When it comes to bookkeeping, sales tax, invoicing, and more, QuickBooks is the automated accounting software you need. This program can be used to keep tabs on your monthly expenses. You can run your company from anywhere with the help of the free QuickBooks alternatives, even with a low budget. Reports and dashboards can be modified to meet individual needs. This article entails the list of the best free QuickBooks alternatives you can opt for. We also explained how the free QuickBooks trial works. Why not dive in now?
What Are Free QuickBooks Alternatives?
If you’re not an accountant, you could struggle to get the hang of QuickBooks because of its notoriously high learning curve. QuickBooks can be a daunting and confusing piece of software for those without extensive accounting experience or a small business background. For beginners, in particular, free QuickBooks alternatives might be a simpler and more straightforward choice. However, there are numerous free alternatives to QuickBooks that offer similar functionality and a more pleasant user experience.
Since QuickBooks is proprietary software, users must rely on the developer for all service and support needs. Businesses that value their autonomy and adaptability may be concerned about this. Businesses can gain more control over their accounting processes and more flexibility by switching to a free alternative to QuickBooks.
The fact that they are cloud-based management solutions is just another advantage of the free QuickBooks alternatives. The fact that you can access the program from any location with an internet connection is a key feature of cloud computing. Since cloud-based accounting software facilitates real-time, distributed teamwork, it is gaining popularity among small enterprises. Small firms that rely on remote employees or need to work with outside partners may find this very helpful.
Free QuickBooks alternatives may not have a perfect score or the top ratings on popular review websites, but they do provide more leeway and personalization possibilities than QuickBooks. In contrast to QuickBooks, several free options include a flexible set of features and expansion modules that can be tailored to the specific requirements of any business. For small businesses that have special accounting needs or use methods that aren’t natively supported by QuickBooks, this can be a huge help.
Best Free Quickbooks Alternatives
The following are some of the free QuickBooks alternatives that are available:
#1. Synder
Synder is an extremely potent piece of accounting software that has facilitated the accounting automation of thousands of firms worldwide. This software provides intelligent invoicing that is in sync with the money that is actually moving through your payment gateway or online store. All the necessary tools for efficient bookkeeping are included in the 15-day free trial (no credit card required).
Features:
- Quick profit and loss and balance sheet reporting analytics
- Fast billing for simplified bookkeeping
- Inventory management made easy and accurate
- The Smart Rules categorization and classification tool is a first for accounting software and requires no coding.
Pros
- The software is easy to adjust and use
- Multi-currency management to ease the management of international transactions
- Access to consolidated cash flow
- 24/7 support via live chat, phone, email, Zoom
- Free QuickBooks trial and 5 plans to choose from (with the Scale plan being the most popular one among clients).
Cons
- Available only online
- A great number of features may be overwhelming at first for some users
- Some platforms have limitations on how far back users can import historical data.
#2. Zoho Books
You can keep track of your business’s finances and tax obligations with the help of Zoho Books. It also facilitates teamwork between you and the company’s workers.
Features:
- The GST total and report are computed and generated mechanically.
- Automatic alerts let you keep tabs on your payments.
- It works with a wide variety of popular payment gateways.
- You can keep tabs on your finances and organize your bills with Zoho Books.
- Zoho Books provides a price list from which you can choose.
- A bank statement is fetched and deposited into your account mechanically.
- It’s easy to keep track of multiple projects at once, create new tasks, and delegate them to team members.
- Customer invoices might be generated based on actual time spent working on the project or a predetermined fee.
Pros
- Tracking Time
- Reports That You Can Tailor
- Complete Accounting System
- Easy to access
- Excellent mobile applications
Cons
- Tough to navigate for tiny companies
- Inability to monitor capital equipment
#3. Wave
With minimal to no inventory, Wave accounting software is ideal for freelancers and new small enterprises. It’s among the greatest free QuickBooks alternatives for small businesses, but you must be aware of all the advantages and disadvantages.
Features:
- Credit card processing which is done automatically with a very low 1% fee
- Auto-categorization with AI in place to remember your categorization edits. If you change a category for a transaction that was automatically placed somewhere else, next time Wave will put it into the right category.
- Wave App for receipt scanning.
Pros
- Easy dashboard and overall great user experience
- Minimum company information required to start
- The software is compatible with both Mac and PC.
