What is accounting software for?
Accounting software keeps the company's books: it pulls transactions from your bank and payment accounts, categorises income and expenses, sends invoices, and produces the profit-and-loss and balance-sheet reports your accountant needs at tax time. The point is not the software — it is having books that are right every month rather than rebuilt in a panic once a year.
Where Wolfix raises it. It does not, directly. Your books are not visible in your code or on your site, so there is no accounting check. The topic sits with the Operations department's referral categories, alongside entity formation and banking — the business plumbing that follows once you charge customers.
When you need accounting software — and when you don't
You need it now if you have formed a company, take payments through more than one channel, pay contractors, or have an accountant who asks for your books in a particular format.
You don't need it yet if you have a handful of transactions a month and no company: a spreadsheet exported from your bank each month, kept up to date, is enough for a sole trader's tax return. Many accountants also include bookkeeping in their fee, in which case you use whatever they use.
The options, one by one
Two of these, QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks, are services Wolfix refers customers to. Xero, Wave and Zoho Books are not Wolfix partners and are included because a fair comparison needs them. Most of these prices are introductory offers; the notes below give the price you pay once the offer ends.
QuickBooks Online
What it is. Intuit's cloud accounting software for small businesses, with a free plan and four paid plans that include accountant access [S1].
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). A Free plan is $0 for 1 user with no accountant access, 2 invoices a month (unlimited if you qualify for and turn on QuickBooks Payments) and 1 connected bank [S1]. Simple Start is $38 a month for 1 user, Essentials $85 for 3 users and Plus $140 for 5 users, each with access for 2 accountants; Advanced is $340 for 25 users and 3 accountants [S1]. The page offered 50% off the paid plans for the first 3 months or a 30-day free trial [S1].
Pros
- Every paid plan includes accountant access — 2 seats, or 3 on Advanced (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]) — so handing the books over at tax time does not cost a user seat.
- Automated bank feeds, with categorisation that the page says learns your patterns (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]), cut the monthly bookkeeping to a review.
Cons
- The prices shown first are a 3-month promotion (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]): Simple Start's $19 becomes $38 a month from month four, above FreshBooks Lite's $23 and Xero Early's $27 regular prices (as of 2026-10-04, [S2], [S3]).
- The Free plan allows 2 invoices a month unless you take payments through QuickBooks Payments, and no accountant access, and Simple Start allows 1 user (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]); adding a co-founder means moving to Essentials at $85 a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]).
Who it suits. A US company that works with an accountant, has regular transactions, and wants the software its accountant already uses.
FreshBooks
What it is. Invoicing-first accounting software for freelancers and service businesses, with time tracking, estimates and expenses built around billing clients.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Lite is $23 a month for up to 5 billable clients, Plus $43 for up to 50, and Premium $70 for unlimited clients [S2]. Each extra team member is $11 a month [S2]. The page was offering Lite at $1 a month for the first year, and 80% off Plus or Premium for 3 months [S2].
Pros
- Plus and Premium add estimates, proposals and client retainers to invoicing (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]), which suits an agency or consultancy that bills clients.
- The first-year Lite offer of $1 a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]) makes it close to free while you find out whether you need it.
Cons
- Plans are capped by billable clients: Lite stops at 5 and Plus at 50 (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]), so a SaaS company invoicing many small customers outgrows the cheap plans quickly.
- Every extra team member costs $11 a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]), where Xero charges no per-user fee (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]).
Who it suits. A freelancer or service business whose accounting is mostly invoicing a manageable number of clients.
Xero
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. Cloud accounting software with no per-user licence fees on any plan [S3].
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Early is $27 a month, Growing $59 and Established $97, with no per-user fees [S3]. The page was offering 80% off for the first 3 months [S3]. US payroll runs through Gusto at $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor [S3].
Pros
- No per-user licence fees on any plan (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), so a co-founder, a bookkeeper and an accountant all get their own logins.
- Payroll runs inside Xero through Gusto at $36 a month plus $6 per person (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), so a small US team does not need a separate payroll login.
Cons
- The Early plan is limited to 20 invoices and 5 bills (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), so any company with real volume needs Growing at $59 a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]).
- Multiple currencies are only on Established at $97 a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), a costly jump for a small company that bills one overseas customer.
Who it suits. A company with several people in the books who should each have their own login.
Wave
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. Accounting and invoicing software for very small businesses, with a free Starter plan; Pro and card payments are paid [S4].
