Accounting

BILL, formerly Bill.com, is an accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R) software that focuses on processing vendor billings and sending customer invoices. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Online is a complete accounting software that can also process bills and vendor payments. While BILL covers two essential accounting functions, it isn’t a substitute for accounting software like QuickBooks Online. has excellent A/P automation suitable for small businesses when it’s added as an integration to . In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between BILL and QuickBooks Online. We awarded QuickBooks Online our overall best small business accounting software, in part because of its great bill management and invoicing features. However, you should consider integrating BILL and QuickBooks Online to aid your A/P processing if you process many bills per day. BILL vs QuickBooks Online at a Glance Use Cases BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Pricing Unlike QuickBooks Online, which allows a certain number of users per subscription level, BILL’s monthly charges are per user. Both solutions come with free trials. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Features With the integrated solution of Bill Pay, QuickBooks can be used to pay bills online for very little additional cost. However, if you want a more robust bill payment solution with approvals and a streamlined workflow, then integrating BILL with QuickBooks Online might be worth the additional cost. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Accounts Payable The major advantage you can get with BILL is its automatic invoice capture. Moreover, it has a dedicated email address where vendors can send their invoices, and its Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) will automatically place it in BILL and start the bill for you. In QuickBooks Online, you must manually upload vendor invoices or scan it first using the QuickBooks receipt scanner. On the contrary, QuickBooks Online comes at an advantage if you and your accounting team can handle billings without the need for automation. Although QuickBooks Online still needs some data entry and manual uploading of receipts, the OCR function of QuickBooks Online can reduce the data entry burden so that you can focus on specific fields like inputting the credit term or applying vendor credits. However, BILL’s OCR features are still superior to QuickBooks Online because it can read handwritten receipts. BILL, overall, offers a convenient solution for businesses processing many billing transactions. Its automation features release staff from hours of data entry and ensures that all bills are accurate and legitimate through a series of approvals. It also has an IVA that automatically captures invoice data and supplies them into necessary fields. You can also pay within BILL via international wire transfer, credit card, debit card, check, or ACH payments. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Online’s A/P features focus more on general accounts payable functions like recording vendor information, entering bills, managing unpaid bills, and paying bills. When creating bills, you can select an account category, credit term, and due date, and assign it to a customer, project, or class. You can also print checks in QuickBooks Online if you prefer sending checks to vendors as payment. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Accounts Receivable In QuickBooks Online, you can modify invoice design and add your company logo. There are also templates you can choose from. The most useful features of QuickBooks Online’s A/R management are its ability to view sales tax liability in detail, track sales tax collected, and pay sales taxes. Meanwhile, BILL offers invoicing capabilities with automation features if you get the invoicing plan. However, its A/R functions aren’t as striking and impressive as other invoicing software. In terms of invoice processing, we like that invoice tracking is possible through invoice statuses. However, that would only work if the customer is also using BILL. Another limitation is its invoice design—there’s no way to incorporate company branding like logo and colors. Lastly, adding sales taxes in BILL depends on what accounting software or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system you use. Otherwise, you’ll have to create sales taxes manually. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Ease of Use Both BILL and QuickBooks have intuitive user interfaces (UIs), but the latter is more complex with its features. If you’re considering one of the lower-priced levels of BILL, we recommend using it for A/P, especially if you have a large number of bills to pay and want to automate the process. This is also ideal for businesses with multiple decision-makers when it comes to approving payments. For any other accounting needs, QuickBooks is your best option. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Integrations Because of its limited integrations, BILL is better served as an integration itself as it can be connected to several accounting software packages. QuickBooks integrates with more than 750 apps and has three built-in integrations to streamline your payments, payroll, and time tracking. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Mobile App BILL and QuickBooks have robust mobile apps that assist with payables and receivables. Neither allows you to track time, but you can monitor expenses using location and class fields and reconcile bank transactions from connected bank accounts. Both have the same basic features, such as the ability to create invoices and receive payments, but BILL has the added benefit of workflow functionality with A/P, like the ability to view an audit trail of bill approval and review notes from vendors and customers. You can also scan documents with your phone’s camera and process them into bills or send them to your inbox. QuickBooks has a greater depth of features when it comes to A/R, such as the ability to not only send invoices but also estimates and sales receipts. It also provides GPS mileage tracking and access to reporting tools, two features that BILL lacks. BILL vs QuickBooks Online: Customer Support Although QuickBooks encourages you to try other support avenues before requesting phone support, BILL doesn’t offer phone support at all and instead requires that you submit a support inquiry, which will be answered via email. However, both have other resources, such as a help center and knowledge base, which can be consulted for less urgent needs. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Does BILL offer a free trial? Yes, BILL offers a 30-day risk-free trial. Does QuickBooks Online offer a mobile app? Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a free mobile app with each subscription, which gives you access to paying bills, uploading receipts, and GPS mileage tracking. Does BILL allow you to automate approval workflows? Yes, BILL lets you capture your invoices all in one digital platform and automate your approval workflows and requests, and it’ll sync automatically with your accounting software. Bottom Line BILL’s invoicing features don’t exceed those of , so it doesn’t make sense to subscribe to both if you’re looking for invoicing features. You should do well with QuickBooks Online alone for invoicing. However, A/P features far outshine the Bill Pay feature that comes standard with QuickBooks Online. If your company has expenses that require approval before payment or a high volume of expenses that justify having an automated import system, BILL is a great addition to QuickBooks Online.

