Top 5 Free Accounting Software

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Are you looking for the best free accounting software in 2019? As a small business or just starting out, finding a free accounting package can be a good start with your bookkeeping. As your business grows, you may need to upgrade the software.

Our guide will provide the best solutions for free accounting software. Each software accounting package has it’s only advantages and disadvantages.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Free Accounting Software Packages for Small Business

Pandle

Pandle is a fantastic starting package and has most of the features that Paid for versions have. One of it’s biggest advantages is that you can upgrade to a full version with a monthly fee when needed. It is why we included it in our top 5 free accounting software review.

Advantages:

Pandle has been built for the user in mind and is therefore easy to use. It has a dashboard, allowing you to see how the business is performing.

Sales Invoices are easy to set up and use; the free version includes the Pandle logo. Reports are available to keep track of customers and how much they owe.

The software is fast as long as you have a good connection to the internet.

Reporting – They have included the main financial reports required by most businesses, including Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, Debtors and Creditors.

Support – Support is good, and there are plenty of videos and articles to help you along the way.

Out of all the free accounting software packages, I have tried, Pandle is my favourite and one I recommend to clients. Read our full review of Pandle.

GNU Cash

As a user of cloud accounting software, I found this much harder to use and get started. The software is open-source, which means the code is available and can be changed.

One big advantage of GNUcash is it includes lots of reports and charts. You can also use it to set budgets. Support is also available and instructions for use.

On first use, I found it difficult to set up an invoice. I like the software which I can start and jump straight in to. There are lots of good reviews for GNUCash and as it is free might be worth your while reviewing.

Manager Accounting

Manager Accounting is an app that you download to use. They also have paid for versions, which includes being able to use it on the cloud on tablets and phones.

The Manager Accounting software package is easy to set up and has a good dashboard to help get you started. It also includes lots of useful reports.

They have provided on each page of the software easy links to a help section, related to the section you are using.

One of the things I like to look for in an Accounting package is whether it will grow with the business. The shortfall of Manager is that it is not MTD compliant. When the business becomes VAT registered, you will either need to look at bridging software to connect to HMRC or new software.

WAVE Accounting

WAVE accounting is popular with small businesses. I have a client that has used it for several years and found it easy to get started. It now has a few disadvantages, the first it is not GDPR compliant, and the second bank feeds now do not work.

Wave has a simple dashboard and is easy to start using. There are several different invoice designs to choose to help brand your business.

There is a community to help with support, but if you need to contact WAVE, you may have to pay for it.

QuickFile

QuickFile is recommended by several bookkeepers on forums over the last few months. This is why I wanted to include it in our top 5 free accounting software reviews. The account was very quick and easy to set up. Within 10 minutes of starting the process, I was able to produce a sales invoice with a logo.

It is possible to connect your bank feed, but there is an annual fee for the service. In my opinion, if you have lots of transactions, the fee is well worth the money. In the long run, a bank feed can save time and money.

I like Quickfile for the ease of use and the dashboard. There are lots of reports available, and you can even create your own. At the bottom of the dashboard is a list of the recent transaction; this makes it easier if you want to make changes.

One feature which I liked about the software is being able to write a letter to the customer or supplier directly. It is especially ideal for reminder letters to customers.

Conclusion on Top 5 Free Accounting Software

There are several choices available suitable for most businesses. It is worth spending some time trying the software to see which one you feel most comfortable. Think about when your business expands and if the software will still be suitable.

Out of the top 5 free accounting software packages I have tried, I recommend Pandle and QuickFile. I prefer them mainly for the ease of use and how quickly I can get started. If you are looking for a stand-alone package then Manager is a good solution.