Most small businesses use QuickBooks to keep track of their income and expenses. If you’re a existing QuickBooks user looking to make a change or whether you are just starting your search for the correct accounting software, then you’ve come to the right location. Inside this guidewe compare the best 4 alternatives to QuickBooks Online.
Best QuickBooks Alternative for Self Employed & Freelancers: FreshBooks
FreshBooks is your best QuickBooks alternative for the self employed and freelancers. Not only is it easy to set up and use, but it matches a strong time/expense tracker with fantastic invoicing capabilities. You create and send customized statements, send payment reminders, and also bill late fees automatically. Plans begin at $15 per month and you can try it for free for 30 days.
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Greatest QuickBooks Alternatives 2018
| Best for | Cost Range | |
|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | Freelancers and self-employed looking for easy to use software | $15-$50 a month |
| Xero | Firms who now utilize QuickBooks Online | $9-$70 a month |
| Wave | Businesses on a tight budget | FREE |
| Zoho Books | Present Zoho consumers | $9-$29 per month |
When to Use QuickBooks Online
Before I get any farther, it is important to note that there’s one big reason many small business owners utilize QuickBooks Online. It is because many accountants/bookkeepers are more familiar with QuickBooks than any other bookkeeping software (over 50,000 accountants/bookkeepers are certified QB ProAdvisors). It is also the system that we use and enjoy in Fit Small Business. Click here to receive up to 50% off Quickbooks Online.
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But if you would prefer to use a different product, We’ve Got a list of 4 workable alternatives below:
Best Total QuickBooks Alternative: Xero
Who Xero Is Best For
Businesses who now use QuickBooks Online and are looking for an alternate software with similar features.
Xero is your ideal choice to QuickBooks Online because it features all the features that QuickBooks offers plus the ability to process full cycle payroll for up to 5 employees at no extra charge. Check out How to Convert from QuickBooks into Xero for assistance with creating a smooth transition.
Xero Pricing
$9-$70 per month, unlimited users for all pricing plans.
We recommend the Standard edition of Xero. But in case you have more than 5 workers or will need to handle multi-currency transactions, then you need to update to the Premium edition. Refer to the pricing table and core attributes below for more details.
Xero Pricing Comparison
| Strategy | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Xero Starter | $9 | Core features just |
| Xero Standard | $30 | Center features, and : Payroll for up to 5 workers |
| Xero Premium 10 | $70 | Core features, plus: Payroll for up to 10 workers Multi-currency trades |
Xero Characteristics
Core features of all three Xero programs include:
- Track income and expenditures
- Import bank/credit card trades
- Manage accounts receivable (money due from clients )
- Handle accounts payable (money owed to suppliers)
- Track inventory
- Prepare & problem 1099s
- Prepare key reports — Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement
Xero vs. QuickBooks Online
Xero is the best way to go if you are looking for an accounting program that will give you the most similar attributes to QuickBooks to get a great price. In fact, by including payroll in the typical version of Xero and supplying millions of customers for all pricing plans at no additional cost, Xero defeats QuickBooks when it comes to bang for your buck.
On the reverse side, a few of the downsides with Xero is that it does not have the large ecosystem that QuickBooks does. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many accountants or bookkeepers that are knowledgeable about the item. Because of this, it might prove to be challenging to find a regional Xero specialist to help you.
The great news is, Fit Small Business has made a free Xero Course that shows you step by step how to establish your own Xero account and manage your own day to day business transactions.
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Greatest QuickBooks Alternative For Self-Employed & Freelancers: FreshBooks
Who FreshBooks Is Ideal For
Self employed and salespeople who need an accounting solution which makes it simple to charge customers/clients for time and expenses.
FreshBooks is your best QuickBooks choice for freelancers and the self employed because it includes a strong time/expense tracker that allows you to log the time and money you have spent working with each specific client. Having access to this information will allow you to review reports and ensure that you don’t go over on almost any project. Plus, you can transfer your hours into a statement with just a couple of clicks.
FreshBooks Pricing
$15-$50 a month, 1 user
We advocate using the Plus edition of FreshBooks which permits you to charge up to 50 customers a month. In case you’ve got over 50 customers, then you may choose to go with the Premium edition which permits you to charge up to 500 customers. Refer to the vanity and core features below for additional information.
FreshBooks Pricing Comparison
| Strategy | Monthly Cost | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks Lite | $15 | Core features just plus: Bill 5 customers per month |
| FreshBooks Plus | $25 | Core features and : Bill 50 clients per month Schedule recurring statements Automatically send payment reminders Charge late fees for overdue invoices |
| FreshBooks Premium | $50 | Core features and : Bill 500 customers monthly Schedule recurring invoices Send auto payment reminders Charge late fees for overdue invoices |
FreshBooks Features
Core characteristics contained in all three FreshBooks programs include:
- Create unlimited invoices and estimates
- Import bank/credit card trades
- Handle accounts receivable (money due from customers)
- Track time & expenses
- Project monitoring
- Prepare crucial reports — Profit and Loss (Balance Sheet & Statement of Cash Flows aren’t available)
FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks Online
If you’re trying to find a software which will enable you to have considerably more flexibility in colours, font and general invoice design in relation to the using QuickBooks Online, then FreshBooks is your clear choice.
FreshBooks includes all of the tools that you have to get paid quicker. Along with creating customized invoices, it is possible to send automated payment reminders before a statement is due or after it’s past due and you may automatically charge late fees to customers who habitually pay their invoices late. To learn how these features work in FreshBooks, check out how to make an invoice and cope with unpaid invoices.