While both FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online offer rich accounting features, they have significant differences and are built for unique business purposes. FreshBooks is best for small service-based businesses and freelancers needing strong project accounting features. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Online is a great fit for businesses heavily engaged in inventory management. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks At a Glance When To Use Fit Small Business Case Study Our case study compares FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online across 11 categories. The results show QuickBooks Online’s excellence in terms of general features, banking and cash management, inventory accounting, and reporting. Conversely, FreshBooks’ mobile app and project accounting features are slightly better than QuickBooks, not to mention that it has outstanding customer service. You can check out the detailed results of our case study in our FreshBooks review and QuickBooks Online review. See the graph below for the summary. The biggest difference between FreshBooks and QuickBooks is inventory accounting where QuickBooks is very strong but FreshBooks has virtually no functionality. Also, QuickBooks is much better with banking features, such as reconciliation and printing checks. FreshBooks is well-liked for its customer service while QuickBooks doesn’t even allow users to call customer service directly. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Pricing If you’re a very small business and work with fewer than five customers, then FreshBooks’s entry-level plan, Lite, might be enough. However, as your business and customer base grow, you might prefer to sign up for QuickBooks Online to save some money on additional users. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Features Invoicing QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks both have excellent invoicing features, but QuickBooks Online stands out with its ability to calculate sales tax rates automatically and apply them to invoices based on the customer’s address. With FreshBooks, you have to set up the sales tax for each jurisdiction manually. If you collect taxable payments from different jurisdictions, you’ll prefer QuickBooks Online. Banking & Cash Management If you’re comfortable connecting your bank account to your accounting software, then you might consider FreshBooks. However, if you want the option not to connect your account―probably due to security reasons―then you should consider QuickBooks. You’ll also likely prefer QuickBooks if your business relies heavily on paying vendors and employees by check as it can record and print checks. Accounts Payable Both offer an easy way to record bills and track outstanding bills, but QuickBooks Online lets you create POs and convert them into bills, enter a vendor credit and apply it when you pay the bill, and pay an independent contractor using the service item you created. If you want a more solid solution to manage your unpaid bills, then choose QuickBooks Online. Inventory Management Inventory accounting is QuickBooks Online’s biggest trump card against FreshBooks. FreshBooks lets you add inventory items to bills—but there’s no way to know how much inventory you have available or the cost of your inventory sold. QuickBooks Online’s inventory management system lets you track available inventory, calculate quantities, costs, and prices automatically, and track which of your items are most profitable. If your business is focused on selling products, you should choose QuickBooks Online to support your inventory accounting needs. Project Accounting Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online offer useful project accounting features, but FreshBooks takes it one step further by allowing you to compare estimated to actual project costs. This helps you make better decisions in terms of budgeting and financial management. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Ease of Use FreshBooks and QuickBooks are easy to use, especially if you have accounting experience. Both also include shortcut buttons to help you navigate the programs easily. However, it’s faster to get started with FreshBooks as it only requires minimal information to set up your company—you have to go through a series of steps to set up a company in QuickBooks Online. The good news is that both, depending on your subscription, include unlimited customer support to help you learn everything there is to know about the software. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Integrations The library of integrated apps of both programs should be enough to cover other business processes, like payment processing and payroll. If integration is important to you, both are great choices. FreshBooks integrates with hundreds of third-party programs. A few include Gusto for payroll, Stripe and PayPal for credit card processing, Bench and Mazuma for bookkeeping, and Shopify and Square for ecommerce. Meanwhile, in addition to QuickBooks Online’s integration with native products, such as QuickBooks Payments, QuickBooks Payroll, and QuickBooks Time, the platform connects with more than 750 third-party applications, including Gusto, Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, and Square. