21 Best Accounting Automation Software for Small Businesses in 2023

Small businesses are generally one-man or a small army working towards big goals.

Accounting software helps small business owners to track accounts payable and accounts receivable, have a clear understanding of their profitability, and be ready for tax season. In the realm of accounting automation tools, a small company can utilize out-of-the-box software without assigning extensive customizations. As a business thrives, its accounting needs become more complicated, and a custom ERP (enterprise resource planning) system is frequently needed.

Several different accounting software categories are accessible for small businesses, with differing price tags and capabilities. Normally, the type of industry and quantity of employees are two characteristics that can enable a small business owner to choose the accounting tool that is reasonable. For instance, a freelancer would not require the same characteristics in accounting platform as a restaurant holder.

Let’s take a look at different accounting automation platforms available in marketing and how to select the best-automated accounting platform for your small business in 2023.

In case you're wondering about our pick :

• Best accounting automation software: Nanonets
• The best combination for freelancers: FreshBooks + Nanonets
• Best accounting software combination for small businesses: QuickBooks + Nanonets

We're going to take a look at these softwares in detail in the post:

21 Best Accounting Automation Software for Small Businesses

• Nanonets
• Intuit QuickBooks Online
• FreshBooks
• Melio
• Pabbly
• Wave
• Sage 50cloud
• Xero
• Zoho Books
• Kashoo
• AccountEdge Pro
• OneUp
• Tipalti
• OnPay
• NetSuite ERP
• Accounting Seed
• Sunrise
• ZipBooks
• Holded
• DEAR Systems
• ZarMoney

What is accounting automation software?

Accounting tasks are mainly manual. The finance team spends over 45% of their time doing manual data entry, updating invoice status, and verifying the authenticity of the financial documents.

Accounting Automation software is used by finance teams to automate tasks like invoice updates, validation, processing payments, and creating accounting reports in real-time.

Accounting automation software like AP Automation platform is beneficial for small businesses as it takes off a load of processing paper receipts, reduces invoice errors, and saves wasteful spending.

Now, let's take a look at the 21 Best Accounting Automation software for small businesses present in the market in 2023.

21 Best Accounting Automation Software for Small Businesses

#1. Nanonets [Start your free trial]

Nanonets is a go-to software choice to automate manual tasks using a user-friendly interface. Nanonets has a wide range of tools like automated workflows, document verification, 3-way matching, and OCR API along with service choices like personalized training, annotators, 24x7 support along with a free trial that makes it a perfect choice as an accounting automation software for small businesses in 2023.

Automatically upload all your financial documents like bills, receipts, and invoices with easy integrations. Nanonets proceed to extract data from scanned documents, validate the authenticity of the document and upload the data into the system of your choice. No need to manually upload information from receipts and match the PO, receipts, and invoices. Automate book-keeping workflows and month end close processes seamlessly.

Capterra Rating: 4.9

G2 rating: 4.9

Pros of using Nanonets

• Easy to Use - No code environment
• Drag and drop automated Workflows
• Automated Expense Reports
• Process Invoices on autopilot
• Pay your vendors using Global payment platforms from Nanonets
• 24x7 Support
• >95% accuracy of API models
• GDPR and SOC2 compliant
• Pay-as-you-go plans

Cons of using Nanonets

• Does not have an invoice generation module - Can be integrated with any other software
• Table extraction UI can be better
• No Tax estimates

Get started with Nanonets' pre-trained workflows or build your own custom accounting workflow. You can also schedule a demo to learn more about our OCR use cases!

Here’s what customers say about Nanonets.

Rated 4.9 on Capterra and G2. Try Nanonets today. Start your free trial without any credit card details.

#2. Intuit QuickBooks Online

Intuit Quickbooks may be the initial resource that appears to mind when you hear the phrase, "small business accounting software". It has integrations with Shopify, PayPal, and Square. Seized together, those elements among various others make Quickbooks crowd-pleasing automated accounting software.

You can track expenses and income, send invoices and receive payments, send estimates, run reports, track sales and taxes, and organize and capture receipts.

