# The best free accounting software tools (2026): cost at 100 transactions a month

> Source: https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/free-plan/cost-100 (curated, re-verified)

The best free accounting software tools in November 2026 are **Manager.io, ZipBooks and Akaunting**. Manager.io is the pick for small businesses and accountants keeping many client books in one flat-priced account. We read the price of all 9 on their own sites.

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

9 ranked · each checked against its own site 26–28 October 2026

### All 9 tools that publish a monthly price start under $100 a month. The median first paid plan is $20.

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

- Under $25: 6
- $25 to $99: 3
- $100 to $299: 0
- $300 or more: 0

- **9** ranked
- **$20** median first paid plan
- **8** of the 9 have a free plan

First paid plan from each tool's own pricing page, read 26–28 October 2026.

## The short answer

**Manager.io** ranks first. It has a free plan, and paid plans start at $59 a month.

**ZipBooks** ranks second with a free plan, then $15 a month, and **Akaunting** third with a free plan, then $12 a month. **Wave** and **QuickBooks Online** have free plans too.

Half of the 9 tools with a monthly paid plan charge $20 a month or less.

8 tools here have a free plan to try before you pay. The highest ranked are Manager.io, ZipBooks and Akaunting.

## Pick by what you need

- A free plan before you pay: [Manager.io](https://tickmarkbooks.com/manager-io.md), Free, then $59 a month
- Small businesses and freelancers wanting free invoicing: [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks.md), Free, then $15 a month
- Freelancers and small businesses: [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md), Free, then $12 a month
- Freelancers and solo owners: [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave.md), Free, then $19 a month
- Small businesses that want one ledger plus payroll, payments: [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online.md), Free, then $38 a month
- The lowest monthly price we found: [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent.md), From about $13 a month

## All 9 picks at a glance

| # | Name | Best for | Starts at |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Manager.io](https://tickmarkbooks.com/manager-io.md) | small businesses and accountants keeping many client books in one flat-priced account | Free, then $59 a month |
| 2 | [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks.md) | small businesses and freelancers wanting free invoicing and books in one place | Free, then $15 a month |
| 3 | [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md) | freelancers and small businesses that want open-source books they can host themselves | Free, then $12 a month |
| 4 | [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave.md) | freelancers and solo owners who want real double-entry books without paying for software | Free, then $19 a month |
| 5 | [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online.md) | small businesses that want one ledger plus payroll, payments and an accountant login | Free, then $38 a month |
| 6 | [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle.md) | US-incorporated startups and foreign founders needing books and US filings together | Free, then $30 a month |
| 7 | [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-solopreneur.md) | self-employed one-person businesses filing a Schedule C | Free, then $20 a month |
| 8 | [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books.md) | small businesses and startups that want one ledger plus the wider Zoho app suite | Free, then $20 a month |
| 9 | [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent.md) | UK sole traders and small limited companies filing their own VAT and Self Assessment | From about $13 a month |

Checked between 26 October 2026 and 28 October 2026. “About” figures are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 30 October 2026.

**9 tools, ranked.**

9 of 18 free accounting software tools match “Cost at 100 transactions a month”. Of the rest: 0 on some plans only, 0 no, 9 unknown.

How the free accounting software tools matching “Cost at 100 transactions a month” differ: 9 of 9 also match “Cost at 500 transactions a month”, against 0 of 9 in the rest of the category; and 9 of 9 also match “Ledger included”, against 1 of 9 in the rest of the category.