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Mobile App Functionality FreshBooks’ mobile app is a little more functional than the one from QuickBooks, but it all comes down to your needs. If you’re doing business with many suppliers and managing project contractors, you’d appreciate the option to record a new bill and enter time worked using FreshBooks. Meanwhile, if you need to process and track incoming transactions from a bank feed, QuickBooks Online’s app comes in handy. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Assisted Bookkeeping QuickBooks Online wins for assisted bookkeeping. It’s used by the vast majority of small business owners in the US, which means that you can find a competent local bookkeeper easily and quickly. Users needing a professional bookkeeping service can add QuickBooks Live to their subscription by turning the feature on in their left menu bar. Through it, you’ll be paired with a dedicated bookkeeper to help you accomplish tedious bookkeeping tasks, like bank account reconciliations and reporting. In addition to QuickBooks Live, users can work with independent QuickBooks ProAdvisors. QuickBooks Online is a very popular accounting tool that many local bookkeepers will be very familiar with. You’ll be almost certain to find a local QuickBooks ProAdvisor near you. On the other hand, FreshBooks partners with a third-party online bookkeeping service, , to provide assisted bookkeeping services to users. Depending on your Bench Accounting subscription, you’ll get access to a dedicated bookkeeping team, year-end reports, unlimited tax advisory, and one-on-one tax strategy planning. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks: Customer Support While both offer several support channels that you can access easily, FreshBooks comes out ahead, primarily because of its live phone support. The ability to make a phone call when encountering serious issues is a huge factor that sets FreshBooks’ customer support apart from QuickBooks. FreshBooks vs QuickBooks: User Reviews Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online scored high with users. FreshBooks users appreciate that it’s one-stop accounting software that’s easy to set up and use. Reviewers also praised its project tracking features and how easy it’s to invoice clients if you use the project feature. The software’s biggest drawback is its inability to manage inventory, and users wished that FreshBooks had a live chat feature. FreshBooks earned the following average scores on popular review sites: G2: 4.5 out of 5 based on about 660 reviews GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on around 3,990 reviews TrustRadius: 8.2 out of 10 based on about 190 reviews Meanwhile, QuickBooks Online users appreciate that the platform makes invoice management seamless with an easy-to-navigate user interface (UI) and analytics dashboard. Reviewers also praised the ability to customize reports and integrate with multiple software. The solution’s biggest drawback is the inability to contact customer support directly by phone, and some users experienced issues with integrating payments from Square. QuickBooks Online has the following average scores on popular review sites: G2: 4 out of 5 based on about 2,970 reviews Software Advice: 4.32 out of 5 based on around 5,820 reviews TrustRadius: 7.9 out of 10 based on about 1,465 reviews Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How much does FreshBooks cost? FreshBooks ranges in price from $15 to $55 per month. The Lite plan is $15 per month and includes up to five billable clients, Plus is $30 per month and includes up to 50 billable clients, and Premium is $55 per month and includes unlimited billable clients. Businesses with more complex needs can opt for customized pricing with the Select plan, which includes unlimited billable clients and specialized features. Does QuickBooks Online offer a mobile app? Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android users. Can you use FreshBooks to track inventory? No, you can’t create inventory items and track total units and costs with FreshBooks, though it allows you to add inventory to an invoice. How We Evaluated Accounting Software We evaluated the small business accounting software based on ease of use, pricing, and how well it performed against the ideal features we’re seeking, including project accounting, inventory management, and mobile accounting. Our evaluation was based on a rubric scoring methodology in six categories, each with a designated appropriate percentage. Bottom Line If you’re a small business or a solopreneur whose primary focus is to track project profitability and you’re comfortable connecting your bank account, then is for you. However, if you’re looking for more than project management, is the best choice. It beats FreshBooks in many aspects of accounting, including inventory tracking, banking and cash management, bill management, invoicing, and income and expense tracking by class.

