# Best Accounting Software for Consultants - 2026 Reviews & Pricing

> Find the best Accounting Software for Consultants for your organization. Compare top Accounting Software for Consultants systems with customer reviews, pricing, and free demos.

Source: https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison

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Accounting Software for Consultants

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# Best Accounting Software for Consultants of 2026

Updated June 10, 2026

On this page

1.  Popular Comparisons
2.  Buyers Guide

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215 results

### Compare Products

Showing 1 - 25 of 215 products

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-   1000+
    

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**Recommendations**: Sorts listings by the number of recommendations our advisors have made over the past 30 days. Our advisors assess buyers’ needs for free and only recommend products that meet buyers’ needs. Vendors pay Software Advice for these referrals.  
  
**Reviews**: Sorts listings by the number of user reviews we have published, greatest to least.  
  
**Average Rating**: Sorts listings by overall star rating based on user reviews, highest to lowest.  
  
**Alphabetically (A-Z)**: Sorts listings by product name from A to Z.

[Sage Intacct](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/intacct-accounting-profile/)

Sage Intacct operates within the Sage Business Cloud portfolio as a comprehensive cloud-based financial management software, exp...[Read more about Sage Intacct](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/intacct-accounting-profile/)

**4.3**

([687 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/intacct-accounting-profile/reviews/))

**519**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

PayPal

Microsoft Excel

+112 more

+111 more

+110 more

Sage Intacct's Best Rated Features

4.83Third-Party Integrations

See All

Sage Intacct's Worst Rated Features

3.17Expense Claims

See All

[Emburse Expense Professional](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/392187-Certify-Travel-Expense-Management/)

Emburse Expense Professional is an expense management platform designed to simplify expense reporting while addressing organizat...[Read more about Emburse Expense Professional](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/392187-Certify-Travel-Expense-Management/)

**4.7**

([1284 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/392187-Certify-Travel-Expense-Management/reviews/))

**296**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Salesforce Sales Cloud

QuickBooks Online

+10 more

+9 more

+8 more

Emburse Expense Professional's Best Rated Features

4.72Receipt Management

See All

Emburse Expense Professional's Worst Rated Features

4.0Third-Party Integrations

See All

[Vena](https://www.softwareadvice.com/bpm/vena-profile/)

Vena is a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) platform. It is designed to work with Microsoft 365 apps, cloud technology, and...[Read more about Vena](https://www.softwareadvice.com/bpm/vena-profile/)

**4.5**

([139 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/bpm/vena-profile/reviews/))

**282**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft 365

QuickBooks Online

+6 more

+5 more

+4 more

Vena's Best Rated Features

4.83Project Accounting

See All

Vena's Worst Rated Features

3.63Consolidation/Roll-Up

See All

[Xledger](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xledger-profile/)

Xledger, True Cloud Finance Software Built For Modern, Multi-entity Organisations Xledger is a true-cloud finance management pl...[Read more about Xledger](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xledger-profile/)

**4.5**

([12 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xledger-profile/reviews/))

**249**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Dynamics 365

GoldFinch ERP

+1 more

+0 more

+0 more

[NetSuite](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/)

NetSuite is an AI-powered cloud-based business management suite that incorporates ERP, financial management, CRM and eCommerce f...[Read more about NetSuite](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/)

**4.2**

([2044 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/reviews/))

**213**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Docusign

+18 more

+17 more

+16 more

NetSuite's Best Rated Features

4.75Check Writing

See All

NetSuite's Worst Rated Features

2.71Dashboard

See All

[Yooz](https://www.softwareadvice.com/procure-to-pay/yooz-profile/)

Yooz is a cloud-based accounts payable automation platform designed to optimize financial operations using real-time processing ...[Read more about Yooz](https://www.softwareadvice.com/procure-to-pay/yooz-profile/)

**4.4**

([222 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/procure-to-pay/yooz-profile/reviews/))

**127**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

QuickBooks Enterprise

Microsoft Excel

+39 more

+38 more

+37 more

Yooz's Best Rated Features

4.50Procurement Management

See All

Yooz's Worst Rated Features

3.29API

See All

[Rydoo](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xpenditure-profile/)

Rydoo is a business expense management solution. It automates expense flows and reimbursement cycles and enables expense control...[Read more about Rydoo](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xpenditure-profile/)