Capterra Rating: 4.5

G2 rating: 4

Pros of using Quickbooks

• Easy to learn and use
• Incorporates well with other systems and is flexible with third-party applications
• Delivers good accounting reports
• Simple to access from any device – tablet, phone, and computer (depending on the version)
• Simple to find and fix errors and mistakes

Cons of using Quickbooks

• Absence of industry and business-specific features (like e-commerce, lot tracking, and barcode scanning)
• Absence of key reports outside of accounting
• No Workflow automation for accounting tasks
• Instability or system crashes
• Absence of immediate professional support
• File-size issues and limitations on the number of transactions
• Constraints on the number of users
• Created with a “small business mindset”
• Data is not constantly backed-up so you chance losing information
• Lacks invoice design equipment
• Simple to find and fix mistakes or errors (which makes it simple for someone to utilize your books)

Get the best of both worlds. Integrate Quickbooks with Nanonets and get fool-proof accounting automated software. Automate invoice payments with AI.

#3. FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a simple solution that flatters itself on optimizing accounting for small businesses. The platform incorporates several business applications and delivers you with a single dashboard to organize your finances and accounting.

Normal secure backups are included, and a mobile app enables you to keep track of your industry at all times. Though there are not a lot of options to automate, manual data entry is still required.

Pros of FreshBooks

• Easy to use for very small businesses and freelancers.
• Well-rated customer assistance.
• Good invoicing services.
• Mileage tracking and time tracking comprised all plans.

Cons of FreshBooks

• Limits on the number of users and clients.
• No bank reconciliation or accountant entry in the lowest-tier plan.
• Does not deliver quarterly tax estimates.
• High pricing tiers
• No live chat support, no in-app customer support
• Slow customer support

#4. Melio

Melio is an online B2B (business-to-business) payment solution.

It is made for industries of all quantities to pay and get paid their means, by ACH payments, credit, or check card. Melio has no monthly fees or subscriptions, and while it is mostly free to use, few transactions do hold up a small charge. It is not a complete accounting automation software and does not eliminate manual matching processes.

Pros of Melio

• It is an immediate solution with no vagueness.
• It is simple to use.
• It benefits multiple support chats.

Cons of Melio

• Transaction dates import poorly.
• No means to track payments.
• Customer service is awful.
• No phone support.
• No way to escalate issues

Automate accounting processes, get access to 24x7 support and pay your invoices without leaving Nanonets. Start your free trial today. No credit card is required.

#5. Pabbly

Pabbly Subscription Billing is a subscription and recurring management software for small businesses. This software delivers real-time actionable metrics on your monthly revenues, expenditures, net revenue, new subscriptions, and active customers. It also automates all your industry workflows, invoice creation, and customer communication so you can concentrate on your business development.

Pros of using Pabbly

• 800+ app integration.
• Easy to use internal apps.
• The software is very relatively priced.

Cons of using Pabbly

• The software doesn't support mobile equipment.
• No live chat support.
• Because there are so many choices for pricing, it can be a bit confusing.
• No autosave in workflows.
• Not efficient for automating manual invoicing tasks

#6. Wave

Wave is an automated accounting solution for small businesses, mainly individual contractors. It places substantial emphasis on ease of use —letting you track your expenses, link your bank accounts, and balance your books without any difficulty.

Most of its services are free, comprising invoice- and transaction management. Nonetheless, if you are looking for inventory tracking, built-in time tracking, or project management, you will need different software.

Pros of using Wave

• User-friendly.
• Endless income and expense tracking.
• Unlimited users with different user permissions.
• Double-entry accounting.

Cons of using Wave

• No additional plans to boost functionality (e.g., inventory management, time tracking).
• No phone support; live chat assistance is only accessible for paid services (Payroll and Wave Payments).
• Lacks time-tracking features.
• Linking bank accounts is problematic in some cases.
• Lesser requirement for calculating the depreciation for the fixed assets.
• Basic alternatives for the reporting.

Link your bank accounts and global payment platforms in a single click. Switch to Nanonets and make accounting a breeze. Try it for free or schedule a call with an automation expert.

