7 Best QuickBooks Alternatives in 2024 – Forbes UK Advisor

We considered many of the features, services, and ease of use of various accounting software to determine which ones are the best QuickBooks alternatives. At Forbes Advisor, we analyze the costs, available features and value of each software package to make sure it’s best suited for small businesses.

We also look at less tangible benefits, such as customer service quality and ease of use. Finally, we considered user reviews of each platform to see how customers perceived the pros and cons of each accounting software.

Quotation

When it comes to pricing, our main concern with this alternative software option for QuickBooks was its starting price. Those that were cheaper or comparable to QuickBooks performed better than those with higher base costs.

Many providers offer discounts for the first few months when purchasing an annual plan, which we also found attractive. The price range between plan tiers was also taken into account, as well as whether the provider offered a free plan or a free trial of its software. Prices accounted for 5% of our weighted score.

Characteristics

Accounting software needs to be feature-rich to be useful for a small business, and that’s exactly what we were looking for when considering alternatives to QuickBooks. For the generic features we expected from any software vendor, we emphasize those that offer double-entry accounting, payroll, time tracking, customer portal, and mobile app as part of their plan, deducting from those vendors that offered these features only as addition or, worse, none at all.

We then looked for unique features that not every vendor might offer, but that we found to be useful accounting software options. These included handling multiple currencies, invoicing, bill payments, document management and offering training in how to use the software.

Again, they were assessed based on whether they were included automatically in the plan, as a paid add-on, or not included at all. We weighted features at 55% of our total score.

Third Party Reviews

We wanted to hear from real users of QuickBooks alternatives and turned to third-party websites to hear what these customers thought about their experiences with them. Using information collected from Capterra, G2 and Trustpilot, we looked for highly rated reviews (received at least 3.5 out of 5) from real users to give us the most complete picture of these providers. These reviews accounted for 5% of the final grade.

Expert analysis

After reviewing all the data collected, our experts ranked additional criteria based on customer feedback, taking into account key factors such as ease of use, standout features, popularity and value for money to arrive at the final rating. These criteria accounted for 35% of the total score.