Small Business Accounting Software Start for Free
Xero has more advanced features, hundreds of integrations, and also supports unlimited users. However, Xero doesn’t have a free plan, with monthly subscriptions starting at $15. With limitations on Xero’s lowest-tier plans, users will have to upgrade to a more expensive option to take advantage of everything the software has to offer. Wave Accounting does a lot for the price—but it can’t do everything.
- Some features are also only available on the paid Wave Pro plan.
- Wave has helped over 2 million North American small business owners take control of their finances.
- However, there are a few features the software is still lacking.
- Bank data connections are read-only and use 256-bit encryption.
- Since you’re self-employed you don’t have the resources of a large company to make sure you’re paid properly and your books are balanced.
Manage yourmoney like a boss.
Furthermore, customers using the free Starter plan will have limited support options. Finally, Wave’s billing, payment acceptance, and invoicing features all work together to ensure you get paid on time. In other words, Wave has many of the invoicing perks you get with invoice-heavy software like FreshBooks, but at no cost. Of course, if you freelance, you don’t need to worry about running payroll either now or in the future. But for small-business owners who want to eventually expand their businesses and hire an employee or two (or more), just know that Wave doesn’t make it easy to add payroll software beyond its own.
With plans starting at $15 a month, FreshBooks is well-suited for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small-business owners alike. Enter some basic information about your business’s accounting software needs and we’ll send you up to five personalized quotes for absolutely outstanding shares overview and where to find them free. Also, Wave Accounting only offers self-serve customer support. If you have a question or issue, you can browse the help center or reach out to Mave, the automated chatbot.
Although accounting and invoicing are separated into two different product sections on the Wave website (shown similarly below), they don’t require separate accounts. These solutions are integrated within your dashboard and you’ll access them both through your single Wave login. When you reconcile your books, you’ll navigate to the “Reconciliation” tab within the Accounting menu. If you need to manually edit, add or remove any transactions, you can do so on the Reconciliation or Transactions pages.
Bookkeeping
Wave Accounting also uses double-entry accounting, which is much more accurate than basic single-entry accounting. Most accounting software use the double-entry system, though FreshBooks’ cheapest plan is a notable exception. We love that even though Wave is free and freelance-focused, it doesn’t assume freelancers can afford to skimp on financial accuracy. First, Wave is remarkably customizable—especially considering that it’s, you know, free.
Wave Accounting at a Glance
The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation. We also took our expert’s view into accounting when calculating our star ratings. Automate the most tedious parts of bookkeeping and get more time for what you love. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made when it comes to making sure my accounting is on point.
And even better, get rid of late payments with Wave’s Pro Plan features like automated reminders and recurring invoices. Xero also doesn’t support multiple businesses, so pricing can add up quickly for some users. And it’s worth noting that while Xero has more features, the software also has a steeper learning curve than Wave. Wave’s Starter plan still offers the basic features businesses with simple accounting needs can use to manage their finances.
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We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. You work hard to make your business a success—that’s why Wave uses both physical and digital protection to keep your money safe. Wave is also PCI Level-1 certified, which is often necessary with third-party merchant service providers. With a Pro Plan subscription, you can connect your bank account with Wave and automatically import your transactions.
Wave’s smart dashboard efficiently organizes your income, expenses, payments, and invoices for fast and accurate tax preparation. You’ll have all the information you need to ensure you don’t miss out on any tax incentives that could grow your business, minimize taxes, and help you keep more of your money. Wave is cloud-based, so you can securely access your accounting software and your financial information anywhere you are—whether you’re working in your pjs, or waiting for a meeting to start. You can also choose from Wave’s selection of professional invoice templates to make sure every touch point instills client confidence in your brand. Users of the free plan are limited to using Wave’s Help Center or Mave, the support chatbot. Fortunately, the Help Center provides plenty of guides and information to help with most issues, and the software is intuitive enough that this support option will be sufficient for most users.