How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The simplest all-round pick is QuickBooks Solopreneur ($20 per month), built for one-person businesses with automatic mileage and quarterly tax estimates.
- The cheapest way to start is Wave ($0 Starter plan) or Found (free core banking and bookkeeping), both workable for contractors with light needs.
- Invoice-heavy freelancers should compare FreshBooks ($23 per month on Lite) and Bonsai ($25 per month on Starter), which pair proposals and contracts with the books.
- Contractors who drive for work need mileage capture: Hurdlr ($9.99 per month on Premium) automates it, and QuickBooks Solopreneur includes it too.
- Every price below comes from the vendor's own website, checked in October 2026.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 QuickBooks Solopreneur | One-person businesses that want taxes and mileage handled automatically | $20/month (Solopreneur plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 FreshBooks | Contractors who invoice clients constantly and want it painless | $23/month (Lite plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Wave | Contractors who want real double-entry accounting for free | $0 (Starter plan) | Yes (Starter plan is free) |
 Xero | Contractors whose books are getting complicated | $27/month (Early plan) | Free trial available |
 Zoho Books | Contractors on tight budgets, especially inside the Zoho ecosystem | $0 (Free plan, revenue under $50K) | Yes (Free plan) |
 Hurdlr | Contractors who drive for work and fear missing deductions | $9.99/month (Premium) | Yes (free basic plan) |
 Found | Contractors who want banking, bookkeeping and tax savings in one place | $0 (core plan, no monthly fee) | Yes (core plan is free) |
 Patriot Accounting | Contractors who want a straightforward ledger without extras | $20/month (Basic plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Bonsai | Freelancers who want proposals, contracts, time tracking and accounting together | $25/month (Starter, paid monthly) | Free trial (7 days) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best accounting software for 1099 contractors
You earned $80,000 across 14 clients last year. How much of that went to taxes, and could you prove every deduction if the IRS asked? For 1099 contractors, those two questions decide which accounting software is worth paying for.
Unlike W-2 employees, contractors get no withholding, no employer tax filings and no benefits admin. The software has to cover that gap: income tracking across clients, expense and mileage capture for Schedule C deductions, quarterly estimated tax estimates, and ideally 1099-NEC filing support. The nine tools below are judged on exactly that job.
Prices come from each vendor's own site, checked in October 2026. We name the cheapest entry plan for a solo contractor in every case.
Starting price$20/month (Solopreneur plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
QuickBooks Solopreneur is the safe default for 1099 contractors. Intuit built it for the one-person business: connect bank accounts, tag business versus personal spending, track mileage automatically from your phone, and get quarterly estimated tax figures without a spreadsheet. Tax time exports flow into TurboTax, which many contractors already use.
The $20 per month price is straightforward, with a 30-day trial to test the bank connections. The limitation is the ceiling: there is one plan, so a contractor who hires help or adds partners eventually needs to migrate to QuickBooks Online. For a true solo 1099 worker who wants the least thinking about taxes, it is the easiest yes on this list.
What we like- Built for solo operators with automatic mileage tracking
- Quarterly estimated tax calculations included
- Separates business and personal spending cleanly
Watch out for- Single plan with no room to grow into multi-user books
- Pricier than free alternatives for basic needs
#2
FreshBooks
Best for: Contractors who invoice clients constantly and want it painless
Visit freshbooks.com
Starting price$23/month (Lite plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
FreshBooks wins contractors who live on invoices. Creating, sending and chasing invoices takes minutes, with automatic payment reminders and client-friendly online payment options. Expenses attach to projects, receipts scan from the phone, and the reports read clearly without accounting training.
Lite at $23 per month covers the solo contractor with a modest client list. Note the vendor currently advertises a $1 per month first-year promotion on its homepage, so check the live price before you buy. FreshBooks is less of a full ledger than QuickBooks or Xero, but for service contractors whose finances are invoices in and expenses out, it fits.
What we like- Invoicing is genuinely best in class, with reminders and online payments
- Expense tracking with receipt capture
- Clean reports a non-accountant can read
Watch out for- Lite caps billable clients, so growing contractors pay more
- Accounting depth lags QuickBooks and Xero
#3
Wave
Best for: Contractors who want real double-entry accounting for free
Visit waveapps.com
Starting price$0 (Starter plan)
Free planYes (Starter plan is free)
Wave is the only real accounting tool here that starts at $0. The free Starter plan covers accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning, which handles the core 1099 workflow: record income per client, log deductible expenses, and generate the reports your tax preparer wants. For a contractor watching every dollar, that is hard to beat.
Pro at $19 per month ($190 per year) adds features like unlimited users and deeper insights. Wave makes money on payments processing and payroll add-ons, not the ledger itself. The gaps are mileage tracking and built-in quarterly tax estimates, so drivers and the tax-anxious may need a companion app. As a free ledger, though, nothing else here competes.