#7. Sage 50cloud

Sage accounting automation software tracks payments and expenses send invoices and calculate what you owe come tax season. Collaboration tools and time-tracking are two things you won’t get with Sage, and payroll is a distinct product.

Sage works adequately for small- to medium-sized industries. It has a remarkable enough suite of features to back its rates up.

Pros of Sage 50 Cloud

• Affiliated to the cloud; provides remote access through Sage Drive.
• Consolidate subsidiary and parent companies.
• Strong inventory management capacity.
• Comprehensive reporting tools.
• Accessible customer assistance.

Cons of using Sage 50 Cloud

• Can not access all features remotely.
• Must install and download it on your computer.
• Hard for nonprofessional bookkeepers to use.
• Costly for multiple users
• No mobile app.

Grow your business with Nanonets’ pay-as-you-go solutions. Track expenses, pay invoices, automate data entry, and more. See how you can save more than $90k annually.

#8. Xero

Xero allows you to get monetary performance reports sent right to you, and relate your bank account for seamless knowledge. If you require payroll services, you will have to utilize them through Xero’s coalition with Gusto. And if you value live support, you should possibly look for another provider.

The Xero automated accounting software enables you to track inventory, send custom invoices, and create purchase orders to connect to bills all from your tablet or phone.

Pros of using Xero

• Cloud-based so no downloads or installation is needed.
• Relatively simple to use and you are connected with your own advisor.
• Cost-effective and delivers a free thirty-day trial so you can explore before you buy.
• Real-time bank reconciliation and bank feed.
• Delivers you with unlimited users.

Cons of using Xero

• Although simple to install, it takes some time to understand how to use it.
• Recently expanded its prices and no longer comprises built-in payroll with its plans.
• The requisition or purchase or inventory side is extremely basic.
• Insufficient expense claims, projects, and multi-currency support to the most costly plan.
• No built-in ‘Debtor Chasing’ method so industries will require to manually follow up on unpaid invoices.
• Does not support ETP (Exchange Trade Products).
• Can be extremely slow if your corporation is running online or if it makes a high volume of sales.
• Bad customer service.

Integrate Xero with Nanonets and get an unparalleled automated accounting system for your business. Start Now or let our team set it up for you.

#9. Zoho Books

Zoho Books is an outstanding resource for enabling your small business to manage finance and cash flow. The finance automation software allows you to automate workflows and work altogether across departments. It comprises first-rate tools for inventory management, time-tracking banking, and financial reporting all supported by an industry-leading UX.

One of Zoho's largest draws is its available, user-friendly interface. It arrives with an easy-to-read dashboard that almost any member of your institution can make sense of.

Pros of using Zoho Books

• Competitive free plan.
• Abundant with features but more accessible than other similar accounting software.
• All paid plans encompass access to phone support and live chat.
• Influential mobile application that can do nearly any accounting task. 

Cons of using Zoho Books

• Restriction on the number of invoices you can send.
• Advanced features, project accounting, and inventory management are accessible only in the higher plans.
• Needs subscription to the professional plan to organize and track unpaid bills.
• Can't track fixed assets.

Switch to truly feature-rich accounting software. Process 36,000+ invoices with almost 0 errors! Automate your invoices now!

#10. Kashoo

Kashoo is a solution that delivers powerful functionality at an adequate price. Among the accounting software's features are categorization using machine learning technology, automatic reconciliation, and income and expense tracking.

Excellent as accounting software for small businesses, Kashoo delivers features and plans that can include any small business's requirements. Its functionality is simple but effective, and its pricing structure enables unlimited users at a fairly low price point.

Pros of using Kashoo

• Easy automated accounting tool.
• Tracks expenses or income.
• Send an invoice to the client.
• Record journal entries.

Cons of using Kashoo

• Missing Dashboard when logging in.
• The transaction search is funky.
• Kashoo doesn't track inventory.
• Could utilize better onboarding.
• Support could be better.
• UI/UX could be better.

