Zoho Books is our top QuickBooks alternative because of its scalability and mobile app functionality. Wave is second on our list as it has a free plan that provides sufficient support for businesses with basic bookkeeping needs.
Here are our six best QuickBooks alternatives:
- Zoho Books: Best overall QuickBooks alternative with an outstanding mobile app
- Wave: Best free QuickBooks alternative
- FreshBooks: Best for tracking billable time
- Xero: Best for unlimited users and managing fixed assets
- Sage 50: Best QuickBooks Desktop alternative for multicompany accounting
- QuickBooks Self-Employed: Best for tracking expenses and transferring to Schedule C
If you don’t need full bookkeeping software and are looking for the best QuickBooks alternative for sending invoices, we recommend the following options:
- Invoicera: Best standalone invoicing software
- Zoho Invoice: Best free standalone invoicing software
- Square Invoices: Best for businesses processing infrequent transactions
- TimeTracker: Best for professional service firms
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Best QuickBooks Alternatives At a Glance
See how QuickBooks stacks up against other accounting software providers by reading our guides:
Zoho Books: Best Overall QuickBooks Alternative With an Outstanding Mobile App
Pros
- Free version for users with less than $50,000 in annual revenues
- Scalable pricing plans
- Mobile accounting app is more functional than QuickBooks' app
- Dedicated portal for customers to view and settle invoices
Cons
- Additional fee for more users
- Project accounting and inventory management are available only in higher plans
- Managing unpaid bills is unavailable in the Free and Standard plans
- Limited invoices in the Free and Standard plans
- Free: Includes one user plus one accountant and up to 1,000 invoices per year for businesses with $50,000 or less in annual revenues
- Standard: $20 per month for up to three users and 5,000 invoices
- Professional: $50 per month for up to five users and unlimited invoices
- Premium: $70 per month for up to 10 users and unlimited invoices
- Elite: $150 per month for up to 10 users
- Ultimate: $275 per month for up to 15 users and unlimited invoices
Free trial: 14 days for any paid plan
Add-ons:
- Additional users: $3 per user, per month
- Receipts scanning: $10 for 50 scans per month
- Snail mail credits for sending invoices: $2 per credit
Zoho Books is our overall best QuickBooks alternative because it’s similar to QuickBooks Online but has a more functional mobile app. Among its many useful features are the ability to receive payments, send invoices, record time worked, capture expense receipts, and view reports from your mobile app.
It also has a flexible pricing model ideal for scalability and growth. Unlike QuickBooks Online, if you think a certain Zoho Books plan’s features are enough for your needs, you don’t need to upgrade to get more users. Instead, you can pay for additional seats at an affordable price of $3 per user, per month.
Wave: Best Free QuickBooks Alternative
Pros
- Has a free plan that is sufficient for most businesses with basic accounting needs
- Is easy and straightforward to set up
- Allows you to easily create and track unpaid bills and invoices
- Enables you to capture and scan expense receipts in the free version for an additional fee
- Provides you an option to upgrade a paid plan
Cons
- Only supports one user in the free plan
- Doesn’t allow you to connect your bank accounts in the free version
- Not suitable for businesses with complex accounting needs such as tracking inventory, project accounting, or separating expenses by class or location
- No live customer support in the free plan
Wave offers a free plan (Starter) and a paid subscription option (Pro) that costs $16 per month when billed monthly or $170 per year when billed annually. The free plan includes features, such as income and expense tracking, invoicing, and a mobile app.
With the free plan, you can purchase the following add-ons:
- Credit card payments for 2.9% plus 60 cents per transaction or 3.4% plus 60 cents per AMEX transaction
- Receipt scanning through its mobile app for $8 per month
- Bookkeeping support through Wave Advisor for $149 per month
- Assisted payroll services through Wave Payroll for $40 per month for tax service states and $20 per month for self-service states
We chose Wave for individuals wanting a free option for basic accounting needs such as tracking expenses, issuing invoices, and tracking unpaid bills—something QuickBooks doesn’t offer. Even though we discussed that Zoho Books has a free version, it has a $50,000 annual revenue limit while Wave Starter is free without a revenue limit. We recommend choosing Wave if you don’t need complex accounting features.
