8 QuickBooks alternatives to consider in 2024 — and what makes them stand out

If you mention accounting software, one of the first platforms that comes to mind is QuickBooks Online (QBO). Intuit’s flagship product has a market share of around 80% and has been the go-to choice for small and medium-sized businesses for many years.

But is QuickBooks Online’s popularity an accurate reflection of its quality? And how does it compare to its competitors? In this article, we’ll aim to answer these questions for you. Read on for a detailed look at some of the best QuickBooks alternatives, why we chose them, and how they stack up against the market-leading platform.

Of course, accounting software is only one piece of the puzzle. To run a highly efficient and organized accounting firm, you need the right practice management software. This is where TaxDome comes in. By connecting TaxDome to your accounting software via native or third-party integrations, you can build seamless accounting workflows that drive efficiency and accuracy.

To explore how TaxDome can be the central hub for your accounting practice, request a demo. 

What sets these alternatives apart from QuickBooks?

Each of the software platforms we chose for this list has its own unique features, benefits, and target audience. Below, we’ll provide a quick overview of what makes each Quickbooks alternative stand out. 

• Xero. A direct QBO competitor that’s designed with simplicity and scalability in mind. We like that Xero offers unlimited users and has a higher average rating than QBO on G2. 
• Sage Intacct. Designed for larger businesses, we picked Sage Intacct for its broad range of enterprise-grade accounting and business solutions. 
• Zoho Books. Targeting the small-businesses market, Zoho Books stands out thanks to its intuitive user interface and seamless integration with other Zoho platforms. It also offers a free version.
• FreshBooks. Another solution for small businesses, FreshBooks makes our list as one of the easiest accounting platforms to use. It’s also more affordable than QBO. 
• Netsuite. We chose Netsuite because of its broad offering. It’s an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that spans accounting, financial management, HR, payroll, and more. AccountingSuite. Designed for startups and small businesses, we like AccountingSuite’s robust inventory management and e-commerce features.
• Wave. We think Wave is a great platform for small businesses with basic accounting needs. Its invoicing capabilities are excellent, and there’s a free plan too.
• Kashoo. A stripped-back accounting platform for small businesses, we like that Kashoo offers unlimited users and fixed annual pricing.

8 best QuickBooks alternatives

• Xero
• Sage Intacct
• Zoho Books
• FreshBooks
• NetSuite
• AccountingSuite
• Wave
• Kashoo

1. Xero

Xero is perhaps the second most well-known cloud accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. This QuickBooks alternative offers a comprehensive feature set, spanning most of the tools you’d need to manage and automate your accounting, tax, and payroll tasks. Its key features include:

• Automated data entry through seamless integrations with third-party apps
• Secure bank connections for real-time transaction updates
• Bank reconciliation with smart suggestions for how to classify expenditures
• Online billing, with automated invoices and multiple payment options
• Automated reporting — produce balance sheets and financial statements with a single click
• Customizable business dashboards for real-time financial insights
• 1,000+ integrations via the Xero App Store

Xero is a decent accounting platform and a worthy alternative to QuickBooks Online. Its feature set is slightly narrower than QBO’s, but on the other hand, you get unlimited users across all plans and a cheaper price point. 

Overall, Xero is perhaps slightly more complex to use than QuickBooks Online, partly because it was designed with accountants and payroll professionals in mind, while QuickBooks Online also caters to small-business owners without a strong background in accounting.

Xero has three pricing plans: Early at $4.50 per user per month, Growing at $12.60 per user per month, and Established at $23.40 per user per month.

2. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management platform that combines a range of accounting applications and tools. We see it as a more advanced, modern version of the well-known Sage 50 accounting platform. You get a broad range of features that span accounting, payroll, and even HR, with a strong focus on AI and automation. Here are its core capabilities:

• Automated accounts payable
• General ledger with AI-powered anomaly detection
• Flexible, real-time dashboards and reporting
• Payroll and HR capabilities via seamless integration
• Comprehensive budgeting capabilities
• Multi-entity insights that support larger, multinational companies
• 100s of native integrations via the Sage marketplace

We think Sage Intacct is an excellent choice for larger businesses looking for an advanced platform to connect their accounting, payroll, and HR data in one place. It might be worth looking at for QBO customers who feel like they’re outgrowing the platform. That said, we recommend that smaller businesses looking for accounting software similar to QuickBooks might want to look elsewhere. 

Unfortunately, Sage Intacct doesn’t provide any details about pricing on its website. To find out how much it costs, you’ll need to get a custom quote. 

3. Zoho Books

Part of the Zoho suite of cloud software tools, Zoho Books enables businesses to manage and automate their accounting workflows in one easy-to-use platform. It offers plenty of interesting features, including: 

• Automated payment reminders, report scheduling, invoicing, and payments
• Seamless bank feed connections for real-time transaction updates
• Accounts receivable automation
• Real-time dashboards and financial statements
• Task and product management
• Collaboration features
• Inventory and stock management
• Seamless integration with other Zoho tools

Unlike QBO, it offers a free version for single users. That, coupled with its simple user interface and a somewhat limited feature set, makes Zoho Books a solid option for individuals. For teams, there are three paid plans:

• Standard at $15 per month with a three-user limit
• Professional at $40 per month with a five-user limit
• Premium at $60 per month with a ten-user limit 

4. FreshBooks

Another popular QuickBooks alternative, FreshBooks is a cloud accounting platform designed to help individuals and small businesses manage their accounting workflows and collaborate with ease. It offers most of the features you’d need to manage accounting and payroll for small businesses, including:

• Customized invoices and automatic payment reminders
• Automated recurring billing and payments
• A range of double-entry accounting tools
• Automated expense tracking with real-time data updates
• Project management, team collaboration, and time-tracking
• Simple dashboard and real-time reporting
• Payroll with automated tax calculations and filings
• FreshBooks AppStore with 100+ native integrations 

With a free plan offering unlimited invoices, we rate FreshBooks as a cheaper alternative to QuickBooks Online. It’s an excellent choice for small businesses and particularly sole proprietors looking for a simple yet effective way to manage their invoicing and accounts. 

