Free Easy Accounting Software for Small Business
Zoho Books
Pros
- Powerful features (though the best ones are paid for)
- Cloud-based, works on web browser, mobile and tablet
- Colourful, intuitive interface
Cons
- Limited to 1,000 invoices per year
- Lacks key features
- Only free for businesses with annual turnover under £35k
What is Zoho Books?
Zoho made its name with its CRM systems (check out our Zoho CRM review to learn more) but it has offered accounting software since 2011. Zoho Books' free plan is the best overall choice for free accounting software, though things improve further if you pay out for a premium tier.
It combines a simple and intuitive interface with powerful features that means, even on the free tier, Zoho Books effortlessly handles all the basics.
In short, it's a great choice for businesses just starting out.
What can Zoho Books do?
On the free tier, Zoho Books offers all this:
- Create, customise and send invoices (up to 1,000 per year)
- MTD VAT filing
- Automated payment reminders
- Expenses & mileage tracking
- Create business reports
- Run an audit trail
- Produce recurring invoices
- Integrate with other Zoho apps and other apps like GSuite, Office 365 and Dropbox
- Email support
Why is Zoho Books free?
Zoho offers a free plan, but of course, there are drawbacks. For one, it's limited to 1,000 invoices per year, and lacks a number of features that can make a huge difference to the level of debt in which accounting software can help your small business.
You'll also be automatically upgraded to a paid plan if your annual turnover exceeds £35,000.
We've taken a closer look at how Zoho's free plan matches up to its £12 per month (+VAT) Standard plan below:
Zoho Books Free vs Standard
While Zoho's free plan is very useful for businesses just starting out, there are some big reasons you should consider signing up for the Standard plan.
Most notably, the Standard plan lets you create up to 5,000 invoices per year, as opposed to just 1,000 for the Free plan. This means that Zoho Free won't be suitable for businesses with high transaction volumes, and SMEs with serious growth plans should go for a paid plan.
Another key point is that Zoho Standard comes with bank feed integration. What this means is that once you've linked your business bank account, any transactions you make will automatically appear in Zoho Books. With Zoho Free, you'll have to download and import bank transactions, an annoying and time-consuming task when you're busy running your business.
On a paid tier, you'll also be able to create recurring expenses, add up to three users, track project expenses, use a larger number of payment gateways, integrate with other services including Uber and Zendesk, and get support via voice and chat.
So, while the Free plan definitely has its plus points, the extra features and higher limits of Zoho Standard make it a very persuasive option for UK small businesses.
When comparing them, make sure you consider just how much time and effort you'd save with the Standard plan – letting you get on with growing your business.
If your business has more complex needs or requires higher limits, Zoho also offers the Professional (£24 per month +VAT) and Premium (£30 per month +VAT) plans.
You can see how all four Zoho Books plans stack up below:
| Plan | Cost | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| Free | Standard | Professional | Premium |
| Free | £12 a month (excl. VAT) | £24 per month (excl. VAT) | £30 per month (excl. VAT) |
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What support does Zoho Books offer?
On the Free plan, Zoho gives support via email, while its paid plans add assistance via voice and chat.
Zoho Books Verdict
With loads of powerful features and a great interface, Zoho Books Free is the perfect free accounting software for businesses just starting out. The integrations with Zoho's other leading business apps are the icing on the cake, but SMEs who are serious about growth should consider going for a paid Zoho plan.
QuickFile
Pros
- Great range of features
- Responsive support community
- Cloud-based, works on web browser, mobile and tablet
Cons
- Fee applies for larger accounts
- Free version is supported by ads
- Fairly basic visuals
What is QuickFile?
Founded in 2010, QuickFile is accounting software that's specifically aimed at freelancers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. It's a simple and intuitive cloud-based solution that helps any small business owner with little accounting knowledge to easily keep track of their finances.
It's also got great reviews on Trustpilot, amassing an average score of 4.7 out of 5 from over 1,100 reviews, with reviewers praising its ease of use and range of features.
What can QuickFile do?
QuickFile boasts an enviable range of features, including:
- Integration with over 50 automated bank feeds
- Easily manage invoices through a branded portal, which your clients can use to view and pay invoices through a range of online payment providers like PayPal and Stripe
- Track and file VAT returns – QuickFile is fully compatible with Making Tax Digital
- Generate a range of reports that give insight into your business
- Full multi-currency support
- Tools to create estimates, purchase orders, and delivery notes
- A mobile app that allows you to create invoices/estimates and snap expenses receipts on the go
- A seamless 'click to print' service if you need to post hard copies of your invoices, estimates, or statements
Why is QuickFile free?
QuickFile is only free for accounts of a certain size. This is slightly technical, but you're limited to 1,000 ledger entries (this includes all invoices, purchases and bank transactions). Once you go over this limit, you pay a set fee of £45+VAT per year (approximately £54 in total at current rates). Moreover, this fee grants you access to some advanced features, such as enhanced bulk invoice entry and VAT bridging tools.
The free version is also supported by ads.
This pricing structure makes it perfect for startups – who can upgrade as their business grows – and means that you can easily try QuickFile for free to see if it's the right fit for your business.
What support does QuickFile offer?
While there is no phone support available, QuickFile has a very active online community forum, and promises to answer most questions posted there within a few hours. You can also email their support team directly, but you're likely to get a quicker response by posting a question in the forum.
QuickFile Verdict
QuickFile is the ideal free solution for very small businesses that can stay under the ledger entry limit. Its highly competitive pricing and great range of features means it should also be strongly considered by larger businesses, too.
Source: https://startups.co.uk/accounting/best-free-accounting-software/
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