There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as free accounting software.

Getting small business accounting software for free is possible. We review your top eight options here. ZipBooks is the best free accounting software for Mac. Sign up for a free account and gain access to our professional design, simple invoicing, and time tracking capabilities. ZipBooks can help your business accomplish its financial goals today.

OK, that analogy only works if you don’t think about it too hard; just like a lunch, accounting software isn’t actually free. But the fact remains that many businesses aren’t aware of the numerous free and open source accounting software options out there, or—if they are—how to navigate the market and find their ideal product.

Before splurging on a more extensive and expensive solution, businesses with limited budgets should explore free and open source accounting software that could meet their needs.

To save you some time, we did the first research step for you. Here are five of the most popular free and open source accounting options out there, based on Google search results as of August 2019.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Free accounting software:

Open source accounting software:

Why you must consider paid solutions, too
How we chose featured products

Let’s dive in.

Free accounting software

The majority of free accounting solutions out there are, in reality, limited versions of more expensive, high-end solutions—but that doesn’t mean they’re devoid of functionality. These three accounting solutions, while not as advanced as their paid counterparts, are built on a foundation of features capable of meeting the needs of your small or midsize business.

SlickPie

Dashboard in SlickPie (Source)

SlickPie is an expense management solution geared toward small businesses. This cloud-based software offers more than just expense-related activity, however; users have access to live bank feeds, recurring invoices, and payment processing, as well as a host of features designed with the small-business owner in mind.

The free version includes email support and access for up to 10 companies, while the pro version, priced at $39.95 per month, offers phone support and up to 50 companies. Outside of that, the free software offers all the same features as the paid version.

Other features include:

• Automated receipt data entry
• Online invoices
• Multicurrency support
• PayPal, Stripe, and credit card processing
• Late payment reminders
• Support for multiple companies

Wave

Dashboard in Wave (Source)

Designed with the small-business owner in mind, Wave prides itself on its simplicity and ease of use. Its intuitive user interface keeps the most important financial data front and center, accessible immediately after signup via any device with a web browser.

The idea here is that keeping things simple relieves much of the stress associated with accounting software. But don’t be deceived by this bare-bones approach; for a free piece of software, Wave is rich in features. This includes informative user dashboards, unlimited income and expense tracking, and customizable invoicing and sales tax processes.

Other features include:

• Fast setup
• Bulk transaction updates
• Exchange rate conversions
• PayPal, Shoeboxed, and Etsy integration
• Unlimited bank and credit card accounts
• Bill and invoice reminders

ZipBooks

Dashboard in ZipBooks (source)

Like most free accounting systems, ZipBooks offers a complimentary starter pack in addition to paid options. It does offer notable useful features for small businesses.

For no cost, users can send unlimited invoices, process digital payments, and manage as many vendors and customers as they need. This cloud-based solution also boasts integration with third-party applications such as Square, PayPal, Slack, and Gusto, giving organizations the freedom and flexibility to do business on their terms.

Other features include:

• Custom invoices, quotes, and estimates
• Ability to toggle between cash- and accrual-based reporting
• Vendor and customer detail tracking
• VAT, taxes, and invoice discounts
• 1099 payment and expense recording
• Balance sheet and profit and loss reporting

Open source accounting software

If you need an accounting system that you can modify to meet your business’ unique needs, open source software is a great option to consider. Users can download the source code—usually for little or no cost—and mold it into their ideal accounting system.

Open source systems require a certain degree of development expertise. But if you have a dedicated IT department, employ a coding expert, or are willing to hire a third-party consultant, open source software offers a viable alternative to the more monolithic—and pricey—solutions on the market.

GnuCash

Checkbook-style register in GnuCash (Source)

This on-premise accounting solution offers a robust set of features—recurring transactions, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting among them. What’s more, it’s as affordable as it gets (i.e., free) and endlessly customizable.