However, one of the downsides to using FreshBooks is you can’t write tests in FreshBooks to pay your invoices. With QuickBooks, you can write a check or make an online bill payment within QuickBooks to cover your invoices. This will make certain you stay on top of the amount which you owe to vendors/suppliers (i.e. accounts payable equilibrium ).
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Best Free QuickBooks Alternative: Wave
Who’s Ideal For
Firms who are on a budget and require a complimentary choice to QuickBooks.
If you’d like an accounting software that has about 85% of the features that QuickBooks offers without needing to pay for this, then Wave is the way to go. If you cannot manage to pay a monthly fee however you want an accounting solution that’s more complicated than your Excel spreadsheets, then you’ll very pleased with Wave.
Wave Pricing
FREE, unlimited users
There is only one variant of Wave and it is completely free. You may invite an unlimited amount of customers to access your data and provide them either”view only” or”edit” privileges. However, you can’t grant user access to your bank/credit card info; just the business owner will be able to access banking information.
WAVE Characteristics
Core characteristics of Wave include:
- Track income and expenses
- Import bank/credit card transactions
- Manage accounts receivable (money because of customers)
- Limited capability to cover invoices
- Prepare key reports — Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet (Cash Flow Record not available)
Wave Accounting vs. QuickBooks Online
Very similar to Xero, Wave defeats QuickBooks Online when it comes to price (it is FREE) and the amount of consumers. Using Wave, you can set up as many additional users as required to access your data for absolutely free.
One of the chief disadvantages of Wave compared to QuickBooks Online is that you can’t print checks to cover your bills. You can enter invoices into Wave and run reports to manage due dates, but you’ll have to manually write checks to pay your bills and then go into Wave and manually indicate those invoices as compensated. As a result, your accounts payable balance (what you owe to vendors) won’t be up-to-date.
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Best QuickBooks Alternative For Existing Zoho Users: Zoho Books
Who Zoho Books Is Ideal For
Company owners who already use one or more Zoho goods (e.g. Zoho CRM, Zoho Reports, Zoho Projects, Zoho Expenses, Zoho Inventory).
Zoho Books is a part of this suite of Zoho merchandise. Even though you may have known of Zoho CRM, Zoho Reports or other Zoho products, Zoho Books is an accounting software program that integrates with the Zoho package. If you want to have an accounting solution that integrates seamlessly with your Zoho CRM, Inventory, and Reports, then Zoho Books just might do the job for you.
Zoho Books Pricing
$9-$29 per month
We advocate using the Professional version of Zoho Books. If you don’t don’t need to provide access to ten users then you can save money by choosing the typical plan which includes 2 users and one accountant. Check with the pricing table and center attributes below for more details.
Zoho Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Fundamental | $9 | Core features plus: 50 clients 2 consumers |
| Zoho Standard | $19 | Core features plus: 500 customers 3 users Limited bill pay |
| Zoho Professional | $29 | Core features plus: Endless clients 10 users Buy orders Sales orders Inventory |
Zoho Books Features
Core features contained in all three Zoho Books plans are:
- Track income and expenses
- Import bank/credit card trades
- Manage accounts receivable (money due from customers)
- Projects & Timesheets
- Schedule Recurring Transactions
- Reconcile bank or credit card accounts
- Prepare key reports — Gain and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement
Zoho Books vs. QuickBooks Online
Should you use one or more goods from the Zoho suite and you don’t need to pay employees or write checks to pay your bills, then you may want to provide Zoho Books a try. Having a suite of products that work together is an perfect solution that QuickBooks Online doesn’t currently offer.
On the other hand, Zoho Books doesn’t offer you an integrated citizenship or credit card payment option like QuickBooks Online does. Should you have to pay employees now or in the future or if you would like to take credit card payments from your customers, you’ll have to take a look at their app shop to find out if one of the other products will do the job for you.
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Additional Alternatives to QuickBooks
Even though Xero, Wave, Zoho Books and FreshBooks offer a wide assortment of options for small to medium-sized businesses, freelancers, and self-employed, we wanted to share the full list of goods which we believed. Go here to see all of our accounting software reviews.
| QuickBooks Alternatives | Best For |
|---|---|
| FreshBooks | Solopreneurs & salespeople who need a Simple accounting solution. |
| Xero | Firms Searching for comparable attributes to QuickBooks Online. |
| Wave | Firms that require a free bookkeeping software. |
| AccountEdge Guru | Little to medium-sized companies |
| Intacct | Accounts Payable and Receivable |
| Kashoo | Microbusinesses |
| QuickBooks Desktop | Small to medium-sized businesses |
| QuickBooks Self Employed | Solo entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs |
| Sage 50 | Little to medium-sized businesses with an experienced bookkeeper or accountant on employees |
| Workingpoint | Double-entry accounting |
| FinancialForce | Salesforce users |
| Sage One | Small businesses new to accounting and bookkeeping |
The Most Important Thing
Now that we have presented you with lots of options, it is time for you to pull on the trigger and make a determination. If you’re searching for an accounting software alternative that comprises all of the whistles and bells that QuickBooks has and payroll, then go together with Xero.
If you’re a solopreneur or freelancer, then proceed with FreshBooks. FreshBooks includes all of the tools you want to keep track of time, expenses and billing so that you can get paid quicker.
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