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
- If you do your own books, the choice is QuickBooks Online ($38/month) or Xero ($20/month): pick QuickBooks if your accountant asks for it, Xero if you want the simpler interface.
- If you want someone else to do the books, Merritt Bookkeeping ($250/month flat, no tiers) is the simplest quote, while Bench (from $199/month) suits owners who want software plus a bookkeeper team.
- Wave's free Starter plan covers invoicing and basic bookkeeping at $0, which is enough for many solo owners until revenue grows.
- Pilot (from $99/month, priced by expense volume) fits funded startups that need accrual accounting from day one rather than cash-basis simplicity.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 QuickBooks Online | Owners doing their own books whose accountant uses QuickBooks | $38/month (Simple Start) | Yes (free tier: 2 invoices per month, 1 bank connection) |
 Xero | Owners who want capable books with less clutter | $20/month (Early plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 FreshBooks | Service businesses where billing time is the business | $23/month (Lite, up to 5 clients) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Wave | Solo owners and side businesses at zero cost | $0/month (Starter plan) | Yes (Starter is free) |
 Bench | Owners who want books done for them on one platform | $199/month (Grow, businesses under $250K revenue) | No |
 Pilot | Funded startups that need accrual accounting early | From $99/month (scales with monthly expenses) | No |
 Bookkeeper360 | Businesses that want bookkeeping, payroll and tax from one vendor | $399/month (monthly cadence) | No |
 Merritt Bookkeeping | Small businesses that want one flat price and no decisions | $250/month (flat, no tiers) | 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Is your product missing or out of date?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 software
Every small business owner faces the same fork in the road: do the books yourself with software, or pay someone to do them for you. Software costs $0 to $140 a month and eats a few hours of yours. A bookkeeping service costs $99 to $800 a month and eats none. Both choices are defensible; the expensive mistake is picking the wrong one for your stage. These eight options cover both sides, with the real prices and the honest trade-offs.
Starting price$38/month (Simple Start)
Free planYes (free tier: 2 invoices per month, 1 bank connection)
QuickBooks Online is the safe choice because it is everybody else's choice. Simple Start at $38 per month covers invoicing, expense tracking and tax reports for one user; Essentials at $85 adds bill pay and three users; Plus at $140 adds inventory and project tracking. There is even a free tier with two invoices a month. Intuit runs 50-percent-off promos for new signups regularly.
The lock-in is soft but real: years of data in QuickBooks make switching painful, and the product nudges you toward Intuit's payments, payroll and lending. For a US small business with a CPA, though, the network effect wins. Your accountant opens your file without conversion, your bookkeeper already knows the clicks, and every bank connects.
What we like- The US default, so accountants, bookkeepers and apps all speak it
- Bank feeds with automatic categorization
- Payroll, payments and time tracking add on natively
Watch out for- The interface carries real accounting complexity
- Price climbs fast (Essentials $85, Plus $140) as you add users and features
#2
Xero
Best for: Owners who want capable books with less clutter
Visit xero.com
Starting price$20/month (Early plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Xero does 90 percent of what QuickBooks does with half the visual noise. Early at $20 per month covers invoicing, quotes, bills and reconciliation for a small operation; Growing at $47 removes the caps; Established at $80 adds multi-currency, projects and expenses. Unlimited users means the bookkeeper, the CPA and the spouse all get in free.
The Early caps decide the real price: 20 invoices a month is fine until a busy month is not, and then Growing costs more than double. US payroll is a partner add-on, which is a genuine gap next to QuickBooks and Gusto-native flows. For owners who open their accounting software weekly rather than yearly, the interface alone justifies a look.
What we like- Cleaner, calmer interface than QuickBooks
- Unlimited users on every plan
- 1,000-plus integrations and strong bank feeds
Watch out for- Early caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills a month
- Payroll runs through partners rather than natively
Starting price$23/month (Lite, up to 5 clients)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
FreshBooks counts as bookkeeping software for service businesses because for them, billing is the books. Lite at $23 per month covers 5 clients with time tracking, expenses and estimates; Plus at $43 covers 50 with proposals and reports; Premium at $70 removes the cap. It will not run inventory or multi-entity consolidation, and it does not try to.
The honest fit: consultants, agencies, lawyers and trades where revenue is hours times rate. If that describes you, FreshBooks replaces a time tracker, an invoicing tool and a basic ledger in one login. If you sell products, hold inventory or need cost accounting, start with QuickBooks or Xero instead.
