The best accounting software for small manufacturing businesses includes key features, such as inventory management, bill of materials (BOM) management, work order management, cost accounting, and inventory management. It could be an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, a general-use bookkeeping software with inventory integrations, or a specialized manufacturing software that integrates with QuickBooks Online or Xero.
That said, here are our top six best accounting software for manufacturing companies:
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Best overall accounting and manufacturing software within ERP
- QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond: Best standalone desktop accounting software for manufacturers
- QuickBooks Online Advanced: Best easy-to-use accounting software for small-scale manufacturers
- Katana Manufacturing ERP: Best manufacturing-specific ERP
- SAP Business One: Best ERP for fast-growing manufacturers
- Odoo: Best for manufacturers that sell directly to their customers
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- Comparison of Best Accounting Software for Manufacturing
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Best Overall Accounting and Manufacturing Software Within ERP
- QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond: Best Standalone Desktop Accounting Software for Manufacturers
- QuickBooks Online: Best Easy-to-Use Accounting Software for Small-scale Manufacturers
- Katana Manufacturing ERP: Best Manufacturing-specific ERP
- SAP Business One: Best ERP for Fast-growing Manufacturers
- Odoo: Best for Manufacturers Selling Directly to Customers
- How We Evaluated the Best Accounting Software for Small Manufacturing Businesses
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Bottom Line
Comparison of Best Accounting Software for Manufacturing
| Monthly Pricing | Number of Users | Free Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $70 or $100 per full user license• A full user license gives users access to all of D365’s core features. • A team member license offers access to view data, approve workflows, and add or update information. Additional team member licenses are $8 per user, per month. | Unlimited | 30 days |
| Visit Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central | |||
 QuickBooks Enterprise | From $142 | 1 to 40 | ✕Enterprise comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. |
| Visit QuickBooks Enterprise | |||
Plus or Advanced | $115 or $275 | 5 or 25 | 30 days |
| Visit QuickBooks Online | |||
 | $199 to $1,799 | Unlimited | ✕ |
| Visit Katana Manufacturing ERP | |||
 | Quote-based | Undisclosed | ✕ |
| Visit SAP Business One | |||
 | $0 to $17 | 1 | 15 days |
| Visit Odoo | |||
Interested in evaluating other accounting platforms?
Check out our guide to the
best small business accounting software
.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Best Overall Accounting and Manufacturing Software Within ERP
| Deployment Type | Desktop or cloud |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | 30 days; no credit card required |
| Discount | ✕ |
| Customer Support | Phone support, email, live chat, community forums, and a help center |
| Average User Review Rating | 3.9 out of 5 based on G2 |
QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond: Best Standalone Desktop Accounting Software for Manufacturers
| Deployment Type | Desktop or cloud |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | 30 days; no credit card required |
| Discount | ✕ |
| Customer Support | Phone support, email, live chat, community forums, and a help center |
| Average User Review Rating | 3.9 out of 5 based on G2 |
QuickBooks Online: Best Easy-to-Use Accounting Software for Small-scale Manufacturers
| Deployment Type | Cloud-based |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | 30 days; no credit card required |
| Discount | 50% off for three months; can’t be combined with the free trial |
| Customer Support | Phone support (callback or direct), live chat, chatbot, and self-help guides |
| Average User Review Rating | 4.3 out of 5; check out users’ feedback in our QuickBooks Online review |
Katana Manufacturing ERP: Best Manufacturing-specific ERP
| Deployment Type | Cloud |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | ✕ |
| Discount | ✕ |
| Customer Support | Phone support, email, online guides, and an implementation package worth $600 |
| Average User Review Rating | 4.7 out of 5 |
SAP Business One: Best ERP for Fast-growing Manufacturers
| Deployment Type | On-premise or cloud |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | ✕ |
| Discount | ✕ |
| Customer Support | Phone support, live chat, and online guides |
| Average User Review Rating | 4.3 out of 5 based on Capterra |
Odoo: Best for Manufacturers Selling Directly to Customers
| Deployment Type | Cloud or on-premise |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | 15 days; no credit card required |
| Discount | ✕ |
| Customer Support | Online form, chat support (via WhatsApp), phone support, and online guides |
| Average User Review Rating | 4.1 out of 5 based on Capterra |
How We Evaluated the Best Accounting Software for Small Manufacturing Businesses
To determine the best accounting software for small manufacturing businesses, we looked into several factors.
- Pricing: Most small manufacturers would be concerned about the monthly or annual cost of the software. In this guide, we included products with different pricing structures that may be affordable or expensive, depending on your budget and ability to pay.
- Feature set: We looked into specialized features, such as inventory management, cost accounting, BOM management, production planning, work order management, and detailed financial reporting.
- Manufacturing software integration: The accounting platform should integrate directly with the manufacturing software for ease of use. However, it would be better if the user could get all the features in one software. That’s why our guide includes ERP and non-ERP software to aid in decision-making.
- Scalability: The solution should be scalable easily to the growing needs of the manufacturing business. As much as possible, we want you to choose one that is powerful enough to last for years to avoid frequent data migration as your business grows and needs more features.
- Ease of use: Sometimes, advanced features come at the cost of ease of use. We included products with different levels of ease of use to help you decide which trade-off you are willing to take. Do you want to go for easy-to-use software that will compromise features? Will you want to learn a more complex platform but get advanced functions?
- Comprehensive reporting: Manufacturing involves tracking of materials, labor, and overhead. The software you go with must have comprehensive reporting capabilities so that you can analyze all kinds of data from different sources.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Dedicated software for manufacturing helps you track inventory costs and production on a deeper and more detailed level than with accounting software alone. With manufacturing software, you can influence the tiniest details—such as markups, margins, and overhead rates—which is not possible with general accounting software.
The best accounting software for your manufacturing business depends on your budget and needs. If you have a limited budget and have simple requirements, you may do well with QuickBooks Online or the free Odoo app. If you have complex needs, you should consider an ERP solution like D365 or SAP B1.
Bottom Line
The best accounting software for small manufacturing businesses should provide you with the needed solutions for your accounting needs. It should help you keep track of manufacturing costs and ensure that manufacturing processes remain profitable and sustainable.
