The right bookkeeper software can help businesses both organize themselves financially and measurably improve financial decision making. While most business owners recognize this, the question remains: which bookkeeper software is the best choice? There are countless bookkeeping apps available, existing software receiving continual updates, so the options are quite diverse; however, not all apps are created equal, and they can vary in terms of features and usefulness.  

 

 

Key features of great bookkeeper software:

 

The primary feature that sets good bookkeeping software apart from an average one, is its ease of use for the end user. This is particularly important since bookkeeping software is typically targeted at small business owners, and the majority of the people in this category may not have a high level of technical bookkeeping or accounting knowledge. Factors that improve a bookkeeping software’s ease-of-use include an intuitive dashboard and an uncluttered interface.  

 

Another important factor is the ability to generate essential tax reports. Computing tax figures is an important component of bookkeeping, and the ideal bookkeeper software for your business will be one that makes the process of computing your tax payments simpler.   

 

 

 

Other important elements to look out for include:

 

Payroll functionality: A good bookkeeping software should make it easier for you to process and manage all aspects of payroll within your organization. This includes activities such as keeping track of salaries, release paychecks, track and pay federal & state income taxes to name a few. When looking into a bookkeeper software, consider one which calculates all payroll requirements and simplifies the process for you.  

 

Stock/inventory control: If you run a business that primarily offers physical products, you should consider a bookkeeping software that has the functionality to easily keep track of inventory, orders, and other basic operational elements of your business.   

 

Integration: The ability to process multiple bank accounts is a must. Today, it is common for companies to maintain multiple accounts especially if they are conducting business internationally or provide e-commerce products and services. Depending on the needs of your business, you may also prioritize a bookkeeping system that can handle foreign currency.   

 

Customer relationship management: A good bookkeeping system should make it easier for you to manage long-term relationships with clients, tracking things such as their purchase and payment history, etc. Tracking transactions among clients can also make it easier to up-sell additional products or services down the road.   

 

 

 

Top bookkeeper software 2017:  

 

Now that you have a high level understanding of what to look for, here are the top five bookkeeper software options you should be looking into in 2017 (in no particular order):  

 

#1. ZohoBooks  

Zoho Books covers most of the relevant features and provides functions such as bank reconciliation, billing and invoicing, and multi-currency support. This software is particularly simple to use and navigate for business owners with limited technology experience.   

 

However, despite its simplicity and ease of use, Zoho Books comes with a couple of convenient features. For example, it has mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows phones and tablets, which means you can stay connected to your books on the go.  

 

There is one drawback though; Zoho Books does not provide a standard payroll functionality. This marks Zoho Books out as more of a niche solution that may work best for smaller businesses.  

 

 

#2. Wave 

Looking for a cloud-based accounting and bookkeeper software that offers you a good range of functions for free? Wave is the bookkeeping app that covers all those features. Like Zoho Books, Wave’s functionality makes it ideal for a particular niche, which is small, service-oriented businesses. The app is not built for inventory or stock management, so if this is a major component of what you do, then you might want to look into other options.   

 

Wave might be free but you should know that it makes up for this by including in-app advertisements, as well as paid auxiliary services.  

 

 

#3.Freshbooks 

How about a mobile bookkeeper software that allows you perform all the same functions as a desktop app? Freshbooks is a cloud-based accounting software that works for iOS and Android devices, and provides almost the same level of functionality as the desktop version.   

 

For business owners who travel a lot, or perhaps offer consulting or freelance services, Freshbooks is particularly ideal since it makes it easy to perform basic bookkeeping on the go. However, it is not the most ideal for stock/inventory management.   

 

Overall, Freshbooks is great for business owners who are on the move and want a more portable solution that is user-friendly and intuitive.   

 

 

#4. Quickbooks Online  

Most of the software on this list caters to specific niches businesses, but Quickbooks online may be the near-perfect contender. Quickbooks checks all the boxes you would expect, and a few more that may come as a pleasant surprise. The app is easy to use and very competitively priced (plans start at $10), provides excellent time-saving features such as the ability to automate recurring invoices and bill payments, sync bank and credit card transaction data, identify and class expenses, etc.   

 

One thing you might not quite like about QuickBooks online is the fact that its mobile app is not very feature-packed, and won’t give the same level of performance as the desktop version.  

 

However, if you are looking for an all-in-one bookkeeper software, you should give Quickbooks online a try.   

 

 

#5. Xero 

Most Mac-based accounting software is relatively lightweight compared to their Windows counterparts. Xero however, comes with the full stack of features you would expect, and even a few extras, such as the ability to customize the layout by shifting widgets around.   

 

The mobile app from Xero works on both iOS and Android devices, and allows you to create and send invoices, attach billable expenses and add receipts to customer invoices, as well as submit expense reports, reconcile transactions, and a number of other features.    

 

 

There are other bookkeeper software options you may want to consider, but these five are most likely to cover everything you need, and effectively provide solutions to your everyday bookkeeping needs. That being said, a bookkeeping software or app is merely a tool and not a replacement for an actual bookkeeping service, which is highly recommended for businesses focused on growth and scaling.