# The best low-cost ways to keep the books (2026) — Tick Mark Books

> Source: https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/cheapest (curated, re-verified)
> Updated 31 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Tick Mark Books editorial team

We compare 26 low-cost ways to keep the books as of October 2026. Pennylane has the lowest paid entry price, from about $7.82 a month. 7 have a free plan.

26 tools in this category, ranked by what we can confirm about each (a public price, an API and docs, independent sources, stated limits; payment never changes the order). Each name links to its answer-first markdown twin.

## Facts

- Free to start: 7 of 26
- API: 0 of 26
- First paid plan a month: 22 of 26 publish one, $7.82 to $330, median $22
- Checked against their own sites: 26–28 October 2026 (26 of 26)
- Added in October 2026: 26

| Name | What it is | Pricing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle.md) | US accounting software with AI categorization, plus bookkeepers, tax filing and compliance in one app. | Free, then $30 a month |
| [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks.md) | Free-forever double-entry books whose machine learning categorizes transactions and learns from your corrections. | Free, then $15 a month |
| [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave.md) | Free double-entry books for solo owners, with bank imports, receipts and payroll kept behind the paid Pro Plan. | Free, then $19 a month |
| [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-solopreneur.md) | Intuit's one-person-business ledger: bank feeds, receipts, mileage and Schedule C tax readiness. | Free, then $20 a month |
| [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books.md) | Cloud accounting ledger with Zia AI, bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing, from $20 a month. | Free, then $20 a month |
| [doola](https://tickmarkbooks.com/doola.md) | Back office for a U.S. company formed from anywhere: formation, bookkeeping with a dedicated bookkeeper, and tax filing. | From $297 a year |
| [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent.md) | UK cloud accounting with HMRC filing, bank feeds and AI receipt capture, priced per business type. | From £10 a month (about $13) |
| [Xero](https://tickmarkbooks.com/xero.md) | Small-business ledger with a JAX assistant that answers questions in plain language; unlimited users on every plan. | From $27 a month |
| [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle.md) | AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeper services for startups and small businesses. | — |
| [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting.md) | Open-source small-business books you host free yourself or run on its cloud, extended by 50+ paid apps. | Free, then $12 a month |
| [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat.md) | Asks your clients to explain uncategorized transactions, then syncs their answers back into the books. | From $9 a month |
| [Double](https://tickmarkbooks.com/double.md) | Month-end close platform for accounting firms, built on QuickBooks Online and Xero. | From $10 a month |
| [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online.md) | Intuit's cloud ledger, now with Intuit Intelligence agents that categorize, reconcile and flag errors. | Free, then $38 a month |
| [fileLedger by fileAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/fileai.md) | Agent plans that read invoices and bank statements and post them into your Xero or QuickBooks books. | From $13 a month |
| [FreshBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freshbooks.md) | Double-entry small-business ledger built around invoicing, with a read-only Claude connector for questions. | From $23 a month |
| [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston.md) | AI prepares draft returns and monthly books inside a firm's own QuickBooks, Xero and tax software. | From $30 a month |
| [Sage Accounting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/sage-accounting.md) | Sage's cloud small-business ledger with built-in payroll and the Sage Copilot assistant; US edition retired. | From £20 a month (about $27) |
| [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits.md) | AI-native general ledger that books and reconciles itself, replacing QuickBooks or Xero for US businesses. | From $65 a month |
| [Pennylane](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pennylane.md) | AI-native invoicing, accounting and business banking for small businesses and their accounting firms. | From €7 a month (about $7.82) |
| [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper.md) | Bookkeeping automation an accounting firm runs itself, priced by client entity inside QuickBooks Online or Xero. | From $149 a seat a month |
| [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai.md) | AI agents that extract, classify and reconcile accounting documents, then publish them into Xero or QuickBooks. | From $79 a month |
| [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot.md) | A bookkeeping and tax service for startups that pairs software-driven dashboards with human financial advisors. | — |
| [Booke AI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/booke-ai.md) | An AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero to categorize transactions and match documents. | — |
| [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility.md) | Posts every marketplace order, fee and payout into QuickBooks or Xero at line-item level, not as a summary. | From $79 a month |
| [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every.md) | AI-enriched bookkeeping for US startups with a dedicated bookkeeper and controller. | From $330 a month |
| [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360.md) | US-based outsourced bookkeeping, tax and CFO team working in your QuickBooks Online or Xero. | From $19 a month |

## October in low-cost ways to keep the books

- Prices checked: 23 of 26 tools, on their own pricing pages
- Last checked: 28 Oct, oldest check 26 Oct

## Low-cost ways to keep the books compared

| Tool | Price on its site | MCP server | API | Open source | Self-host |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle) | Free, then $30 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks) | Free, then $15 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave) | Free, then $19 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-solopreneur) | Free, then $20 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books) | Free, then $20 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [doola](https://tickmarkbooks.com/doola) | From $297 a year | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent) | From about $13 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Xero](https://tickmarkbooks.com/xero) | From $27 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle) | No list price | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting) | Free, then $12 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat) | From $9 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Double](https://tickmarkbooks.com/double) | From $10 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online) | Free, then $38 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [fileLedger by fileAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/fileai) | From $13 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [FreshBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freshbooks) | From $23 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston) | From $30 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Sage Accounting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/sage-accounting) | From about $27 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits) | From $65 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Pennylane](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pennylane) | From about $7.82 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper) | From $149 a seat a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai) | From $79 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot) | No list price | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Booke AI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/booke-ai) | No list price | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility) | From $79 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every) | From $330 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360) | From $19 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |

All 26 low-cost ways to keep the books we list.

