Want to become a better accountant, here are the accounting app

 7 Free Accounting Software for Small Businesses

Accounting software is important in recording and reporting businesses' financial transactions. The cost involved in purchasing accounting software is high. Many small businesses are not financially able to purchase the software.

Free accounting software is not fully embraced by many. Some people feel like the free versions of accounting software are not secure for their information. Other free soft wares are not 100% free, you have to part with some coins and makes them even more expensive than the paid software.

The best accounting software must be easy to learn, easy to use, and does not take a lot of time to finish a transaction. When selecting accounting software, chose the one that has a higher rating, and many users review.

Here are the 7 best free accounting software

1.     Wave

Wave is a free software with a user rating of 4.5/5. It is free to download, install, and requires no frequent software upgrades. The software allows for small enterprises to record and track expenses, send professional invoices, and to track the invoice status for free.

However, receiving payment through the software is not free. For payments through the credit card, the software charges 2.9% plus $0.30. Direct payment to the bank is charged 1% and the minimum charge is $1 for a single payment.

The app is suitable for a small business with less than 9 employees. Payroll services are not free in the software and it is charged depending on your location. The base figure for payroll services is either $35 or $20 per month. As a user, you also incur an additional cost of $4 per employee/ contractor per month.

2.     GnuCash

GnuCash is a free desktop software with a rating of 4.2/5. Suitable for individual and small businesses. It provides the user with a double-entry accounting system making it easy to use. GnuCash provides guides and user tutorials to assist the new user.

The software offers several services such as managing accounts payable and receivables, invoicing, budgeting, tax processing, and payroll processing to micro-enterprises.

The software runs in several operating software such as Linux, Android, Windows, GNU, OS X, FreeBSD, Solaris among others.

3.     ZipBooks

Another free to use accounting software is ZipBook. It has a rating of 4.6/5. It is a new platform launched in 2015. ZipBook is user friendly and very easy to use. The user can get unlimited services such as invoicing, creditor and debtors' accounts, managing expenses, book-keeping, and receiving payments.

On top of receiving payment through the bank, the software also allows the user to receive payments and pay expenses through PayPal and Square.

ZipBook partners with Gusto to provide payroll services at a cost. Gusto payroll package starts at $39 per month and an additional $6 per employee per month. For a contractor, there is no base price, the user pays only $6 per month.

4.     Akaunting

The other free software you can use for your small business is the akaunting. It has a rating of 4.1/5. The main advantage of the software is that it allows for even medium-sized and large enterprises. Therefore, you don't have to switch to new software with the growth of your business.

Akaunting software allows small businesses to monitor expenses, to set automatic bills, to send invoices, and manage debtors and creditors accounts.

Advanced features such as payroll processing, online payments require the user to download third-party software that have monthly and annual subscription.

5.     Sunrise

Sunrise is a free software initially referred to as Billy. The software has a 4.5/5 rating. The software allows for unlimited invoicing and accounting transactions. However, the use of the software is limited to US and Canada residents only.

The software has a unique feature that allows users to apply for a loan.

Through the software, the user gets expenses categorization and invoicing for free.

Receiving payment through credit card charges 2.9% plus a $0.30 processing fee per transaction. Direct bank transfers are charged 1% per transaction. The software also offers bookkeeping services at a monthly cost of between $99 and $499.

6.     SlickPie

Slickpie is an accounting software that offers expense management to micro-businesses and freelancers. It is easy to use rated at 4.8/5. The users have an access to free invoicing but are limited to only 10 different customers. Adding an 11th customer requires the customer to upgrade to a premium user at a cost of $39.95 per month.

The software provides unlimited expense entries, tax management, and creating estimates.

Through the software, the user can receive payment through credit card PayPal, and Stripe accounts; the only cost is the normal cost charged by PayPal or the stripe.

However, the software does not provide the option of extracting financial reports.

7.     Manager

The other free accounting software for small businesses is the Manager. It has a user rating of 4.7/5 meaning it is easy to use. It is multilingual with over 70langauages. The free version is limited to only account receivable and project-based accounting.

Users can upgrade to the cloud for $39 per month and $390 per annum.

In conclusion, there are several free accounting software suited for small business users such as wave, Slickpie, sunrise manager, Zipbooks, and akaunting. Each software has unique features. However, most are free for limited features ad upgrading at a cost. As a user, you should consider your accounting needs and whether you have enough money to upgrade.