QuickBooks is an accounting software that lets users track their daily transactions and manage sales and expense data. The software helps with paying bills, invoicing customers, filing taxes, generating reports for planning, and more. It’s available in several versions that collectively address a wide user category. We’ve listed three of them:
- QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting solution designed for individual accountants and small businesses.
- QuickBooks Pro is designed to serve small and midsize businesses.
- QuickBooks Enterprise is suitable for businesses of all sizes across a wide range of industries such as retail, construction, distribution, and manufacturing.
Most versions of QuickBooks offer mobile apps for Android and iOS, and it comes in both cloud-based and on-premise versions.
However, despite its popularity and features offerings, QuickBooks isn’t for everyone. There are alternatives that offer industry-specific features that may suit your business needs better.
To help prospective buyers understand the available options, we’ve put together this guide of the top QuickBooks alternatives. These alternatives are highly recommended by reviewers and are presented here alphabetically. (Read our detailed methodology here.)
1. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a cloud-based accounting tool for marketing, information technology, business consulting, legal services, and home services industries, among many others. The software offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
FreshBooks is designed for self-employed individuals and small businesses.
Other than the common accounting software features, key features of FreshBooks include:
- Project time tracking: Users can track time spent on a project or client and set different billable rates for each. Automated bills can be sent to clients based on tracked hours.
- Multi-currency and multi-language support: Compatible with almost 170 different currencies and more than ten languages, hence suitable for international business and invoicing.
We analyzed user reviews for FreshBooks to understand what users liked and the improvements they’d like to see.
What users liked:
- Easy-to-navigate and intuitive user interface
- Easy set up and configuration
- Responsive and helpful customer support
Users would like to see:
- Ability to replicate similar invoices for multiple customers simultaneously
- Ability to customize different reports such as profit and loss report, tax summary report, payments collected report, expense report, etc.
- Ability to view reports on mobile app
2. Kashoo
Kashoo is a cloud-based accounting solution that offers the flexibility and simplicity required by independent entrepreneurs from any industry to manage their books. The software offers a mobile app for iOS devices.
Kashoo is suitable for freelancers, independent entrepreneurs, and small business owners.
Other than the common accounting software features, key features of Kashoo include:
- Real-time analytics: The software’s intuitive dashboard allows users to view their business’s performance at a glance in real time. This includes real-time bank feeds from over 5,000 banks across the world.
- Multi-currency support: Compatible with almost 160 different currencies, hence suitable for international invoicing.
We analyzed user reviews for Kashoo to understand what users liked and the improvements they’d like to see.
What users liked:
- Helpful online documentation (such as help files) and tutorials to get started
- Easy-to-use and intuitive user interface
- Responsive and helpful customer support
Users would like to see:
- Ability to oversee multiple businesses on one account
- Customizable report templates
- Feature for tracking invoices and reminders
3. Wave
Wave is a cloud-based and integrated accounting solution that combines accounting, invoicing, and receipts management. The software offers a free version wherein it is available to use for unlimited free time, though payments and payroll services incur fees. The software offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
Wave is suitable for self-employed professionals (including entrepreneurs and freelancers) as well as small businesses (less than 10 users).
Other than common accounting features, the solution’s key features are:
- Unlimited bank and credit card connections: Users can connect with any of their bank accounts and credit cards in almost no time. In addition, the transactions appear in the bookkeeping module automatically, without the need for any manual receipt entry.
- Multi-currency invoicing: Users can invoice in more than 150 currencies, which makes the software suitable for international invoicing.
We analyzed user reviews for Wave to understand what users liked and the improvements they’d like to see.
What users liked:
- Helpful online documentation (such as help files) and tutorials to get started
- Customizability of invoices with user company logo
- Responsive and friendly customer service support
Users would like to see:
- Ability to search invoices by specific purchase orders
- More customizable dashboard that’s less cluttered
- Improved receipt scanning—currently it fails frequently
4. Xero
Xero is a cloud-based accounting system that provides businesses real-time visibility into their financial position, and has more than 1.5 million subscribers across the world. The software offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
Xero is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Other than common accounting features, key features of Xero include:
- Contacts management: Users can manage and track their suppliers and customers.
- Inventory management: Users can track their most profitable inventory items, manage stock levels, and import bulk inventory data into a spreadsheet to create accurate quotes.
Let’s look at the user reviews for Xero to understand what users liked and the improvements they’d like to see:
What users liked:
- User-friendly and easy-to-learn interface
- Ability to attach files to transactions and automate reminders and recurring invoices
- Ability to customize login parameters and reporting functionality
Users would like to see:
- Customer support via phone call
- Easyier, less scattered bank reconciliation process
- Ability to control access to restricted information such as payroll, legal, and insurance transactions
5. Zoho Books
Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting solution that allows businesses to manage their books and invoices and process payments all in one system. The software offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
Zoho Books is suitable for small and midsize businesses.
In addition to common accounting features, here are some key features of Zoho Books:
- Contact management: Users can manage and track contacts—both customers and vendors.
- Inventory management: Users can input and track all purchase and sales orders in real time and auto-generate inventory reports.
We analyzed user reviews for Zoho Books to understand what users liked and what improvements they’d like to see.
What users liked:
- Intuitive interface—all functionalities are more or less self explanatory
- Excellent invoice tracking, both in and out of office
- Responsive customer support
Users would like to see:
- Quick and easy customization of invoices
- On-premise version of software
- Improved importing and exporting feature—currently importing to Excel sheets results in loss of many contacts details altogether
Next Steps
When considering the right QuickBooks alternative for your business, carefully read the descriptions and features of the solutions we’ve listed here. In particular, check for deployment options, targeted business sizes, mobile compatibility, and user reviews before deciding to purchase a solution.
Get additional information on each solution’s profile page:
You can also compare other accounting software on Software Advice. This will give you more options to evaluate.
For more resources, check out our Accounting FrontRunners quadrant to see the list of top-performing accounting products on the market. If you are interested in getting personalized assistance, reach out to our helpful Accounting advisors at (844) 687-6771 for a free phone consultation.
Methodology
To be included in this list, products had to offer the following core accounting features: accounts receivable, bank reconciliation, billing and invoicing, expense tracking, tax management, and project accounting and have at least 20 reviews on Software Advice, published in the last two years (as of June 1, 2019).
From that list, we selected the five with the highest user recommended score.
NOTE: The content in this piece provides the opinions and points of view expressed by users. It does not represent the views of Software Advice.
