Not all accounting software is created equal. From spreadsheets to cloud-based apps, there is something for everyone. Here's a comparison of what we consider to be the top three accounting programs on the market today.
The contestants
It's not just our opinion, do a quick internet search for "Top three cloud accounting programs" and you will repeatedly see the same names (in alphabetical order, we aren't playing favourites here):
Factors we'll consider.
We are going to look at three things:
Features and Functionality
Ease of Use
Cost
Let's get started, shall we?
All plans include a free mobile app, Quickbooks support and the ability to change your plan at any time.
Features included in their most popular plan:
Income & Expense tracking
Sales & tax tracking
Receipt capture
Mileage tracking
Bills & Payments
Financial reports
Invoicing and Quotes
up to 3 users
Multi-currency
Time tracking
Add-ons available:
Payroll
Ease of Use:
Quickbooks Online has a simple and straightforward design. The dashboard is clear and easy to use. This software is relatively easy to learn and use. They have many tutorials and videos on their website to help you get started.
Cost:
At the time this blog was written, according to their website the price for their most popular plan "Essentials" costs $44 a month (Canadian).
The monthly cost for their other plans are:
EasyStart - $22
Plus - $66
Advance - $70
The Payroll Add-on will cost an extra $20 monthly.
Sage claims it's easy to upgrade or cancel at any time and there are no hidden fees or long-term contracts.
Features included in their most popular plan:
Unlimited invoicing
Integrated payments
Receivable tracking
Auto bank reconciliation
GST/HST calculations
Bilingual
Unlimited users
Advanced reports
Quotes & Estimates
Cash flow forecasting
Purchasing invoices
Receipt capture
Available add-ons:
Multi-currency banking
inventory management
Ease of Use:
Sage's user-friendly design makes it relatively simple to use, even for non-accountants. Set up is easy and doesn't take too long. The main dashboard is easy to navigate and visually pleasing. Their website has a fantastic Resource Center with a user community and a detailed knowledge base to help you with any questions you may have.
Cost:
At the time of posting this blog, according to their pricing page, their most popular package is "Standard" and costs $39 a month.
Their other monthly packages are:
Start - $17
Plus - $55
Xero boasts their software is safe and secure, you can cancel with a month's notice and you get 24/7 online support.
Features included in their most popular plan:
Invoicing & quotes
Enter bills
Reconcile bank transactions
Receipt & bill capture (get a free subscription to Hubdoc)
Bulk reconciliations
Short-term cash flow & Business snapshot
Available add-ons include:
Claim expenses
Mileage tracker
Track projects
Ease of Use:
Xero has a clean and intuitive design that allows for customization. It is easy to learn and use. Xero Central is a resource center full of product updates and learning programs users might find helpful.
Cost:
At the time of posting this blog, according to their pricing page, their most popular package is "Standard" and costs $45 a month.
Their other monthly packages are:
Starter - $9
Premium - $29
The additional add-ons run from $5 - $10 a month.
Winners according to category
Features
Sage's most popular plan has the most accounting modules included.
Ease of Use:
Xero has the edge here in our opinion, it is the most beginner friendly by far.
Cost:
Quickbooks Online offers the widest range of pricing plans, so you're more likely going to find something that suits your needs as well as satisfies your budget.
In all reality, the three software are quite comparable.
Even though it seems that Quickbooks is slightly more popular, at Reach, we recommend our clients use Xero. Everyone on our team from CPA to office administration is Xero Certified. It's not that we won't work with other software, it's just that we like Xero the most and it's what we know best. We even offer Swift Bookkeeping Conversions - a service that converts accounts from other software into Xero. Thinking of making the switch to Xero or need assistance getting started with whichever software you choose? Reach out to see how we can help.