The core feature you should consider for the best multi-company accounting software for your business depends on whether you need to keep separate books for multiple organizations or consolidate those organizations into a single set of financial statements. When keeping the books for multiple organizations, it’s nice to have the ability to add multiple companies to your software without paying for each one. Meanwhile, consolidated financial statements generally require more sophisticated and expensive software. Thus, you need to find the solution that best fits your multi-company accounting needs at the best possible price point. Here are our five picks for best accounting software for multiple companies: : Best overall multi-company accounting software : Best for independent full-service bookkeepers : Best accounting software for consolidated entities : Best free online accounting software for multiple companies : Best for consolidating entities with cryptocurrency transactions Comparison of Best Multi-company Accounting Software QuickBooks Desktop: Best Overall Multi-company Accounting Software One license can be used for the bookkeeping of an unlimited number of companies. It’s powerful accounting software for small businesses and made our list of the best small business accounting software. It has outstanding general features that can be customized for any business. However, it won’t help you consolidate the financial statements of multiple entities. Instead, consider Sage 50cloud or SoftLedger for consolidation. Both of these products can consolidate separate financial statements of subsidiaries easily in a few clicks, including the complex accounting procedure of eliminating intercompany transactions and accounts. QuickBooks Accountant Desktop: Best for Independent Full-service Bookkeepers , a special version of QuickBooks Desktop, has powerful tools for providing full-service bookkeeping to an unlimited number of clients ($499 per year). With QuickBooks Accountant Desktop, you can provide after-the-fact payroll for up to 50 clients for only $350 per year. QuickBooks Accountant Desktop requires an active QuickBooks Desktop ProAdvisor membership, but the cost of the ProAdvisor program is included with the purchase of Accountant Desktop. Sage 50cloud Accounting: Best Accounting for Consolidated Entities Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) require consolidated financial statements when one company owns more than 50% of the stock of another company. allows accounting for multiple entities and for the entities to be consolidated into a single set of financial statements. While Sage 50cloud is a desktop program, employees and accountants can access the company file through Sage Drive. Sage 50cloud is more expensive than QuickBooks Desktop, but it’s very affordable for software that can perform consolidations. Wave: Best Free Online Accounting Software for Multiple Companies Whether you’re an entrepreneur with multiple businesses or an accountant handling books of several freelancers, is a great software option if you’re looking for free accounting software that can be used for multiple companies. It has impressive reporting capabilities, given that it’s a free service, and it lets you add an unlimited number of businesses into just one account. However, we don’t recommend it for large businesses, especially product-based companies needing inventory management features. SoftLedger: Best for Consolidating Entities With Cryptocurrency Transactions is suitable for companies needing consolidated financial statements and the ability to deal with multiple currencies, including cryptocurrencies. The tax treatment of cryptocurrency is very tedious because a gain or loss must be recognized on every cryptocurrency transaction. This is very burdensome to track in a spreadsheet and makes SoftLedger well worth the money if you also need to consolidate entities. While it’s a sophisticated, scalable general ledger system, it lacks many convenient features of small accounting business software. You can instead go with QuickBooks Desktop for cryptocurrency management. QuickBooks doesn’t have an exclusive feature for crypto, but it can integrate with third-party apps like Gilded and Sync. How To Choose Your Multi-company Accounting Software Most businesses needing multi-company accounting fall into one of three categories: Independent bookkeepers and accountants offering full-service bookkeeping who don’t want to pay a separate license fee for each client. Businesses consisting of multiple companies or entities that each need a separate set of financial statements. Businesses consisting of parent-subsidiary companies that require separate bookkeeping yet consolidated financial statements. Beyond making sure your multi-company accounting software matches your needs, see to it that the platform has good basic accounting functions. We considered these accounting functions in determining which multi-company accounting software is best for a variety of companies: Bank transactions: Bank transactions should be imported into the software automatically. The software should provide an easy way to reconcile the account balance to the bank statement. Invoices: Invoices should be generated directly from the software and tracked until payment is received. Unpaid bills: Bills should be able to be entered into the software when received and tracked until paid. Payroll: If you have employees, payroll should be integrated into the accounting software. Classes: You may want software that’ll track income and expenses by different classes, such as product lines or locations. Jobs: You might want to be able to track profit and loss (P&L) by job. This is especially important for construction companies. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is multi-company accounting? Multi-company accounting is software that manages the accounting functions of multiple operations, locations, and companies in a single program. How many companies can you run on QuickBooks Desktop? One QuickBooks Desktop License can be used to keep the books for an unlimited number of companies. How much does Sage 50cloud Accounting cost? Sage 50cloud Accounting charges $578 per year for Pro Accounting with a maximum of one user and one company. Premium Accounting subscribers will pay anywhere from $924 per year for one user to $2,116 per year for five users and unlimited companies. Quantum Accounting subscriptions run from $1,533 per year for one user and $3,912 per year for 10 users, with custom pricing for up to 40 users and unlimited companies. Bottom Line Multi-company accounting software can serve a variety of functions. If your business is run through two or more companies or entities, then QuickBooks Desktop will allow you to keep separate books for each company. However, if you need to consolidate those companies into one set of financial statements, you’ll need Sage 50cloud. Finally, if you’re an independent accountant or bookkeeper looking to provide full-service accounting to unlimited companies, QuickBooks Accountant Desktop will serve you well.

