The Top Alternatives to QuickBooks for Small Businesses and Growing Companies

We begin by describing QuickBooks accounting software features as a point of comparison to other software products for double-entry accounting or ERP functionality.

QuickBooks Accounting Software

QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are accounting software products from Intuit used by small businesses (including small business owners) with limited users. QuickBooks is an accounting solution that handles basic accounting functions. Although QuickBooks is considered one of the best accounting software offerings for small businesses, other accounting systems compete with QuickBooks as alternatives. ERP systems provide an upgrade path for companies outgrowing QuickBooks. 

QuickBooks Online accounting software is cloud-based. QuickBooks Desktop is on-premises, with an optional hosting upgrade for remote access. QuickBooks includes mobile apps. It offers an Accountant version for a CPA or bookkeeper to access their clients’ books. QuickBooks offers customer support through extensive online documentation and by chat, email, and phone. 

Discontinuing Certain QuickBooks Desktop Products for New U.S. Subscribers

In the U.S., QuickBooks Desktop will stop selling several versions of QBD to new subscribers effective September 30, 2024. The QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise product and existing U.S. subscribers to the discontinued QuickBooks Desktop software products aren’t affected. (The UK is also discontinuing QuickBooks Desktop products due to non-compliance with new MDT digital VAT regulations. 

Discontinued QuickBooks Desktop products include:

• QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus
• QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus
• QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus
• QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Industry Editions

Although QuickBooks is used in many industries, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise also offers specialized Industry Editions. Some industry-specific features are included with QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Enterprise products. QuickBooks provides project management and time tracking to bill clients with Plus or higher-level QuickBooks Online pricing plans. 

QuickBooks Payments with IMS

Intuit Merchant Services lets approved sellers, including eCommerce merchants, use QuickBooks Payments to process customer credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Invoice Pay Now links, Apple Pay, and ACH electronic bank transfer payments. These customer credit card payments are remitted to QuickBooks Payments users in batches to their designated merchant bank account. QuickBooks Online provides email payment notifications to alert when customer payments are received. 

QuickBooks Third-Party Add-ons

QuickBooks adds functionality and streamlines many business processes through third-party add-on integrations. Add-on business apps include Salesforce CRM for customer resource management and Tipalti AP automation software that manages end-to-end payables workflow and generates global mass payments. Tipalti also integrates with QuickBooks for Expenses combined with its AP automation for automated employee expense reimbursement and expense tracking. (Third-party software integrations are also available for most alternatives to QuickBooks.)

Feature Comparisons – Top QuickBooks Alternatives for Small Businesses

10 Alternatives to QuickBooks for Small Business Accounting Software 

#1) Xero

Xero is cloud accounting software competing with QuickBooks Online, used by startups, freelancers,  and small businesses. Xero provides most of the accounting features you’d look for, including an online accounting dashboard. 

Xero offers inventory management and inventory tracking software as an upgrade and integrates with third-party add-on apps for transfers between multiple locations, tracking product components inventory, and integrating inventory with a point of sale (POS) system. Xero is a Gusto payroll software partner. 

Pricing

Xero pricing plans include Early ($15/month), Growing ($42/month), and Established ($78/month), with six-month discounts offered. The Early plan is limited to only 20 invoices and quotes and five bills per month. Optional Gusto payroll is available at an additional cost. 

Xero Strengths

• Real-time dashboards and financial reporting
• LivePlan integration (like QuickBooks Online) for business plans and budgets
• Multi-currency in Established plan
• Sales quotes and invoicing 
• Ease of use

#2) Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is scalable, award-winning SaaS software that’s endorsed by the AICPA. 

Pricing

Sage provides customized quotes for Intacct pricing that depend on the modules selected,  including core financials and the number of users. 

Sage Intacct Strengths

• Intuitive user interface
• Real-time dashboards
• Enhances productivity 
• Handles GAAP revenue recognition well (with the added module)
• Scalable for small and mid-market companies with up to about 1,000 employees 
• Award-winning tech support

#3) Sage 50cloud Accounting

Sage 50cloud small business accounting software has some advanced features and optionally integrates with Microsoft Office 365 software (that includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). 

