10 Best QuickBooks Alternatives in 2024 (Free & Paid)

• 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 and unlimited invoices
• 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
• Receipt scanning: $10 for 50 scans per month
• Snail mail credits for sending invoices: $2 per credit

Zoho Books leads our roundup of the best QuickBooks alternatives 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.

In our evaluation, Zoho Books aced our mobile app and integrations categories and also scored high for its available reports. However, it took a hit in pricing because the Professional plan at $50 per month is required to use accounts payable (A/P) features. In comparison, QuickBooks charges $60 per month for its Essentials plan, which lets you manage and auto-pay bills.

Also, although Zoho Books offers a 14-day free trial, it doesn’t offer a discount for new customers. QuickBooks, on the other hand, offers a choice of a 30-day free trial or 50% off for the first three months. It also didn’t score as well for its customer support, mainly because it offers only email support for Free users, requiring you to upgrade to a paid plan for all forms of customer support. QuickBooks Online offers several customer support options, including phone, email, live chat, and chatbot.

Additionally, because Zoho Books is a complicated program with some features that are hidden within each other, it can be difficult to navigate, so it lost points for ease of setup and use. Although there may be a learning curve for some users, QuickBooks Online is relatively easy to use.

Wave offers two plans:

• Starter: Free for one user and has most accounting features including invoicing
• Pro: $16 per month for unlimited users and includes unlimited bank connections and live customer support

You can purchase the following add-ons:

• Receipt scanning (included in the Pro plan): Receipt scanning through its mobile app for $8 per month or $72 per year
• Wave Advisors: Bookkeeping support for $149 per month

Wave Payroll: Assisted payroll services for $40 per month for tax service states and $20 per month for self-service states (read our review of Wave Payroll)

We chose Wave for sole proprietors wanting a free option for basic accounting needs such as categorizing expenses, issuing invoices, and tracking unpaid bills—something QuickBooks doesn’t offer. Even though Zoho Books has a free version, it has a $50,000 annual revenue limit, whereas Wave Starter is free without a revenue limit.

Wave received a near-perfect score in pricing because it has a free version for accounting and invoicing, unlike QuickBooks Online, which doesn’t offer a free plan. Wave is also ideal for businesses that don’t require complex accounting software because of its excellent ease of use. Because of that, it also earned high marks for its general features.

Wave’s limitations with A/R and A/P affected its scores, mainly because the platform doesn’t allow you to create a recurring transaction directly from a bill, create recurring expenses, or create and send purchase orders—all features that QuickBooks Online offers. Wave also doesn’t allow you to combine multiple checks in a single deposit, issue a credit memo, or add tracked expenses to an invoice, also features that are available with QuickBooks.

Because of its poor bank reconciliation feature and inability to print checks, it also scored low in banking. While the Pro plan allows you to connect your bank accounts, the free plan only allows you to upload your banking transactions from a CSV file. Its inventory and project features are almost non-existent, so it took a hit there as well. While the platform is fairly easy to use, its mobile app and integrations are lacking. These are all features that QuickBooks Online offers, as well as the ability to track using classes and locations.

Note that it has limited customer service with its free plan. Your only support is the self-help resources available on the Wave’s website and an automated chatbot. If you need access to email and live chat support, you need to upgrade to the paid plan.

FreshBooks plans include one user regardless of the plan.

• Lite: $19 per month for five billable clients
• Plus: $33 per month for 50 billable clients
• Premium: $60 per month for unlimited billable clients
• Select: Custom pricing for unlimited billable clients and specialized features

New users get 50% 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
• FreshBooks Payroll: Starts at $40 per month, plus $6 per person, 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.

FreshBooks has a solid mobile app that lets you perform many of the same functions as the desktop interface except assigning expenses to projects. It also integrates with over 70 software programs, earning it a perfect score for integrations.

Meanwhile, it didn’t score very well for its pricing because its plans are priced for one user only, with additional seats costing $11 each per month. It also took a hit in banking because you can’t reconcile bank statements unless you connect to your bank account; in contrast, QuickBooks lets you reconcile with or without a bank connection. FreshBooks, however, does have decent project accounting features, including the ability to compare estimated costs versus actual costs—something you can’t do in QuickBooks.

It scored well for A/R and A/P, but it received a very low mark for inventory, mainly because while you can set up inventory descriptions to be added to the bill easily, there’s no way to track the number of items on hand, the value of the available stock, and the cost of the inventory sold. QuickBooks, on the other hand, lets you perform all of these functions. You can also track using classes and locations as well as record fixed assets with QuickBooks Online.

FreshBooks is not the easiest program to set up, so it took a hit in that category, as well as its customer service. The provider has a reputation for great customer service via telephone, but it doesn’t offer a live chat feature that some business owners prefer. It does have solid tax and general reporting features, however, and it can track sales tax—although you must manually set up the sales tax for each jurisdiction where you’ll be paying tax.

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, whereas 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 unless you pay for the expensive Advanced plan.

We found that Xero performs especially well for its general accounting features, where it received a perfect mark in our rubric. It also nearly aced our evaluation of its A/R and A/P features and scored high for banking, inventory management, and reporting because it offers all or most of what you would look for in these areas, like adding inventory to invoices and calculating cost of goods sold (COGS) automatically. It received a perfect score in our evaluation of integrations, with more than 100 apps available in the Xero App Store.

Xero beats QuickBooks Online in terms of pricing, and Xero has no user limit, which makes it more scalable and flexible than QuickBooks Online. Xero even lets you compare actual and budget project costs, a feature that QuickBooks Online lacks. Xero’s fixed asset manager is unique to this guide, as it is the only provider that calculates the sale and depreciation of fixed assets. QuickBooks Online Advanced will also handle fixed assets but is far more expensive than Xero.