The best QuickBooks training courses should offer flexible training sessions for students (the option of live or self-paced), be expert-led, and come with supplemental resources, such as reference manuals, study guides, and instructional videos. You’ll find some free courses, but you usually have to pay a fee to access premium lessons and maximize your learning experience. There are plenty of QuickBooks training courses, but we narrowed it down to our top six: : Best overall training for QuickBooks Online and Desktop programs Fit Small Business QuickBooks Tutorials: Best for free online QuickBooks training : Best for learning very specific QuickBooks tasks : Best for live webinars : Best for on-site group training : Best instructor-led college classes Comparison of the Best QuickBooks Online Training Courses QuickBooks Training: Best Overall QuickBooks Training Courses QuickBooks Training offers online and self-paced courses for both the Online and Desktop versions. With on-demand training, users can start and stop the course as their schedule allows. You can watch the video tutorials as often as you like and live classes are also available. Because of the wide range of courses offered and the option of live or self-paced, we selected QuickBooks Training as the best overall training for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop programs. If you haven’t already purchased your QuickBooks program, you should study the differences between QuickBooks Online vs Desktop before deciding. Fit Small Business: Best Free Online QuickBooks Training Courses Fit Small Business offers lessons for beginners and supplemental training for those wanting to boost their existing knowledge of QuickBooks. It has 46 tutorials, which run anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes. By breaking down longer lessons into bite-sized tutorials, students can digest them better. Each one contains a step-by-step guide and a video demonstration of the concepts, helping them understand the lessons better. Fit Small Business offers several courses on both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. See Fit Small Business Tutorials QuickBooks Support: Best for Learning Specific Tasks If you have a specific question on how to perform a QuickBooks task, QuickBooks Support is a free, comprehensive option. It offers help articles, community discussions with other QuickBooks users, video tutorials, and more, and free Live QuickBooks webinars are offered regularly. However, there’s no actual live support available, which can make it challenging to find an answer to a specific question. Advanced Webinars by Hector Garcia, CPA: Best for Live Webinars Hector Garcia, a CPA and Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, has created a series of webinars that aim to introduce the software and encourage users to feel comfortable with using it. He has produced hundreds of videos on topics related to both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, and his YouTube videos will help you troubleshoot common QuickBooks issues. Currently, he has a paid course available through Advanced Webinars, which is intended for contractors and project-based businesses. He also recorded a course for manufacturers and wholesalers and accountants supporting multiple industries. Certstaffix Training: Best for On-site Group Training Certstaffix offers training for several versions of QuickBooks, and all classes are delivered by one of its expert trainers. It also provides QuickBooks Certified User Desktop training classes. From hands-on, instructor-led live online QuickBooks training for individual employees to private online or on-site group training, you’ll find a flexible training option that suits your learning needs. College of Southern Idaho: Best Instructor-led Courses for College Classes At the College of Southern Idaho, students can participate in instructor-led or self-paced courses on a variety of QuickBooks topics. As part of the CSI Workforce Development and Training Program, CSI provides training and apprenticeship opportunities for individuals to master new expertise and opportunities for companies to utilize local training for their employees. How We Evaluated QuickBooks Training Courses We evaluated these training courses based on many factors, including cost, accessibility, course curriculum, and access to instructors. Price: While some courses are available at no cost, others run upward of $600. Available training methods: Many of these training courses are offered as self-paced training or live, instructor-led courses. We also evaluated the programs that offer in-person training. Types of courses offered: Whether it’s a topic-specific video tutorial or a course dedicated to a specific version of QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online, these programs offer a variety of courses for novices to accountants and advanced users. Course instructors: Whether the courses are taught by certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors or CPAs, it’s important to know the level of expertise that’s provided. Additional support available: Examples include reference manuals, study guides, course videos, and access to the instructor for questions. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How much does Intuit QuickBooks training cost? Intuit QuickBooks Training offers both live classes and self-paced training sessions (VIP Membership). Live Classes are $679.95 for the first attendee with $250 off on each additional attendee. Self-paced classes are $679.95 (one-time fee), plus an optional fee of $29.95 per month to maintain live services. How can I learn to use QuickBooks Online? There are several options for learning QuickBooks Online, which include live classes, self-paced training, and free online tutorials. Are there free tutorials for QuickBooks Online? Yes, companies such as Fit Small Business offer QuickBooks Online tutorials at no charge. Bottom Line QuickBooks training courses come in various forms, including on-demand videos, online instructor-led or self-paced lessons, live virtual and in-person classrooms, and video tutorials. Most classes cover QuickBooks basics and are generally taught by certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors and/or CPAs who provide bookkeeping services to small business clients. QuickBooks classes are ideal for small business owners, bookkeepers, and anyone who is seeking to become a Certified QuickBooks User. Classes may also include structured lessons, access to an instructor, practice exercises or exams, a quiz or final exam, and a certificate of completion.

