Accounting & invoicing
How much does accounting software cost? Entry plans from $0 to $38 a month
Quick answer
Small-business accounting software costs $0 to $38 a month on the entry plan at regular prices. Wave Starter is free; Akaunting is $12, ZipBooks $15, Zoho Books and Patriot $20, FreshBooks $23, Bonsai $25, Xero $27, Kashoo $30 and QuickBooks Simple Start $38. Top plans reach $340 a month (QuickBooks Advanced). Watch introductory discounts, per-user fees and paid add-ons such as payroll and card processing.
Accounting software for a small business costs between nothing and $38 a month on the cheapest full plan, at regular prices. Here is what each of the 10 products we compare charges, read from their own pages between Sep 25 and Oct 1, 2026.
Entry plans
| Company | Entry plan | Regular price | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Starter | $0 | - |
| Akaunting | Standard Cloud | $12 a month | $96 a year ($8 a month) |
| ZipBooks | Smarter | $15 a month | Not published |
| Zoho Books | Standard | $20 a month | $180 a year ($15 a month) |
| Patriot Software | Accounting Basic | $20 a month | Not published |
| FreshBooks | Lite | $23 a month | $248.40 a year |
| Bonsai | Essentials | $25 per user a month | $19 per user a month |
| Xero | Early | $27 a month (was $25 before October 1, 2026) | Not offered |
| Kashoo | Kashoo | $30 a month | $324 a year ($27 a month) |
| QuickBooks Online | Simple Start | $38 a month | Not published |
Wave's paid Pro plan is $19 a month or $190 a year. Free plans also exist at ZipBooks (Starter), Zoho Books (for revenue under $50K a year) and QuickBooks (Free, 2 invoices a month).
Typical and top plans
The middle tiers, where time tracking, projects and more users usually appear, cost more. Zoho Books Professional is $50 ($40 billed annually). QuickBooks Essentials is $85 and Plus $140. Xero Growing is $59 (was $55 before October 1, 2026) and Established $97 (was $90). FreshBooks Plus is $43 and Premium $70. Akaunting Premium Cloud is $36 and Elite Cloud $84.
At the top, QuickBooks Advanced is $340 a month, Zoho Books Ultimate $275 and Akaunting Ultimate Cloud $218.
Yearly billing
Paying a year up front saves money where it's offered. Zoho Books Standard is $180 a year against $240 paid monthly. Kashoo is $324 against $360. Akaunting Standard is $96 against $144. Wave Pro's page says the yearly plan saves $38. FreshBooks takes 10% off. QuickBooks, Xero, ZipBooks and Patriot publish monthly prices only.
Per-user maths
Most entry plans are priced per business. Two are not:
- Bonsai charges every seat: three users on Essentials cost $75 a month.
- FreshBooks Lite includes only the owner; team members are $11 a month each, so an owner and two helpers pay $45 a month.
Zoho Books adds users at $3 a month each ($2.50 billed annually) beyond its 3. Xero, Kashoo and Patriot include unlimited users.
Introductory offers that end
- QuickBooks: 50% off for 3 months ($19 on Simple Start), then the then-current price. Or a 30-day free trial, not both.
- Patriot: 30 days free, then 50% off for 3 months ($10), then $20.
- FreshBooks: Lite at $1 a month for the first year, then $23; 80% off Plus or Premium for 3 months.
- Xero: 80% off the base plan for the first 3 months for new US customers ($5.40 on Early), then $27, read Oct 1, 2026. Xero can change or cancel it at any time; no end date is stated.
Budget on the regular price. In month 13 that is what you pay.
Add-ons and fees
- Card payments on invoices. Wave charges 2.9% + $0.60 per card transaction; Bonsai 2.9% + $0.30. Akaunting's PayPal Express app costs $6 a month just to accept payments. FreshBooks Advanced Payments is $20 a month.
- Receipt scanning. Wave sells it on Starter for $8 a month or $72 a year.
- Payroll. Wave payroll from $40 a month; FreshBooks Payroll $40 plus $6 per user; Xero Payroll (powered by Gusto) $36 plus $6 per employee or contractor; Patriot Basic Payroll $17 plus $4 per worker.
- 1099 e-filing. Patriot charges $20 for 1 to 5 forms, $2 per extra form, $80 at most. QuickBooks says fees apply but gives no amount.
- Bill pay. QuickBooks charges $0.50 per standard ACH payment over your plan's allotment.
Worked example
A two-person business on Zoho Books Standard pays $20 a month, or $15 billed annually; both people are covered. The same pair on Bonsai Essentials pays two seats. A freelancer who starts FreshBooks at $1 a month pays $23 from the second year, plus $11 a month for each helper.
Next steps
Compare the 10 products in our accounting software ranking, or see the lists for freelancers and for construction and trades. How we score price is on the methodology page.