Small business accounting software stores important transaction data, automates tasks, produces reports and can save you hours of bookkeeping time. The following list includes the best selections for small business accounting needs, based on a variety of criteria. The best Mac accounting apps. Cognito Software’s MoneyWorks Gold. QuickBooks for Mac 2014 still offers excellent small business accounting tools.
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Are you a loyal Mac-lover looking for accounting software? You’ve come to the right place!
When you buy an Apple product, you inherit a sort of sixth-sense — you can sniff out exactly what software wasn’t actually meant to be run on a Mac, whether it says “Mac-compatible” or not. And when it comes to accounting, you need something that’s easy to use, runs well on your Mac, and is full of all the great features you need to make your business succeed. That’s why we’ve created this list of the top five accounting programs for Mac users.
We’ve spent hours researching and testing the most popular accounting programs so you don’t have to. Only the best of the best made the cut. We judged each software on usability, features, price, and customer support. We’ve picked a variety of accounting software programs that target different business sizes, needs, and price ranges so you can find the perfect Mac accounting solution to fit your business.
Read on to learn which option is right for you.
Best Accounting Software
Software | Best For |
---|---|
QuickBooks Mac | Small businesses wanting Mac-specific UI |
AccountEdge | Small-large businesses wanting Mac-specific UI |
Xero | Medium-large businesses |
QuickBooks Online | Small-medium businesses |
Zoho Books | Small & international businesses |
Table of Contents
1) QuickBooks Mac
Best for businesses looking for that traditional Mac UI and a good feature set.
Take the complexity and depth of features of QuickBooks Desktop and the ease of use of QuickBooks Online and you’ll get QuickBooks Mac. QuickBooks Mac is a locally-installed software program that just returned to the market after a three-year hiatus.
The software offers strong accounting, a good selection of features, and is probably the most visually appealing for Mac-loyalists. However, the company didn’t improve the software much in the three years it was gone, and with no payroll, no payment processing, and no integrations, this Mac accounting favorite doesn’t quite live up to the hype it receives.
QuickBooks Mac could still be a good choice for small businesses who really want Mac-friendly, locally-installed software. Read on to see if the pros outweigh the cons for your business.
Pricing
A QuickBooks Mac license costs $299.95 and lasts three years before needing to be renewed. A license is only good for one user. You can purchase additional licenses for up to three users. You also have to purchase technical phone support for $89.50/three months.
Features
QuickBooks Mac offers even more features than QBO. In terms of accounting, you’ll find bank reconciliation, a customizable chart of accounts, accounts payable, journal entries, and 100+ reports. Here are some of our other favorite features:
- Invoicing
- Contact management
- Expense tracking
- Inventory
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Budgeting
- To-Do lists
- Tax Support
- Mileage deductions
While QuickBooks Mac may be missing payroll and integrations, the software does offer an incredible number of well-developed features. To learn more about everything this software has to offer, read our full QuickBooks Mac review.
Ease Of Use
The software has a nice UI and is well-organized. Because the software offers so many features, QuickBooks Mac does have a semi-steep learning curve.
Customer Support
Not only does QuickBooks Mac have poor customer support, but you also have to pay extra for technical support. Phone wait times are short for a QuickBooks product, but Intuit is clearly more concerned with maintaining its other, more popular software than with providing quality support and resources to their QB Mac users.
Takeaway Website builder for mac.
In terms of features, QuickBooks Mac has a lot to offer. This locally-installed software also has the most Mac-friendly UI of any program on this list and is clearly designed just for Macs. To learn if the pros outweigh the cons for your business, read our complete QuickBooks Mac review.
2) AccountEdge
Best for small to large businesses wanting locally-installed, Mac-specific software while still having a mobile app.
When most people think about accounting software, they’re really thinking about QuickBooks (the notoriously difficult to learn, locally-installed software for Windows). AccountEdge offers the same sort of functionality as QuickBooks Pro, but for Mac users.
AccountEdge is an on-premise, traditional accounting program chock full of features. It’s one of the few locally-installed programs to actually offer a mobile app. The software is more limited than its cloud-based counterparts in that the cost of extra users adds up fast. However, for those with accounting experience who are planning on sticking with one software app for a few years, AccountEdge can be an economical choice and may even prove to be less expensive than some cloud-based alternatives.
AccountEdge is ideal for users who want locally-installed software or the advanced accounting and features of on-premise software, without sacrificing mobility.
Pricing
You can get AccountEdge Basic for a one-time fee of $149 for a new user license, while AccountEdge Pro runs $399 for a new user. The difference between the two plans is the number of features available. Each license comes with a single-user; additional users cost extra. Any future AccountEdge upgrades are offered at a discounted rate.