A mobile accounting app should let its users access, encode, and process accounting data wherever and whenever, regardless of the device used—so you’ll want one that’s easy to use and accessible through different platforms. We’ve researched apps from many of the top bookkeeping software to help you find the best one for your small business: : Best overall mobile accounting app : Best companion mobile app for QuickBooks Online users : Best bookkeeping app for a large mobile sales force using iOS : Best for freelancers and solopreneurs : Best free mobile invoicing app Best Mobile Accounting Apps Compared Zoho Books: Best Overall Mobile Accounting App QuickBooks Online: Best Companion Mobile App for QuickBooks Online Users Sage Accounting: Best for a Large Mobile Sales Force Using Apple Devices FreshBooks: Best for Freelancers and Solopreneurs Zoho Invoice: Best Free Mobile Invoicing App Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the major advantage of using mobile accounting apps? With mobile accounting apps, you can access accounting information in real time without having to open your laptop or log in via web browser. What is mobile accounting? Mobile accounting is the process of performing accounting tasks through a smartphone or tablet. Through mobile bookkeeping apps, you can input accounting data into the system and generate reports when needed without having to use the web-based or desktop application. Bottom Line We’ve provided a list of the best mobile accounting apps to help your small business succeed. Before choosing your bookkeeping software, consider which functions you’ll want to perform directly from the app, like invoicing. If you want to do most accounting functions on the go, may be your best choice.

JOBPOWER is an accounting software that can be deployed as either a desktop or cloud-based software and is designed especially for general contractors, subcontractors, and homebuilders. It helps you manage and track job costs, payables, receivables, union reports, budgets, subcontracts, change orders, and more. Prices aren’t published on the website—contact sales for more information. JOBPOWER Deciding Factors JOBPOWER Alternatives If you're looking for project accounting, but don't need other extensive construction-specific features, you can save considerable money by selecting from the best small business accounting software. JOBPOWER vs Competitors JOBPOWER is construction accounting and management software that positions itself as an all-in-one software solution for construction companies. However, JOBPOWER lags behind its competitors in construction accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) features. It’s clear that the leading software in this comparison is integrated with QuickBooks Online Plus. Since Buildertrend offers excellent construction management features, integrating it with QuickBooks Online Plus creates a seamless ERP environment for construction companies. However, the two integrated is expensive, with a monthly cost starting at $484 per month. Upfront pricing for JOBPOWER and Sage 100 Contractor isn’t readily available, so we can’t compare them with Buildertrend. However, if you think Buildertrend with QuickBooks Online Plus is beyond your budget, you can reach out to the JOBPOWER or Sage sales to learn more about their pricing. Alternatively, you can check out our list of the best construction accounting software for additional choices. There’s no upfront pricing for JOBPOWER for either the desktop or cloud version. When you choose the desktop version, you get unlimited and toll-free telephone support for one year. After the free support period, you may buy a support plan. According to JOBPOWER, the price of the cloud version includes support, unlimited updates, and cloud hosting fees. JOBPOWER offers a wide array of features specific to contractors, such as certified payroll, AIA billing, and budget vs actual reporting. It works for industrial, commercial, residential, and specialty contractors, and it can help in providing accurate cost estimates for clients. JOBPOWER offers construction management features that can help you keep track of construction costs and activities. The dashboard (see image below) shows useful charts and metrics to give you a bird’s-eye view of your financials. You can see estimated and actual costs presented in pie charts. Below the charts is a list of open jobs that shows the contract price, budgeted costs, billings to date, costs to date, and percentage of completion: New users will be happy to know that JOBPOWER offers one year of free telephone support. Its support team is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. JOBPOWER’s interface is easy to read and understand. The reports could use a visual upgrade since it’s plain black and white. For better reports, we recommend for reports with company branding or for industry-specific and vast general accounting reports. JOBPOWER User Reviews There are limited JOBPOWER reviews, but its users appreciate that the software is user-friendly and easy to learn with an intuitive user interface. Reviewers also praised the construction-specific features, such as the PO system for material purchases and the subcontract module. Its biggest drawbacks are its lack of transparency with pricing and the fact that it lacks a mobile app. Others said that they felt that even though it allows for multiple users, they can’t be doing the same thing at the same time. JOBPOWER earned the following average scores on popular review sites: Software Advice: 4.38 out of 5 based on about 50 reviews Software Connect: 5 out of 5 based on around 5 reviews Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Who