**4.4**

([199 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/xpenditure-profile/reviews/))

**122**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Slack

Dropbox Business

+17 more

+16 more

+15 more

Rydoo's Best Rated Features

4.67Mobile Receipt Upload

See All

Rydoo's Worst Rated Features

4.44Approval Process Control

See All

[Striven](https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/striven-profile/)

Striven is a cloud-based, all-in-one business management ERP platform built for small and midsize companies tired of duct-taping...[Read more about Striven](https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/striven-profile/)

**4.8**

([129 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/striven-profile/reviews/))

**86**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Gmail

Shopify

+13 more

+12 more

+11 more

Striven's Best Rated Features

5.0Order Management

See All

Striven's Worst Rated Features

4.20Sales Pipeline Management

See All

[Fraxion](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fraxion-profile/)

Fraxion provides a complete procure-to-pay solution for purchasing, expense, and AP automation with advanced spend analytics. T...[Read more about Fraxion](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fraxion-profile/)

**4.4**

([130 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fraxion-profile/reviews/))

**66**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft Teams

QuickBooks Online

+11 more

+10 more

+9 more

Fraxion's Best Rated Features

4.86Access Controls/Permissions

See All

Fraxion's Worst Rated Features

2.43Fraud Detection

See All

[Procurify](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/procurify-profile/)

Procurify is a procurement and spend management software designed to automate the intake-to-pay process for organizations. It co...[Read more about Procurify](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/procurify-profile/)

**4.6**

([202 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/procurify-profile/reviews/))

**52**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Slack

QuickBooks Online

+16 more

+15 more

+14 more

Procurify's Best Rated Features

5.0Duplicate Payment Alert

See All

Procurify's Worst Rated Features

4.10Budgeting/Forecasting

See All

[ExpensePoint](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/expensepoint-profile/)

ExpensePoint is an expense management platform that helps midsize and large businesses streamline expense reporting, compliance,...[Read more about ExpensePoint](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/expensepoint-profile/)

**4.8**

([352 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/expensepoint-profile/reviews/))

**36**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft Excel

Dynamics 365

+20 more

+19 more

+18 more

ExpensePoint's Best Rated Features

5.0Corporate Card

See All

ExpensePoint's Worst Rated Features

4.10Reimbursement Management

See All

[Beyond Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/psa/beyond-profile/)

Beyond Software is a project accounting and management software system available for small to mid-size companies. The system all...[Read more about Beyond Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/psa/beyond-profile/)

**4.7**

([7 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/psa/beyond-profile/#reviews))

**34**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

[Sage Construction Suite](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/185440-Sage-Construction-Suite/)

The Sage Construction Suite includes a range of solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of construction companies. The suit...[Read more about Sage Construction Suite](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/185440-Sage-Construction-Suite/)

**4.0**

([1059 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/185440-Sage-Construction-Suite/reviews/))

**31**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Xero

Procore

+5 more

+4 more

+3 more

Sage Construction Suite's Best Rated Features

4.57Job Costing

See All

Sage Construction Suite's Worst Rated Features

2.83Incident Reporting

See All

[Sage Accounting](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sage-business-cloud-accounting-profile/)

Sage Accounting is a cloud-based accounting and invoice management solution for small to midsize businesses. It offers accountin...[Read more about Sage Accounting](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sage-business-cloud-accounting-profile/)

**4.1**

([614 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sage-business-cloud-accounting-profile/reviews/))

**10**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Stripe

Zapier

+38 more

+37 more

+36 more

Sage Accounting's Best Rated Features

4.74Invoice History

See All

Sage Accounting's Worst Rated Features

3.38Budgeting/Forecasting

See All

[MaintainX](https://www.softwareadvice.com/cmms/maintainx-profile/)

MaintainX is a maintenance and asset management platform built for industrial and frontline teams. It helps organizations stream...[Read more about MaintainX](https://www.softwareadvice.com/cmms/maintainx-profile/)

**4.8**

([1039 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/cmms/maintainx-profile/reviews/))

**8**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Slack

Jira

+17 more

+16 more

+15 more

MaintainX's Best Rated Features

5.0Image Capture

See All

MaintainX's Worst Rated Features

3.63Calibration Management

See All

[MRI Fixed Asset Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/series4000-profile/)

