Best accounting software in 2026

The most widely used small business accounting software in the US.

Best for: Small businesses and their accountants, especially in the US.

• Invoicing and payments
• Bank feeds and reconciliation
• Expenses and receipts
• Reports

Accounts payable and receivable automation for businesses.

Best for: Businesses that want to automate paying bills and collecting payments.

• Bill pay automation
• Approvals
• Invoicing and receivables
• Accounting sync

Receipt scanning and expense reports.

Best for: Businesses whose staff submit expenses.

• SmartScan receipts
• Expense reports
• Approvals
• Corporate card

Invoicing-first accounting for freelancers and service businesses.

Best for: Freelancers, consultants and service businesses.

• Invoicing
• Time tracking
• Expenses
• Proposals

Cloud ERP covering accounting, inventory, CRM and more.

Best for: Mid-size and larger businesses that need a full ERP.

• Financials
• Inventory and order management
• CRM
• Multi-subsidiary

Corporate cards and spend management with automated expenses.

Best for: US businesses that want cards, expenses and bill pay in one place.

• Corporate cards
• Automatic receipt matching
• Bill pay
• Spend controls

Cloud financial management for mid-size companies.

Best for: Growing companies that have outgrown small business accounting.

• Multi-entity consolidation
• Dimensional reporting
• Revenue recognition
• Spend management

Free accounting and invoicing for very small businesses.

Best for: Solo entrepreneurs and micro businesses in the US and Canada.

• Free invoicing
• Bookkeeping
• Receipt scanning (paid)
• Payments

Cloud accounting popular in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Best for: Small businesses that want clean, cloud-first accounting.

• Invoicing
• Bank reconciliation
• Bills and expenses
• Multi-currency (higher plans)

Affordable accounting with automation, part of Zoho.

Best for: Small businesses wanting features at a low price.

• Invoicing
• Bank feeds
• Inventory
• Client portal

Time tracking with invoicing and expenses.

Best for: Agencies and consultants who invoice for time.

• Timesheets
• Invoicing
• Expenses
• Budgets