Alternatives to QuickBooks

QuickBooks alternatives worth switching to

The best QuickBooks alternatives are Xero (the closest full-featured competitor, with unlimited users on every plan), FreshBooks (better for freelancers and service businesses), and Wave if you want genuinely free accounting for a small business. Switch if per-user costs or the interface are the problem — stay on QuickBooks if your accountant works in it daily, because their familiarity is worth more than the subscription difference.

Pricing verified 2026-07-28 · we re-check quarterly · how we compare

Why people leave QuickBooks

The alternatives

1

Xero

Best for: The closest full-featured replacement

Pricing: Tiered monthly plans with a trial; unlimited users included on all tiers. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source

Strengths

  • Unlimited users on every plan — a genuine structural advantage over QuickBooks
  • Cleaner interface that most people find easier to learn
  • Strong bank reconciliation and a large app marketplace

Trade-offs

  • Fewer US accountants know it well than QuickBooks
  • Payroll is region-dependent
  • Some reports are less flexible

Verdict: The default answer for a growing business. Unlimited users alone often justifies the move.

2

FreshBooks

Best for: Freelancers and service businesses

Pricing: Tiered monthly plans priced partly by billable clients, with a trial. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source

Strengths

  • Invoicing and time tracking are far better than QuickBooks'
  • Genuinely simple for non-accountants
  • Excellent for project-based and hourly billing

Trade-offs

  • Weaker as full double-entry accounting
  • Client limits on lower tiers
  • Less suitable for inventory or product businesses

Verdict: The right pick if you bill for time rather than sell products. The wrong pick if you need deep accounting.

3

Wave

Best for: Small businesses who want free accounting

Pricing: Core accounting and invoicing are free; payments and payroll are paid add-ons. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source

Strengths

  • Genuinely free accounting and invoicing, not a crippled trial
  • Perfectly adequate for sole traders and small businesses
  • Unlimited invoices on the free tier

Trade-offs

  • Fewer features than paid competitors
  • Limited reporting depth
  • Support is thinner unless you pay

Verdict: Hard to beat at zero cost for a simple business. You will outgrow it if you add staff or inventory.

4

Akaunting open source

Best for: Self-hosting your accounting

Pricing: Free and open source. Your cost is hosting — roughly $5–20/month on a small VPS, or nothing on hardware you already own — plus your own time for updates and backups. Paid modules and a hosted cloud tier are also sold. source

Strengths

  • Open source — your financial data stays on your own server
  • No per-user subscription when self-hosted
  • Modular, so you add only what you need

Trade-offs

  • Many useful features are paid modules
  • Smaller ecosystem and fewer bank feeds
  • Your accountant may refuse to work in it

Verdict: Only worth it if data ownership genuinely matters to you. Check with your accountant before committing.

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Don't switch if…

We say this on every page. A comparison that never recommends staying put is an advert, not a comparison.

Questions people actually ask

Why don't accountants like QuickBooks?

The common complaints are that it makes it easy for non-accountants to create messes that are hard to unpick, that features move between tiers, and that the Online version is weaker than Desktop in reporting. Plenty of accountants do prefer it — ubiquity means most know it well.

Is QuickBooks being phased out?

The Online product is not. Intuit has steadily discontinued sales and support for various Desktop editions, which many longtime Desktop users experience as being phased out. If you are on Desktop, check Intuit's current notices for your specific version rather than assuming.

What are the top 3 accounting softwares?

For small and mid-sized businesses: QuickBooks (largest market share, most accountants know it), Xero (closest full-featured competitor, unlimited users) and FreshBooks (best for freelancers and service businesses). Wave is the leading free option.

How to do accounting without QuickBooks?

Use an alternative ledger — Xero or Wave for full double-entry accounting, FreshBooks if you mainly invoice for time, or self-hosted Akaunting if you want to own the data. Spreadsheets work for very simple sole traders but stop scaling once you have bank feeds, VAT or payroll.

What are people replacing QuickBooks with?

Xero most often, because it is the closest full-featured competitor and includes unlimited users. Freelancers tend to move to FreshBooks, and very small businesses to Wave.

Why is QuickBooks shutting down?

QuickBooks is not shutting down. The confusion comes from Intuit retiring specific Desktop editions and pushing customers towards QuickBooks Online — individual products reach end of support on published schedules, but the QuickBooks line continues. Check Intuit's lifecycle notice for your exact product.

Is there a program like QuickBooks that is free?

Wave offers genuinely free accounting and invoicing for small businesses, funded by payments and payroll add-ons. Akaunting is free if you self-host it. Neither matches QuickBooks' depth, but both are sufficient for a simple business.

Is QuickBooks Desktop going away?

Intuit has been steadily moving customers towards QuickBooks Online, and has discontinued sales and support for various Desktop editions over time. Check Intuit's current lifecycle notices for your specific product rather than relying on any third-party summary — including this one.