FreshBooks: Best for Tracking Billable Time
Pros
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Excellent customer service
- Project accounting features include built-in time tracker
- Outstanding invoice customization features
Cons
- Additional fee for adding more users
- No class tracking for income and expenses
- Can’t reconcile bank accounts without a bank feed
FreshBooks plans include one user regardless of the plan. However, more users can be added:
- Lite: $19 per month for five billable clients
- Plus: $33 per month for 50 billable clients
- Premium: $60 per month unlimited billable clients
- Select: Custom pricing for unlimited billable clients and specialized features
New users get 70% off for three months.
Add-ons:
- Additional team members: $11 per person, per month, in all plans
- Advanced payment options: $20 monthly in Plus and Premium; included in Select
- Gusto Payroll: Starts at $40 per month
Service providers can easily track time spent on projects and quickly add that billable time to client invoices with FreshBooks, which also has a built-in time tracker, making the invoicing process even more seamless. Everything about the platform is designed for ease of use, which results in some features being fantastic for new business owners, albeit a bit confusing for experienced bookkeepers.
For instance, expenses cannot be assigned to particular checking or credit card accounts. Instead, the system compares entered expenses to all live bank feeds to determine which account the expense was paid from. This is unique among all the bookkeeping software we’ve looked at—including QuickBooks—but makes for a very simple way to enter expenses for non-bookkeepers.
Xero: Best for Unlimited Users & Managing Fixed Assets
Pros
- Unlimited users for all plans
- More affordable than QuickBooks Online
- Extensive integration choices within the Xero App Store
- Has a dedicated fixed asset manager that’s not present in other software in this guide
Cons
- Not popular in the US
- Requires third-party integration via Gusto for payroll
- Lowest plan is limited to 20 invoices and five bills
Xero has three pricing plans that include unlimited users:
- Early: $15 per month for 20 invoices and five bills
- Growing: $42 per month for unlimited invoices and bills
- Established: $78 per month for unlimited invoices and bills, plus multicurrency, receipt capture, and project tracking
Free trial: 30 days
Xero is one of QuickBooks Online’s toughest competitors worldwide. To compare, QuickBooks Online’s highest plan is $200 per month for up to 25 users while Xero’s highest plan is only $78 per month for unlimited users. If your business doesn’t need QuickBooks Online Advanced but wants more users, we recommend choosing Xero because it is more affordable and has no user limit.
It also has a built-in fixed asset manager that will calculate and track depreciation expense for each piece of equipment automatically. That is something QuickBooks Online can’t do.
Sage 50: Best QuickBooks Desktop Alternative for Multicompany Accounting
Pros
- Consolidated financial statements for multiple companies
- Competitive inventory management features
- Option to connect the software to the cloud
Cons
- Desktop software by default even if cloud access is possible
- Difficult for users without solid accounting software experience
- Not a popular choice and limited support in the United States
There are three pricing plans to choose from, though custom pricing is available for 11 users and up:
- Pro Accounting: $58.92 per month for one user only
- Premium Accounting: $96.58 to $222.25 per month for one to five users
- Quantum Accounting: $160 to $409.17 per month for one to 10 users
The provider currently offers a 40% discount for new customers for the first year.
You can evaluate Sage 50 by clicking “Take a test drive” on its website, which will allow you to access a hosted version of it with sample data.
Consolidation of multiple companies can be difficult if performed manually but, with Sage 50, parent companies can consolidate financial statements easily in a few clicks. The software also has advanced budgeting tools and ASC 830/FAS 52 compliance for foreign currency transactions and foreign currency translation.
If Sage 50 doesn’t fit your needs, check out our Best QuickBooks Desktop Alternatives for a few additional desktop software options.
QuickBooks Self-Employed: Best for Tracking Expenses & Transferring to Schedule C
Pros
- Ideal for tracking personal and business expenses
- Track mileage
- Export Schedule C income and loss to TurboTax
Cons
- Not a full bookkeeping software
- Not ideal for self-employed individuals selling inventory
- Cannot generate financial statements
*QuickBooks Self-Employed isn’t part of our case study of the best small business accounting software because it doesn’t track assets and liabilities. Hence, it isn’t scored.
- Self-Employed: $20 per month
- Self-Employed Tax Bundle: $30 per month
- Self-Employed Live Tax Bundle: $40 per month
We include QuickBooks Self-Employed on this list because it is a great fit for self-employed individuals who want to track income and expenses to file a tax return. While still a QuickBooks product, it is completely separate from—as well as much less expensive than—QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is especially good for individuals without a separate bank account for their business transactions as it has a feature to separate business and personal expenses.
