Finance & accounting

QuickBooks Solopreneur is the best accounting software for freelancers in 2026, with a free plan and Lite at $20 a month for unlimited invoices, receipts and mileage. Zoho Books suits freelancers who want full accounting and 1099 filing on a free plan. Wave also has a free plan, and the cheapest paid plan with bank feeds is Zoho Books Standard at $15 a month billed annually.

1. 1. QuickBooks Solopreneur8.7
2. 2. Wave8.6
3. 3. Zoho Books8.6

QuickBooks Online is the best accounting software for small business owners who do their own books in 2026, with Simple Start at $38 per month; Zoho Books suits owners who want bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing for $15 per organization per month billed annually. The free options are Wave Starter and Zoho Books Free, which both cost $0.

1. 1. QuickBooks Online8.7
2. 2. Zoho Books8.6
3. 3. Xero8.3