## The ranking

### 1. Manager.io

**A free plan before you pay**

**Best for:** small businesses and accountants keeping many client books in one flat-priced account

- Price: Free, then $59 a month ([source](https://www.manager.cloud/))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/manager-io.md)

### 2. ZipBooks

**Small businesses and freelancers wanting free invoicing**

**Best for:** small businesses and freelancers wanting free invoicing and books in one place

- Price: Free, then $15 a month ([source](https://zipbooks.com/pricing/))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks.md)

### 3. Akaunting

**Freelancers and small businesses**

**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)

### 4. Wave

**Freelancers and solo owners**

**Best for:** freelancers and solo owners who want real double-entry books without paying for software

- Price: Free, then $19 a month ([source](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave.md)

### 5. QuickBooks Online

**Small businesses that want one ledger plus payroll, payments**

**Best for:** small businesses that want one ledger plus payroll, payments and an accountant login

- Price: Free, then $38 a month ([source](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/))
- [Read the review](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online.md)

## Side by side

| Feature | Manager.io | ZipBooks | Akaunting | Wave | QuickBooks Online | Inkle | QuickBooks Solopreneur | Zoho Books | FreeAgent |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Description | Double-entry accounting that is free forever installed, or one flat cloud price for unlimited users and businesses. | Free-forever double-entry books whose machine learning categorizes transactions and learns from your corrections. | Open-source small-business books you host free yourself or run on its cloud, extended by 50+ paid apps. | Free double-entry books for solo owners, with bank imports, receipts and payroll kept behind the paid Pro Plan. | Intuit's cloud ledger, now with Intuit Intelligence agents that categorize, reconcile and flag errors. | US accounting software with AI categorization, plus bookkeepers, tax filing and compliance in one app. | Intuit's one-person-business ledger: bank feeds, receipts, mileage and Schedule C tax readiness. | Cloud accounting ledger with Zia AI, bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing, from $20 a month. | UK cloud accounting with HMRC filing, bank feeds and AI receipt capture, priced per business type. |
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| Tags | Free accounting software, Accounting software, Small businesses, Bookkeepers and accounting firms, Cheapest accounting software | Free accounting software, Accounting software, Small businesses, Freelancers and the self-employed, Cheapest accounting software, Bookkeepers and accounting firms | Free accounting software, Accounting software, Small businesses, Freelancers and the self-employed, Cheapest accounting software, Works with QuickBooks Online, Works with Xero, Bookkeepers and accounting firms | Accounting software, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, Freelancers and the self-employed, Small businesses | Accounting software, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, Small businesses | Online bookkeeping services, Small businesses, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, With a bookkeeper checking, Works with Xero, Bookkeepers and accounting firms, Freelancers and the self-employed, Startups | AI tax for the self-employed, Freelancers and the self-employed, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, Small businesses | Accounting software, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, Bookkeepers and accounting firms, Freelancers and the self-employed, Small businesses, Startups | Accounting software, Cheapest accounting software, Free accounting software, Bookkeepers and accounting firms, Freelancers and the self-employed, Small businesses |

## Questions buyers ask

### How much do free accounting software tools cost?

The median first paid plan is $20 a month, across the 9 of the 9 that publish a monthly price. They run from $12 to $59.

### Which free accounting software tools have a free plan?

8 of the 9 have a free plan.

### How current are these figures?

The prices were read 26–28 October 2026.

## Sources and method

Every price was read on the maker's own pricing page.

### Pricing pages (9 read)

- [Manager.io](https://tickmarkbooks.com/manager-io.md): [manager.cloud](https://www.manager.cloud/), checked 28 October 2026
- [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks.md): [zipbooks.com/pricing](https://zipbooks.com/pricing/), checked 28 October 2026
- [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md): [akaunting.com/plans](https://akaunting.com/plans), checked 28 October 2026
- [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave.md): [waveapps.com/pricing](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online.md): [quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/), checked 28 October 2026
- [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle.md): [inkle.ai/pricing](https://www.inkle.ai/pricing), checked 27 October 2026
- [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-solopreneur.md): [quickbooks.intuit.com/solopreneur](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/solopreneur/), checked 27 October 2026
- [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books.md): [zoho.com/us/books/pricing](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/pricing/), checked 26 October 2026
- [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent.md): [freeagent.com/pricing](https://www.freeagent.com/pricing/), checked 26 October 2026