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Sole proprietors and freelancers can often use free accounting software to keep track of their income and expenses so they can file tax returns. The best free accounting software should be able to keep track of all income and expenses, import bank account transactions, and make basic financial reports like profit and loss, balance sheets, and cash flow reports.
Accounting software is a great way for a small business owner, freelancer, or contract worker to keep track of their money. These solutions usually come with features like billing, tracking of expenses, and financial reports. Even though free accounting software won’t have as many features as paid software, it can still help you keep track of your money.
Best Free Accounting Software
ZipBooks
ZipBooks is a good piece of accounting software that you can use on the web. The company has a free plan called ZipBooks Starter that has basic bookkeeping features and reports on profit, and the balance sheet. It also takes care of some things related to billing and quotes.
It’s a powerful and easy-to-use solution, but the free plan doesn’t really feel like a free plan. With a free plan, you can only use a small number of the program’s features. This could make it easy to outgrow the free plan.
Features
Pros
- Unlimited invoices are very easy to create and track
- Easy to use, even for nonaccountants
- Able to attach receipts to transactions
- Unlimited customers and vendors
Cons
- No mobile app
- No inventory tracking features
GnuCash
GnuCash is a free, open-source accounting programme that can be downloaded for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. It has tools for double-entry accounting, a checkbook-style register, scheduled transactions, and visual reports that can be changed to fit your needs.
Setting up GnuCash for the first time and seeing its interface, which looks a bit old, might turn off a lot of potential users. But if you don’t mind how hard it is to set up and don’t need your accounting software to look pretty, it’s a good, free application that covers a lot of bases.
Features
Pros
- Outstanding cash management and amortization features
- Free and customizable
- No internet connection required
Cons
- Very hard to use
- Customer support is software manual only
CloudBooks
CloudBooks is a free accounting and billing service for small businesses and independent workers. The programme has more than 2 million subscribers and a set of features that cover, among other things, billing, time tracking, reporting, and payment needs.
The platform’s main purpose is to help you manage your invoices, which can be a plus or a minus, depending on what you need. CloudBooks has more features than just invoicing, but that seems to be its main selling point. This means that it doesn’t have as much accounting functionality as the other programmes on this list.
Features
Pros
- A Smoother Payments Process
- Monetize Every Billable Minute
- Monitor and Recoup Expenses
Cons
- The new invoice layout can be a bit confusing
Lendio
Lendio is a popular app for small businesses that helps them keep track of their finances. Users can use the programme to search for and organise business expenses, send custom invoices, and get payments on a regular basis.
It has a free, self-service plan that gives businesses a good set of features and a fair amount of flexibility when it comes to bookkeeping, allowing for an unlimited number of invoices and transactions. Lendio stands out from other bookkeeping services because it has dedicated bookkeeper services.
Features
Pros
- Available in all states
- Wide range of funding options
- Positive ratings and reviews
Cons
- Slim onscreen report options
- Mobile apps not comprehensive
Akaunting
You might also want to think about Akaunting, which is free accounting software. This choice has many of the most important features that accounting software for small businesses should have. You can bill, sync accounts, track expenses, set up recurring bills, manage customers, and manage vendors with this technology.
But if you want to use more advanced features like online payments, you’ll have to download third-party apps that cost a yearly fee on top of whatever fees you have to pay for this third-party account. It is one of the best Free Accounting Software that you can download here.
Features
Pros
- Bank Accounts
- Multi-Currency
- Multi-Company
- Powerful Reporting
- Client Portal
Cons
- There is some difficulty in self-hosting
- Basic support is not available
SlickPie
You might also want to look into the free accounting software SlickPie for your small business. The free version of this accounting software lets you automatically add as many receipts as you want, keep track of 10 different businesses on one account, and get help by email.
It also lets you make estimates and quotes that can be easily turned into professional invoices. You can also connect your PayPal and Stripe accounts for free with SlickPie. Customers will be able to pay their invoices online with a credit card or PayPal.
Features
Pros
- Tax computation
- Receipt data entry toll
- Bills management
- Invoice management
- Quotes and estimates creation
Cons
- Limited invoice customizations
- Poor customer support
- Limited features
Zoho Books
Zoho Books is an accounting programme with a lot of features that helps small businesses. Zoho Books’ free plan is only for businesses that make less than $50,000 a year, but if you qualify, it can cover a lot of your needs.
The platform has end-to-end accounting tools to help you with the more boring and time-consuming parts of this part of your business, like sending out invoices and sales orders. The programme also has a client portal that makes it easy to stay in touch with your clients.
Features
Pros
- Free accounting and invoicing
- Easy to set up
- Offers bookkeeping assistance for a fee
Cons
- Very limited mobile app functionality
- Cannot track project profitability
Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is a good choice if you’re looking for the best free accounting software to automate your billing processes. With the free version of Zoho Invoice, you can send invoices to customers and keep track of payments all in one place.
You’ll also be able to change and brand invoice templates, keep track of expenses, and talk to customers through a client portal. You can also track your own and your employees’ time so that you can bill for projects.
Features
Pros
- Deep customizability
- Customer portals
- Good mobile apps
- Excellent reports
Cons
- Doesn’t integrate with Zoho Inventory
- Limit of 1,000 invoices per year
FAQS
Which software is mostly used in accounting?
QuickBooks Online from Intuit has been one of the most popular accounting programmes for small businesses and their accountants and bookkeepers. The software is in the cloud, and you can use a web browser or a mobile app to get to it.
What is the easiest bookkeeping software?
FreshBooks is a piece of accounting software that is one of the easiest to use. The software is made for people who run small businesses but don’t have a background in accounting. You can make and send invoices, keep track of expenses, manage projects and clients.
Does Google have any accounting software?
Accounting by Wave is on the Google Workspace Marketplace. 100% free accounting and billing software for you and your small business that is easy to use.
Is QuickBooks accounting app free?
Both iOS and Android users can get the QuickBooks mobile app for free from the App Store or Google Play, or from the QuickBooks website.