The best bookkeeping tools for small businesses

Intuit’s QuickBooks is the most recognizable name on this list, which is part of its appeal: Businesses looking to work with a CPA will have no problem finding someone who knows how to use it. 

“Many of my service-based clients rely on QuickBooks because accountants and bookkeepers are familiar with it, ensuring smooth collaboration,” said John Rojas, a financial planner and the CEO of Tribox Private Wealth in Jupiter, Florida. By contrast, newer and shinier competitors are at risk of undergoing destabilizing overhauls or simply ceasing to exist: “I’ve seen businesses caught off guard when platforms like Bench Accounting suddenly shut down, leaving them stranded without access to key data,” he added. That’s not a risk with QuickBooks.

Aside from its ubiquity, though, QuickBooks is a genuinely great tool: It supports payroll, project tracking, and inventory tracking, is easy to use, and runs “the best reports in the business,” according to our colleagues at PCMag. The only real downside is its price. The cost may be difficult to justify if you’re a solopreneur or a freelancer with more straightforward accounting needs.