What we like- Time tracking that becomes invoice lines in one click
- The easiest invoicing in the category
- Proposals and late-payment reminders built in
Watch out for- Client caps (5 on Lite, 50 on Plus) force upgrades as you grow
- It is invoicing-first, so real accounting depth is thinner than QuickBooks or Xero
Starting price$0/month (Starter plan)
Free planYes (Starter is free)
Wave is the rare free tool that does real accounting. The Starter plan includes unlimited invoices, income and expense tracking and basic reports at no cost, which covers a freelancer or side business completely. Pro at $19 per month adds automatic bank imports, recurring billing automation and late-payment reminders.
Free has edges. Support is email-first, payroll is a separate paid product with limited states, and the reports will not satisfy a business with inventory or multiple entities. But the price is right for year one, and Wave exports cleanly to QuickBooks or Xero when you outgrow it. Starting free and upgrading on revenue, not on hope, is the right move.
What we like- Invoicing, accounting and receipt scanning free with no client caps
- Genuinely usable double-entry books at $0
- Payment processing available when clients pay by card
Watch out for- Pro at $19/month holds the automation (bank imports, late reminders) most growing businesses want
- No payroll depth and limited reporting
#5
Bench
Best for: Owners who want books done for them on one platform
Visit bench.co
Starting price$199/month (Grow, businesses under $250K revenue)
Free planNo
Bench sells the feeling of having a finance department. Grow at $199 per month (for businesses under $250K in revenue) pairs you with a bookkeeping team that categorizes transactions and delivers monthly statements on Bench's own platform. Core at $399 and Core + Tax at $649 add tax preparation and filing. Annual billing saves up to 20 percent.
Know what you are buying into. Because the books live on Bench's platform rather than QuickBooks, leaving means migrating, and the December 2024 shutdown scare reminded customers that proprietary platforms carry access risk. Bench now operates under new ownership and continues to serve thousands of businesses. If you want books handled with zero learning curve and you are comfortable inside their system, it delivers exactly that.
What we like- A dedicated bookkeeper team plus software in one subscription
- Monthly financial statements without touching a spreadsheet
- Tax filing bundled on the Core + Tax tier
Watch out for- Your books live on Bench's proprietary platform, not QuickBooks, which complicates switching
- Pricing climbs steeply (Core $399, Core + Tax $649)
#6
Pilot
Best for: Funded startups that need accrual accounting early
Visit pilot.com
Starting priceFrom $99/month (scales with monthly expenses)
Free planNo
Pilot is bookkeeping for companies that plan to raise money. Accrual accounting from the start means revenue and expenses hit the books when earned or owed, which is what investors and acquirers expect to see. Pricing starts around $99 per month for small expense volumes and rises with monthly spend; tax packages run $1,000 to $2,450 per year and fractional CFO services are available.
The model fits startups with venture funding, monthly burn and a need for board-ready financials. It does not fit a consultant with 20 transactions a month; the expense-based pricing would charge startup prices for freelancer complexity. If your accountant has ever said "we need to switch you to accrual," Pilot is built for exactly that moment.
What we like- Accrual-basis books from day one, so no painful cash-to-accrual switch later
- Integrates with Stripe, Gusto, Expensify and the startup stack
- Tax and CFO services available as you scale
Watch out for- Pricing scales with your expense volume, so costs grow with the company
- Overkill and overpriced for a simple cash-basis freelancer
#7
Bookkeeper360
Best for: Businesses that want bookkeeping, payroll and tax from one vendor
Visit bookkeeper360.com
Starting price$399/month (monthly cadence)
Free planNo
Bookkeeper360 is the full back-office bundle. From $399 per month you get a dedicated accountant, your choice of monthly or weekly cadence, and books kept in QuickBooks or Xero, which you own and can take with you. Tax preparation, payroll administration and fractional CFO services bolt on, making it a one-vendor finance department for a growing company.
The price reflects the bundle: this is for businesses doing real revenue with payroll, sales tax and monthly close discipline, not for a freelancer. Add-ons add up, so price the whole stack (bookkeeping plus payroll plus tax) before comparing against a local CPA firm. For a 10-to-50-person company that wants finance handled, the consolidation is the selling point.
What we like- US-based accountants with a real dashboard
- Bundles bookkeeping with payroll admin, tax and CFO services
- Works inside QuickBooks and Xero rather than a proprietary platform
Watch out for- The most expensive entry point on this list
- Add-ons (payroll $200/month, sales tax from $125) stack quickly
Starting price$250/month (flat, no tiers)
Free planNo
Merritt's pitch fits on an index card: $250 a month, flat. No tiers to choose, no contracts, no hidden fees. A US-based bookkeeper reconciles your QuickBooks each month and delivers financial statements. Catch-up work for messy back books is quoted per transaction with a discount on the first cleanup.
