15 money management software for small businesses, each with who it suits, where it falls short and a source for every price. No scores or star ratings.
Updated 28 Sep 2026 Next review 27 Dec 202615 tools · 21 min read
Disclosure: We make startbuddi, so we've put it first and been upfront about where it falls short. There are no scores or star ratings here. Every price and feature below comes from the tool's own website or our own test account, and each one links to its source.
Small businesses that want double-entry bookkeeping with unlimited users
$30 USD, per month, or $324 per year billed annually
Trial only
Prices are list prices as each company publishes them, never converted. startbuddi's price is shown in your currency where we can.
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startbuddi
Our productBest for small businesses that invoice clients and want to see money in and out
Best for
Small businesses that invoice clients and want to see money in and out
Starting price
Free plan. Paid from $29 a month Starter plan, our pricing
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Money Manager covers invoices, payment links, subscriptions, estimates and contracts, expenses and bills, cash flow and simple profit and loss. Payments by card and bank transfer run through Paystack or Stripe.
Strengths
Invoices, payment links and a pay-me page
Expenses, bills and cash flow in one place
Paystack and Stripe for payments
Limitations
Not accounting software: no general ledger, tax filing or bank reconciliation
Best for uS and Canadian freelancers who want free invoicing and bookkeeping
Best for
US and Canadian freelancers who want free invoicing and bookkeeping
Starting price
$19 USD, per month (Pro; $190 per year)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile app
Wave is accounting and invoicing software for small businesses in the US and Canada. The free Starter plan includes unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records. Pro adds bank transaction import, receipt capture and late payment reminders.
Strengths
Unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records on the free plan
Online card and bank payments on invoices
Pro adds automatic bank import and unlimited receipt capture
Optional payroll and bookkeeping services
Limitations
Only available to businesses in the US and Canada
Automatic bank transaction import and late payment reminders are Pro only
Removing Wave branding and adding more users need Pro
Best for freelancers and small service businesses that bill clients and need simple accounting
Best for
Freelancers and small service businesses that bill clients and need simple accounting
Starting price
$23 USD, per month (Lite), regular price
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
FreshBooks is accounting and invoicing software for freelancers and small businesses, with expenses, time tracking, payments and double-entry accounting. Plans are priced by the number of billable clients.
Strengths
Invoicing, recurring billing and online payments
Receipt scanning and bank imports for expenses
Double-entry accounting and reports
iPhone and Android apps
Limitations
Lite plan allows only 5 billable clients; Plus allows 50
Each extra team member costs $11 a month
Project profitability and automated client emails need Premium ($70 a month regular price)
Best for small businesses that want bookkeeping, invoicing and reports in one place
Best for
Small businesses that want bookkeeping, invoicing and reports in one place
Starting price
$38 USD, per month (Simple Start, 1 user)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile (paid plans)
QuickBooks Online is accounting software for tracking income and expenses, sending invoices, paying bills and running reports. The US site lists a Free plan and four paid plans, with projects and inventory from the Plus plan.
Strengths
Free plan to track income and expenses and send 2 invoices a month
Bill pay, expense categorisation and automated bookkeeping from Simple Start
Accountant access on every paid plan
30-day free trial of paid plans
Limitations
Free plan has no mobile app, integrations or accountant access
Project profitability and inventory start on Plus ($140 per month)
Best for small businesses that want accounting and invoicing in one
Best for
Small businesses that want accounting and invoicing in one
Starting price
$25 USD, per month (Early, US)
Free plan
No
Platforms
Web
Xero is accounting software covering invoices, quotes, bills and cash flow forecasts. The US plans run from Early to Established, with limits on invoices and bills on the entry plan.
Strengths
Quotes and invoices on every plan
Cash flow forecasts on every plan
Multiple currencies and project tracking on Established
Best for small businesses that want accounting, invoicing and tax in one app
Best for
Small businesses that want accounting, invoicing and tax in one app
Starting price
₦3,600 per month, billed yearly (Standard)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, Windows
Zoho Books is online accounting software for invoicing, expenses, bank reconciliation, tax and reports. The free plan covers 1 user and 1 accountant for businesses under a revenue threshold, and paid plans add users, bank feeds, inventory and projects.
