At TechRepublic, our goal is to provide our readers with fair and unbiased reviews that help them make informed decisions about which accounting software products to invest in. A crucial aspect of that goal is ensuring our readers know exactly how we evaluate brands, including the criteria we use. to rate the software we review.
We use a proprietary in-house algorithm to calculate star ratings for the accounting software brands reviewed. Below we explain how our algorithm weights each of the five categories we prioritize when reviewing software. We also summarize our main research methods and explain what criteria we consider when calculating scores in each category.
SEE: What is accounting? Definition, types, importance and examples (TechRepublic)
quick books
Employees by company size
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1000-4999), Business (5000+)
Micro (0-49 employees), small (50-249 employees), medium (250-999 employees), large (1000-4999 employees)
Micro, Small, Medium, Large
Characteristics
API, general ledger, inventory management
Acumatica Cloud ERP
Employees by company size
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1000-4999), Business (5000+)
Micro (0-49 employees), small (50-249 employees), medium (250-999 employees), large (1000-4999 employees)
Micro, Small, Medium, Large
Characteristics
Accounts receivable/payable, API, departmental accounting and more
Prices
Our algorithm weights prices at 25% of our overall score. The criteria we use to calculate brand scores in this category include the following:
- Free trial availability, including the length of the free trial and whether credit card information is required in advance.
- Transparent pricing information, including transparency on additional fees.
- Highest and lowest price points and how they compare to the average market price.
- Additional fees for essential services, additional users, integrations and more.
- Free access to the counter.
Accounting and bookkeeping functions.
Our algorithm weights bookkeeping and accounting software features at 35% of our overall score. The criteria we use to calculate brand scores in this category include the following:
- Unlimited customizable billing.
- Estimates and quotes (easily convertible to invoices).
- Online payment acceptance with multi-currency support.
- Receipt scanning.
- Synchronization of bank accounts and credit cards.
- App-based mileage tracking.
- Automatic bank reconciliation.
- Automatic creation of journal entries and access to the chart of accounts.
- Track income and expenses with automated expense categorization.
- Cash flow management, budgeting and forecasting.
- Inventory management.
- 1099 contractor management.
- Baseline accounting reports.
- Track sales and sales taxes.
- Integration with essential third-party applications, especially payroll, time tracking, and spreadsheet applications.
Easy to use
We weight ease of use at 15% of our overall score. The criteria we use to calculate the score for accounting marks in this category include the following:
- Ease of customization.
- Automation.
- Customizable workflows.
- Modern dashboard interface and mobile app design.
- Intuitive user experience.
- Ease of mobile access.
- Accessibility for non-accounting business owners.
Customer service
Our algorithm weights customer service at 15% of our overall score. The criteria we use to calculate the score for the top accounting software brands in this category include the following:
- Modes of customer service, including telephone access, email service, chat accessibility and online forums.
- Hours of live support.
- Additional fees for top-notch customer service.
- Custom configuration assistance.
- Access to dedicated contact points.
- Average customer service response time.
- Responsiveness to documented customer complaints.
Expert analysis
Our expert writers' personal analysis of each brand makes up the final 10% of each algorithm's score. The most valuable element of this category is the ability of our writers to access the software and try it firsthand. If a first-hand trial is not available, we will try to schedule a demo call with the company where we can ask direct questions and see the software in action.
SEE: The best accounting software for small businesses (TechRepublic)
If the software is not available to try or the demos are difficult to schedule, we reflect this in the review itself. We prioritize brands that are open and honest about the capabilities of their software and actively work to educate potential customers before pushing them to make a sale.
In addition to our ability to communicate with the software company and test the software ourselves, we look at factors such as the following to calculate our expert analysis score:
- Any unique advantages the company offers compared to similar brands.
- Any unique disadvantages reflected in the software.
- Ease of access to accurate information about the products, features, prices and plans of each brand.
Our Accounting Software Research Methods
As we said above, the main factor when rating accounting software is whether we can test the software ourselves. When we cannot secure hands-on access to software, we contact brands to request demos. In addition to first-hand testing experience, we rely on other sources of knowledge to provide our readers with comprehensive reviews:
- Information received directly from sales representatives.
- Product specifications and company information can be found directly on each brand's website.
- Verified user reviews from trusted third-party sources, including (but not limited to) BBB, Google Play, Apple App Store, Consumer Affairs, and Gartner Peer Insights.
Frequent questions
How do I evaluate accounting software?
To evaluate accounting software, we recommend reading comprehensive accounting software reviews on sites like TechRepublic. However, aside from reading reviews, trying accounting software yourself is the best way to determine whether a certain brand is right for your business or not.
Where possible, we recommend taking advantage of free trials, but be sure to check the terms and conditions before signing up – some software companies require you to enter a credit card number and agree to automatic billing before giving you access to the free trial.
If a company doesn't offer a free trial, they will usually give you the option to schedule a free demo. (This is particularly true for business accounting software, which is often customized to each company's needs and makes a free trial less useful.) You can also download a temporary demo version of the software using a sample company to gain access to the interface and functionality of the software.
While we also recommend looking for reviews from verified users, it's smart to take them with a grain of salt. For the most part, customers only leave reviews when they are extremely satisfied or extremely dissatisfied with a product, which can skew online reviews.
If you have an accountant or bookkeeper, they can likely offer you personal recommendations tailored directly to your business's situation. Generally speaking, you can prioritize this face-to-face recommendation over online user reviews.
What factors should I consider when choosing accounting software?
When choosing accounting software for your business, consider criteria such as your business's budget constraints and feature requirements. You should also think about issues like scalability: Do you want accounting software that can grow with you, or are you comfortable starting with small business-only accounting software and switching to another provider as your team grows?
Likewise, make sure the accounting software you choose integrates with any business applications you already use. If you can't access a trial version of the software, don't be afraid to ask the software sales representative direct questions before committing to a product: you should know exactly how the software works, what features it offers, how much it costs. You will pay month after month and what the interface will look like before you sign up.
