The 5 Best Accounting Software for Small Businesses of 2023

Why We Chose It

Not only do the majority of small business accounting professionals use QuickBooks Online, but there are also endless online training resources and forums to get support when needed. All accounting features can be conveniently accessed on one main dashboard, making bookkeeping more fluid and efficient.

Pros and Cons

Overview

Intuit’s QuickBooks Online has been one of the most common accounting software programs used by small businesses and their bookkeeping and tax professionals. The software is cloud-based and can be accessed through a web browser or a mobile app.

After the 30-day free trial, the four options for monthly subscription plans are: Simple Start ($25 per month), Essentials ($50), Plus ($80), and Advanced ($180). Typically there is a significant discount offered for the first few months. 

The monthly subscription for this software can be upgraded as a business grows, and there are many customization options with the mobile app that can be used to receive payments, review reports, capture an image of a receipt, and track business mileage. For businesses looking for a payroll solution, QuickBooks Payroll fully integrates with QuickBooks Online.

Each plan offers more advanced features like inventory management, time tracking, additional users, and cash flow. Most service-based small businesses will find that Simple Start meets all of their needs. For product-based small businesses, Essentials or Plus will have more options for inventory and customizations. The Advanced subscription is a new offering and provides robust financial reporting that is powered by Fathom. Fathom is an elite online financial report analysis tool used by many large companies all over the world.

All plans allow integration with third-party apps such as Stripe or PayPal. QuickBooks Online’s app store breaks down all of its apps by function and provides helpful examples of the benefits of each app.