# The 10 best cheapest accounting software tools (2026): QuickBooks Online

> Source: https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/cheapest/qbo (curated, re-verified)

The cheapest accounting software tools in November 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.

By [Tick Mark Books Research](https://tickmarkbooks.com/authors/research.md).

10 ranked · 7 checked against their own site 27–28 October 2026

### 6 of the 7 tools that publish a monthly price start under $100 a month. The median first paid plan is $19.

*Cheapest accounting software tools, first paid plan, November 2026*

- Under $25: 4
- $25 to $99: 2
- $100 to $299: 1
- $300 or more: 0

- **10** ranked
- **$19** median first paid plan
- **1** of the 10 has a free plan

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 pay: [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md), Free, then $12 a month
- Ranked second: [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility.md), From $79 a month
- Lowest monthly price in the top five: [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat.md), From $9 a month
- Accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring: [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper.md), From $149 a seat a month
- CPA firms that want returns: [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston.md), From $30 a month

## All 10 picks at a glance

| # | Name | Best for | Starts at |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md) | freelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves | Free, then $12 a month |
| 2 | [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility.md) | multichannel ecommerce sellers reconciling Amazon and Shopify payouts in QuickBooks | From $79 a month |
| 3 | [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat.md) | accounting firms chasing clients for missing transaction detail at month end | From $9 a month |
| 4 | [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper.md) | accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring | From $149 a seat a month |
| 5 | [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston.md) | CPA firms that want returns and monthly books drafted inside their own software | From $30 a month |
| 6 | [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360.md) | startups and growing small businesses wanting books, tax and CFO help from one US team | From $19 a month |
| 7 | [Double](https://tickmarkbooks.com/double.md) | accounting firms closing many QuickBooks Online and Xero client files each month | From $10 a month |
| 8 | [Booke AI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/booke-ai.md) | A business or bookkeeping firm already on QuickBooks Online or Xero | Price not established |
| 9 | [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle.md) | A US startup on Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Stripe and Gusto that wants to replace QuickBooks | Price not established |
| 10 | [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot.md) | 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.**

10 of 28 cheapest accounting software tools match “QuickBooks Online”. Of the rest: 0 on some plans only, 1 no, 17 unknown.

How the cheapest accounting software tools matching “QuickBooks Online” differ: 9 of 10 also match “Xero”, against 2 of 18 in the rest of the category.

## The ranking

### 1. Akaunting

**A free plan before you pay**

**Best for:** freelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves

- Price: Free, then $12 a month ([source](https://akaunting.com/plans))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md)

### 2. Webgility

**Best for:** multichannel ecommerce sellers reconciling Amazon and Shopify payouts in QuickBooks

- Price: From $79 a month ([source](https://www.webgility.com/pricing))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility.md)

### 3. Uncat

**Lowest monthly price in the top five**

**Best for:** accounting firms chasing clients for missing transaction detail at month end

- Price: From $9 a month ([source](https://support.uncat.com/help/articles/0868810-uncat-has-a-free-7-day-trial))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat.md)

### 4. Botkeeper

**Accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring**

**Best for:** accounting firms taking on more client bookkeeping without hiring

- Price: From $149 a seat a month ([source](https://www.botkeeper.com/pricing))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper.md)

### 5. Cranston

**CPA firms that want returns**

**Best for:** CPA firms that want returns and monthly books drafted inside their own software

- Price: From $30 a month ([source](https://cranston.ai/pricing))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston.md)

## Side by side

| 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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## 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.

### Pricing pages (7 read)

- [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md): [akaunting.com/plans](https://akaunting.com/plans), checked 28 October 2026
- [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility.md): [webgility.com/pricing](https://www.webgility.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat.md): [support.uncat.com/help/articles/0868810-uncat-has-a-free-7-day-trial](https://support.uncat.com/help/articles/0868810-uncat-has-a-free-7-day-trial), checked 28 October 2026
- [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper.md): [botkeeper.com/pricing](https://www.botkeeper.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston.md): [cranston.ai/pricing](https://cranston.ai/pricing), checked 27 October 2026
- [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360.md): [bookkeeper360.com/app](https://bookkeeper360.com/app/), checked 27 October 2026
- [Double](https://tickmarkbooks.com/double.md): [doublehq.com/pricing-plans](https://doublehq.com/pricing-plans/), checked 27 October 2026