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Bookkeeping software when you also run payroll
You pay staff, so payroll support weighs heavily in the ranking. Payroll is often a separate paid add-on, so check what each vendor charges for it.
Top matches for businesses with employees
We scored a typical setup: 3 users, about 10 invoices a month, payroll, an accountant. Your answers may differ, so the quiz is the better test.
1. QuickBooks Online
- Strong payroll support
- Widely used by accountants
- Handles several users well
Paid plans from $38/mo.
2. Xero
- Widely used by accountants
- Handles several users well
Paid plans from $27/mo.
3. FreshBooks
- Strong invoicing
- Easy to learn
Paid plans from $23/mo.
All five, scored
| Tool | Fit score | Cheapest option |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | 27 | Paid plans from $38/mo. |
| Xero | 24 | Paid plans from $27/mo. |
| FreshBooks | 18 | Paid plans from $23/mo. |
| Zoho Books | 17 | Free plan available. Paid plans from $20/mo. |
| Wave | 16 | Free plan available. Paid plans from $19/mo. |
Fit score is the sum of weighted ratings on How we score. Higher is a better fit.
Fit ratings
| Our fit rating | QuickBooks Online | Xero | FreshBooks | Zoho Books | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Strong | Good | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Inventory | Strong | Good | Minimal or none | Strong | Minimal or none |
| Invoicing | Good | Good | Strong | Good | Strong |
| Accountant access | Strong | Strong | Good | Good | Limited |
| Several users | Strong | Strong | Limited | Good | Limited |
| Ease of learning | Good | Good | Strong | Good | Strong |
| Free plan | Minimal or none | Minimal or none | Minimal or none | Good | Strong |
Ratings are our editorial judgments, published on How we score. They are not vendor claims.
Take the 90-second quiz The quiz needs no email or phone number.
General software matching only. For tax rules that apply to businesses with employees, ask a tax professional.
How we are paid. Vendor links on this site go straight to each vendor's own pricing page. They are not referral links today, so we earn no commission from them. We plan to join vendor referral programs. When those links go live they will earn us a commission, this notice will say so, and results will still ignore commissions. This is software matching, not accounting or tax advice. Read the details.