uses JOBPOWER? JOBPOWER was designed for general contractors and subcontractors doing residential, commercial, and industrial jobs of all types. How much does JOBPOWER cost? JOBPOWER doesn’t provide upfront pricing for either the desktop or cloud version—you must contact its sales department for a demo and quote. Can you process payroll with JOBPOWER? Yes, JOBPOWER’s payroll module allows you to generate payroll checks and direct deposit vouchers and file W-2s and 1095 forms electronically. Bottom Line offers its accounting and construction management features as an “all-in-one” solution. It has general accounting features like ledgers, POs, bills, and payroll. However, It’s lacking in construction accounting and ERP features, especially when compared to Buildertrend with QuickBooks Online Plus. Moreover, the software isn’t ideal for do-it-yourself (DIY) accounting, and it requires a CPA with construction accounting experience to utilize the software features fully, especially for tax reporting.

The best invoicing software allows users to create customized invoices quickly and get paid faster through invoice management features. Before investing in specialized invoicing software, consider whether comprehensive small business accounting software, which includes an invoicing function, might be better. Overall, you should determine which platform can best provide you with solutions to your particular problems. Here are our seven picks for the best invoicing software for small businesses: : Best overall invoicing software with sophisticated accounting features (4.68 out of 5) : Best invoicing for solopreneurs and freelancers (4.51 out of 5) : Best standalone invoicing software (4.60 out of 5) : Best free invoicing software (4.45 out of 5) : Best invoicing software for Square users (4.19 out of 5) : Best inexpensive invoicing software with basic accounting features (3.72 out of 5) : Best invoicing software for professional service firms (3.55 out of 5) Best Invoicing Software At a Glance *Software is rated “excellent” if it allows you to completely customize your invoice by choosing from invoice templates, adding your company logo, editing invoice fields, changing invoice colors, and including personalized messages. On the other hand, programs rated “poor” let you perform only one to three tasks from the aforementioned desired features. QuickBooks Online: Best Overall Invoicing Software With Sophisticated Accounting Features One reason is our overall best small business accounting software is its exceptional invoicing capability. It can produce advanced invoices for nearly any industry. For instance, construction companies can convert estimates to invoices automatically, including creating in-progress invoices. You can also create recurring invoices and send invoices in bulk. Additionally, unlike any other bookkeeping software we’ve reviewed, it’ll calculate the sales tax rate automatically to apply to your invoice based on the customer address. It then tracks your sales tax collected by jurisdiction and helps you file most required returns. QuickBooks Online Overview FreshBooks: Best Invoicing for Solopreneurs & Freelancers All plans support a single user, making it a great option for solo business owners and freelancers. Not only does FreshBooks have great-looking invoices, but it also has all the features of a complete bookkeeping system. It accepts online payments, calculates late fees automatically, creates recurring invoices, and prints a list of outstanding invoices. Additionally, FreshBooks will connect with your bank to import transactions, reconcile bank and credit card accounts, and print basic financial statements like a balance sheet and profit and loss (P&L) statement. FreshBooks Overview Invoicera: Best Standalone Invoicing Software Generally, we recommend that your invoicing be integrated with your accounting system, but if you’re looking for a standalone system, is a good choice. It combines accounts receivable (A/R) management and accounts payable (A/P) management in a single dashboard. It allows you to track time and expenses by project and then add them to invoices. You can request a personalized invoice template by sending your specifications to Invoicera. On the downside, the software doesn’t include any accounting functions outside of A/R and A/P management and needs accounting software integration. Invoicera Overview Zoho Invoice: Best Free Invoicing Software is our choice for a totally free invoicing software, making it suitable for very small businesses, startups, and freelancers new to invoicing. Unlike other software on this list, it doesn’t have paid options. It only offers basic to intermediate invoicing features, which is suitable for small businesses. However, we recommend upgrading to a more sophisticated invoicing software like Invoicera if you need to manage multiple businesses under a single account—Zoho Invoice is good for one business only. Zoho Invoice Overview Square Invoices: Best Invoicing Software for Square Users Square is a merchant services provider with no monthly fee, making a great choice if your business processes less than $10,000 per month in credit card transactions or if you’ve been using other Square services. Square Invoices, included in your free Square account, lets you offer multipackage estimates and send contracts with estimates. It has one of the best invoicing features along with affordable credit card processing rates for low-volume businesses. While not as feature-packed as accounting or standalone invoicing options, it does let you create, send, and track invoices online or through its mobile apps. You can