6 Best QuickBooks Alternatives in 2025 (Free & Paid)

Zoho Books is my top pick among QuickBooks alternatives because it delivers the same intuitive experience as QuickBooks Online but has a more capable mobile app, which lets you invoice, get paid, track time, scan receipts, and view reports on the go. It also combines ease of use with a smarter pricing model. Unlike QuickBooks, which forces you to upgrade for more users, Zoho lets you stay on your current plan and simply pay $3 per additional user monthly. That kind of flexibility makes it a standout choice for growing businesses that want scalability without runaway costs.

Standout features

• Bills tracking and recurring expenses automation: Ensures bills are paid on time and reduces manual tracking efforts, streamlining financial workflows.
• Direct phone support for paid plans: Offers phone support for all paid plans, providing quick resolutions to user queries; free plan users are limited to email support, which might not be ideal for urgent concerns.
• Easy bank reconciliation: Simplifies the reconciliation process by offering both automated bank feeds and the option to upload statements manually — and this flexibility ensures you maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records with ease.

Use cases

• Individuals needing mobile accounting: Zoho Books tops our list of the leading mobile accounting apps. Its app lets you enter bills, assign expenses to customers and projects, categorize expenses in the bank feed, record time worked, and view reports, making it ideal for QuickBooks users seeking a more capable mobile app.
• Zoho users: Staying within the Zoho environment is ideal for seamless and fast integration. If your business is already using other Zoho products, I highly recommend choosing Zoho Books over QuickBooks Online.
• Freelancers seeking project accounting software: With Zoho Books’ Free plan, businesses with less than $50,000 in annual revenues can enjoy the free plan, which includes useful features for freelancers like creating and sending invoices, tracking time and project expenses to include on invoices, and the ability to manage all your clients in one place.
• Growing businesses: Zoho Books has six pricing tiers that can scale up to 15 users. If you need more, you can add additional seats. Zoho Books wins over QuickBooks Online in scalability.

Zoho Books offers strong mobile access, rich integrations, and powerful reports that serious users need. It beats QuickBooks on pricing with more plans and lets you add users without a forced upgrade. That flexibility makes it ideal for businesses looking to scale. But its short 14-day trial is less generous than QuickBooks’ offers. Support and navigation are also weaker, especially on the free plan.

I chose Wave as the best option if you want a free QuickBooks alternative to manage essentials like categorizing expenses, sending invoices, and tracking unpaid bills — features that QuickBooks doesn’t offer without a paid plan. While Zoho Books includes a free tier, it caps eligibility at $50,000 in annual revenue, making Wave Starter the stronger pick among QuickBooks alternatives due to its no-cost access with no income limits.

Standout features

• Easily manage sales tax: Add sales tax directly to invoices, bills, and estimates for seamless tracking.
• Track invoices with customer profiles: Create profiles to monitor invoice status and streamline client management.
• Receipt scanning with OCR: Use optical character recognition to scan and organize receipts efficiently; receipt scanning is included in the Pro plan.
• Simplify bill management: Record and monitor unpaid bills with ease to stay on top of expenses.

Use cases

• Businesses that don’t need complex accounting software: Wave is best for those with basic accounting needs, like income and expense tracking and invoicing. It doesn’t offer premium features like project accounting, time tracking, and inventory management.
• Entrepreneurs with multiple businesses: Wave’s software can be used for managing multiple companies because it allows you to add an unlimited number of businesses into one account. It also has impressive reporting capabilities for such low-priced software.
• Freelancers and self-employed individuals: Wave is a great fit for freelancers who want a free QuickBooks alternative for managing invoices, expenses, and payments without the complexity of traditional accounting software. It is easy to set up, supports online payments, and provides professional-looking invoices — ideal for solo service providers needing streamlined financial tools without extra costs.

Wave delivers strong value with free accounting and invoicing that QuickBooks doesn’t match. It’s easy to use and works well for small businesses with simple needs. However, it lacks recurring bills, credit memos, and purchase orders, hurting its A/R and A/P score. The banking tools are limited, with no direct bank feeds or check printing. Inventory, mobile access, and support options are also weak.

I like how FreshBooks handles time tracking — it’s fast, simple, and perfect for billing client hours. The timer connects to invoices directly, which saves me time. It’s very beginner-friendly, though some features feel too basic. Expense tracking auto-matches to bank feeds, which is unique and easy to use. But I can’t track account balances until transactions clear, which makes it harder to manage cash flow.

