Top Free Accounting Software
- Best In-House Integration: Zoho Books
- Best for Freelancers: Wave
- Best for Simplicity: NCH
How To Choose Free Accounting Software
Choosing accounting software can take some time and research, as you want to choose the right one for your business needs. We conducted a survey with 200 current or past users of business accounting solutions, and they rated features, customer support, ease of use and customer reviews as the most important factors to consider. We then tested and rated the free solutions in this review against those factors.
Features
Here are the features that our free accounting software solutions offer:
| Zoho Books | Wave | NCH | |
| Users | 1 user + 1 accountant | 1 user | 1 user |
| Invoicing | 1,000 invoices per year | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bookkeeping | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reporting | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Bookkeeping is the process of logging incoming and outgoing funds. In some cases, you have to log each action manually. With cloud-based accounting software, though, you can usually sync your bank account so that actions log automatically. Bookkeeping is a basic function of accounting, so you should expect to see it with all software — even free versions.
Invoicing is the process of creating and sending invoices to clients and customers. There may be a limit on the number of invoices you can create, especially in a free plan. Or, it may be unlimited. In some cases, the provider may also partner with a payment processor, such as Stripe, so that your clients and customers can pay you online.
Reporting tells you the current state of your finances. At the very least, there’s a dashboard with some charts and numbers to summarize the highlights. However, you can usually create specific financial documents, such as profit and loss statements, as well.
Customer Support
With any kind of software, access to customer support is important in case you have trouble with the platform. Most free accounting plans have online resources, such as user forums and help centers. You may also get email support during business hours. However, live chat and phone support is uncommon unless you upgrade to one of the provider’s paid plans.
Ease of Use
A user-friendly interface reduces the learning curve, ensuring smooth implementation from day one. Especially when most free plans come with limited live customer support, you want a platform that is easy to set up and navigate.
The benefit of shopping for free accounting plans is that you can try all of them to test ease of use before committing to one. As you conduct hands-on testing of the software’s interface, pay attention to the learning curve of basic tasks.
Customer Reviews
Look at the provider’s profiles on Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau (BBB), Capterra and G2 to see what customers have to say about them. These customer reviews can provide you with valuable insights into usability and customer support, guiding your decision on who to choose. Keep in mind, though, that not every customer who leaves a review is using the free version like you’re looking to do.
The Bottom Line
Free accounting software can help freelancers and small business owners on tight budgets keep their finances organized. Zoho Books’ free plan is an ideal choice if you want to integrate with Zoho’s other products for all-in-one business management. Wave’s free plan handles bookkeeping and invoicing for independent contractors, and NCH is a downloadable desktop app that helps small businesses with bookkeeping and reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Free Accounting Software
Free accounting software is best for small business owners and independent contractors who are on a budget. Maybe they use the free plan until they reach a certain level of growth and can afford a more robust paid plan.
The most important features in free accounting software are bookkeeping, reporting and invoicing.
Yes, free accounting software is free. However it has limited users and features. The provider is trying to get your foot in the door with the free plan in the hopes that you upgrade to a paid plan once your needs grow.
Methodology
We at the MarketWatch Guides team spent over 100 hours researching and testing 15 accounting software providers. We looked at all-in-one tools, such as QuickBooks, as well as specific tools for mileage tracking and expense management.
We conducted a survey in 2024 of 200 professionals who were currently using accounting software or had used accounting software within the past year. We analyzed the results of this survey to determine the following rating criteria:
- Reputation and Reviews (15%)
- Features (63%)
- Pricing (10%)
- User Experience (7%)
- Customer Support (5%)
Visit the full accounting methodology page for more details on our rating system.
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.