Pricing

SaaS pricing plans for Sage 50cloud are either monthly or annual subscriptions based on the number of users. At times, Sage offers substantial first-year discounts (up to 40%) off the standard yearly plan rate. Sage 50cloud subscription rates are:

Sage 50cloud Accounting Strengths

• Advanced inventory management and job costing
• Optional Microsoft Office 365 integration
• Some industry-specific features in the Quantum Accounting SaaS plan
  • Construction
  • Manufacturing
  • Distribution

#4) ZarMoney

ZarMoney is full-featured cloud-based small business accounting software with a low subscription entry point. ZarMoney Enterprise handles more users than QuickBooks limits. 

Pricing

ZarMoney offers three SaaS subscription pricing plans:

• Entrepreneur  – 1 user for $15 per month
• Small Business – minimum 2 users for $20 per month
• Enterprise – 30+ users, starting at $350 per month, including training and priority customer support

ZarMoney Strengths

• Robust real-time inventory tracking and management, including transfers between warehouse locations
• Custom fields

• Order status and communications
• Quotes and estimates, sales orders, and purchase orders
• Order status and communications, including backorder management

#5) Visibility

Visibility ERP is for manufacturing companies and distributors in various industries. Its manufacturing methods include discrete, job shop (make-to-order), and contract manufacturing. Visibility has cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment models. Visibility business intelligence is multidimensional with drill-down, crosstabs, pie charts, or bar charts for analysis.

Pricing

Visibility pricing is by custom quote for the core ERP system, modules selected, and number of users. 

Visibility Strengths

• Customization and fast implementation within months
• Ability to handle complex manufacturing methods 
• Revenue recognition and installment billing 
• Business intelligence

#6) Odoo

Odoo becomes an ERP system, CRM for customer relationship management, Website Builder, eCommerce, and Marketing Automation software by choosing several business apps adding functionality. Odoo is open-source software that’s available either on the cloud or on-premises. Odoo has online customer support and indicates that customers may experience temporary delays in responding to support tickets. 

Pricing

Odoo SaaS pricing starts with a free plan for one app only/unlimited users and an Odoo per-user cost of $31.10 per user per month for the Standard all apps plan for Odoo Online or $46.70 per user per month for the Custom plan and may offer discounts to these rates. The Custom plan includes Odoo Online/Odoo.sh**/Odoo on-premise, Odoo Studio, Multi-company, and External API. Odoo offers a free Community version but limits the features.

Odoo Strengths

• Choose from a wide variety of functional business apps
• Easy-to-use interface
• Open source, free Community version

#7) Wave

Wave is financial software comprised of accounting software suites or products. 

Pricing

The Starter Wave accounting plan is free software except for financial services for payroll and (inbound customer) payments. The Wave Pro plan is $16 per month.

Wave Strengths

• Free accounting software (with some financial services exceptions) or low-cost Pro plan
• Live chat and email customer support
• Accessible through a web browser 
• Mobile apps  for iOS and Android invoicing and receipt scanning 

#8) Zoho Books

Zoho Books is low-cost accounting software for small businesses, although it does offer two higher-priced plans, Elite and Ultimate. 

Pricing

Zoho Books has six SaaS pricing plans with monthly pricing billed annually to save money or monthly pricing.

Zoho Books standard monthly pricing billed annually (with discounts available) is:

• Free (1 user + 1 accountant for companies with annual revenue below $50,000) with a limit of 1,000 invoices per year
• Standard (3 users/5,000 invoices per year) for $20/organization per month 
• Professional (5 users/10,000 invoices per year) for $50/organization per month 
• Premium (10 users/25,000 invoices per year) for $70/organization per month 
• Elite (10 users/100,000 invoices per year) for $120/organization per month 
• Ultimate (15 users/100,000 invoices per year) for $240/organization per month 

Zoho Books Strengths

• Stock tracking and reorder points inventory features, sales orders, and purchase orders in the Professional plan or above
• Estimates
• The Premium plan and above includes Twilio integration for automated customer communications
• Low cost with no per-user fees

#9) DATEV

DATEV is based in Germany. It offers accounting, auditing, and tax software for specific countries. 