The flat rate holds to roughly 500 transactions a month; above that it becomes $250 minimum plus 50 cents per transaction. Tax returns and payroll are not included, so budget a CPA separately. For a small business with straightforward books that just wants them done correctly every month, the absence of decisions is the feature.
What we like- One price, no tiers, no contracts, no setup fees
- QuickBooks-based books you keep
- Refreshingly simple onboarding
Watch out for- No tax filing or payroll included, so you still need a CPA at year end
- Very high transaction volumes (roughly 500-plus a month) move to per-transaction pricing
Software or service: which one are you buying
The dividing line in this list is not price; it is your time. QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks and Wave cost $0 to $140 a month and ask 2 to 5 hours of yours each month. Bench, Pilot, Bookkeeper360 and Merritt cost $99 to $800 a month and ask none. The break-even math is simple: if your billable hour is worth $100, then four hours of DIY bookkeeping costs $400 of your time, which buys Merritt outright.
Stage decides. Pre-revenue and side businesses should start free (Wave) and upgrade on revenue. Solo operators billing time fit FreshBooks or Xero. Businesses with payroll, inventory or investors need QuickBooks or Xero at minimum, and usually a human: Bench or Merritt for simplicity, Pilot for startups, Bookkeeper360 for the bundle. The most expensive option is the one you pay for and never open, so be honest about whether you will actually do the books.
Frequently asked questions
Should I do my own bookkeeping or hire a service?
Do it yourself if you have under 50 transactions a month, simple cash-basis finances and 2 to 3 spare hours monthly; QuickBooks, Xero or Wave will do. Hire a service when you have payroll, when tax time currently takes weeks, or when the books are more than 60 days behind. Most businesses switch to a service somewhere between $150K and $500K in annual revenue.
How much does a bookkeeping service cost?
From $99 to $800 per month at the published tiers here: Pilot from $99 (scales with expenses), Bench from $199, Merritt flat $250, Bookkeeper360 from $399. Local bookkeepers typically charge $200 to $500 per month for small businesses. Catch-up bookkeeping for messy back books is usually quoted separately, often $500 to $2,000 depending on how far behind you are.
Is Wave really free?
Yes, for the core product. Wave's Starter plan includes invoicing, accounting and receipt scanning free with no client caps. Wave makes money on payment processing (when your clients pay by card) and on the $19/month Pro plan, which adds bank imports and automated reminders. It is a genuine free option, not a trial.
What is the difference between cash and accrual bookkeeping?
Cash-basis records money when it moves; accrual records it when earned or owed. Cash is simpler and suits freelancers and small cash businesses. Accrual is required once you carry inventory, and investors expect it. Pilot does accrual from day one; QuickBooks, Xero, Bench and the rest handle both. Switching later is painful, so choose with two years of growth in mind.
Can I switch bookkeeping software later?
Yes. QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks and Wave all import from each other and from CSV, and the services (Bench, Pilot, Bookkeeper360, Merritt) handle migration as part of onboarding. The real cost is cleanup: messy books cost more to migrate than clean ones. Export everything, including attachments and historical reports, before you cancel the old tool.
What to look for before you buy
Start with who does the work. If it is you, prioritize the interface you will open weekly: Xero and FreshBooks win on pleasantness, QuickBooks wins on ubiquity. If it is a service, prioritize what you keep: Merritt and Bookkeeper360 work in QuickBooks you own, while Bench keeps books on its own platform. Ask every service what happens to your data if you cancel, and get the answer in writing.
Then check the practical details. Does the plan include payroll, or is that a separate product with separate pricing? How are catch-up books priced if you are behind? What is the monthly close date: Merritt and Bench deliver monthly statements, Pilot's Core closes by the 10th business day, and DIY tools close whenever you do. Confirm tax handling: none of the DIY tools file taxes for you, and among services only Bench's top tier and Bookkeeper360's tax add-on cover filing. And verify the exit: monthly contracts (Merritt, Bookkeeper360) beat annual commitments if you are unsure.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: bookkeeping software, small business bookkeeping, bookkeeping services and best accounting software for small business. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plan names and prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared who does the work, what you keep, tax handling and company-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- https://www.xero.com/us/pricing/
- https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing
- https://www.waveapps.com/pricing
- https://bench.co/pricing
- https://pilot.com/pricing
- https://bookkeeper360.com/pricing
- https://www.merrittbookkeeping.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.