Cons
- No real-time inventory tracking
- No purchase orders and printable vendor checks
- Limited management of expenses: expenses cannot be automatically converted into invoices.
#4. Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. You’ll also be able to monitor your company’s financial standing in real-time, from the aggregated level all the way down to the level of individual transactions.
Your most important business procedures will run more smoothly because it is fully integrated with all of NetSuite’s order management, inventory, CRM, and e-commerce features.
Features:
- Oracle NetSuite has billing management capabilities that will integrate with your sales, finance, and fulfillment teams. This will improve accuracy and eliminate billing errors.
- It provides Revenue Recognition management features to comply with accounting standards and report financial results on time.
- It provides intuitive planning, budgeting, and forecasting solutions that will shorten cycle times, engage business users, and enrich your planning process.
- Oracle NetSuite has unprecedented “close to disclose” capabilities.
- It provides GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) solutions.
#5. Xero
Xero is a cloud-based accounting solution designed specifically for small businesses. You can work together with your advisors and then disseminate the information to your staff. The primary advantage of this software is that it keeps track of earnings and losses in multiple currencies automatically.
Features:
- You can track bank cash flow.
- It allows you to send online invoices with online payment options.
- You can connect Xero to your bank.
- Record and manage receipts and expenses.
- You can follow an employee’s payroll information.
- Xero provides financial reports to monitor the amounts.
- It saves a snapshot of relationship history and contacts.
- This free alternative to QuickBooks has one dashboard to check business performance.
- It also provides customer support via Email
Pros
- Ease of use
- Easily Integrated
- User-Friendly
- Cloud-based Service
Cons
- No live chat and phone support
- No automatic recurring payments
#6. ZipBooks
ZipBooks is one of the best free QuickBooks alternatives that offer a free version of its accounting software. Small firms that don’t have a lot of employees and don’t need to reconcile a lot of bank accounts will benefit from using this software.
Features:
- Smart expense management to simplify your accounting
- Unlimited invoicing with an interactive overview of how much of the invoice has been paid by your clients
- U.S. and Canadian bank account synchronization is available
- Business health tracking services.
Pros
- Rich features users benefit from
- Great reporting
- Users can switch between cash and accrual accounting.
Cons
- The software has a limited free plan
- No inventory tracking
#7. Manager
For individuals who choose to keep their business operations in the offline world, Manager is a viable QuickBooks alternative. Only if you wish to back up your data to the cloud (something you can avoid doing by storing your files on a free service like Google Drive) will you be prompted to pay. However, keep reading to learn about Manager’s features and why it’s a great free alternative to QuickBooks Online.
Features:
- It’s one of the most respectable completely free options for desktop users
- The software has a very simple, albeit somewhat spartan interface
- The software offers modules that you can enable and disable to create your own interface
- Preconfigured reporting to ease your accounting.
Pros
- The software is easy to process and intuitive to use
- Good support community
- Flexibility in setting up the chart of accounts.
Cons
- Bank importing can be time-consuming and isn’t as automated as in many cloud-based options
- Reporting features of the software are limited
- No system checks.
#8. GnuCash
For small enterprises, GnuCash is one of the best free QuickBooks alternatives that can be downloaded and used with Windows, Mac, and other operating systems. It’s a double-entry accounting system with a ton of features designed to make bookkeeping easier for small businesses.
Features:
- Professional layout
- Detailed financial reports to ease accounting for your business
- Helpful multi-ledger structure
- Pie charts, bar charts, scatter plots.
Pros
- Great graphs and charts
- Double-entry bookkeeping
- Open-source software.
Cons
- Single-user system
- The stocks and budgeting features of the software aren’t very intuitive
- The interface isn’t as intuitive as those of its competitors.
#9. FreshBooks
The company 2ndsite Inc. created the accounting software FreshBooks. It’s also one of the best online QuickBooks alternatives that can help you manage your small business quickly, simply, and securely.
Features:
- You can generate invoices for clients in just a few clicks.
- It enables you to organize expenses effortlessly.
- You can use log hours without any hassle and automatically put them onto the invoice.
- This tool helps you to collaborate on projects.
- It provides easy to understand reports on finance.
- Freshbook mobile app helps you to stay connected with your clients.
- It automatically checks and balances to ensure compliance and accuracy.
