10 Best Cloud Based Accounting Software [2023 Updated List]

Review this article to evaluate the top Cloud Accounting Software with comparison to identify the best cloud-based accounting software for your business:

In today’s times, the tasks you perform to keep your business running have become digital. You need to send price quotes, invoices to your customers, make and receive payments digitally, keep a record of your cash flow, simplify the tax process, etc.

Accounting software is made to handle all such tasks for you and your business.

In this article, we will evaluate the top best cloud accounting software. Go through their features and prices to decide which one can be the most beneficial for you.

Cloud Accounting Software Review

Top Cloud Accounting Software

With accounting software, you get the following top features:

  • Creating and sending invoices.
  • Keeping track of your income and expenses.
  • Organizing your receipts and payments to simplify the tax process.
  • Tracking work hours and processing payrolls.
  • Tracking the profitability of a project so that you can make wiser decisions.
  • Financial reporting.

Cloud-based accounting software lets you access all your data anytime, from anywhere. Plus, you need not worry about losing your data when it is saved on the cloud. Thus, most business owners look for cloud-based software.

Pro-Tip: The feature of tracking the profitability of a project can be extremely helpful in making better decisions for your business. With this feature, you can analyze the costs to be allocated for each factor of production, how much revenue it will generate in the end, etc. You should find software with this feature.
Fact Check: According to a study by Fortune Business Insights, the Global Accounting Software market, which was valued at $11,071.6 million in 2018, is expected to expand at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 8.02% from 2018 to 2026. The market is projected to become worth $20,408.0 million by 2026.

study by Fortune Business Insights

Frequently Asked Questions

Q #1) What is called accounting?

Answer: Keeping a record of a company’s cash flow is called accounting. Accounting is done to keep track of your income and expenses, simplify your tax process and make better decisions for keeping the budget in control.

Q #2) What are the disadvantages of accounting software?

Answer: Apart from the many advantages of using accounting software for the day-to-day accounting tasks of your business, there are some disadvantages, too. Accounting software that is deployed on your desktop needs electricity to run. Plus, you can lose your data in case of system failure.

Cloud-based accounting software or mobile application needs a proper Internet connection.

Q #3) How much does accounting software cost?

Answer: The cost of accounting software can range from as low as $3 per month to $999 per user per month. The prices depend on the features offered, plus the complexities of your business. Accounting software can also be availed for free, if you have just the basic requirements, for example invoicing, budgeting or bookkeeping.

Recommended Reading => Best-Paying Jobs in Finance

Q #4) Is Xero accounting software cloud-based?

Answer: Yes, Xero is cloud-based accounting software. Other than Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave, Sage 50cloud, and Zoho Books are some of the very popular cloud-based accounting software.

Q #5) Which is better sage or XERO?

Answer: Sage and Xero both are very beneficial accounting software with some nice reviews from their users.

While Xero is cheaper and easier to use, as compared to Sage, Sage offers features that can be helpful for a big enterprise that requires software to handle the complex tasks of their business to be handled with ease.

Q #6) What is the best accounts package for a small business?

Answer: QuickBooks can be called the best accounting software for small businesses. The packages that it offers are affordable yet full of features. You will not find any software available in the market, with such a range of features, at this price.

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List of Top Cloud Accounting Software

Here we have listed the most notable cloud-based accounting software:

  1. FreshBooks
  2. Zoho Books
  3. QuickBooks
  4. Bonsai
  5. Xero
  6. Pabbly
  7. Wave
  8. Sage 50cloud
  9. Kashoo
  10. OneUp
  11. Quicken

Comparison of the Best Cloud-Based Accounting Software

Tool NameBest forPriceDeployment
FreshBooksEasy to useStarts at $15 per monthOn Cloud, SaaS, Web, Mac/Windows desktop, Android/iPhone mobile, iPad
Zoho BooksOffering a wide range of solutions.Free trial.
Free plan, and the price starts at $20/organization/month.
Cloud-based
QuickBooksBookkeeping$15 - $180 per monthOn Cloud, SaaS, Web, Mac/Windows desktop, Windows/Linux premises
BonsaiControlling expensesStarter: $24/month
Professional: $39/month,
Business: $79/month,
Free trial is available
SaaS, Web-based, iOS, Mac, Windows, Android.
XeroComparatively cheaper price plans$5 to $31 per monthOn Cloud, SaaS, Web, Android/iPhone mobile, iPad
PabblySubscription service providersStrats at $19 per monthOn Cloud, SaaS, Web, Mac/Windows desktop
WaveA free financial management solutionFreeOn Cloud, SaaS, Web
Sage 50cloudPowerful automation featuresStarts at $56.08 per monthOn Cloud, SaaS, Web, Windows desktop, Windows/Linux premises, Android/iPhone mobile, iPad

Detailed Review:

#1) FreshBooks

Best for the ease of use that it offers.

freshbooks

FreshBooks is easy-to-use cloud-based accounting software that offers features for freelancers, self-employed professionals, or businesses with employees/contractors.