## Narrow it down

- [Stripe](https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/cheapest/stripe): 16
- [Ledger included](https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/cheapest/ledger): 14
- [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/cheapest/qbo): 10
- [Reads receipts and bills](https://tickmarkbooks.com/best/cheapest/receipts): 10

Every product ranked by what keeping the books costs a month, the ledger included: for one small business at 100 transactions, and for a freelancer working alone.

## Questions buyers ask

### Which tool here costs the least?

7 of the 26 have a free plan: Akaunting, Inkle, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Solopreneur and Wave and 2 more. The lowest paid plan is Pennylane, from about $7.82 a month. Price checked on 27 October 2026.

### How much do low-cost ways to keep the books cost?

Paid plans run from $7.82 to $330 a month, across the 22 with a monthly price. The median is $22 a month.

### When were these prices checked?

We read each price between 26 October 2026 and 28 October 2026 on the maker's own pricing page.

## Sources and method

Cheapest month first, the ledger included; products we could not price at the end. [How we rank](https://tickmarkbooks.com/methodology/)

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

- [Akaunting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/akaunting): [akaunting.com/plans](https://akaunting.com/plans), checked 28 October 2026
- [Bookkeeper360](https://tickmarkbooks.com/bookkeeper360): [bookkeeper360.com/app](https://bookkeeper360.com/app/), checked 27 October 2026
- [Botkeeper](https://tickmarkbooks.com/botkeeper): [botkeeper.com/pricing](https://www.botkeeper.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Cranston](https://tickmarkbooks.com/cranston): [cranston.ai/pricing](https://cranston.ai/pricing), checked 27 October 2026
- [Digits](https://tickmarkbooks.com/digits): [digits.com/pricing](https://digits.com/pricing/), checked 27 October 2026
- [doola](https://tickmarkbooks.com/doola): [doola.com/pricing](https://www.doola.com/pricing/), checked 28 October 2026
- [Double](https://tickmarkbooks.com/double): [doublehq.com/pricing-plans](https://doublehq.com/pricing-plans/), checked 27 October 2026
- [Every](https://tickmarkbooks.com/every): [every.io/bookkeeping](https://www.every.io/bookkeeping), checked 27 October 2026
- [fileLedger by fileAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/fileai): [file.ai/platform/fileledger](https://www.file.ai/platform/fileledger), checked 28 October 2026
- [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent): [freeagent.com/pricing](https://www.freeagent.com/pricing/), checked 26 October 2026
- [FreshBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freshbooks): [freshbooks.com/pricing](https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Inkle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle): [inkle.ai/pricing](https://www.inkle.ai/pricing), checked 27 October 2026
- [Pennylane](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pennylane): [pennylane.com/fr/tarifs](https://www.pennylane.com/fr/tarifs), checked 27 October 2026
- [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online): [quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/), checked 28 October 2026
- [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-solopreneur): [quickbooks.intuit.com/solopreneur](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/solopreneur/), checked 27 October 2026
- [Sage Accounting](https://tickmarkbooks.com/sage-accounting): [sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting](https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/sage-accounting/), checked 27 October 2026
- [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai): [simpleaiworks.com/en/pricing](https://simpleaiworks.com/en/pricing), checked 27 October 2026
- [Uncat](https://tickmarkbooks.com/uncat): [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
- [Wave](https://tickmarkbooks.com/wave): [waveapps.com/pricing](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Webgility](https://tickmarkbooks.com/webgility): [webgility.com/pricing](https://www.webgility.com/pricing), checked 28 October 2026
- [Xero](https://tickmarkbooks.com/xero): [xero.com/us/pricing-plans](https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/), checked 28 October 2026
- [ZipBooks](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zipbooks): [zipbooks.com/pricing](https://zipbooks.com/pricing/), checked 28 October 2026
- [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books): [zoho.com/us/books/pricing](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/pricing/), checked 26 October 2026

## Where next

### Related categories

- [Small businesses](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/small-business)
- [Bookkeepers and accounting firms](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/accounting-firms)
- [Freelancers and the self-employed](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/freelancers)
- [Accounting software](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/accounting-software)
- [Works with Xero](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/works-with-xero)
- [Works with QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/works-with-quickbooks)
- [Free accounting software](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/free-plan)
- [Startups](https://tickmarkbooks.com/category/startups)