MRI Fixed Asset Accounting is an on-premise and cloud-based fixed asset accounting solution for small, mid-sized and large enter...[Read more about MRI Fixed Asset Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/series4000-profile/)

**4.6**

([48 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/series4000-profile/reviews/))

**7**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft Excel

+0 more

+0 more

+0 more

[Jedox](https://www.softwareadvice.com/business-performance-managemen/jedox-profile/)

Jedox is the world’s most adaptable planning and performance management platform that empowers organizations to deliver plans th...[Read more about Jedox](https://www.softwareadvice.com/business-performance-managemen/jedox-profile/)

**4.4**

([119 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/business-performance-managemen/jedox-profile/reviews/))

**7**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

+6 more

+5 more

+4 more

Jedox's Best Rated Features

4.47Financial Reporting

See All

Jedox's Worst Rated Features

3.60Tax Management

See All

[FMIS Fixed Asset Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fmis-profile/)

FMIS Fixed Assets is a fixed asset accounting solution designed for finance teams responsible for maintaining an accurate and au...[Read more about FMIS Fixed Asset Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fmis-profile/)

**4.5**

([27 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/fmis-profile/reviews/))

**5**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Deltek Vision

Deltek Vantagepoint

+1 more

+0 more

+0 more

FMIS Fixed Asset Management's Best Rated Features

5.0Depreciation Management

See All

FMIS Fixed Asset Management's Worst Rated Features

4.67Asset Accounting

See All

[Bloomberg Tax Fixed Assets](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/bna-fixed-assets-profile/)

Bloomberg Tax Fixed Assets is a cloud-based solution that ensures precise, compliant depreciation while reducing complexity, dri...[Read more about Bloomberg Tax Fixed Assets](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/bna-fixed-assets-profile/)

**4.2**

([31 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/bna-fixed-assets-profile/reviews/))

**5**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft Excel

Bloomberg Tax Workpapers

+1 more

+0 more

+0 more

[SAP S/4HANA Cloud](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/)

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a cloud-based and on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. It is suitable for small, midsize...[Read more about SAP S/4HANA Cloud](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/)

**4.3**

([358 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/reviews/))

**5**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

SAP Concur

SAP SuccessFactors HCM

+15 more

+14 more

+13 more

SAP S/4HANA Cloud's Best Rated Features

4.75Supply Chain Management

See All

SAP S/4HANA Cloud's Worst Rated Features

4.14Audit Trail

See All

[Focus X](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/3600-focus/)

Focus X is an all-inclusive enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that helps you connect every aspect of your business opera...[Read more about Focus X](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/3600-focus/)

**3.8**

([119 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/3600-focus/reviews/))

**5**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Focus X's Best Rated Features

4.50Approval Process Control

See All

Focus X's Worst Rated Features

3.17Purchase Order Management

See All

[SAP Business One](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/)

SAP Business One is a modular and integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. This platform integrates financials, C...[Read more about SAP Business One](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/)

**4.3**

([344 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/reviews/))

**4**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft Excel

Mailchimp

+7 more

+6 more

+5 more

SAP Business One's Best Rated Features

4.86Scheduling

See All

SAP Business One's Worst Rated Features

3.33Purchasing & Receiving

See All

[TimeSolv Legal Billing](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/423485-TimeSolv-Legal-Billing/)

TimeSolv is a cloud-based legal time tracking and billing solution that caters to law firms, accountants, consultants, architect...[Read more about TimeSolv Legal Billing](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/423485-TimeSolv-Legal-Billing/)

**4.7**

([647 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/423485-TimeSolv-Legal-Billing/reviews/))

**3**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Dropbox Business

Microsoft 365

+6 more

+5 more

+4 more

TimeSolv Legal Billing's Best Rated Features

4.86Automatic Billing

See All

TimeSolv Legal Billing's Worst Rated Features

3.67Calendar Management

See All

[Certent Disclosure Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/audit/certent-disclosure-management-profile/)

Direct connection with existing data sources such as Excel, general ledger or consolidation software ensures accuracy and consis...[Read more about Certent Disclosure Management](https://www.softwareadvice.com/audit/certent-disclosure-management-profile/)

**4.6**

([25 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/audit/certent-disclosure-management-profile/reviews/))