Standout features

• Cheaper QuickBooks alternative: Offers a cost-effective solution for small businesses, particularly for single users managing their finances on a limited budget; the pricing structure makes it accessible for entrepreneurs who need essential accounting features without overspending.
• Customizable invoicing options: Stands out with its robust invoice customization tools, allowing businesses to personalize their invoices with branding, payment terms, and additional details — and this ensures that every invoice looks professional and meets specific business requirements.
• Unlimited invoicing across all plans: Allows you to send unlimited invoices in all plans — and this feature provides flexibility and ensures you can handle growing invoicing needs without worrying about additional costs.

Use cases

• Freelancers and DIY business owners: If you want to DIY bookkeeping to save money, FreshBooks is easy to use even if you don’t have an accounting background. By familiarizing yourself with its modules, you can easily learn how to navigate around FreshBooks.
• Service-based businesses: Since FreshBooks doesn’t have inventory features, its project accounting features suit service-based businesses, especially those that bill by the hour. With FreshBooks’ built-in time tracker, you can easily track time, bill clients, and monitor project income and expenses.
• Contractors and consultants: FreshBooks is a strong choice for independent contractors and consultants needing to track time, manage retainers, and send recurring invoices. Its proposal and estimate features make it easy to scope work and convert estimates into invoices, which is ideal for client-facing work.

I gave FreshBooks top scores for integrations and mobile access, which both worked really well. But pricing is limited since each plan includes only one user and extra users cost more. Banking also scored low because you need a direct bank connection to reconcile accounts. I liked the project tools for tracking estimates vs. actuals, though there’s no inventory tracking. Support and setup were weaker, and tax setup felt too manual to be user-friendly.

I like Xero because it’s affordable, scalable, and doesn’t limit user seats like QuickBooks does. The fixed asset manager is built in, which saves users from paying extra for depreciation tracking. It’s ideal for growing teams that need access without jumping tiers. I also appreciate how Xero keeps pricing simple across all plans. For businesses managing assets, it’s a better deal than QuickBooks, and the unlimited users make collaboration much easier.

Standout features

• Outstanding project accounting: Tracks expenses, revenues, and project profitability in real time.
• Scalable plans for growing businesses: Offers flexible pricing plans that cater to businesses of all sizes, allowing for smooth transitions as your company grows; with unlimited user access included at no extra cost, Xero ensures your accounting system can scale alongside your operations.
• Features inventory and COGS tracking: Simplifies inventory management by providing tools to monitor stock levels, inventory values, and COGS — and it even supports real-time updates to help you maintain accurate records and make informed decisions.

Use cases

• Fixed asset management: Xero is the only software on this list with a dedicated fixed asset manager that can help manage fixed asset information and depreciation schedules. I recommend getting Xero if you need to manage multiple fixed assets.
• Large accounting teams: You don’t have to worry about user limits with this platform. You can add all members of the accounting team within Xero.
• Project accounting: Xero has one of the best project accounting features of the providers in this guide. In our evaluation, it aced this category because it can track and compare costs, assign income and expense to projects, and create project estimates.

Xero scored high for core accounting, A/R, A/P, inventory, and solid reporting tools. It tracks inventory, calculates COGS, and integrates with over 100 apps. I also liked the built-in asset manager, which handles depreciation without an upgrade. But support is limited, and setup isn’t beginner-friendly. The mobile app also lacks key features, so Zoho Books may be better for on-the-go access.

Manually consolidating multiple companies can be a hassle, but I’ve found that Sage 50 makes it incredibly easy. With just a few clicks, parent companies can merge financial statements without the usual headaches. It also offers advanced budgeting tools that are great for setting and tracking financial goals, and it handles foreign currency transactions seamlessly with ASC 830/FAS 52 compliance. With the demise of QuickBooks Desktop for new users, Sage 50 is my top choice for a desktop accounting software.

Standout features

• Industry-specific features: Includes customized tools designed for the construction, manufacturing, and distribution industries — these features address unique challenges (such as job costing for construction, production tracking for manufacturing, and order management for distribution), ensuring that businesses in these sectors have the support they need to operate efficiently.
• Audit trail feature: Provides a clear and secure record of all transactions, helping you stay compliant with regulatory requirements; this tool is invaluable for monitoring changes, detecting errors, and ensuring accountability within financial operations.
• FIFO and LIFO options: Accommodates diverse accounting needs by letting you choose methods, which is particularly beneficial if you manage inventory costs in fluctuating markets or adhere to specific reporting standards.