We recommend the following QuickBooks alternatives for invoicing if your small business doesn’t need a complete bookkeeping solution, such as the providers above.
Invoicera: Best Standalone Invoicing Software as an Alternative to QuickBooks
Pros
- Manage multiple companies with one account
- Expense management feature
- Track staff time and expenses by project
- Multicurrency and multilingual invoicing
Cons
- Free plan only supports up to three clients
- Can’t track time from mobile app
- Not a complete accounting solution; requires bookkeeping software
- Starter: $19 per month for one user and up to 100 clients
- Business: $49 per month for 10 users and up to 1,000 clients
- Enterprise: $99 per month for 20 users and up to 2,500 clients
- Infinite: $149 per month for unlimited users and clients
Free trial: No credit card is needed to access the 15-day free trial, and you can upgrade or cancel your subscription at any time.
We selected Invoicera as the best standalone invoicing software as an alternative to QuickBooks because its features can be customized to the needs of your business. It offers a comprehensive set of invoicing features that allow you to create custom invoices, automate recurring billing, manage expenses, and handle multiple currencies.
It provides customizable invoice templates and multiple payment gateway integrations, and it supports various payment methods, making it suitable for businesses of different sizes and industries. However, it has no live bank feeds or other essential bookkeeping features like paying bills or reconciling your account, features that QuickBooks does offer.
Zoho Invoice: Best Free Standalone Invoicing Software
Pros
- Integration with Zoho’s other specialty apps, including Zoho Books and Zoho CRM
- Project and time management features
- Free forever with no ads or in-app purchases
- Customizable invoices
Cons
- Not a full bookkeeping system
- No approval workflows for issuing invoices
- Manages outgoing invoices only
Zoho Invoice is absolutely free, with no credit card required, no ads, and no in-app purchases.
We selected Zoho Invoice as the best free standalone invoicing software because, despite being free, it offers a wide range of invoicing features that are crucial for businesses. It allows users to create and send professional invoices and supports multiple currencies and tax regulations.
Also, it has a clean and intuitive user interface, and the dashboard provides an overview of key financial information, helping businesses stay organized. Zoho Invoice may lack built-in accounting features, but it integrates with Zoho Books for bookkeeping capabilities. It also provides a client portal where you can share invoices, estimates, and statements with clients.
Square Invoices: Best for Businesses Processing Infrequent Transactions
Pros
- Features for estimates, signatures, and tracking invoices and payments
- Free to use with predictable payment processing fees
- Seamless compatibility with Square’s suite of business tools
- Saved customer profiles and payment information
- Best invoice customization of all providers reviewed in this guide
Cons
- No built-in expense tracking tool
- Some features require a paid upgrade to Square Invoices Plus
- High-volume businesses can find lower pricing with other providers
Square Invoices offers a free and paid version ($20 per month) of its invoicing software. The processing rate for online payments changes based on whether you’re using the base software or the Plus version:
- Square Invoices Free: 3.3% plus 30 cents per transaction
- Square Invoices Plus: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction
Free trial: Users can upgrade to Plus anytime, and Plus has a free 30-day trial.
Square Invoices is an excellent invoicing solution for smaller businesses and individuals as it’s free and easy to use, although it’s not the most robust invoicing solution on the market. It allows you to set up customer profiles with stored payment information and provides automations for reminders and estimate conversions.
We selected Square Invoices as the best for businesses processing infrequent transactions because while its rates are transparent and predictable, they aren’t the lowest on the market. Also, you can offer your customers flexible payment options, including buy now, pay later (BNPL), and ACH processing. Square Invoices also integrates with other Square products, such as Square POS and Square Payments.
TimeTracker: Best for Professional Service Firms
Pros
- Flexible time tracking with multiple time clock options
- Format for legal invoicing
- Very easy to use
- Able to track billable hours that have been written off
Cons
- Limited payroll integration options (only connects with ADP and Gusto)
- Reports of frequent bugs within app
- Not intended for large firms with many employees as it can get expensive
TimeTracker offers two subscriptions. The basic plan comes with employee scheduling and time tracking functionalities, while the Premium package has additional invoicing, job costing, expense tracking, and online payment tools:
- TimeTracker: $15 base fee plus $9 per user, per month
- TimeTracker Premium: $25 base fee plus $15 per user, per month
Free trial: 14 days
We consider TimeTracker to be the best invoicing software for professional service firms because it offers a flexible solution for tracking and managing timesheets, creating staff schedules, billing clients, and monitoring projects. You can also plan project schedules and set employee costs and client billing rates.