The GnuCash register is like a digital checkbook of sorts, with the ability to split transactions, display multiple accounts in a single window, and tailor the appearance to your liking. But the software’s signature quality is its “double entry” feature, which mandates that all transactions must debit and credit accounts in equal measure—keeping your books balanced at all times.

Other features include:

• Track individual stocks and portfolios
• Regularly updated stock and mutual fund quotes
• Check printing
• Payroll management
• Auto-fill frequent transactions
• Income and expense categorization

LedgerSMB

Invoice product selection in LedgerSMB (Source)

LedgerSMB is an on-premise, accounting-focused enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for small and midsize businesses. As a foundational software designed to integrate with other systems and processes, it’s an ideal solution for companies craving the flexibility to streamline their workflows. It also caters to a variety of industries, from retail businesses to trade organizations.

Built-in functionality includes the basics like general ledger and invoicing, but because it’s an ERP, its reach extends much further. And since it’s open source, LedgerSMB is customizable to your business’ needs, regardless of discipline.

Other features include:

• Inventory management
• Fixed-asset accounting
• Export files as PDF, HTML, CSV, or Microsoft Office documents
• Support for 45 languages
• Time tracking and billable hours invoicing
• Track purchasing processes by vendor, purchase orders, and invoices

Why you must consider paid solutions, too

While the systems outlined above might work for some organizations, they won’t work for all. In many cases—even yours, potentially—investing in a reputable paid solution will pay dividends in the long run.

Paid accounting software typically offers more substantial functionality, deeper insights, and more comprehensive technical support than free and open source options. For growing businesses in particular, dropping some cash for a more advanced system will extend the lifespan of your investment and ensure you’re not looking for a new vendor a year or two down the line.

To help guarantee that your search is sufficiently informed and thorough, we put together a list of top-rated accounting systems using our signature FrontRunners offering. Download the PDF—complete with an overview and features list for each product—at the link below.

3 Best Accounting Systems Backed by User Reviews

Download this guide to see top CRM systems based on real user reviews.

How we chose featured products

To identify the systems featured here, we Googled the terms “free accounting software” and “open source accounting software” during the month of August 2019 in an incognito window with the location set to the U.S. Provided they met the following criteria, the top solutions on the first page of search results are presented/included above in alphabetical order:

• Offer a free, standalone version of the software (not a trial version of the software where you must purchase a product after a limited amount of time).
• Meet our accounting software definition:
  Accounting software enables accounting professionals in any type of organization to manage accounts and perform various accounting and financial operations such as record keeping, financial reporting, billing, and invoicing.

Just because you’re a Mac person doesn’t mean you have to settle for less with your accounting software. Check out these 6 great options.

A few years ago, we published an article on the best accounting software options for Mac users. This is an update of that article, but here’s the thing: There’s no such thing as “accounting software for Mac” anymore.

Sure, there’s plenty of accounting software that you can use on your MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, etc. But while there used to be Mac software and PC software, it’s now virtually all the same with the ever-increasing expansion of cloud-based software that works seamlessly in any browser.

In other words, you’d have a much harder time finding accounting software that doesn’t work on your Mac than a program that works only on Macs. In fact, with more than 100 million active Mac users, if you found an accounting program that somehow wasn’t compatible with Mac, that alone would be cause for alarm.

Cloud software is here to stay, and the market is only getting bigger. Gartner predicts that by 2022, 28% of enterprise IT spending will have shifted to cloud applications, up from 19% in 2018. (Full report available to Gartner clients.)

6 user-friendly accounting software options for Mac

Rather than giving you a generic list of accounting software that works on Macs (which would basically just be our accounting software directory), I decided to determine which top factors users have for choosing Mac over PC and then find accounting software that best suits those users.

• Macs are typically high-end machines with consistently strong reviews from users, so I included only accounting tools with an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars or higher in our directory (based on verified user ratings) and with at least 100 reviews.
• In general, Macs are considered easier to use than PCs, so I’m including only products with an ease-of-use rating on our site of 4.5/5 or higher.
• Finally, I included only products with a native iOS app with a user rating of 4/5 or better on the App Store, since Mac users typically use iPhones and iPads as well as their desktop or laptop computers.

