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
- QuickBooks Online ($38/month Simple Start) remains the default: the books plus a payroll add-on, with the widest integration library.
- The cheapest credible stack is Wave (free accounting) or Zoho Books (free under $50K revenue), with payroll added separately.
- Patriot Software ($20/month accounting, $37/month full-service payroll) is the only budget option with native payroll and accounting under one login.
- Xero ($25/month Early) and FreshBooks ($23/month Lite) handle payroll through add-ons and integrations rather than building it themselves.
- If you hate bookkeeping itself, Bench ($199/month) sends you a human bookkeeper instead of more software.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 QuickBooks Online | Small businesses that want the industry-standard stack | $38/month (Simple Start; currently $19/month for 3 months) | Yes (Free $0 plan with basic income, expense and invoice tracking) |
 Xero | Businesses that want modern accounting with flexible payroll options | $25/month (Early plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Wave | Freelancers and solopreneurs who need books without a bill | $0 (accounting and invoicing free; payroll and Pro plans paid) | Yes (free accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning) |
 FreshBooks | Service businesses where invoicing is the center of the universe | $23/month (Lite plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Patriot Software | Small businesses wanting native payroll and accounting from one vendor | $20/month (Accounting Basic) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Zoho Books | Businesses already using Zoho apps for CRM, email or inventory | $15/organization/month (Standard, billed annually) | Yes (free plan for businesses under $50K annual revenue) |
 Odoo | Businesses that want accounting inside a full business suite | $31.10/user/month (Standard plan, billed annually) | Yes (One App Free: one app, unlimited users, free forever) |
 Bench | Owners who want bookkeeping handled by a human, not software | $199/month (Bookkeeping Light, for businesses under $250K revenue) | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?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 bookkeeping and payroll software, reviewed
Here is the trap small businesses fall into: they buy accounting software, then discover payroll is a separate product, a separate login and a separate bill. Or they buy payroll software and realize nobody is reconciling the books. The tools below are the ones that handle both sides of the money, either natively or through a first-class add-on, so payday and tax time stop being two different emergencies.
Starting price$38/month (Simple Start; currently $19/month for 3 months)
Free planYes (Free $0 plan with basic income, expense and invoice tracking)
QuickBooks Online is the default for a reason: everybody integrates with it, every bookkeeper knows it, and the payroll add-on keeps wages, taxes and filings inside the same ledger as everything else. Simple Start at $38 per month covers one user with income and expense tracking, invoicing and basic reports; Essentials at $85 and Plus at $140 add users, bill management and inventory as you grow. The company now offers a Free $0 plan with basic tracking and two invoices a month, which is new and worth knowing about.
The honest math is the stack. Payroll is extra on top of the accounting subscription, and the per-employee payroll fees add up. Intuit also runs constant promos (currently 50 percent off for three months), so never pay the first price shown. If your business already runs on QuickBooks, adding payroll is the path of least resistance. If it does not, compare the total stack cost against Patriot or Xero before committing.
What we like- Payroll add-on runs inside the same system as the books
- More than 800 integrations, the largest ecosystem in small business accounting
- New Free $0 plan for the simplest businesses
Watch out for- The price that matters stacks up: accounting plus payroll plus any add-ons
- Intuit's upsell machine means you will be offered something extra at every turn
#2
Xero
Best for: Businesses that want modern accounting with flexible payroll options
Visit xero.com
Starting price$25/month (Early plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Xero is the design-forward alternative to QuickBooks, and many owners prefer using it day to day. The Early plan at $25 per month covers quotes, 20 invoices, bill tracking and bank reconciliation; Growing at $55 and Established at $90 remove the caps and add analytics. Payroll in the US runs as an add-on with usage-based charges, or through the Gusto integration that Xero itself promotes.