Pricing

DATEV provides custom price quotes for each software product to meet your business needs. 

DATEV Strengths

• International locations, particularly Germany

#10) SAP Business ByDesign

SAP ByDesign is a scalable cloud ERP system for growing small and mid-market companies in many industries. ByDesign uses real-time analytics in every business process and incorporates best practices. ByDesign includes finance, CRM, human resources, project management, procurement, and supply chain management. Finance includes financial and managerial accounting and cash flow management. 

Pricing

Request a quote for the complete SAP ByDesign ERP system, including implementation costs. Pricing plans include three extensive plans and a minimal self-service option for tasks like time and expense reporting, purchasing, and travel management. The base package and advanced user plans include all categories of features, including built-in analytics. The core user plan doesn’t include built-in analytics and has lighter versions of product lifecycle management (PLM), management support, and supply chain management. 

SAP Business ByDesign Strengths

• Two ERP pricing plans are comprehensive
• Built-in analytics for every business process
• Includes human resources
• Incorporates best practices

8 Alternatives to QuickBooks Accounting Software for Growing Businesses

At some point, fast-growing companies outgrow the user limits and limited features offered by QuickBooks. The next step is choosing the right scalable mid-range ERP solution to meet your changing business needs as the best alternative to QuickBooks. The list is not ranked. 

This comparison excludes some expensive, top-tier ERP systems, Oracle ERP, and SAP S/4HANA, which companies usually don’t choose as their second software system. If fast growth continues and you need more capabilities, consider those ERP solutions too as a final upgrade.

#1) Oracle NetSuite

NetSuite, owned by Oracle, calls its software the #1 cloud ERP system. NetSuite is a very comprehensive, true cloud ERP system that handles many business processes and functions in a broad range of industries. 

Although NetSuite offers a SuiteSuccess Starter Edition for venture capital-funded startups, companies can use QuickBooks instead at early stages, then upgrade to its ERP software. NetSuite customers include some Fortune 100 companies. 

Pricing

Request a custom quote based on the software modules (suites) you need and the number of users. 

NetSuite Strengths

• Scalable for growth
• Incorporates best practices
• Financial planning
• Real-time analytics and business intelligence 
• OneWorld for global businesses
• Supply chain and procurement 
• Inventory management
• Ease of use

#2) Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the newest cloud-based  ERP and CRM system in the Dynamics product line. Dynamics 365 is integrated with many other Microsoft Office 365 software products(including Excel and Power BI for business intelligence visualizations) and tools via apps. 

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, businesses have access to the Microsoft Teams platform for collaboration, communication, and file-sharing. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 also integrates with third-party business apps, including Salesforce CRM and Tipalti AP automation software. 

Business Central is a different ERP with NAV (formerly Navision) ERP as its historical roots. The complete software product name is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Pricing

Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing is per user/month or per tenant per month for some business apps. Pricing is different for the first Microsoft Dynamics 365 app purchased and subsequent apps purchased. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central pricing (with per user fees) is available for Essentials and Premium SaaS plans, with additional pricing for Team Members, Dynamics 365 Sales Professional, Microsoft Power BI, and Microsoft Power Apps.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Business Central Strengths

• Scalable for growth
• Choose only the business apps that you need
• Integrates with many familiar Microsoft products and tools

#3) Sage ERP

Sage ERP includes Sage 100 ERP, Sage X3 ERP, and Sage 50 ERP. Another software solution to consider for your growing company is Sage Intacct.  (Sage Intacct and Sage 50 ERP are analyzed in the small business section of this software review article).

Besides Sage ERP, consider AICPA-endorsed, modern cloud-based Sage Intacct accounting software (acquired in 2017) for your small and lower-end mid-sized company. In 2019, highly-rated Sage Intacct had the highest growth rate in the Sage Business Cloud product group. 

Sage 100cloud is an older desktop product that has been migrated to the cloud. Sage 100cloud is ERP software for manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and professional services companies. 

Pricing

Sage 100cloud has three pricing plans, depending on the level of features selected. Request a quote. 