Top Features:

  • Tracks time, expenses, mileage, and project profitability.
  • Gives you financial as well as accounting reports.
  • Create and send unlimited invoices.
  • Send estimates and automatically send reminders to your clients for payments.
  • A mobile application to access takes control of each task, from anywhere.

Verdict: FreshBooks is a highly recommended accounting software for small businesses. It is easy to use, affordable and offers a wide range of features.

Price: FreshBooks offers a free trial for 30 days. You can either choose the free trial or get 50% off on each plan for the first 3 months.

Price plans are as follows:

  • Lite: $15 per month
  • Plus: $25 per month
  • Premium: $50 per month
  • Select: Custom pricing

#2) Zoho Books

Best for offering a wide range of solutions.

zoho

Zoho Books handles almost all your accounting tasks like a pro so that you can focus more on your business. Apart from the features offered with Zoho Books, Zoho offers 40+ other integrative platforms that can handle every part of your business.

Top Features:

  • A mobile app for Android and iOS users.
  • Create invoices in multiple languages and automatically send recurring invoices.
  • Tracks your expenses, mileage, sales tax, project profitability, and more.
  • Get a custom domain with the Premium plan.
  • Budgeting and reporting tools.

Verdict: Zoho Books is a highly recommended cloud accounting software. The free version is exceptional. They offer invoicing, mileage tracking, reporting, and many other features with their free plan.

Price: There is a free trial for 14 days. Price plans are as follows:

  • Free
  • Standard: $20 per organization per month
  • Professional: $50 per organization per month
  • Premium: $70 per organization per month

#3) QuickBooks

Best for bookkeeping.

quickbooks

QuickBooks is a cloud accounting software, made for small businesses. QuickBooks has over 7 million customers worldwide and lets you access the software from anywhere, anytime, and from any device.

Top Features:

  • Let’s you track your income and expenses.
  • Helps you in maximizing tax deductions.
  • Tracks inventories, project profitability, and work hours of your employees.
  • Add-on payroll features.
  • Invoicing and financial reporting.

Verdict: QuickBooks is one of the best cloud accounting software suitable for small businesses. It gives you a wide range of features at reasonable prices.

Price: QuickBooks offers a free trial for 30 days. You can either go for the free trial or get 50% off for the first three months on the following plans:

  • Self-employed: $15 per month
  • Simple start: $25 per month
  • Essentials: $50 per month
  • Plus: $80 per month
  • Advanced: $180 per month

#4) Bonsai

Best for Controlling expenses.

Bonsai Logo

With Bonsai, you get software that can completely manage both your accounting and tax-related activities. The business is ideal for keeping expenses on track with real-time income reporting, tax reminders and expense tracking features.

Top Features:

  • Track Profit and Loss
  • Track Expenses
  • Automated Tax Reminder
  • Manage Invoices

Verdict: Bonsai is a fantastic cloud-based accounting management software that freelancers can use to keep their expenses and taxes in check. It is easy to use and feature-rich.

Price:

  • Starter: $24/month
  • Professional: $39/month
  • Business: $79/month
  • A free trial is available

#5) Xero

Best for comparatively cheaper price plans.

xero

Xero is a cloud accounting software that’s made to simplify the everyday tasks for your small business. This incredible software offers 50% off on its price plans for the first three months of your purchase.

Top Features:

  • Track time and project profitability.
  • Keeps a record of your receipts and documents to help you in the tax filing process.
  • Create and share invoices, and keep records of the invoice history of each of your customers.
  • Financial reporting and analytical tools.
  • Integrates with Gusto, for payrolls.

Verdict: Xero is a recommended cloud accounting software for small businesses. The price plans offered by Xero are comparatively cheaper than its alternatives.

Price: Price plans are as follows:

  • Early: $5.50 per month
  • Growing: $16 per month
  • Established: $31 per month

Website: Xero


#6) Pabbly

Best for subscription service providers.

pabbly

Pabbly offers you feature for email marketing, invoicing, financial reporting, billing, automation, and much more.

Top Features:

  • Easy integration with 500+ platforms.
  • Manages your taxes.
  • Financial reporting tools.
  • Create and invoices and create coupons and discounts for your customers.
  • Supports 30+ global currencies.

Verdict: Pabbly is a recommended software for those who offer their services on a subscription basis. The recurring billing feature is the plus point of this cloud-based accounting software.

Price: Price plans are as follows:

  • Starter: $9 per month
  • Rookie: $19 per month
  • Pro: $29 per month
  • Advance: $41 per month
  • Enterprise: Contact directly for prices.

Website: Pabbly


#7) Wave

Best for being an all-in-one solution for your financial management needs.

wave

Wave is a free money management software for small businesses. It has many other products, for payroll, invoicing, payments, etc., which can be integrated easily into one system.

Top Features:

  • Tracks your income, expenses, and sales tax
  • Check the performance of your business.
  • Creates reports for overdue invoices, cash flow, profit & loss, and more.
  • Organize your expenses to simplify the tax process.