**3**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

+4 more

+3 more

+2 more

Certent Disclosure Management's Best Rated Features

4.43Access Controls/Permissions

See All

Certent Disclosure Management's Worst Rated Features

4.20Data Import/Export

See All

[Deltek Vantagepoint](https://www.softwareadvice.com/reporting-tools/deltek-vantagepoint-profile/)

Deltek Vantagepoint is a solution that helps your people manage your projects from start to finish. Vantagepoint is built specif...[Read more about Deltek Vantagepoint](https://www.softwareadvice.com/reporting-tools/deltek-vantagepoint-profile/)

**3.6**

([17 reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/reporting-tools/deltek-vantagepoint-profile/reviews/))

**2**

recommendations

Free trial

Free version

Integrations

Integrations

QuickBooks Online

Microsoft Outlook

+2 more

+1 more

+0 more

Deltek Vantagepoint's Best Rated Features

4.50Time & Expense Tracking

See All

Deltek Vantagepoint's Worst Rated Features

4.50Time & Expense Tracking

See All

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[2](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison/?page=2)[3](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison/?page=3)[4](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison/?page=4)[5](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison/?page=5)

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[9](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/consultant-comparison/?page=9)

## Popular Comparisons

[

QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Enterprise

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/49801-qb-desktop-enterprise/vs/393202-QuickBooks-Online/)[

NetSuite vs Dynamics 365

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/25483-netsuite-financials-accounting-software/vs/106335-Dynamics-365/)[

Xero vs FreshBooks

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/freshbooks-profile/vs/xero/)[

Zoho Invoice vs Wave

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/18767-Wave-Apps/vs/435103-zoho-invoice/)[

MaintainX vs EZO

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/cmms/ezofficeinventory-profile/vs/maintainx/)[

Sage Intacct vs Emburse Expense Professional

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/1710-intacct-accounting/vs/392187-Certify-Travel-Expense-Management/)[

Zoho Books vs Happay

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/happay-profile/vs/zoho-books/)[

BigTime vs BQE CORE Suite

](https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/bigtime-profile/vs/bqe-core-accounting/)

## Send me a copy of this list to my inbox

### Get a copy of this list with pricing info sent to your inbox so you can pick up where you left off when convenient to you.

With so many options to choose from, finding the right accounting software is a daunting process—especially for consultants, who often operate independently and without the budget of larger, enterprise-level businesses.

But that same degree of autonomy is exactly why it's important to find the correct accounting software to meet the unique needs of your business. Without the right accounting software, consultants won't have the breadth of financial insight, integration and automation necessary to thrive in today's economy. We created this Buyer's Guide to help them find the perfect fit.

Here's what we'll cover:

[What is accounting software for consultants?](#Whatisaccountingsoftwareforconsultants)

[What are the common features of accounting software for consultants?](#Whatarethecommonfeaturesofaccountingsoftwareforconsultants)

[What type of buyer are you?](#Whattypeofbuyerareyou)

[What are the benefits and potential issues of accounting software for consultants?](#Whatarethebenefitsandpotentialissuesofaccountingsoftwareforconsultants)

[What are the market trends for accounting software for consultant?](#Whatarethemarkettrendsforaccountingsoftwareforconsultant)

## What is accounting software for consultants?

Accounting software helps freelance and independent consultants manage small-scale financial accounting data. A core package generally includes the following modules:

-   Accounts payable
    
-   Accounts receivable
    
-   General ledger
    
-   Billing and invoicing
    

The dashboard will have some variation of those modules alongside other supplemental features. For example, Sage Intacct's dashboard contains General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Order Entry, among other modules.

Furthermore, there are certain criteria that differentiate accounting software for consultants from accounting software for other types of businesses. These can include features such as cloud-based applications and customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities.

## What are the common features of accounting software for consultants?

While different vendors offer different sets of features unique to their application, there are several core elements of accounting software consultants can expect to find:

**Accounts payable**

Enables you to keep track of what you owe and also pay all your bills on time. The feature helps you process your outgoing funds, track invoices, store vendor details and print checks.

**Accounts receivable**

Helps you effectively manage your incoming payments. The feature offers billing codes for easy handling of recurring outgoing invoices to customers and payment codes for efficient crediting of payments from multiple accounts at one time.