The trade is philosophical. Xero does accounting beautifully and treats payroll as a connected service rather than a native feature. That works fine in practice, since the data flows between the systems, but it is two vendors to manage. Businesses with employees in multiple states should price the payroll add-on carefully. If the interface matters to you, the 30-day trial will settle it quickly.
What we like- Clean, fast interface that owners actually open without dread
- Payroll handled via add-on or the well-regarded Gusto integration
- Strong multi-currency and 1,000-plus app integrations
Watch out for- No native US payroll in the base product, so payroll is always a second decision
- The Early plan caps invoices and bills, pushing growing businesses up the tiers fast
#3
Wave
Best for: Freelancers and solopreneurs who need books without a bill
Visit waveapps.com
Starting price$0 (accounting and invoicing free; payroll and Pro plans paid)
Free planYes (free accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning)
Wave is the answer for businesses with more ambition than budget. The accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning are free, which is not a teaser rate but the actual business model: Wave makes money on payments processing, payroll and its Pro plan. For a freelancer or new business, it covers the essentials without a monthly bill.
Know the limits before you grow into them. Payroll costs extra and is priced by state, the reports are basic, and there is no real inventory management. Wave is a starting point, not a destination: plan to graduate to QuickBooks or Xero when the business gets complicated. As a free on-ramp, though, nothing else on this list competes.
What we like- Real double-entry accounting free, not a trial
- Invoicing and payments built in from the start
- Simple enough for owners with no accounting background
Watch out for- Payroll is a paid add-on with per-state pricing that adds up
- Reporting and inventory depth lag the paid platforms
#4
FreshBooks
Best for: Service businesses where invoicing is the center of the universe
Visit freshbooks.com
Starting price$23/month (Lite plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
FreshBooks built its name on invoicing, and it still does that better than anyone here. Estimates, invoices, recurring billing, late fee automation and client portals are polished and fast. The Lite plan at $23 per month suits a freelancer with a handful of clients; Plus at $43 covers 50 clients with double-entry reports and bank reconciliation. Payroll runs as an add-on at $40 per month plus $6 per user.
The catch is the client cap on Lite: five billable clients is fewer than it sounds, and most growing businesses land on Plus quickly. FreshBooks is also invoicing-first software; the accounting is competent but not its strength. Service businesses that bill by the hour will love it. Product businesses with inventory should look elsewhere.
What we like- Best-in-class invoicing with late payment reminders and client portals
- Payroll available as a $40/month plus $6 per user add-on
- Time tracking built in for billing hours
Watch out for- Lite caps you at 5 billable clients, so most businesses need Plus at $43
- Accounting depth is lighter than QuickBooks or Xero
#5
Patriot Software
Best for: Small businesses wanting native payroll and accounting from one vendor
Visit patriotsoftware.com
Starting price$20/month (Accounting Basic)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Patriot is the budget pick that does not feel like a compromise. Accounting starts at $20 per month, and the full-service payroll tier at $37 per month plus $5 per worker paid handles federal, state and local filings plus year-end forms. Everything runs under one login, payroll data flows into the accounting automatically, and support is US-based and free. A 30-day free trial covers all products.
The trade is polish. The software is straightforward rather than beautiful, and the reporting will not impress anyone coming from QuickBooks. Multi-state payroll at $12 per extra state per month can also add up for distributed teams. But for a US small business that wants both jobs done by one vendor at the lowest credible price, Patriot is hard to beat.
What we like- Accounting and full-service payroll under one login, a rare combination at this price
- Full-service payroll at $37/month plus $5 per worker covers all tax filings
- Free US-based support and free setup assistance
Watch out for- The interface and reports feel basic next to QuickBooks or Xero
- Each additional payroll state costs $12 per month
#6
Zoho Books
Best for: Businesses already using Zoho apps for CRM, email or inventory
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$15/organization/month (Standard, billed annually)
Free planYes (free plan for businesses under $50K annual revenue)
Zoho Books is the value play for the Zoho ecosystem. The free plan is remarkably capable for micro businesses, and the Standard plan at $15 per organization per month billed annually undercuts nearly everything here on price, especially since pricing is per organization rather than per user. Invoicing, expenses, banking, inventory and 50-plus reports come standard.
