Independent · sourced · Updated November 2026
Best Accounting Software (2026)
8 accounting software options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked by entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it; where a vendor publishes no monthly price we name the kind of pricing it uses, never a guess.
The cheapest accounting software is Wave at $0/mo. 2 offer a free tier. All 8 compared below on price, free tier and compliance — every figure sourced and dated, updated November 2026.
As of Nov 1, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest accounting software is Wave at $0/mo; across 8 with published pricing the median is $21.50/mo ($19–$399/mo), 2 with a free tier, every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-11-01. https://frontdeskreview.com/best/accounting-software/ Key takeaways
- Typical paid price: from $19/mo, median $21.50/mo, up to $399/mo — across 8 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Wave, Zoho Books.
- States HIPAA support: Zoho Books.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-11-01. STALE · 2026-09-02
Comparison
| # | Accounting Software | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wave | $0/mo Starter (Free) | Yes | — | — | Freelancers and micro-businesses wanting $0 accounting software | waveapps.com | Visit → |
| 2 | Zoho Books | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Businesses already using Zoho CRM or the broader Zoho suite | zoho.com | Visit → |
| 3 | Patriot Software Accounting STALE · 2026-09-02 | $20/mo Accounting Basic | No | — | — | Small US businesses wanting tight payroll-accounting integration at low cost | patriotsoftware.com | Visit → |
| 4 | QuickBooks Online STALE · 2026-09-02 | $20/mo Solopreneur Lite | No | — | — | Small businesses wanting the broadest accountant network | quickbooks.intuit.com | Visit → |
| 5 | FreshBooks STALE · 2026-09-27 | $23/mo Lite | No | — | — | Freelancers and service businesses billing by client | freshbooks.com | Visit → |
| 6 | Xero | $27/mo Early | No | — | — | Teams with many users wanting flat per-org pricing | xero.com | Visit → |
| 7 | Bench STALE · 2026-09-02 | $199/mo Bookkeeping Grow | No | — | Yes | Small business owners who want to fully outsource bookkeeping | bench.co | Visit → |
| 8 | Bookkeeper360 STALE · 2026-09-02 | $399/mo Monthly Bookkeeping | No | — | — | eCommerce, SaaS, healthcare, or real estate businesses wanting outsourced bookkeeping | bookkeeper360.com | Visit → |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve rate, with the period it is charged on, as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
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What is the cheapest accounting software?
Wave has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Starter (Free)), as of 2026-11-01.
How much does accounting software cost per month?
Across the 8 accounting software with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $21.50/mo, ranging from $19/mo to $399/mo, as of 2026-11-01. 2 also offer a free tier.
Which accounting software have a free plan?
Wave, Zoho Books offer a free tier.
Which accounting software support HIPAA?
Zoho Books state HIPAA support (a BAA). Always confirm current scope with the vendor.
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