Ranking Cheapest accounting software
The 10 best cheapest accounting software tools (2026): QuickBooks Online
The cheapest accounting software tools in October 2026 are Akaunting, Webgility and Uncat. Akaunting is the pick for freelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves. We read the price of 7 of the 10 on their own sites.
10 ranked · 7 checked against their own site 27–28 October 2026
- Under $2544 of 7
- $25 to $9922 of 7
- $100 to $29911 of 7
- $300 or more00 of 7
- 10
- ranked
- $19
- median first paid plan
- 1
- of the 10 has a free plan
tickmarkbooks.com · First paid plan from each tool's own pricing page, read 27–28 October 2026.
The short answer
Akaunting ranks first. It has a free plan, and paid plans start at $12 a month.
Webgility ranks second from $79 a month, and Uncat third from $9 a month.
Half of the 7 tools with a monthly paid plan charge $19 a month or less.
Akaunting is the only tool here with a free plan, so it is the one to try before you pay.
Pick by what you need
A free plan before you payAkauntingFree, then $12 a month
Ranked secondWebgilityFrom $79 a month
Lowest monthly price in the top fiveUncatFrom $9 a month
Accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiringBotkeeperFrom $149 a seat a month
CPA firms that want returnsCranstonFrom $30 a month
All 10 picks at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akaunting | Freelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves | Free, then $12 a monthits pricing page |
| 2 | Webgility | Multichannel ecommerce sellers reconciling Amazon and Shopify payouts in QuickBooks | From $79 a monthits pricing page |
| 3 | Uncat | Accounting firms chasing clients for missing transaction detail at month end | From $9 a monthits pricing page |
| 4 | Botkeeper | Accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring | From $149 a seat a monthits pricing page |
| 5 | Cranston | CPA firms that want returns and monthly books drafted inside their own software | From $30 a monthits pricing page |
| 6 |  Bookkeeper360 | Startups and growing small businesses wanting books, tax and CFO help from one US team | From $19 a monthits pricing page |
| 7 |  Double | Accounting firms closing many QuickBooks Online and Xero client files each month | From $10 a monthits pricing page |
| 8 |  Booke AI | A business or bookkeeping firm already on QuickBooks Online or Xero | Price not established |
| 9 |  Puzzle | A US startup on Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Stripe and Gusto that wants to replace QuickBooks | Price not established |
| 10 |  Pilot | A US startup or small business that wants its books done for it in QuickBooks Online | Price not established |
Checked between 27 October 2026 and 28 October 2026.
10 tools, ranked. How we rank
About this list
10 of 26 cheapest accounting software tools match “QuickBooks Online”. Of the rest: 0 on some plans only, 1 no, 15 unknown.
How the cheapest accounting software tools matching “QuickBooks Online” differ: 9 of 10 also match “Xero”, against 2 of 16 in the rest of the category.
The ranking
A free plan before you pay
Best forfreelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves
QuickBooks Online: Yes — free apps move your history across from QuickBooks Online and from Xero once, and no ongoing two-way sync with either is offered.“Easily move your customers, suppliers, products, services, invoices, and all your other history to Akaunting with a few clicks.”App page, product description · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- Free, then $12 a month · source
Best formultichannel ecommerce sellers reconciling Amazon and Shopify payouts in QuickBooks
QuickBooks Online: Yes — The accounting side is QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks POS and Xero, with separate plan families for Intuit Enterprise Suite and QuickBooks Enterprise“QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero on the accounting side.”Free trial FAQ, 'Which platforms does Webgility connect?' · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- From $79 a month · source
Lowest monthly price in the top five
Best foraccounting firms chasing clients for missing transaction detail at month end
QuickBooks Online: Yes — Three ledgers are named and all three sync both ways: QuickBooks Online in near real time, Xero hourly, QuickBooks Desktop every twenty minutes through the Web Connector“Sync to and from QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero so you can close the books on time every time.”Home page, Highlights list, first bullet · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- From $9 a month · source
Accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring
Best foraccounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring
QuickBooks Online: Yes — Only QuickBooks Online and Xero are supported, each with a two-way sync“We currently support QuickBooks Online and Xero. Compatibility with additional general ledgers is being reviewed by our Product team.”Article heading and body · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- From $149 a seat a month · source
CPA firms that want returns
Best forCPA firms that want returns and monthly books drafted inside their own software
QuickBooks Online: Yes — The integrations page lists QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero and Sage Intacct as ledgers Cranston reads, alongside five tax packages“QuickBooks Online Trial balances, ledgers, and statements read from the books”Integrations list, QuickBooks Online entry · checked 2026-10-27
- Price
- From $30 a month · source
Side by side
Every field, side by side
Scroll sideways to see them all.
| Feature | Akaunting | Webgility | Uncat | Botkeeper | Cranston | Bookkeeper360 | Double | Booke AI | Puzzle | Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Open-source small-business books you host free yourself or run on its cloud, extended by 50+ paid apps. | Posts every marketplace order, fee and payout into QuickBooks or Xero at line-item level, not as a summary. | Asks your clients to explain uncategorized transactions, then syncs their answers back into the books. | Bookkeeping automation an accounting firm runs itself, priced by client entity inside QuickBooks Online or Xero. | AI prepares draft returns and monthly books inside a firm's own QuickBooks, Xero and tax software. | US-based outsourced bookkeeping, tax and CFO team working in your QuickBooks Online or Xero. | Month-end close platform for accounting firms, built on QuickBooks Online and Xero. | An AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero to categorize transactions and match documents. | AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeper services for startups and small businesses. | A bookkeeping and tax service for startups that pairs software-driven dashboards with human financial advisors. |
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| Tags |
Questions buyers ask
How much do cheapest accounting software tools cost?
The median first paid plan is $19 a month, across the 7 of the 10 that publish a monthly price. They run from $9 to $149.
Which cheapest accounting software tools have a free plan?
1 of the 10 has a free plan.
How current are these figures?
The prices were read 27–28 October 2026.
Sources and method
Every price was read on the maker's own pricing page.
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