Payroll lives in Zoho Payroll, a separate product that integrates with Books. That is fine if you are already a Zoho shop and awkward if you are not. The learning curve is also steeper than Wave or FreshBooks. But for a small business standardized on Zoho CRM and Zoho Mail, adding Books and Payroll completes the stack at a fraction of the QuickBooks cost.
What we like- Generous free plan: 1,000 invoices a year for businesses under $50K revenue
- Flat per-organization pricing instead of per-user
- Deep integration with the rest of the Zoho suite including Zoho Payroll
Watch out for- The interface can feel dense for accounting beginners
- Payroll is a separate Zoho product, not built into Books
#7
Odoo
Best for: Businesses that want accounting inside a full business suite
Visit odoo.com
Starting price$31.10/user/month (Standard plan, billed annually)
Free planYes (One App Free: one app, unlimited users, free forever)
Odoo is the dark horse: an open-source ERP whose accounting app stands on its own. The Standard plan at $31.10 per user per month billed annually includes every app, so accounting, payroll, expenses, timesheets and HR run on one database alongside CRM and inventory. The One App Free plan lets a tiny business run just the invoicing app free forever with unlimited users.
The honest caveat is payroll localization. Odoo's payroll app is strong in some countries and thinner in others, so US buyers should verify tax filing coverage for their states before committing. Implementation also rewards planning: this is a suite, not a signup. But for a business that will eventually need inventory, CRM and projects anyway, starting the books in Odoo avoids a painful migration later.
What we like- Accounting, invoicing, HR and payroll apps share one database with CRM, inventory and project apps
- One App Free plan is genuinely free forever for a single app
- Single per-user price covers every app, no module upsells
Watch out for- Payroll depth varies by country and US payroll needs careful evaluation
- The breadth of the suite means implementation takes real thought
#8
Bench
Best for: Owners who want bookkeeping handled by a human, not software
Visit bench.co
Starting price$199/month (Bookkeeping Light, for businesses under $250K revenue)
Free planNo
Bench is not software you operate; it is a service that operates for you. A dedicated bookkeeper reconciles your accounts monthly, delivers financial statements and keeps everything tax-ready, with tax filing available as an add-on. Bookkeeping Light at $199 per month covers businesses under $250K in revenue; full Bookkeeping at $399 and Bookkeeping plus Tax at $649 scale from there.
The price is the point and the problem. At $199-plus per month, Bench costs more in a quarter than QuickBooks costs in a year. What you buy is time and accuracy: no reconciling, no categorizing, no year-end panic. Owners who hate bookkeeping and can afford to delegate should price it against their own hourly rate. Everyone else should pick software and spend an hour a month.
What we like- A dedicated human bookkeeper does the monthly books for you
- Tax-ready financials and optional tax filing in the same service
- Catch-up bookkeeping available if you are months behind
Watch out for- The most expensive option here by a wide margin
- It is a service, so you do not control the software or the process
How we chose
We started with the categories small businesses actually search: bookkeeping software, small business accounting software, payroll software and accounting software with payroll. For each candidate we opened the vendor's homepage, confirmed the product is live and aimed at small businesses, and took prices only from the vendor's own pricing page, writing "See website" where no price was published. We compared payroll models (native versus add-on versus integration), free plans and trial terms, and checked public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit. We never claim hands-on testing.
DIY software vs. done-for-you bookkeeping
The real decision is not which app, but who does the work. Software like QuickBooks, Xero or Wave assumes you or your bookkeeper will reconcile, categorize and close the books monthly. That costs an hour or two a month once the system is set up, plus whatever you pay a bookkeeper if you outsource it. Bench flips the model: you pay $199-plus monthly and never touch the books.