also create automatic payment reminders and recurring billing. Square Invoices Overview ZipBooks: Best Invoicing Software With Basic Accounting Features accounting features aren’t as robust as , but the invoices look nice and provide a good first impression to your customers. In addition to invoicing, it offers many other basic features, such as project accounting, income and expense tracking, and banking and cash management. When creating an invoice, ZipBooks provides a template that you can tweak with your logo before entering your sales information. It also offers a free subscription option which is all you need to create, send, and track invoices for an unlimited number of customers. ZipBooks Overview TimeTracker: Best Invoicing Software for Professional Service Firms by eBillity offers lawyers, accountants, engineers, and other professional service firms an invoicing option integrated with powerful time tracking features. It makes sense to combine these functions for professional service firms since billable hours are the primary item on your invoices. What sets it apart from other invoicing options in this guide is that it tracks billable hours that are written off. A billable realization report shows the billable hours sent to clients vs written off, which is a crucial report to gauge the productivity of your professionals and the profitability of your firm. TimeTracker Overview How We Evaluated Invoicing Software Choosing invoicing software requires careful consideration of the features that you need. We considered five key categories in evaluating the software listed here. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What are the key features of good invoicing software? A good invoicing software allows you to customize your invoice by adding your company logo, changing colors, and choosing from different invoicing styles. Also, it must be able to create recurring invoices and send late payment reminders to clients. Can standalone invoicing software replace a complete accounting solution? No, as standalone invoicing software often lacks other essential bookkeeping features, such as project accounting, inventory management, bank reconciliation, and tracking of total assets and liabilities. Can I create invoices on the go? Yes, you can create invoices from your mobile device using accounting software with a mobile app, such as QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks. Bottom Line With these seven best invoicing software for small businesses, we hope that you’ll be able to choose an invoicing software that matches your business needs. We have presented free and paid options with varying features. To make a decision, we recommend that you consider your business’s invoicing and information needs and possible integration with existing software or migration from legacy systems.

Expensify is a cloud-based expense management application that tracks expenses and allows employees to submit them for reimbursement. It focuses on expense tracking and reporting, with features like individual tracking, expense policies, and approvals. offers free plans for individuals and paid plans for businesses starting at $20 per user. Expensify Deciding Factors Expensify Alternatives Expensify Pricing Expensify offers two groups of pricing plans for individuals and groups. Under each pricing group, two tiers of pricing options are offered depending on the users’ needs. Expensify Features Expensify’s core feature is expense management—nothing more, nothing less. It focuses on expense recording, tracking, reporting, and reimbursement. If you maintain books and accounts for your business, you can integrate Expensify with your accounting software. After logging in, the software will prompt you to set up your account. Expensify’s concierge will guide you during your first use of the app. It’ll provide tips and procedures to get you acquainted with its features. Regardless, you can always contact customer support by clicking the blue message bubble at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Expensify User Reviews Those who left Expensify reviews praised the platform for having a clean interface and mentioned that its SmartScans reduced data entry time when recording expenses. We agree that the user interface (UI) design and overall user experience of the system are  outstanding. However, some users said that they found inefficiencies, such as the inability to upload credit card statements. There are also instances where some encountered duplicate entries for receipts. Overall, Expensify offers a competent expense tracking solution. The score of Expensify in user review sites are as follows: G2: 4.5 out of 5 based on around 3,700 reviews GetApp: 4.4 out of 5 based on around 950 reviews Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How much is Expensify? Expensify is free for individuals. Business plans start at $5 per user, per month, if billed annually. Is Expensify worth buying? While Expensify can be expensive compared to competitors, users get free Expensify cards for the whole team. Expensify is worth it if your business wants to give all employees a company card. Bottom line Overall, is the ideal app for businesses needing to process and reimburse expense reports. Its features can help accountants and accounting clerks speed up bookkeeping procedures and correctly book expenses based on Expensify reports. In other words, expenses processed under Expensify will provide more accurate information for bookkeeping than those tracked manually in a spreadsheet. We highly recommend it as a supplementary app to your accounting software. However, it’s not a standalone bookkeeping program.