Sorted by starting price

8 Cheapest Accounting Software for Small Business of 2026

By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 7, 2026

Among the 10 tools in our best accounting software for small business ranking, Akaunting has the lowest verified paid starting price at $12 per month. Prices below are quoted from each vendor's US pricing page.

1. 01

   Akaunting

   Very small businesses that want the lowest paid price and can add features as apps.

   Standard Cloud $12 per month ($8 billed yearly); Premium Cloud with bank feeds $36 ($24 yearly)

   Full entry, No. 7 overall

   Starts at

   $12

   Score 7.5

2. 02

   Zoho Books

   Teams of two to five that want bank feeds, sales tax and multiple logins for a low flat fee.

   Free plan under $50K yearly revenue; Standard $15 per organization per month billed annually ($20 monthly)

   Full entry, No. 1 overall

   Starts at

   $15

   Score 8.9

3. 03

   Wave

   Small service businesses that invoice often and want the lowest fixed monthly cost.

   Starter plan free; Pro $19 per month billed monthly or $190 per year

   Full entry, No. 2 overall

   Starts at

   $19

   Score 8.4

4. 04

   FreshBooks

   Service businesses with a small client list that bill by project or hour.

   Lite $23 per month for 5 clients (80% off for 4 months); Plus $43; Premium $70

   Full entry, No. 5 overall

   Starts at

   $23

   Score 7.8

5. 05

   Xero

   Growing teams that want everyone in the books without paying per seat.

   Early $27 per month (80% off for the first 3 months); Growing $59; Established $97

   Full entry, No. 3 overall

   Starts at

   $27

   Score 8.4

6. 06

   Kashoo

   Small teams that want unlimited users and bank feeds without picking a tier.

   One plan at $30 per month (50% off the first 6 months); annual billing available

   Full entry, No. 6 overall

   Starts at

   $30

   Score 7.8

7. 07

   QuickBooks Online

   Small businesses whose accountant already works in QuickBooks and that need deeper reports.

   Simple Start $38 per month for 1 user (50% off for 3 months); Essentials $85 for 3 users; QuickBooks Free at $0

   Full entry, No. 4 overall

   Starts at

   $38

   Score 8.1

8. 08

   Sage 50

   Inventory and job-costing businesses that want desktop-grade accounting and can pay a higher fixed fee.

   Pro Accounting $132.17 per month for 1 user, minimum one-year commitment

   Full entry, No. 10 overall

   Starts at

   $132.17

   Score 6.5

Scores and prices come from our Best Accounting Software for Small Business ranking, which uses one method for every tool. Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.com