Strengths
Free plan with invoices, quotes, expenses, recurring invoices and a customer portal
Bank reconciliation, payment reminders and 50+ reports on the free plan
Standard adds bank feeds, e-invoicing, VAT returns and API access
Apps for iOS, Android and Windows
Limitations
The free plan is limited to businesses with revenue under 50K USD a year and 1,000 invoices a year
Sales and purchase orders, multi-currency, inventory and timesheet billing are not on Standard
Standard includes 3 users; extra users are a paid add-on
Best for uK small businesses that need Making Tax Digital VAT returns and payroll in one place
Best for
UK small businesses that need Making Tax Digital VAT returns and payroll in one place
Starting price
£20 per month, excluding VAT (Start)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web
Sage Accounting is cloud accounting software for UK sole traders and small businesses, now bundled with payroll and the Sage Copilot assistant. It covers invoicing, bank reconciliation, VAT returns under Making Tax Digital and CIS. Plans differ mainly by users and features such as inventory and multi-currency.
Strengths
Unlimited sales invoices and automatic invoice chasing
Making Tax Digital VAT submissions
Payroll included, with 1 employee on Start and Standard
Plus plan has unlimited users
Limitations
Start allows 1 user; Standard allows 3
Receipt and invoice capture is not included on Start
Inventory and multi-currency need Plus (£59 per month excl. VAT after the offer)
Best for freelancers and small agencies who want proposals, contracts and invoices together
Best for
Freelancers and small agencies who want proposals, contracts and invoices together
Starting price
$9 USD, per user per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Bonsai combines client management, projects, time tracking, proposals, contracts and invoicing for freelancers and small service businesses. The cheapest Basic plan covers time and task tracking; invoices, payments and contracts start on Essentials.
Strengths
Proposals, contracts, invoices and payments in one account (Essentials and up)
Client portal, forms and scheduling on Essentials
Unlimited projects and clients on every plan
iOS and Android apps
Limitations
No free plan, only a 7-day free trial
Invoicing and payments are not in the Basic plan; they start on Essentials at $19 per user per month billed annually
Integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier) and branding removal start on Premium
Invoice Ninja is invoicing software with quotes, recurring billing, expenses, projects and a client portal. It is open source and can be self-hosted, and the hosted free plan allows up to 5 clients with unlimited invoices.
Strengths
Free plan with unlimited invoicing for up to 5 clients
Open source with a self-hosting option
Connects to Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless and many other gateways
Native apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Limitations
Free plan is limited to 5 clients and shows 'Created by Invoice Ninja'
Extra account users, bank sync and e-invoicing (PEPPOL) need Enterprise, from $18 a month
Auto late-payment reminders and REST API access are not on the free plan
Web (works on computer, tablet or phone); self-hosted
Akaunting is open-source online accounting software for small businesses and freelancers, covering invoicing, expenses, cash flow and a client portal. The self-hosted Standard edition is free with source code available, and hosted cloud plans start with the one-person Standard Cloud plan.
Strengths
Self-hosted Standard edition is free, with the source code available
Standard Cloud includes 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant and 1,000 invoices
App store adds modules such as double-entry, payroll, inventory and CRM
Client portal lets clients see transactions and pay invoices
Limitations
Cloud plans have no free tier, only a free trial
Double-entry, bank feeds and the client portal start on Premium Cloud ($24 a month billed yearly)
Payroll, inventory and CRM apps start on Elite Cloud ($56 a month billed yearly)
Best for small businesses that want free, offline accounting software
Best for
Small businesses that want free, offline accounting software
Starting price
$59 USD, per month (Cloud Edition)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Windows, Mac, Linux (desktop and server); web (Cloud Edition)
Manager.io is accounting software with a free desktop edition for Windows, Mac and Linux that has no time or usage limits. A free server edition can be self-hosted, and a paid Cloud Edition is hosted for you with multi-user access.