With those factors in mind, here’s what I found, listed in order of rating and reviews from highest to lowest:

Jump to:

• 
  QuickBooks
• 
  FreshBooks
• 
  Accounting by Wave
• 
  Zoho Books
• 
  FreeAgent
• 
  Kashoo

1. QuickBooks

Free Accounting App For Mac

It’s no surprise that the big name in accounting software is available on Mac operating systems. QuickBooks has even had a desktop-only (not cloud-based) option available for Macs since at least the mid-1990s, making the company something of a pioneer for cross-platform functionality.

Now, any of QuickBooks’ cloud-based offerings will work fine on your Apple device, and Intuit even still offers a desktop version for Mac. The desktop version for Mac even has a few features designed specifically for Mac users:

• QuickBooks for Mac 2020 takes advantage of the Mojave OS Dark Mode.
• You can upload text searchable images with the iPhone scanner.
• Documents can be automatically shared through iCloud.

The QuickBooks Online dashboard (Source)

2. FreshBooks

Designed specifically for small businesses and the self-employed, Toronto-based FreshBooks has been around for more than 15 years. FreshBooks also has Mac users in mind. They say that their easy-to-use accounting software works on any device—desktop, mobile, or tablet—and “plays nicely” with Mac.

The Invoices dashboard in FreshBooks (Source)

3. Accounting by Wave

Accounting by Wave is one of the youngest tools on this list, having launched out of Toronto in 2010 before being acquired by H&R Block earlier this year. Its biggest differentiator is that it has a completely free version, as long as you don’t need to use it to accept payments or run payroll (those are optional, paid features).

So what makes Wave an attractive option specifically for Mac users? As mentioned, it’s free, so it’ll help you save for the next iPhone or MacBook upgrade. It also scores high for ease of use, making it fit in nicely with the intuitive Mac ecosystem.

Recent transactions in Accounting by Wave (Source)

4. Zoho Books

If you’re looking for the peace of mind of an established, international company offering Mac-friendly accounting software and you’re trying to avoid QuickBooks for whatever reason, Zoho Books might be for you. Zoho has been releasing business software since 1996, and Zoho Books is specifically tailored for Mac users, as it is designed to work with iMessage, Apple Maps, Siri, and 3D Touch. It even has an app for the Apple Watch.

Managing invoices in Zoho Books (Source)

5. FreeAgent

FreeAgent accounting software is based in the U.K. and originally designed for British businesses, but they also have versions customized for U.S. and global businesses, and the software has full multicurrency support. Like any good cloud-based software, FreeAgent works like a breeze on the Mac platform, and its iOS app is a fan favorite.

The main dashboard in FreeAgent accounting for iPad (Source)

6. Kashoo

Once you’ve stopped giggling about the name, you’ll see that Kashoo is a comprehensive accounting tool that is easy to use right from the start on any web-connected device, including Macs. One of Kashoo’s standout features is their customer support: You get free phone and web support with your subscription, which is much easier than standing in line at the Genius Bar.

Mac Small Business Accounting Software

The tax management interface in Kashoo (Source)

What’s your favorite accounting software for Mac?

Are you an accountant (either accidental or professional) and a power Mac user? If so, what’s your weapon of choice, whether it’s listed above or something else? (There are plenty of other options out there with iOS apps, as you can see by filtering for iOS deployment in our accounting software directory.)

I’d love to hear what you use and why you use it so I can recommend it to others. Just let me know in the comments or connect with me on Twitter @AndrewJosConrad.

Note: Listed pros and cons are derived from features listed on the product website and product user reviews on Gartner Digital Markets domains (Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice). They do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Capterra or its affiliates.

Note:The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.

Best Accounting Software For Mac

Looking for Accounting software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Accounting software solutions.