estimate for an annual license fee (you won’t be able to get a monthly rate).

In addition to paying for the monthly license, you’ll also have to pay a one-time fee for setup. For smaller businesses on a budget, this is likely an inconvenient option. There doesn’t seem to be a free trial. However, you can request a free product tour to get a sense of the tool’s capabilities.

NetSuite’s accounting features are comprehensive. You can balance your general ledger, manage accounts receivable/payable and monitor cash flow to keep an eye on liquidity. The tool also allows for automatic reconciliation of accounts payable and receivable, bank and credit card statements and other balance sheet accounts.

Finally, for those who tremble in fear when tax season rolls around, NetSuite provides domestic and global tax management support. For example, you can use it to manage your VAT, general sales tax and consumption tax. In general, NetSuite’s functions prioritize automation and customization whenever possible. For example, with the general ledger tool, you can customize transaction and account types.

NetSuite has a variety of support services. The starting point for any query is SuiteAnswers, a database of searchable support articles, training videos and best practices. There is also a support community, where you can ask other users your queries.

Finally, NetSuite offers flexible service plans, so you can pay for the level of support you need. Basic support includes online support; Premium support offers toll-free help, including weekend support; and Advanced support provides ongoing one-on-one guidance to optimize your NetSuite system proactively.

Unfortunately any support contact information isn’t readily advertised, so we were unable to test this feature. Additionally, the prices for the support levels are not readily listed on the NetSuite website.

Best for just the basics

Wave accounting.

• Very transparent, simple pricing.
• Can accept online payments (with a transaction fee).
• Unlimited invoices, bills and estimates, even with free plan.
• Limited feature set compared to competitors.
• Chat and email support not included with free plan.
• Cannot auto-import bank transactions with free plan.

Who Wave Accounting is best for

Wave accounting is a basic software that’s best for those who just want the fundamentals at an affordable price point. You won’t find a lot of fancy features or a wide array of cutting-edge tools, but if for simple business accounting needs, it’ll certainly get the job done.

Why is Wave Accounting the best?

We like Wave Accounting for simple accounting needs. If your business’ finances are fairly straightforward and you don’t want to break the bank on accounting software, Wave’s free Starter plan and paid Ultimate plan both support the accounting fundamentals you’ll need at a very reasonable price point.

There are two plans on offer from Wave Accounting: Starter and Ultimate. Starter is a free plan that offers basic accounting functions like unlimited invoices, the ability to accept online payments and cash flow management. It doesn’t have as extensive functionality as Zoho Books’ free plan, but for very small businesses, it could do the trick.

The single paid option, Ultimate, costs $16 per month, which is at the lower end of the pricing range from competitors on this list, and it offers a pretty good value with a decent range of features, though if you’re looking for all the bells and whistles, it probably won’t be enough for you.

You can accept online payments, though transaction fees start at 2.9% plus $0.00 for the first 10 transactions – beyond that, rates are not published. You can also add payroll, which starts at $20 per month, and you can hire a bookkeeper, which starts at $149.

The features on Wave Accounting’s paid Ultimate plan will definitely get the job done. With the double-entry accounting software you can accept online payments (though it’s unclear exactly how steep transaction rates may get after the first 10 transactions), import bank transactions, digitally capture reciepts for expense tracking and automate late payment reminders.

You’ll get some analytics and insights as well, but if you want payroll services it will cost extra. Customer reviews are enthusiastic about Wave’s functionality, with most saying it’s easy to use and reliable. Reviews of customer support, however, aren’t so laudatory, and support is only available with the paid plan.

While you won’t find a lot of fancy features and tools like you would with some of the companies that are higher on this list, Wave Accounting does what it needs to do — keep your books — and it does so at a reasonable cost.

Wave Accounting lags behind the pack when it comes to support. Access to live chat and email support does not come with the free Starter plan – you have to upgrade to the paid Unlimited plan. Support can only be accessed through your user account.

Phone support is not available and chat and email hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. ET. Despite so many postive user reviews for Wave Accounting overall, mediocre customer support comes up as the most frequent complaint.

If you don’t mind doing a lot of your own troubleshooting with the help of Wave’s resources and help center, this may not be too big of an issue, but if something critical does come up, you may not be able to get the immediate help you need.

Best accounting software comparison