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Starter is $0; Pro is $190 a year, which the page says saves $38 against monthly billing [S4]. Card payments on invoices cost 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction on Starter; on Pro the first ten card transactions each month are 2.9% + $0, then 2.9% + $0.60 [S4].
Pros
- A free plan with unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]).
- Pro at $190 a year (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]) adds automatic bank import, receipt capture and late-payment reminders.
Cons
- Automatic bank-transaction import is listed under Pro, not the free Starter plan (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]), so on the free plan you upload statements yourself.
- Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 each on Starter, and Pro's lower rate covers only the first ten card transactions a month (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]).
Who it suits. A sole trader or tiny company, priced in US dollars, that wants free invoicing and simple books.
Zoho Books
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. The accounting app in Zoho's business-software suite, with a free plan for micro businesses and paid plans that add users and automation.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Free is $0 for 1 user and 1 accountant while revenue stays under $50K a year [S5]. Standard is $20 a month, or $15 a month billed annually, for 3 users; Professional is $50, or $40 annually, for 5 users [S5].
Pros
- The free plan includes bank reconciliation, recurring invoices and 1099 filing (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
- Standard includes 3 users at $15 a month billed annually (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
Cons
- The free plan ends once revenue passes $50K a year and allows up to 1,000 invoices a year (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]), so a growing company is forced onto a paid plan.
- The free plan allows 1 user plus 1 accountant (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]); a co-founder with their own login means Standard at $15 a month billed annually (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
Who it suits. A company that already uses other Zoho apps, or wants a capable free plan while revenue is small.
Still undecided: a bookkeeper or a back-office service
If Collective or a similar back-office service does your bookkeeping, you may not need your own accounting subscription at all — see the registered agent guide. If you have an accountant, ask which package they work in before you choose; the best software is often the one they already know.
Side-by-side comparison
| Service | Entry price | Free plan | Best for | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | Simple Start $38/month, 50% off for 3 months [S1] | Yes, 1 user, 2 invoices a month (more with QuickBooks Payments), no accountant access [S1] | US companies working with an accountant | 2026-10-04 |
| FreshBooks | Lite $23/month for 5 clients; $1/month first-year offer [S2] | No; free trial [S2] | Freelancers and service businesses | 2026-10-04 |
| Xero | Early $27/month, 20 invoices and 5 bills [S3] | No; 80% off for 3 months [S3] | Teams that need several logins | 2026-10-04 |
| Wave | Pro $190/year [S4] | Yes, Starter, without bank import [S4] | Sole traders invoicing in US dollars | 2026-10-04 |
| Zoho Books | Standard $15/month billed annually [S5] | Yes, under $50K revenue a year [S5] | Micro businesses and Zoho users | 2026-10-04 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best accounting software for a startup?
For a US startup with an accountant, ask which package they use — QuickBooks Online includes accountant seats on every paid plan (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]); Xero suits a team because it has no per-user fees (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]). With few transactions, Wave or Zoho Books's free plans are enough (as of 2026-10-04, [S4], [S5]).
Do I need accounting software for a new LLC?
Not on day one if transactions are few, but you do need books. Once you have regular income, contractors or an accountant, software saves more time than it costs.
How much does QuickBooks cost per month?
Simple Start is $38 a month, Essentials $85, Plus $140 and Advanced $340, with 50% off the first 3 months when the promotion runs (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]).
Is there a free alternative to QuickBooks?
Yes. QuickBooks itself now has a Free plan for 1 user and 2 invoices a month, or unlimited invoices with QuickBooks Payments turned on (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]); Wave's Starter plan is free, without automatic bank import (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]); and Zoho Books is free while revenue stays under $50K a year (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
QuickBooks or Xero?
QuickBooks if your accountant uses it; Xero if several people need logins, since it has no per-user fees (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]). Both import bank feeds.
Sources
Prices were read from each provider's public pricing page on the date shown. Several of these pages show introductory offers first, and some prices are rendered in the browser, so a text-only reader may see less than a person does.
- [S1] QuickBooks Online pricing — quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S2] FreshBooks pricing — freshbooks.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S3] Xero US pricing plans — xero.com/us/pricing-plans, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S4] Wave pricing — waveapps.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S5] Zoho Books US pricing and FAQ — zoho.com/us/books/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
Last reviewed
Last reviewed on 2026-10-04. Accounting-software prices and promotions change; confirm them on the sources above before you subscribe.