**General ledger**

Allows users to maintain a comprehensive record of all financial transactions and track spending by project. The feature simplifies budgeting and reporting by showing past and future transactions from specific accounts within a specified date range.

**Billing and invoicing**

Gives users the ability to track transactional financial data and create billing and invoicing documentation for clients.

**Customer relationship management (CRM)**

CRM applications help consultants manage interactions with current and prospective customers, clients and/or partners, with the goal of increasing customers, revenue and customer satisfaction.

**Financial reporting**

Enables you to track and report on your financials with recognized business accounting best practices.

**Online accounting**

Allows users to access and modify all accounting data remotely through a cloud-based server hosted by the vendor.

**Project accounting**

Helps project-oriented consultants maximize job profitability and efficiency by tracking detailed cost breakdowns of individual projects. It allows consultants to examine prior job costs and estimate future costs to choose the jobs based on projected profit.

**Asset management**

Offers a central asset and inventory management system for managing equipment from acquisition to depreciation to maintenance.

## What type of buyer are you?

It's important to consider what type of buyer you are _before_ examining your options so that you know exactly what to look for in a product. Most consultants seeking accounting software fall into one of three categories:

**Freelance consultant.** Independent consultants are responsible for managing their own financial accounting data, without the infrastructure or budget of a business with multiple employees. These types of buyers aren't usually experts in accounting, and therefore require only basic accounting functions while prioritizing ease of use and cost over more feature-rich platforms.

**Consulting firm.** Ranging from a small handful of employees to a midsize network of individual consultants, these businesses often desire more robust systems. These systems should be capable of managing multiple users and projects, as well as the ability to integrate with existing systems like CRM or asset management software. They therefore require a product with a greater degree of sophistication and wider range of applications, such as [CRM software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/), to fulfill their business needs.

**Best-of-breed buyer.** These buyers have more familiarity with accounting software and its specific functions. They know the individual applications they desire and how they will address their consulting and accounting initiatives. For example, an HR consultant would seek [payroll management capabilities](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/payroll-software-comparison/), while nonprofit and cause-driven consultants would look specifically for accounting software to help manage funds and a variety of financial benchmarks. Best-of-breed buyers like these typically prioritize functionality over integration.

## What are the benefits and potential issues of accounting software for consultants?

When you boil it down, the benefits of accounting software for consultants are the same as any other business: a clearer and more comprehensive analysis of one's accounting data, which in turn leads to more responsible financial decisions and a better understanding of the proverbial Big Picture. Advancements in automation and integration have made accounting software an essential piece of the business pie, rendering older, manual accounting methods extinct.

That said, there are certain things you'll want to consider before implementing accounting software into your consulting business. For independent and freelance consultants, protecting existing data and ensuring a seamless transition is paramount. This is especially tricky when integrating with other software, so be sure to back up all client data prior to implementation.

It's also important to ensure that a given piece of software includes all desired functionality and is sufficient for your organization's projected growth rate. The last thing you want is to invest in new software only to realize it doesn't have a specific feature, or that your consulting business will outgrow the software's capabilities as it acquires more clients. Thankfully, most accounting software platforms offer trials and demos that will allow you to test drive it before you buy it.

## What are the market trends for accounting software for consultants?

Consultants will want to keep an eye on these notable trends playing out in the accounting software space:

**Cloud-based software.** Accounting software platforms—and really software as a whole—are moving toward the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. Compared to the more traditional on-premise hosting model, SaaS offers lower upfront costs and quicker implementation time. Both of these factors make cloud-based software ideal for consultants with smaller budgets and less margin for downtime.

**Mobile apps.** Similarly, mobile applications and smartphone-optimized web interfaces are gaining popularity not just in accounting, but across all industries. This trend is particularly relevant to consultants, who are often on-the-go and managing multiple accounts at once. For a detailed look, check out our breakdown of the best mobile accounting apps.

**Industry-specific features.** More and more, vendors are offering industry-specific features that cater to the unique needs of a given vertical. Be sure to keep this in mind when investigating solutions for your consulting business, as even products that were once broader and more horizontal continue to add features that benefit specific industries.

**Vendor consolidation.** When evaluating accounting software for consultants, buyers should consider the financial viability of small vendors, which larger merchants are acquiring at an ever-increasing rate. This is especially true of accounting and ERP markets, with major players like Oracle and Sage making significant acquisitions in recent years.