#11. AccountEdge Pro

AccountEdge Pro delivers double-entry accounting software from time billing and reporting to inventory that is customizable and optimized for PC users. The program is also accessible for a one-time fee, potentially protecting you a lot of money down the line by averting subscription costs.

If the absence of a mobile choice is not a deal-breaker for you, AccountEdge is adequate for you. The accounting automation software is formulated specifically for PC users and that experience is incredibly solid but you can not take AccountEdge with you on the go.

Pros of using AccountEdge Pro

• Simple to use time tracker with numerous project codes.
• Easy to use interface.
• Flexible reporting system.

Cons of using AccountEdge Pro

• Poor customer support.
• Buggy software.
• No VPN support.
• Weak reporting, with insufficient customization.
• Not well supported or integrated by many other solutions.
• Their mobile platform can be improved.

Sync all your double entries with Nanonets. Keep all your accounts balanced, 24x7. Set up your accounting processes in <15 minutes. See how.

#12. OneUp

OneUp is a double-entry automated accounting solution as it syncs with your bank, classifies bank entries, and validates indicated entries so your books are done accurately and quickly.

OneUp might be adequately known for its inventory management capacities. The program automatically modifies your inventory levels as they change and tells you when to reorder.

Pros of using OneUp

• Organizes all the social media channels on one page.
• Calendar scheduling and preview tweets via call view are nice.
• Outstanding Google My Business posts feature.

Cons of using OneUp

• Sometimes the calendar view doesn't work appropriately.
• It looks disturbed when you have posts planned for one day.
• It's a little bit hard to organize business and classifications.

#13. Tipalti

Tipalti automates the accounts payable procedure, enabling you to concentrate on other facets of your business. The accounting solution can facilitate international payment processing in around 190 nations, automate your payment undertakings, and even make sure you are tax compliant.

The automated accounting software can enable you to keep tabs on and fulfil time-bound payment goals every time. Non-compliance, late payments, and administrative overload are all problems the program intends to correct.

Pros of using Tipalti

• Option of 6 payment methods and 120 currencies.
• Capacity to view invoice and payment history.
• Purchase order (PO) matching.
• Excellent for businesses that bill many vendors internationally and locally

Cons of using Tipalti

• No mobile app accessible.
• Pricing is not translucent or straightforward.
• No free trial is proposed.
• Too advanced for small businesses that only require basic bill payment features.

Accounting Automation shouldn’t be difficult. Try Nanonets. Create workflows, automate matching, and reduce fraud. All at affordable pricing plans. Switch now.

#14. OnPay

OnPay accounting software can enter payment data, automate tax filings, and manage benefits including health insurance, compensation insurance, and 401(k). It also delivers unlimited payroll runs for W-2 and 1099 employees.

OnPay can calculate your payroll taxes, pay your taxes, and manage tax form filings. They will also take duty for any tax filing errors devoted while using the product.

Pros of using OnPay

• 1-2-3 steps for processing.
• Simple to navigate the home page.
• Tremendous reporting feature for end-of-month bookkeeper requirements.

Cons of using OnPay

• Many menu navigations could be tweaked.
• Make it easier for end-users to eradicate prior work locations.
• Capacity to organize reports into ones used most often.

#15. NetSuite ERP

NetSuite's ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) product enables small businesses with processes like order management, fulfillment, financial management and planning, supply chain, and procurement — incorporating these functions into a sole streamlined system.

It can be used as an accounting automation software but with limited feature set as compared to the other options.

Pros of using NetSuite ERP

• Subsidiary structure and configurable dimensions
• Vast third-party integration universe.
• Ease of usage for admins.

Cons of using NetSuite ERP

• Many reporting features are difficult to navigate/personalize.
• It lacked the capacity to merge client and worker sides.
• The updates were limited and far between.
• Lack of documentation on reporting.
• Organizing multiple profiles for end users can be hard.
• Enables users to save universal reports.

#16. Accounting Seed

Accounting Seed delivers subscription or recurring billing choices, has a secure and credible API, and functions with your corporation to link crucial business applications and bank accounts for real visibility into the monetary state of your company.