Do the hourly math. If your time bills at $100-plus per hour and you spend three frustrating hours a month on books, Bench pays for itself in sanity alone. If you are pre-revenue or meticulous by nature, software plus discipline wins. The middle ground most small businesses actually land on is software plus a part-time bookkeeper, which is why every tool above either integrates with accountants or, in Patriot's and Bench's case, builds the human help in.
Choosing combined bookkeeping and payroll software
Native payroll versus add-on payroll
Only Patriot here builds payroll natively into the same product at a small-business price. QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Zoho offer payroll as their own add-on product, which keeps billing with one vendor but often means a second interface. Xero and Wave lean on integrations like Gusto. Native is simplest; add-ons are fine as long as the data syncs automatically, which you should verify in the trial.
Watch the per-employee math
Payroll pricing has two parts: the base fee and the per-employee fee. FreshBooks charges $40 plus $6 per user; Patriot charges $37 plus $5 per worker paid; QuickBooks and Xero vary by plan. A 10-person team can pay anywhere from roughly $90 to $200-plus per month for payroll alone. Model your headcount, not the vendor's example.
Confirm tax filing coverage
Full-service payroll should mean the vendor files your federal, state and local payroll taxes and handles year-end forms. Patriot's full-service tier and QuickBooks Payroll do; basic and self-service tiers leave filings to you. If a plan does not explicitly promise filings, assume it does not include them.
Mind the free plan limits
Free plans are real but narrow. Wave's free accounting is the most generous, Zoho's free plan caps at $50K revenue and 1,000 invoices a year, and QuickBooks' free plan allows two invoices a month. They are on-ramps, not permanent homes for growing businesses. Know the upgrade price before you start.
Frequently asked questions
Should bookkeeping and payroll be in the same software?
It helps, but it is not required. One login means payroll data flows into the books automatically and there is one vendor to call. Patriot does this natively at a low price; QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Zoho do it through add-ons. Xero plus Gusto is a popular split setup that works well in practice.
What is the cheapest bookkeeping and payroll setup for a small business?
Wave's free accounting paired with a low-cost payroll provider is the cheapest credible stack. For one vendor, Zoho Books (free under $50K revenue, $15/month after) plus Zoho Payroll, or Patriot ($20/month accounting plus $37/month full-service payroll), keeps the total under $60 a month.
Does QuickBooks include payroll?
No, payroll is a separate add-on subscription on top of QuickBooks Online. Simple Start accounting is $38 per month, and payroll adds a base fee plus per-employee charges. Budget for both when comparing against all-in-one options like Patriot.
Can I do payroll myself without software?
You can, but the failure modes are expensive: missed tax deposits trigger penalties, and multi-state rules get complicated fast. Full-service payroll exists precisely to take the filings off your plate. Unless you have one employee and a high tolerance for forms, buy the service.
Is Bench worth $199 a month?
It depends on what your time is worth. Bench gives you a dedicated human bookkeeper, monthly reconciled books and tax-ready financials, which replaces both software and your own bookkeeping hours. If you would otherwise pay a bookkeeper $300-plus monthly or lose weekends to receipts, yes. If your books take an hour a month, no.
What is the difference between bookkeeping and accounting software?
In practice the terms overlap. Bookkeeping is the recording: transactions, invoices, reconciliation. Accounting adds the interpretation: financial statements, tax planning, advice. The tools above all handle bookkeeping; QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho Books add fuller accounting depth, while Bench supplies the human accountant entirely.
Sources we checked (16)
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- https://www.xero.com/
- https://www.xero.com/us/pricing/
- https://www.waveapps.com
- https://www.freshbooks.com
- https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing
- https://patriotsoftware.com/
- https://www.patriotsoftware.com/pricing/
- https://www.zoho.com/books/
- https://www.zoho.com/books/pricing/
- https://odoo.com/
- https://www.odoo.com/pricing
- https://bench.co/
- 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.