However, Xero fell short in customer service, with only a chatbot, email, and self-help information available to its users. While it does have an advisor network, it is small compared to the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Network. It also is difficult to set up without some accounting knowledge, so Xero took a hit in ease of setup. In addition, its mobile app is basic, letting you send invoices and categorize expenses but not receive payments from customers or generate reports. If you’re seeking accounting software that excels in these areas, we recommend Zoho Books.

There are three pricing plans, though custom pricing is available for 11 or more users.

• 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

You can evaluate Sage 50 by clicking “Take a test drive” on its website, which will allow you to access a hosted version 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.

In our rubric, Sage 50 excelled with its A/P and A/R features as well as for project accounting and reporting, where it earned nearly perfect scores for its ability to assign project costs and set project estimates. It aced our evaluation of integrations because it integrates with over 115 third-party applications in several categories, though QuickBooks Online offers more than 750 integrations.

Sage 50 also scored relatively high for inventory management and customer service, mainly because it is available 24/7 for phone and online chat support. However, it received one of the lowest marks in this guide for pricing because it is more expensive than its competitors, especially if you have more than one user.

It also took a big hit for its mobile app, which can only capture receipts but not send invoices or enter bill payments. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Online received an above-average score for its mobile app. Also, it has a steep learning curve and a difficult setup process, so its score was docked in the ease of setup and use categories, while QuickBooks Online earned near-perfect marks.

QuickBooks Solopreneur charges a flat fee of $25 per month.

We included QuickBooks Solopreneur on this list because it is a great fit for self-employed individuals wanting to track income and expenses to report on Schedule C of their tax returns. While still a QuickBooks product, it is completely separate from—as well as much less expensive than—QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Solopreneur 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.

QuickBooks Solopreneur wasn’t rated in this evaluation because of its inability to track assets and liabilities. However, its pricing is very affordable at $20 a month. The platform includes many useful features like the ability to generate and track invoices, and track mileage.

It recently replaced the QuickBooks Self-Employed product. While similar, Solopreneur is slightly more expensive but offers a vastly improved invoicing feature—which is an important tool for many sole proprietors. It lost some functionality compared to Self-Employed, like transferring your income and expenses to TurboTax. However, Solopreneur is still very new, and we hope that Intuit will restore this feature before the next tax season.

Compared to QuickBooks Solopreneur, QuickBooks Online has many more useful features, such as the ability to track using classes and locations, track inventory costs and units, and determine the COGS. You can also record a fixed asset in QuickBooks Online and assign labor and inventory to projects. The closest solution to QuickBooks Online that offers these capabilities is QuickBooks Desktop.

• 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.

In our assessment, Invoicera excelled in invoicing features and customization. For businesses with intricate billing workflows, it provides the flexibility to establish personalized invoice approval processes. This enables efficient review, authorization, and approval of invoices by team members before being finalized and sent to clients or customers for payment. Additionally, it aced our mobile app category.

Of course, there are areas where it could improve. A free plan or a discount for new customers, a feature offered by other software such as Zoho Invoice and Square Invoices, could enhance its pricing strategy. Furthermore, Invoicera faces challenges in ease of use as it lacks comprehensive bookkeeping capabilities unless it is integrated with software like QuickBooks Online.

Zoho Invoice is completely 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. The platform 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.

Despite being a free tool, Zoho Invoice received high ratings for its invoice customization and overall invoicing features. However, it faced some usability concerns, as it requires integration with Zoho Books to unlock access to accounting features. In comparison, QuickBooks doesn’t require integration and doesn’t have any usability concerns.

Furthermore, Zoho Invoice fell short in terms of customer support lacking options for direct contact via phone or live chat. If prioritizing robust customer support is crucial, we suggest considering FreshBooks, where you can engage with a live agent directly through phone communication.

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 is 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 automation for reminders and estimate conversions.

We selected it as the best for businesses processing infrequent transactions because while its rates are transparent and predictable, they aren’t the lowest on the market. You can offer your customers flexible payment options, however, including buy now, pay later (BNPL) and ACH processing. Square Invoices also integrates with other Square products, such as Square POS and Square Payments.

Square Invoices received a perfect mark for invoice customization, as there are many ways to customize your invoices to your needs. It lets you select from different templates, change the invoice colors, edit the invoice fields, and upload your company logo to make your invoice look more professional. It also aced our rubric for invoicing features, pricing, and mobile app. It could have aced customer service if it offered support via email.

It took a hit for ease of use because it is not that intuitive to navigate and requires accounting software integration. In addition, since it is dedicated solely to invoicing, it lacks essential accounting features, such as expense tracking and bank reconciliation. If you’re seeking bookkeeping features alongside invoicing, you might want to check out more powerful software like Zoho Books.

Another consideration is access to a network of experts, which Square Invoices lacks. QuickBooks Online users have access to QuickBooks ProAdvisors. However, Square Invoices offers a BNPL option, whereas QuickBooks Online does not.

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.

TimeTracker by eBillity is ideal for lawyers, accountants, engineers, and other professional service firms because it provides an invoicing option integrated with powerful time tracking features. These functions are a good fit for professional service firms since billable hours are the primary item on invoices.

What sets the solution apart from other invoicing options on this list is that it can track billable hours that have been written off—a feature that even QuickBooks lacks. A billable realization report shows the billable hours sent to clients versus those that have been written off, which is a crucial report to gauge the productivity of your professionals and the profitability of your firm.

TimeTracker also scored high for its customization features and mobile app. In addition, it allows you to bill your clients directly from time entries and billable expenses—which is great for businesses that offer services billed by the hour or project. To help you speed up payment collection, you can add payment links to your invoices, which your clients can use to conveniently process their payments.