Sage 100cloud Strengths

• Industry-specific solutions
• Handles compliance
• Customizable 

#4) Infor SyteLine 

Infor SyteLine ERP software is part of the Infor CloudSuite Industrial product line. SyteLine is used by discrete and process manufacturing companies of all sizes.

Pricing

Infor SyteLine pricing is based on selected modules and the number of users. Request a quote. 

Infor SyteLine Strengths

• Industry-specific ERP solution for manufacturers using best practices
• Advanced planning and material management
• Birst space for any Birst user with SyteLine access
• Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader for Cloud ERP

#5) Acumatica

Acumatica is a cloud-based ERP system for small and mid-sized companies. Besides its General Business Edition, Acumatica offers industry-specific Editions, including Distribution, Manufacturing, Construction, Commerce (retail and eCommerce), and Field Service. Acumatica is used in many other industries, including services, agriculture & farming, property management, and healthcare. 

Pricing

Acumatica pricing isn’t based on the number of users. Instead, users pay:

• only for the business applications they select, 
• type of license (SaaS subscription, private cloud subscription, or private perpetual license), and
• Acumatica usage, based on the volume of business transactions and data storage.

Acumatica Strengths

• Unlimited users
• Industry-specific solutions
• Modern cloud technology

#6) Epicor

Epicor has ERP products for several industries, including manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Epicor Kinetic is an ERP system for manufacturers that offers a real-time MES (manufacturing execution system) using advanced IoT with data collection, process control, and real-time notifications of shop floor discrepancies. 

Pricing

Epicor provides custom pricing quotes.

Epicor Strengths

• Specialized for industries and types of operations
• Real-time MES for manufacturing operations management

#7) SAP Business One

SAP Business One is an ERP system for small businesses, midsize companies, and subsidiaries of larger companies. SAP Business One can either be deployed in the cloud or on-premises. SAP acquired the software and rebranded it as Business One. Industry-specific features are for consumer products, retail, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and professional services. 

Pricing

For pricing, SAP provides custom quotes based on the number of users and modules selected. 

SAP Business One Strengths

• Complete ERP system, CRM software, and marketing automation software
• Customized reports with visualizations, using data from multiple sources
• Purchasing and inventory control
• Analytics and pre-defined KPIs

#8) Workday

Workday is an ERP system for SMBs and large enterprise companies. It also offers EPM (enterprise performance management) software called Workday Adaptive Planning for budgeting, forecasting, and financial management and an HR  (human resources) software product. Workday software uses AI and machine learning technologies. 

Pricing

Workday will offer custom quotes upon request for the software products that meet your business needs. 

Workday Strengths

• Fully-featured
• Advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning 
• Integration with HR and planning systems

QuickBooks Alternatives Software Comparison Method

We compare the best QuickBooks alternatives based on software features, pricing, and ease of use. We analyze accounting software options for small businesses and ERP management software for growing companies seeking an upgrade from QuickBooks in separate sections. The QuickBooks alternatives aren’t ranked because every organization has different business needs.

Accounting and ERP software comparison features:

• Cloud-based (available from anywhere, any device, at any time)
• Financial reports
• Real-time dashboards
• Inventory tracking and inventory management 
• Recurring transactions 
• Sales quotes/sales orders
• Purchase requisitions and purchase orders
• Status lookup and notifications (customer orders, backorders, and shipments)
• Multi-currency 
• Payables and payments

QuickBooks Alternatives – In Summary

Small businesses can select lower-priced software that competes directly with QuickBooks, then upgrade to a different system as they grow. Or fast-growing venture capital-backed companies can start at a higher level with scalable ERP software and  third-party software  integrations that handle GAAP financial reporting, streamline business processes, and will continue to meet their business needs as they grow. 

When these fast-growing companies consider going public, their mid-market (and high-end) software should let them meet audit, internal control, and SEC reporting requirements, including using prior year financials and better forecast and manage profitability and business spend.In your software decisions, which may include QuickBooks or QuickBooks alternatives, consider adding third-party software to enhance functionality and business process automation. Tipalti AP automation digitizes and automates invoice processing for accounts payable and prepares automatic global batch payment reconciliation to your general ledger. Book a demo for Tipalti automation software.