- It provides customer support via Phone, Chat, and Email
Pros
- Fast customer supports
- Flexible pricing plans
- Expansive integration
- Collaboration focused
Cons
- Lacks multi-currency support
#10. Sunrise
For sole proprietors and small service firms, Sunrise’s free Self-Service package is one of the best QuickBooks alternatives. The free plan allows you to easily keep track of your finances, issue unlimited invoices that may be tailored to your specific needs, and generate detailed reports on your company’s cash flow.
Features:
- Process discounts and refunds
- Unlimited number of users
- Great cash flow reports
- Invoicing
Pros
- Unlike some of its competitors, the software will allow you to connect an unlimited number of bank accounts for auto-synchronization
- The free plan allows you to add other users to your account
- Quotes and estimates are available to ease your accounting.
Cons
- Bill payment and tracking aren’t available and must be entered into a spreadsheet
- Auto-categorization isn’t available on a free plan of this software
#11. Momenteo Free Edition
Momenteo is an accounting solution. You can use the calendar to keep tabs on projects, trips, and costs, as well as to generate financial reports.
Features:
- You create and send invoices to clients.
- It enables you to convert estimates into invoices when your clients approve them.
- Momento helps you to track, classify, and archive expenses.
- You can archive the previous year’s activity.
- This free QuickBooks alternative enables you to add a personal brand to your invoices.
- You can link your Paypal or Stripe account so that clients can deposit money online.
- It allows you to search for the most significant expenses and figure out how to reduce them.
Free QuickBooks Alternatives Features
There are some necessary features you need to check out before picking from all the free QuickBooks alternatives. Here are some of them:
#1. Maintain a Profitability Report
QuickBooks makes it simple to organize your company’s finances however you see fit. Clearer reports and dashboards let you think outside the box about how to turn a profit with the initiatives you’re working on now. QuickBooks allows you to keep tabs on your income, expenses, and tax payments, as well as monitor business profitability, all in real-time.
#2. Take Care of Invoicing, Billing, and Payments
Invoices, payments, and billing status can all be tracked without any hassle. With QuickBooks, you can make several vendor payments at once and write checks from any location. Not only that, but you can quickly and simply take payments from any method, and send invoices to customers right from your mobile device.
#3. Revenue and Expenditures
Keeping tabs on your cash flow can provide you with a clear picture of where you are financially and where you plan to go. Track your spending habits by importing purchases from your bank, digital wallet, credit card, and more. Your financial dealings will also be automatically categorized for tax purposes.
#4. Multiple Users
When working on a group project, it’s helpful to be able to share your files and records with your coworkers and accountants. You may also protect your private information by restricting access to only authorized users, and you can restrict access to specific features for individual members. Using auto-sync, you may work more efficiently and with fewer interruptions.
#5. Taxes, Sales, and Reporting
The dashboard makes it simple to keep tabs on cash inflow and outflow, allowing you to make more informed decisions with more complete information. Taxes are automatically calculated depending on sales and kept in sync by QuickBooks.
Can I Get Quickbooks for Free?
QuickBooks Products subscriptions begin with a free trial period of thirty (30) days from the date of enrollment. After your 30-day free trial ends, you’ll need to provide a credit card to keep using the QuickBooks Products.
Is There a Basic Version of Quickbooks?
The most basic QuickBooks plan is QuickBooks Simple Start, which allows for a single user’s access and can handle the most fundamental bookkeeping tasks. Since it allows for three simultaneous users, QuickBooks Essentials is ideal for companies with a high volume of accounts payable.
Final Thoughts
QuickBooks may be either too expensive or too complicated to use for small firms and people with limited budgets and/or accounting experience. With enough research, you may find a free alternative to QuickBooks that has many of the same features without the steep price tag. There are a variety of free, cloud-based QuickBooks alternatives that are highly flexible and frequently offer more features than QuickBooks itself. The best free QuickBooks alternatives allow businesses to choose software that fits their specific requirements while still providing a low-cost and simple solution to simplify their financial management.
If this is your first time purchasing accounting software, we hope you find the list of available options helpful. Most of these free QuickBooks alternatives are available without the need for a credit card, making them ideal for new businesses. It’s wise to keep these accounting software solutions in mind as a way to learn more about business accounting and save money on more complex options, but you may find that some of them lack features that you need over time (project management, inventory tracking, more automation, less manual data entry, a greater variety of reports available, etc.).
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