Invoices can be generated using data from tracked hours and billable expenses. What’s more, the platform has a client portal where customers can view outstanding invoices, pay bills online, and check completed projects.
How We Evaluated the Best QuickBooks Alternative for Small Businesses
We rated the accounting software on this list based on their capabilities to be a substitute for QuickBooks. Moreover, we included the insights we gathered from our case study to show you what we think about these solutions based on the case study criteria.
5% of Overall Score
Software is rated based on its price for various levels of users, including one, three, and five users. It is also awarded points if it offers a free trial or discount for new users and if monthly vs annual plans are available.
53% of Overall Score
10% of Overall Score
5% of Overall Score
A good mobile app should be able to perform all the same functions as the computer interface.
20% of Overall Score
7% of Overall Score
We include the average user review score for each software collected from large third-party websites dedicated to the collection of user reviews, such as Software Advice, SourceForge, and G2.
How We Evaluated Invoicing Alternatives to QuickBooks
We evaluated the invoicing software based on its ability to be a substitute for QuickBooks. We included the insights we gathered from our case study to illustrate our findings about these solutions based on the case study criteria.
10% of Overall Score
The most important factor in our pricing score is the monthly cost of the program. However, we also considered any limitations on transactions, vendors, or customers. Finally, we scored platforms that offer a monthly option higher.
25% of Overall Score
A fully customizable invoicing software allows you to upload your company logo, select from various invoice templates, change invoice colors, edit invoice fields, and add personalized messages to customers.
25% of Overall Score
We looked into essential invoicing features, like the ability to create recurring invoices and set up automatic payment reminders.
10% of Overall Score
Along with subjective evaluation by our accounting experts, the ease-of-use score indicates whether the software is cloud-based. Other components include whether it requires a third-party bookkeeping software integration.
5% of Overall Score
A mobile accounting app comes in handy for businesses that need to send invoices on the go.
15% of Overall Score
A good invoicing software must also provide sufficient customer support options for users, like phone support and live chat.
10% of Overall Score
We gathered average review ratings of all providers from leading user review sites.
How To Select a QuickBooks Alternative
When choosing a QuickBooks alternative, it’s important to consider your specific business needs, budget, and desired features. Here are some suggestions:
- Assess your business requirements: Evaluate your business needs and identify the key features you require from accounting software. Consider factors such as invoicing, expense tracking, inventory management, payroll, and reporting.
- Research available alternatives: Look for alternative accounting software solutions that align with your requirements. Pay attention to the features, pricing plans, customer support, and user experience of each alternative.
- Evaluate scalability and flexibility: Consider the growth potential of your business and choose accounting software that can scale with your needs. Look for a solution that offers room for expansion, supports multiple users, and integrates with other software you use, such as customer relationship management (CRM) or project management tools.
- Consider cloud-based solutions: Cloud-based accounting software offers several advantages, including accessibility from anywhere, automatic data backups, and seamless software updates. Assess whether a cloud-based solution is suitable for your business or if you prefer a desktop-based alternative.
- Compare pricing models: Examine the pricing structures of different alternatives and determine which one best fits your budget. Some software providers offer subscription-based pricing, while others charge one-time fees or have tiered plans based on number of users or access to features. Consider the long-term costs, including any additional expenses for add-ons or support.
- Consider customer support and training: Evaluate the customer support options provided by the software vendors. Look for alternatives that offer reliable technical support, training resources, and user communities to help you navigate any issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
QuickBooks isn’t a one-size-fits-all accounting software. While it is our top-recommended small business accounting software, the subscription cost can be a major factor in why you should look for an alternative. Moreover, its features may be too complex for your needs.
Aside from its features, QuickBooks has a vast network of certified public accountants (CPAs), bookkeepers, and firms that offer accounting support through the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program. This program helps businesses get access to professional accounting help, locally and internationally. You can check out our guide on how to find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
We recommend Wave as the best free alternative to QuickBooks because it has a free plan for invoicing and accounting. Read our review of Wave for more information about its features.
Bottom Line
QuickBooks dominates the market for small business accounting—but it isn’t always the best answer, and there are many alternatives to QuickBooks to consider. Depending on your budget, required features, and industry, you might find an option that will meet your needs better.