Strengths
Free desktop edition with no time limits, usage limits or ads
Works offline
Free self-hosted server edition
Cloud Edition includes unlimited users and businesses for one price
Limitations
Hosted multi-user access in a browser needs the paid Cloud Edition at $59 a month
No installation help for the server edition
Mobile use is through the browser on Cloud; no native app mentioned
Best for nigerian retail businesses tracking sales, stock and an online store in one app
Best for
Nigerian retail businesses tracking sales, stock and an online store in one app
Starting price
₦15,000 per quarter (Starter; about ₦5,000 a month)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Bumpa is a business management app for retail businesses, covering inventory, sales records, invoices, receipts, expenses, customers and an online store. Plans are priced in naira and billed quarterly or longer, with a 14-day free trial.
Strengths
Inventory with barcode generation, sales recording and invoices
Online store, customer records and SMS or email campaigns on Starter
Apps for iOS and Android plus a web dashboard
14-day free trial
Limitations
No monthly billing; the shortest cycle is quarterly
Starter is limited to 1 location, 3 staff accounts and 1,200 SMS credits
Advanced analytics and automated shipping start on the Growth plan
Best for uK sole traders and small companies that file to HMRC themselves
Best for
UK sole traders and small companies that file to HMRC themselves
Starting price
£10 per month (Unincorporated landlords), excluding VAT
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile app
FreeAgent is UK accounting software that covers invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, payroll, VAT returns and Self Assessment, filing directly to HMRC. Plans are priced by business type, and some UK bank customers get it free.
Strengths
Files MTD VAT returns and Self Assessment directly to HMRC
Payroll, projects and time tracking included
Free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business current account (and Mettle for most plans)
30-day free trial with cancel anytime
Limitations
Built around UK tax; the features pages focus on HMRC filing
Smart Capture is capped at 10 a month unless you add Unlimited (£5 per month)
The partnerships plan does not include Self Assessment
Best for small teams that need receipt scanning, approvals and reimbursements
Best for
Small teams that need receipt scanning, approvals and reimbursements
Starting price
$5 USD, per unique member per month, pay-per-use (Collect)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Expensify handles expense reports with receipt scanning, approvals and reimbursements, and adds a company card, travel booking, invoicing and bill pay. Individuals can use a free Submit workspace, and teams pay per member.
Strengths
SmartScan reads receipt details from a photo
Connects to 45+ platforms including QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite and Gusto
Travel booking, invoicing and bill pay in the same app
Free Submit workspace for individual employees
Limitations
Collect has no multi-level approvals, ERP integrations or custom expense rules; those need Control
The Expensify Card discount only applies to Control on an annual subscription
Best for small businesses that want double-entry bookkeeping with unlimited users
Best for
Small businesses that want double-entry bookkeeping with unlimited users
Starting price
$30 USD, per month, or $324 per year billed annually
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web
Kashoo is online accounting software with invoicing, online payments, expense and bill tracking, bank feeds and a double-entry ledger in one plan. It has a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Strengths
One plan with unlimited invoices and unlimited users
Bank feed sync, sales tax tracking and multi-currency
Project and inventory tracking
14-day free trial with no credit card
Limitations
No free plan
Only one plan, so there is no cheaper tier; the company points new users towards its newer product, TrulySmall
Prices are set by location in the page script (USD or CAD)
Built for or usable by small businesses and small teams
A published product page and pricing page we could check
Actively maintained, with a working sign-up or trial
Covers the core job this list is about, not just a feature of it
A mix of free, low-cost and established options
About this list
Where the facts come from
Every price, plan and feature comes from the tool's own website, pricing page or docs, or from our own test account. Each tool links to its sources and shows the date we checked them.
What we leave out
No scores, star ratings or review counts. If we can't confirm a fact from an official source, we leave it out and mark it "not published".
When it's reviewed
Last updated 28 Sep 2026. Next review due 27 Dec 2026. We review every list at least every 90 days.
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