In addition to the free plan, there are four pricing plans, each with different limits and features:

• Lite at $7.60 per month, for up to five clients
• Plus at $13.20 per month, for up to 50 clients
• Premium at $24 per month, for unlimited clients
• Select, for which you’ll need to contact FreshBooks for a quote

5. Netsuite

Produced by software giant Oracle, NetSuite is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that offers a range of products and services, including financial management, accounting, HR, payroll, and more. 

While it combines multiple platforms in one, making its scope much broader than the other solutions on this list, here are its key accounting features:

• General ledger capabilities, including reporting and audit trails
• Tools for managing cash flows, fixed assets, and liquidity
• Automated accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payment processing
• Automated account reconciliation
• Tax management, with detailed reports
• Task automation for a rapid financial close process
• Seamless integration with other Netsuite platforms

NetSuite is a powerful platform that spans multiple use cases. We think it’s a solid choice for larger businesses looking to centralize their business operations, but smaller businesses looking for a simpler accounting platform will be better suited to some of the alternatives on this list.

As a highly customizable and flexible solution designed for enterprise use cases, NetSuite doesn’t provide standard pricing. You’ll need to get a quote from the NetSuite team, which will likely differ depending on the specific parts of the platform you want to use and the size of your team. 

6. AccountingSuite

AccountingSuite is a cloud-based accounting and inventory management platform designed primarily for solopreneurs, startups, and small businesses. For a platform aimed at smaller businesses, it packs a pretty big punch, with features spanning accounting, payroll, e-commerce, and more. Here are some of its core features:

• General ledger with audit trails and multi-entity reports
• Tools for project management and time-tracking
• Purchase module for handling purchase orders, vendor bills, inventory receipts, and refunds
• Expense tracking and approvals
• Asset tracking — from hardware and devices to machinery and vehicles
• e-commerce module with multi-channel inventory control
• Integrated payroll with unlimited monthly runs
• App library for native integrations and extensions

AccountingSuite is a relatively lesser-known platform compared to some of the big hitters on this list. Nevertheless, we like its combination of powerful tools for small businesses, making it a decent choice for those needing a solution for managing inventory and e-commerce. 

In terms of pricing, AccountingSuite offers the following four plans:

• Start-Up at $19 per month
• Business at $99 per month
• Professional at $249 per month
• Pro with eCommerce at $349 per month

7. Wave

A relative newcomer on the cloud accounting scene, Wave has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to its user-friendly approach and simple invoicing features. It offers somewhat basic invoicing and accounting features compared to some of the platforms on this list, but what it does, it does well. 

Its core features include:

• Unlimited customizable invoices
• Automated expense tracking and a mobile receipt scanner
• Seamless payment options
• Payroll available as a paid add-on
• Unlimited bank and credit card connections

Wave is one of the more basic tools on this list and lacks some of the more advanced features you’d expect from an accounting platform. That said, if your needs are simple, we think it’s an excellent alternative to QuickBooks. And with a free version offering unlimited invoices, estimates, and bills, it’s a great place to start for solopreneurs and new businesses.

In addition to the free plan, Wave offers a paid plan called Pro. It costs $16 per month and includes more standard accounting features. You can also add payroll at a cost of $35 plus $6 per employee/contractor per month.

8. Kashoo

Another accounting platform targeting the small-business accounting niche, Kashoo is perhaps the least-known QuickBooks alternative on this list. Describing itself as “the world’s simplest accounting software,” Kashoo offers a pared-back alternative to some of the more complicated platforms out there. Its key features include:

• Auto bank imports
• Bank reconciliations
• Expense tracking
• Integrated payroll
• Detailed reporting
• Native integrations with a range of third-party tools

If you’re a very small business looking for a bare-bones accounting platform without the complexity of more advanced alternatives, Kashoo is worth looking into. And with fixed annual pricing at $324 per year and unlimited additional users at no extra cost, it’s both cost-effective and scalable. 

Conclusion 

QuickBooks Online is the clear market leader when it comes to accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only option out there. The best accounting platform will depend on the specific features you need (or don’t need), your budget, integration requirements, and more. 

Each QuickBooks Online alternative we’ve listed offers something a bit different — from more advanced, enterprise-ready platforms such as Sage Intacct and Netsuite to simple, pared-back apps such as Wave and Kashoo — and everything in between.

Whichever platform you go for, we recommend considering how it will complement your existing tech stack. By pairing your accounting software with a comprehensive practice management platform like TaxDome, you can consolidate your data and tools into two powerful systems. Your accounting software handles the accounting, while TaxDome handles everything else.

To see for yourself how TaxDome can become the operating system for your accounting business, request a demo today!