What we like- Free accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning with no catch
- Simple enough for non-accountants
- Paid Pro plan adds the extras if you grow
Watch out for- No mileage tracking on the free plan
- Payroll and tax filing support cost extra
- Support is thinner than paid rivals
#4
Xero
Best for: Contractors whose books are getting complicated
Visit xero.com
Starting price$27/month (Early plan)
Free planFree trial available
Xero is the pick for contractors whose books are getting complicated. When one client pays in euros, another needs project tracking, and the expense list runs long, Xero's reconciliation and integration depth earns its price. The dashboard shows cash flow clearly, and the app ecosystem covers payroll, payments and reporting add-ons.
Early at $27 per month (after Xero's October 2026 price update) caps monthly invoices and bills, so high-volume contractors need the $59 Growing plan. There is no built-in mileage tracker and no contractor-specific tax workflow, which is why QuickBooks Solopreneur beats it for simple solo cases. For the contractor outgrowing simple tools, Xero is the natural next step.
What we like- Strong bank reconciliation and invoicing
- 1,000-plus integrations including Gusto and Stripe
- Multi-currency support for international clients
Watch out for- No mileage tracking built in
- Early plan limits invoices and bills per month
- Steeper learning curve than Wave or FreshBooks
#5
Zoho Books
Best for: Contractors on tight budgets, especially inside the Zoho ecosystem
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$0 (Free plan, revenue under $50K)
Free planYes (Free plan)
Zoho Books is the value play for contractors already in the Zoho world. Businesses under $50,000 in annual revenue use the core accounting free, which covers invoicing, expenses, bank reconciliation and tax reports. Paid Standard starts at $20 per month ($15 on annual billing) and lifts the limits.
The fit is best for contractors who also use Zoho CRM, Zoho Invoice or Zoho's other apps, since the data flows between them. US-specific tax workflows are thinner than QuickBooks, and mileage tracking is basic. For a solo contractor under the revenue threshold who wants a real ledger for nothing, it deserves a look alongside Wave.
What we like- Free for businesses under $50K in annual revenue
- Solid invoicing, expenses and reporting
- Integrates with the wider Zoho suite
Watch out for- The free plan has transaction limits
- US payroll and tax features lag QuickBooks
- Support quality varies by tier
#6
Hurdlr
Best for: Contractors who drive for work and fear missing deductions
Visit hurdlr.com
Starting price$9.99/month (Premium)
Free planYes (free basic plan)
Hurdlr is not full accounting software, and that is the appeal. It does three things for 1099 contractors: automatic mileage tracking, expense capture, and live estimates of what you owe each quarter. For rideshare drivers, delivery contractors and traveling freelancers, the mileage log alone can pay for the subscription in deductions.
Premium at $9.99 per month adds the full deduction finder and tax features, with a free basic plan for trying the core. Think of Hurdlr as the tax sidekick to a ledger like Wave or QuickBooks: it finds the write-offs and estimates the quarterly payments, while the accounting tool keeps the official books. Paired with a free ledger, the combo costs under $10 a month.
What we like- Automatic mileage tracking that runs in the background
- Real-time tax estimates for quarterly payments
- Expense capture tuned for freelancers
Watch out for- Not full accounting software, so most users pair it with a ledger
- Pro features cost extra
- The free plan is limited
#7
Found
Best for: Contractors who want banking, bookkeeping and tax savings in one place
Visit found.com
Starting price$0 (core plan, no monthly fee)
Free planYes (core plan is free)
Found collapses banking, bookkeeping and taxes into one account. Income lands in the Found business checking account, the app sets aside an estimated tax percentage automatically, expenses categorize themselves, and invoices go out from the same place. For contractors who commingle money and dread quarterly payments, the automation is the product.
The core plan has no monthly fee, which makes Found the cheapest complete setup here alongside Wave. Found Plus at $35 per month adds higher APY, cash back and a dedicated manager. The bookkeeping is lighter than a dedicated ledger, so contractors with complex books may still want QuickBooks or Xero beside it. As a tax-discipline machine for solo workers, it is unusually effective.
What we like- Business banking with automatic tax set-asides
- Bookkeeping and invoicing built in
- Free 1099-NEC filing for contractors you pay
Watch out for- Banking-first design means accounting depth is lighter than QuickBooks
- Advanced features sit behind the $35 per month Plus plan
Starting price$20/month (Basic plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Patriot is the straightforward ledger for contractors who want accounting without extras. The Basic plan at $20 per month covers income, expenses and financial reports on a cash basis, with an interface a non-accountant learns in an afternoon. US-based support answers the phone, which matters at tax time.
The catch for 1099 contractors is the tier split: 1099-NEC filing lives on Premium at $30 per month, so budget for that if you pay subcontractors yourself. There is no mileage tracking and invoicing is plain. Patriot suits the contractor who finds Wave too DIY and QuickBooks too much, and just wants the books done.
