To help you make the right choice, we’ve reviewed the best startup accounting software. You might also want to look at the user-friendliness of the software, whether it offers the services and features your company needs, and whether it can scale up as your business grows. Cost is an important factor to consider when researching the best accounting software for startups.
ERP SOLUTION
The online-only banking option offers an easy-to-use platform, quick sign-up process and a suite of free or low-cost services for its customers. Bookkeeping and accounting software is the foundation of a startup’s finance stack. Startups need to leverage an agile bookkeeping and accounting system that offers flexibility to grow with their business. The top 11 accounting software we reviewed in this post represent some of the best SaaS accounting software solutions you can find in 2025.
Open a separate business bank account
Our account management team is staffed by CPAs and accountants who have, on average, 11 years of experience. You can read our article on if an upgrade to an ERP system from your accounting software makes sense. There’s another company called Accounting Seed which is based on Salesforce, which I’ve seen once or twice. This is one of those things where if you’re using Accounting Seed, it probably works but you’re probably also probably limiting your pool https://www.theclintoncourier.net/2025/12/19/main-advantages-of-accounting-services-for-startups/ of exceptional accountants that you can work with. We are CPAs who have used half a dozen different accounting software systems (and some horrific spreadsheets too!). Startup accounting is an incredibly valuable, but tedious, aspect of running a startup.
- Kashoo offers a free invoicing service and two accounting service plans.
- The base attributes of accounting software are general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, bank reconciliation and cash flow management, financial reporting, invoicing and purchase orders.
- Accounting for startups involves recording and managing all financial transactions related to a new business.
- However, some criticize ZarMoney’s reporting limitations, lack of advanced inventory functions, deteriorating customer support and inconsistent inventory adjustments.
- The NetSuite home screen is jam-packed with key financial information in tables and small graphs, which makes it challenging to find specific data.
Alternatives to QuickBooks Online
- We work with a lot of ecommerce companies, and many are built on the Shopify tech stack.
- Both NetSuite and QuickBooks are powerful accounting software options, but the choice between them should be based on the specific needs and growth trajectory of the startup.
- One advantage is its simplicity and ease of use, which makes it accessible to users with limited accounting knowledge.
- While it lacks some advanced features, it’s an excellent choice for budget-conscious entrepreneurs.
- Grab a free copy of this comprehensive guide to developing your business from scratch.
After all, the platform offers cost-effective starter plans with outstanding features. However, some criticize ZarMoney’s reporting limitations, lack of advanced inventory functions, deteriorating customer support and inconsistent inventory adjustments. Many users are frustrated by the company’s generic help articles that fail to address their issues. These Main Advantages of Accounting Services for Startups problems have caused some businesses to seek alternative accounting software despite ZarMoney’s many positive features. However, some users note that OneUp lacks some accounting features offered by competing products, such as dashboard view options and add-ons, so it might not be a good choice for large companies.
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to providing unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey. Accounting automation has changed the finance world dramatically over the past 10 years.
The best accounting software for small business
Mentioned in the Forbes Best Accounting Software 2025 list, AccountEdge boasts that customers save an average of up to 55% compared to other accounting software for startups. This cloud-based platform helps manage recurring invoices, track expenses, and scan receipts to streamline day-to-day financial operations. Sage is a world-leading business applications and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software development company.
What is Quickbooks Enterprise and How Does it Work?
So we strongly recommend you use QBO instead of the desktop version for your startup’s accounting software. And then the old, age-old Excel/Google Sheets accounting system that always scares us when we see founders using it. And one of the reasons for that is it’s difficult is that it’s not really double entry. It’s like it, those Excel or Google Sheets can work on a cash basis, but it’s basically your income statement and then maybe a cash line item at the bottom. But it’s very hard to produce an income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and have everything reconciled.
As for payment integrations, you can choose Stripe, WePay, PayPal, and Square. And you can process payments via a LessAccounting deal at 2.7% and $0.30 per online transaction. LessAccounting has a dedicated team of accountants to help you if you don’t have your own, so that could ease your tax season. That, coupled with the great variety of reports, ensures you’ll always have multiple angles to look at your business, and have all the information at hand to please the IRS. Since we’re talking about a software suite, there are also integrations you can explore with other Zoho apps. Or integrate it with thousands of other apps by connecting Zoho Books to Zapier.
Plus, you’ll want the standard outputs like Income Statements and Balance Sheets for your venture capital investors. QBO has these built off the shelf, so it’s easy to gather the data you want – and you can customize reports as well. Secondly, you need an industry-standard system that pretty much any accountant or CPA can use.
