Best Bookkeeping Apps for Small Businesses (2026)

Features below are described as each vendor’s own website listed them in September 2026. We have left prices out on purpose: all six sell tiered plans, several were running introductory discounts when we checked, and plans and features change often. Check the vendor’s pricing page on the day you sign up.

What we look for first

• Bank connections that import transactions, so reconciliation is a monthly check rather than a data-entry job.
• Accountant access without sharing your own login. Some free tiers leave it out.
• 1099 handling if you pay contractors. For payments made after 31 December 2025, the Form 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC reporting threshold is $2,000.
• Payroll, built in or as an add-on, if you have employees in Oregon.
• Room to grow: inventory, projects or more users, without switching systems in two years.

1. QuickBooks Online

The broadest option on this list, and the one our bookkeeping service works in. Intuit lists five tiers: Free, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced. As Intuit’s pricing page describes them:

• The Free plan tracks income and expenses, sends a limited number of invoices, runs a profit and loss report and connects one bank account. It is for one user with no accountant access.
• Paid plans add automated bookkeeping, invoicing with online payments, and bill pay (listed from Simple Start up).
• Plus and Advanced add inventory tracking, project profitability, budgets, and class and location tracking.
• Advanced lists free 1099 e-filing, custom user permissions and batch invoicing.
• Payroll is sold as an optional add-on.

Katie Wells, our bookkeeper, works in QuickBooks; she does not hold a QuickBooks certification, and we would rather you hear that from us. See QuickBooks bookkeeping.

2. Xero

A strong alternative for businesses that want clean bank reconciliation and a large app ecosystem. Xero lists three US plans, Early, Growing and Established, and its site describes:

• Auto-reconciling bank transactions, and invoices and quotes with online payment.
• Automated bill entry and tracking, and smart document capture.
• W-9 and 1099 management and sales tax.
• Project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims, and multiple currencies.
• Integration with more than 1,000 apps.
• Optional add-ons for inventory and for payroll, which Xero describes as powered by Gusto.

3. QuickBooks Solopreneur

A separate Intuit product, not a QuickBooks Online plan. Intuit describes it as designed for self-employed people running a one-person business, including those who pay 1099 contractors. Its site lists importing and sorting transactions, keeping business and personal spending apart, automatic mileage tracking, receipt capture and records organized for Schedule C. If you are a sole proprietor with no employees, it can be enough; if you expect to hire or add a partner, starting in QuickBooks Online avoids a migration later. See self-employed tax preparation.

4. FreshBooks

Built around invoicing, which suits service businesses that bill for time. FreshBooks positions itself for freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses, and lists four plans: Lite, Plus, Premium and Select. Its site describes:

• Invoicing that can pull in tracked time, with online payments and automated billing.
• Expense tracking with mobile receipt scanning and bank account imports.
• Double-entry accounting reports and tax-time reports.
• Projects and collaboration, and a mobile mileage tracker.
• An option to give your accountant access, with payroll and team members sold as add-ons.

5. Zoho Books

A wide feature set, including a free tier, and a good fit if you already use other Zoho apps. Zoho lists Free, Standard, Professional, Premium, Elite and Ultimate plans. Its site describes:

• Quotes, invoices, bills, sales orders and purchase orders.
• Bank reconciliation, with connected bank feeds listed from the Standard plan.
• Inventory, projects with time tracking, and a self-service customer portal.
• Sales tax tracking, W-9 management and e-filing of Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (listed from the Standard plan).
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android and a Windows desktop app.

6. Wave

The simplest start for a very small business. Wave lists a Starter plan at no monthly charge for bookkeeping and invoicing basics, with unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, and card processing fees if you accept online payments. Its Pro plan adds auto-import and categorizing of bank transactions, unlimited receipt capture and automated late-payment reminders. Payroll is a separate paid service. The trade-off: Wave lists automatic bank imports under Pro, so on Starter expect the monthly reconciliation to be more hands-on.