It is also a cloud-based accounting platform, implying you can log in anywhere, anytime providing you with a degree of mobility and flexibility that you might not be able to discover with every solution on this list.

Pros of using Accounting Seed

• Accounting Seed is a cheap automated accounting platform.
• It delivers many features making it an ideal accounting solution for the company.
• The software incorporates well with Salesforce.
• The software arrives with a friendly User Interface.

Cons of using Accounting Seed

• Occasionally when creating a receipt it can not seem to find the corporation.
• Some of the accounting documents seem to be restricted, though at periods this may just be the user.
• Drop-down search is sluggish and sometimes may fail to find the outcomes.
• The lengthier learning curve for new users.
• The documents are not always as detailed as everyone would want them to be.

#17. Sunrise by Lendio

Sunrise by Lendio has a lot of features comprising profit and loss reports, automatic bank reconciliation, easy tax options, and branded invoicing. It is also extremely notable for its capacity to accept credit cards and arrange automatic payments.

One of the major distinguishing characteristics that set Sunrise apart from the different tools on this list is its plans that comprise dedicated bookkeeping services.

Pros of using Sunrise

• User-friendly interface and dashboard.
• Low cost.
• Outstanding billing features.
• Valid customizations on invoices, quotes, and estimates.
• Automated invoicing.

Cons of using Sunrise

• No internal payroll tool.
• No Zapier integration.
• The expense of goods sold is confusing and hard to use.
• The voided invoices can not be reviewed.
• The payments are hard to post as well.

#18. ZipBooks

With ZipBooks, you get billing and invoicing features such as payment reminders and auto-billing to reduce your admin work. You can also use their competitive intelligence to create data-driven verdicts about your finances.

The accounting automation platform is color-coded with a straightforward interface delivers accessibility without forfeiting powerful functionality.

Pros of using ZipBooks

• Tremendous user experience.
• Free starter version.
• Project and time tracking.
• Tagging components for better organization.
• Strong mobile interface.

Cons of using ZipBooks

• Insufficient reporting.
• Few integrations.
• Insufficient customer support.
• There is some difficulty with a need to learn the use of the menus
• Unstable contact records.
• Expand support for alternative payment through ZipBooks.

#19. Holded

Holded is a strong accounting automation solution that delivers invoicing, accounting, project, and inventory features — among various others. It allows you to connect your bank, automatically classify entries, reconcile transactions, and organize it all in your ledger.

Pros of using Holded

• Diverse platform.
• Community support.
• No desire for installation.

Cons of using Holded

• Less available support.
• Problems with data.
• Lack of ownership.

#20. DEAR Systems

DEAR Systems delivers a centralized outlet that covers almost every facet of your business — from buying to warehouse management to job costing. That wide array of equipment includes a robust suite of accounting features that can enable any small business to streamline procedures like data entry and syncing invoices.

Pros of using DEAR Systems

• Drop Shipment incorporates with warehouse shipment processing
• Great support

Cons of using DEAR Systems

• Reporting can be improved
• The interface can be tricky for new users
• Integrations with shipping partners can be improved
• Not a perfect accounting automation solution

#21. ZarMoney

ZarMoney has virtually every accounting procedure your company has to stay on top of — including advanced inventory, productivity, and reporting.

With payment models that can include everyone from individual entrepreneurs to small to large enterprises, you should have no difficulty finding a plan that works for you.

Pros of using ZarMoney

• Great service
• Free Migration Service
• Easy to use

Cons of using ZarMoney

• Templates are not easily modified
• UI could be better
• Less integrations like Square are missing

What is the best accounting automation software for small businesses?

We’ve listed 21 accounting software for small businesses in this listicle. The best accounting automation software depends on your requirements. Take a look at your needs, budgets, team size, invoice volume, and developer capabilities of your team. We’ll try to make this decision easy for you by listing some obvious choices by us.

• Best accounting automation software: Nanonets
• The best combination for freelancers: FreshBooks + Nanonets
• Best accounting software combination for small businesses: QuickBooks + Nanonets

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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7 January 2023: The blog has been updated on 7 January 2023 with relevant fresh content.