What we like- Simple cash-basis accounting that is easy to learn
- US-based support included
- Affordable next step up from free tools
Watch out for- No mileage tracking
- Invoicing is basic next to FreshBooks or Wave
- Premium at $30 adds the 1099 filing contractors need
#9
Bonsai
Best for: Freelancers who want proposals, contracts, time tracking and accounting together
Visit hellobonsai.com
Starting price$25/month (Starter, paid monthly)
Free planFree trial (7 days)
Bonsai treats the contractor's whole business as one workflow. A client engagement runs from proposal to contract to time tracking to invoice to expense-tagged tax estimates inside a single account. For freelancers juggling the business side alone, that continuity saves real admin hours.
Starter at $25 per month ($21 on annual billing) is priced for the bundle, not the bookkeeping: as pure accounting it costs more than Wave's $0 or Patriot's $20. Professional at $39 and Business at $79 add team features most solo contractors skip. If your pain is the whole client pipeline rather than just the ledger, Bonsai is the most complete answer here.
What we like- Contracts, proposals, invoices and expenses in one workflow
- Tax estimates and quarterly reminders for freelancers
- Client portals look professional
Watch out for- Accounting is lighter than dedicated ledgers
- $25 entry price is high for the bookkeeping alone
- Short 7-day trial
How we chose
We checked each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026 and opened every official homepage to confirm the website address. We scored tools on the 1099 contractor's actual workflow: multi-client income tracking, deductible expense and mileage capture, quarterly tax estimates, and 1099-NEC support. Tools with no contractor-relevant tax features did not make the cut. We report no hands-on testing, user counts or ratings.
What 1099 contractors should look for in accounting software
Quarterly estimated taxes are the first filter. Miss them and the penalties add up, so favor tools that calculate what you owe each quarter: QuickBooks Solopreneur, Hurdlr and Found all do this natively. A generic small-business ledger without tax estimates leaves the hardest part of contractor finances to you.
Mileage is the second filter for anyone who drives for work. The IRS standard mileage rate makes every tracked mile a deduction, but only if you log it. Automatic tracking in Hurdlr and QuickBooks Solopreneur beats a manual logbook you will abandon by February.
Third, check 1099-NEC filing if you pay subcontractors. Some tools include it, some charge extra, and some skip it entirely. Finally, confirm the income side: you need per-client tracking and invoicing that does not cap out below your client count. Run a real quarter of your own transactions through the trial before committing.
Do 1099 contractors need accounting software or just a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet works until it does not. For a contractor with two clients, steady monthly invoices and ten deductible expenses a year, a well-kept spreadsheet plus a mileage app covers the bases. The failure point is usually quarterly taxes: spreadsheets do not remind you, calculate estimates or set money aside.
Accounting software earns its price in three situations. First, when client count or transaction volume makes manual entry error-prone. Second, when missed deductions cost more than the subscription, which a $10 mileage tracker usually prevents. Third, when a tax preparer charges by the hour to untangle your records: clean books from Wave or QuickBooks cut that bill directly.
The honest middle path is a free ledger plus a cheap tax tool. Wave's $0 accounting paired with Hurdlr's free or $9.99 mileage tracking gives most solo contractors everything a spreadsheet cannot, for less than ten dollars a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best accounting software for a 1099 contractor?
QuickBooks Solopreneur ($20 per month) is the simplest complete pick, with mileage and quarterly tax estimates built in. Wave ($0) is the best free ledger. Invoice-heavy freelancers should look at FreshBooks, and drivers should add Hurdlr for mileage.
Can this software handle my quarterly estimated taxes?
QuickBooks Solopreneur, Hurdlr and Found calculate quarterly estimates from your actual income. FreshBooks, Wave, Xero, Zoho Books and Patriot track the income and expenses your estimates are based on, but you or your tax preparer compute the payment.
Do I need 1099-NEC filing in my accounting software?
Only if you pay subcontractors or freelancers yourself. Found includes free 1099-NEC filing, and Patriot offers it on its $30 Premium plan. If you never pay other contractors, you can ignore this feature entirely.
Is Wave really free?
Wave's Starter accounting plan is genuinely $0, covering accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning. Wave earns revenue from payment processing and add-ons like payroll. Pro at $19 per month adds extras, but the free ledger has no time limit.
What is the cheapest setup for a new 1099 contractor?
Wave ($0) for the ledger plus Hurdlr's free basic plan for mileage tracking costs nothing. If you want automatic quarterly tax estimates too, Hurdlr Premium at $9.99 per month or Found's free core plan with automatic tax set-asides are the next steps up.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing
- https://www.waveapps.com/pricing
- https://www.xero.com/us/pricing/
- https://www.zoho.com/books/pricing/
- https://hurdlr.com/pricing
- https://found.com/pricing
- https://www.patriotsoftware.com/pricing/
- https://www.hellobonsai.com/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/categories/accounting
- https://www.capterra.com/accounting-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.