The best accounting software for freelancers and self-employed professionals is affordable, has strong invoicing features, can easily track expenses and may automatically track mileage. At a minimum, these products should help keep business and personal finances separate, while facilitating communication with clients to ensure you’re paid on time.
Here are our picks for the top accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed.
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero
Best for Client management for freelancers
Best for Client management for freelancers
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online
Best for Scalability
Best for Scalability
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
for 3 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
FreshBooks
Best for Overall freelance accounting software
Best for Overall freelance accounting software
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.
Promotion
for 3 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
of the Premium plan.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Zoho Books
Best for Mobile accounting app
Best for Mobile accounting app
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
of the Premium plan.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Pros
- Free plan available.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
- No mileage tracking feature and must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Wave Accounting
Best for Free self-employed accounting software
Best for Free self-employed accounting software
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19
Pros
- Free plan available.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
- Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
- No mileage tracking feature and must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Pros
- Send unlimited invoices.
- Add unlimited users.
- Run basic reports, like a profit and loss statement and tax report.
Cons
- Does not use double-entry accounting.
- Must manually import bank statements.
Brightbook
Best for Unlimited invoicing
Best for Unlimited invoicing
Pros
- Send unlimited invoices.
- Add unlimited users.
- Run basic reports, like a profit and loss statement and tax report.
Cons
- Does not use double-entry accounting.
- Must manually import bank statements.
Pros
- Features include basic reporting, mobile app, invoicing and reconciliation tools.
- No cap on the number of users or invoices.
- Phone, chat and email support.
Cons
- No third-party integrations.
- Can’t tag transactions to enable more granular reporting.
- No inventory management or mileage tracking features.
TrulySmall Accounting
Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software
Best for Sole proprietorship accounting software
Pros
- Features include basic reporting, mobile app, invoicing and reconciliation tools.
- No cap on the number of users or invoices.
- Phone, chat and email support.
Cons
- No third-party integrations.
- Can’t tag transactions to enable more granular reporting.
- No inventory management or mileage tracking features.
Jump to
Our picks for the best self-employed accounting software
Best for: Overall freelance accounting software
Best for: Free self-employed accounting software
Best for: Mobile accounting app
Best for: Client management
Best for: Unlimited invoicing
Why we like it: Brightbook is free accounting software designed for freelancers, self-employed professionals and very small businesses. To that end, don’t expect a fancy interface, 24/7 customer support or some of the advanced features (like a mobile app) you’ll find with several of the more recognizable names. What you will get, however, is a decent list of features that includes invoicing, accounting, reporting and the ability to accept online payments. Invoicing is typically one of the most-needed features of accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed. With Brightbook, you’ll get to send an unlimited number of invoices. You can customize them with your business logo, convert a quote to an invoice, link your PayPal account to collect payment, invoice in multiple currencies and more.
Best for: Sole proprietorship accounting software
Why we like it: Some freelance businesses end up establishing an LLC and hiring employees, while others remain small-scale operations or side gigs. TrulySmall Accounting is meant for the latter. It’s a simple, inexpensive solution for sole proprietorships that need to send invoices, keep track of income and expenses and automate part of the bookkeeping process. It supports unlimited invoicing, can send automatic payment reminders to clients and includes basic reports, like a profit and loss statement and balance sheet. The software imports transactions from your business checking and/or credit accounts, and you can use its mobile app to snap photos of receipts to generate new cash transactions.
What do freelancers and the self-employed need from their accounting software?
The best accounting software for freelancers and the self-employed should at least offer the following capabilities:
Although freelancers and self-employed people do have some overhead costs, many of their expenses may also be billable to their clients. This means your freelance bookkeeping software must be able to not only record expenses but also easily pull them into invoices you can send to your clients. It should also let you easily markup those expenses to ensure profitability.
Mileage and time tracking
Tools for separating personal and business finances
Last updated on January 2, 2025
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
Source: Best Freelance and Self-Employed Accounting Software