Verdict: Wave is a trusted software for accounting and financial management. The fact that it is available free of cost makes it a highly recommended software for small business owners.

Price: Free

Website: Wave


#8) Sage 50cloud

Best for powerful automation features.

sage

Sage 50cloud is accounting software that can be deployed on your desktop or the cloud. Sage offers powerful features for income and expenses management, financial reporting, and much more.

Top Features:

  • Tracks your cash flow.
  • Create and send invoices.
  • Payroll processing through direct deposits, pay cards, and checks.
  • Gives you a report on sales tax, expenses, and profits.

Verdict: Sage 50cloud is a popular name in the industry. The price plans are expensive but offer you some nice automation features.

Price: There is a free trial for 30 days. Price plans are as follows:

  • Pro Accounting: $56.08 per month
  • Premium Accounting: $84.58 per month
  • Quantum Accounting: $139.58 per month

Website: Sage 50cloud


#9) Kashoo

Best for the easy-to-use interface.

kashoo

Kashoo is a 10-year-old cloud accounting software that is simple and easy to use. It offers you automation features for the accounting workflow of small businesses.

Top Features:

  • Lets you send invoices and accept payments
  • Tracks your income, expenses, and sales tax
  • Advanced reporting tools
  • Automation features for sending reminders for payments, to your clients

Verdict: The price plans offered by Kashoo are affordable. The range of features is also nice. The software is known for its simple and user-friendly interface.

Price: There is a free trial on the paid plans for 14 days. Price plans are as follows:

  • Trulysmall.invoices: $0
  • Trulysmall.accounting: $20 per month
  • Kashoo: $30 per month

Website: Kashoo


#10) OneUp

Best for automated accounting.

one up

OneUp offers features that make accounting automatic. From invoicing to CRM, OneUp has many features for small businesses. This global accounting solutions provider has been in the industry for five years and has clients from more than 50 countries.

Top Features:

  • Create and send invoices.
  • Automation features that take care of 95% of your accounting needs.
  • Keeps track of your inventories and notifies you when you need to reorder.
  • CRM tools, including sending quotes, turning quotes into invoices or sales orders, and much more.

Verdict: OneUp is one of the fastest-growing cloud accounting software. It offers 5 price plans. You can choose the one that fits your needs so that you pay just for what you use.

Price: There is a free trial for 30 days. Price plans are as follows:

  • Self: $9 per month
  • Pro: $19 per month
  • Plus: $29 per month
  • Team: $69 per month
  • Unlimited: $169 per month

Website: OneUp


#11) Quicken

Best for personal use.

quicken

Quicken is personal financial management software. It has features for budgeting, invoicing, organizing receipts, and simplifying taxes. Apart from the desktop/web version, it also offers a mobile application that lets you access the software from anywhere.

Top Features:

  • Create a budget and keep track of your expenses.
  • Create and send custom invoices with payment links.
  • Organizes your receipts to simplify your tax process.
  • Get access to Quicken through your desktop, mobile, or web.

Verdict: Quicken Home & Business has some features that make it suitable for small businesses that are beginners and low on budget. Quicken is cheap and offers you the basic features for money management.

Price: Price plans are as follows:

  • Starter: $35.99 per year
  • Deluxe: $46.79 per year
  • Premier: $70.19 per year
  • Home & Business: $93.59 per year

Website: Quicken


Other Notable Tools

#12) ZipBooks

Best for small businesses.

ZipBooks is accounting software that can be a good option for small businesses. It is affordable and has a lot to offer you. They even offer a free plan with features of invoicing, reporting, and receiving digital payments.

Price: ZipBooks offers the following price plans:

  • Starter: Free
  • Smarter: $15 per month
  • Sophisticated: $35 per month
  • Accountant: Custom Pricing

Website: ZipBooks


#13) LessAccounting

Best for being a simple solution for accounting

LessAccounting is a 10 years old accounting software, which has a free version and offers you a free trial too. The features offered by the software include invoicing, time tracking, preparing tax reports, budgeting, tracking miles, and much more.

Price: There is a free trial for 30 days. Pricing is as follows:

  • Invoice only: Free
  • Lite: $24 per month
  • Team: $36 per month

Website: LessAccounting


Conclusion

If you own a business, whether big or small, you will need to perform several accounting tasks. For a small business owner, who needs to focus more on growing its customers, affordable accounting software can play a vital role in its success.

And, for a big enterprise, whose accounting tasks are complicated, accounting software is a must as this software saves much of your time and gives you more accurate and reliable results.

Based on our study about the top 10 best cloud accounting software, we can now conclude that QuickBooks has the best range of features to offer you for your small business. Wave is available free of cost. Many others offer a free version.

Thus, if your requirements are not huge, you can get your accounting tasks simplified by incurring no fees at all.

Research Process:

  • Time taken to research this article: We spent 09 hours researching and writing this article so you can get a useful summarized list of tools with the comparison of each for your quick review.
  • Total tools researched online: 18
  • Top tools shortlisted for review: 12
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