Individuals and business owners use accounting software to enter income and expenses and track their finances. It’s more efficient and less error-prone than doing it manually.
It also saves time with features like automation and provides owners with a place to store important documents and receipts for easy access at any time. If accounting isn’t your forte, or even if it is and you want to save time, read on to find out which accounting software is right for your business.
To find the best accounting software, we looked at more than 20 programs and applications before settling on the top eight. We selected them based on factors such as features and functionality aimed at small business owners, ease of use, cost and more. This is our top pick.
The Best Accounting Software for 2022
The best accounting software can help small business owners easily track their accounts, expenses, prepare for tax season, and stay on top of their finances. For many small businesses, this is a more cost-effective solution than hiring a large company to manage taxes and payroll.
But with so many on the market today, choosing can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best accounting software for small businesses to help you quickly find the right solution for you.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks uses cloud-based accounting and invoicing software available in iPhone, Android and iPad apps. It claims that we are number one in the best accounting software because of its ease of use. Even business owners with little or no accounting experience can benefit from its powerful features and useful features. It is also reasonably priced and can be used on the go. FreshBooks features include:
- Payment reminder
- Recurring invoices with customization options including due dates and discounts
- Online payment by credit card
- Settlements in several currencies and languages
- Automatic VAT calculation
- Tax-friendly categories of expenses
- Remembered suppliers
- Time tracking with a Chrome browser extension
- Bank integration, recurring payments and auto bills
- Tax Help integration with tax filing, estimating, deduction and reporting tools
- Easy integration with other products including GSuite and Gusto
FreshBooks may also offer discounts or bundled pricing if you pay in advance, so be sure to check the site for deals before you sign up.
While customer reviews on third-party sites are mostly positive about FreshBooks, some users praise the ease of invoicing customers, while others point to persistent problems with duplicate invoices. Other users said their personal information was compromised as a result of the data breach.
Intuitive QuickBook
QuickBooks is another cloud-based accounting software that also offers a standalone desktop option that you can purchase and download. Its products are typically aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, and more than 7 million businesses use the software.
We chose it as the second best accounting software because it’s another program that’s easy for business owners with no accounting experience to use. It’s also quick to set up, affordable, and offers tools and features to help with small business accounting. It organizes everything in one place and keeps you VAT ready all year round. QuickBooks features include:
- Integration of a financial institution
- Integrate with PayPal, Square, Shopify and more
- Guidance for users and export of tax data to assist in filing quarterly and annual tax returns
- VAT calculations, declarations and registered VAT payments
- Automatic classification of transactions and fees into tax categories
- Track expenses in one place
- Scan receipts and attach them to invoices
- Share or export files with your accountant
- Show cash flow tracking in your dashboard
- Track your miles using your smartphone’s GPS
Contact QuickBooks directly to see what specific features are included in each tier. While some customers are impressed with the ease of use, not all users are fans. Third-party customer reviews point to some customer service issues, with users noting that it takes a long time to get help.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting
Sage Business Cloud Accounting, formerly known as Sage One, is cloud-based accounting software that lets you choose your industry, business size and needs. It will tailor specific accounting solutions for you and is used by over 6 million businesses.
Sage is our pick for the best accounting software for multiple users because the program is designed for multiple users. If your business has its own account, it can use the software and access your books at no additional cost.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting features include:
- Manage the company’s finances and cash flows
- Accept and receive payments
- Create and send invoices
- Manage payroll
- Works on all devices so you can check your finances anytime, anywhere
- Integrate with your financial institution and other applications including AutoEntry, Zync and more
- Tax enforcement instruments
- Dashboard view with easy-to-read financial reports and analyses
- Inventory control
- Cash flow forecast
- Share real-time access with your accountant on any device
- Add-ons such as human resource management and evaluation
Contact the company directly to learn about specific features your business may need. While some users praised the customer service, others pointed out that customer service is not available 24/7, making it difficult for businesses to get help outside of normal business hours. In addition, some users reported that they had purchased perpetual licenses from Sage, only to be told that they would no longer be able to access the desktop software in September 2022.