Use cases

• Multicompany accounting: If your organization owns several businesses or companies, Sage 50 is a good choice for creating consolidated financial statements, something that QuickBooks Online can’t do. Parent companies can merge financial data from subsidiaries quickly and accurately, streamlining reporting and ensuring a comprehensive view of financial performance.
• Businesses seeking special accounting features: Aside from consolidation, Sage 50 has job costing features that can help with accounting for costs on a per-job level.
• Businesses outgrowing QuickBooks: Sage 50 is a solid upgrade for companies hitting QuickBooks’ limitations in areas like inventory, job costing, and consolidated reporting. It supports more complex workflows and provides features like LIFO inventory and advanced user permissions, which many QuickBooks competitors lack.

I gave Sage 50 strong scores for A/P, A/R, project tools, and reporting features. It supports job costing and estimates, which are great for tracking project performance. Integrations are decent, and customer service is available 24/7 by phone or chat. But pricing is steep, especially for teams, and the mobile app is very limited. It’s also harder to set up and use compared to other QuickBooks alternatives.

I included QuickBooks Solopreneur on this list because it’s an excellent option for self-employed individuals looking to track income and expenses for reporting on Schedule C of their tax returns. Although it’s a QuickBooks product, it is entirely separate from QuickBooks Online and comes at a much lower cost. One standout feature is its ability to separate business and personal expenses, making it ideal for those who combine their business and personal expenses in a single bank account.

Standout features

• Categorize income and expenses with ease: Lets you categorize income and expenses within QuickBooks Solopreneur, which is the primary feature needed for Schedule C filers.
• IRS-aligned classification: Automatically classifies income and expenses into categories that match IRS Schedule C requirements, simplifying tax preparation.
• Mileage deduction tracking: Automatically calculates mileage deductions for all work-related trips, ensuring you maximize tax savings without extra effort.

Use cases

• Freelancers using the same bank account for personal and business use: QuickBooks Solopreneur lets you categorize personal and business transactions. This feature can help you keep track of items that should or should not be included in tax returns.
• Individuals preferring easy-to-use software: Since QuickBooks Solopreneur is not a full accounting software, it’s easier to use than QuickBooks Online. It’s perfect for freelancers who don’t have to track A/R and A/P.

I didn’t fully rate QuickBooks Solopreneur since it can’t track assets or liabilities. It earned solid marks for pricing and tools like invoicing and mileage tracking. But banking is too basic, and it lost TurboTax transfer support. QuickBooks Online is better for COGS, inventory, and projects. For full accounting, other QuickBooks alternatives are stronger choices, especially for growing businesses that need more than basic tracking.

I picked Invoicera as the top invoicing-only QuickBooks alternative for its customizability and billing features. It handles recurring invoices, expenses, and multi-currency well. I also like its flexible templates and broad payment integrations. But it doesn’t support live bank feeds or core bookkeeping tools. That makes it less suitable for full accounting compared to other QuickBooks alternatives.

Invoicera stood out for advanced invoicing and strong customization, great for complex workflows. I liked the approval system that lets teams review and approve invoices before sending. Its mobile app also works well, offering useful tools on the go. But pricing is less competitive with no free plan or new-user discounts. Bookkeeping is limited too, unless paired with software like QuickBooks Online.

I chose Zoho Invoice as the best free invoicing software because it’s feature-rich without costing anything. It supports professional invoices, multiple currencies, and tax rules across markets. The dashboard is clean and keeps financial info easy to follow. It lacks accounting tools but pairs well with Zoho Books for that. The client portal is a bonus for sharing docs and improving client communication.

Zoho Invoice scored high for invoicing and customization, especially impressive for a free tool. But it lacks built-in accounting, so you need Zoho Books to handle bookkeeping. QuickBooks includes accounting features out of the box, making it easier to use. Support is also limited, with no phone or live chat help available. If service matters most, FreshBooks is a stronger pick for live agent access.

I like Square Invoices for its ease of use and free access, great for small or part-time businesses. It offers customer profiles, reminders, and estimate-to-invoice automation. Its pricing is clear and fair, even if not the cheapest. Payment options like buy now, pay later (BNPL) and ACH payments add flexibility for customers. It also integrates well with Square POS and Payments for a smooth business setup.

Square Invoices earned strong scores for customization, mobile tools, and transparent pricing. I liked the template flexibility and ease of adding branding elements. But support is weak without email help, and the interface isn’t the most intuitive. It also lacks accounting features, so you’ll need another tool for bookkeeping. For all-in-one needs, I’d go with something like Zoho Books instead.