Features
AccountEdge is a fully-developed accounting solution with tons of great features for running a business. In terms of accounting, you’ll find bank reconciliation, a chart of accounts, accounts payable, journal entries, and over 100 reports. Here are some of the other features you’ll find with AccountEdge:
- Invoicing
- Quotes
- Contact management
- Lead management
- Expense tracking
- Inventory
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Budgeting
AccountEdge also offers several time-saving automations and unique touches like managing commissions. The software offers nine integrations, which is fairly limited but is much better than QuickBooks Mac’s zero. Read our complete AccountEdge review to learn more.
Ease Of Use
Given the sheer amount of features available, AccountEdge comes with a steep learning curve and the software does take quite a while to set up and get used to. While the UI is nice and simple, it’s often unintuitive. Luckily, the company offers several getting-started support options to ease the process.
Customer Support
AccountEdge offers a good amount of support and learning resources; however, receiving answers to questions from real people takes a long time.
![Quicken business accounting software Quicken business accounting software](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125324146/561884106.jpg)
Takeaway
If you’re looking for a locally-installed Mac accounting software, AccountEdge has a lot going for it. This software shines where QuickBooks Mac drops the ball by offering some integrations, better learning resources, and a mobile app. Read our full AccountEdge review to learn more about this app or give it a whirl with the free 30-day trial.
3) Xero
Best for medium to large-sized businesses in need of strong accounting, complex features, and unlimited users.
Xero has been a force to be reckoned with in the accounting world since 2006 and is currently used by over a million people. This app, along with the rest of the Mac accounting options in this post, differs from QuickBooks Mac and AccountEdge in one significant way: it is cloud-based. Instead of installing the software on your computer, you access it via the internet. That means that Mac and Windows users alike can benefit from Xero.
Xero offers strong accounting, incredible customer service, and an impressive number of positive customer reviews. The software also has well-developed features and over 700+ integrations. The icing on the cake is that Xero allows for unlimited users at no additional cost.
The software is ideal for medium-large businesses in need of strong accounting and multiple users.
Pricing
Xero offers five scalable price plans ranging from $9/mo – $60/mo. Each plan comes with unlimited users. The larger the plan, the more features you have access to. While Xero no longer has an in-house payroll option, you can integrate with Gusto for an additional $39/month plus $6/month per employee.
Features
Xero offers a great selection of features, including accounting staples like bank reconciliation, accounts payable, a customizable chart of accounts, fixed asset management, depreciation schedules, and reporting. Here are some of the features you’ll find with Xero:
- Invoicing
- Contact management
- Expense tracking
- Accounts payable
- Inventory
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Budgeting
- Tax support
Xero also offers several time-saving automations and supports over 700+ integrations. Read our full Xero review to learn everything this accounting software has to offer.
Ease Of Use
Xero is easy to use once you get to know the software. It takes quite a while to navigate the complexities of Xero and to set up the software correctly. Luckily, Xero has a comprehensive help center. (We also offer a free ebook called How To Setup Your Xero Account if you want step by step guidance on how to use the software.)
Customer Support
Xero drops the ball in terms of customer support. While the company has decent support and learning options, there’s no phone support and email responses are slow.
Takeaway
Xero is a full-featured accounting solution with ample integrations, unlimited users, and positive customer reviews. If Xero sounds like it might be a good fit for you, check out our comprehensive Xero review and take the software for a spin with a free 30-day trial.
4) QuickBooks Online
Best for small to medium business looking for strong cloud-based accounting.
QuickBooks Online was launched in 2004. Since then, this robust program has grown to support over 2.2 million users.
QuickBooks Online is cloud-based software with over 500 integrations and beautiful invoicing automations and customizations. The software offers strong mobile apps and good tax support, as well as a built-in lending option called QuickBooks Capital.
The software is ideal for all types of small businesses, particularly those in need of strong accounting and ample integrations. It is not a good fit for companies with more than 25 users.
Pricing
QuickBooks Online offers three pricing plans ranging from $20 $60/month, as well as a QuickBooks Advanced plan that costs $150/month. Each plan allows access for more features and users. Payroll costs an additional $35 – $80/month plus $4/month per employee.
Features
QuickBooks Online offers an impressive number of features. In terms of accounting, QuickBooks Online supports bank reconciliation, a customizable chart of accounts, fixed asset management, journal entries, and ample reports. Here are some of our other favorite QuickBooks Online features:
- Invoicing
- Contact management
- Expense tracking
- Inventory
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Budgeting
- Tax support
QuickBooks Online shines when it comes to invoicing and automations. Read our full QuickBooks Online review to learn more about this software’s offering.
Ease OfUse
QuickBooks Online is well-organized with an attractive UI. The software does take some getting used to and is occasionally unintuitive, although it’s much easier to use than QuickBooks Mac.
Customer Support
QuickBooks Online is known for poor customer support. The company has a good help center and decent support and learning options but has incredibly long wait times and no email support.
Takeaway
QuickBooks Online is one of the best accounting options for small business, including those run on Macs. With advanced features, lots of time-saving automation, and 500+ integrations, QBO could be a great choice. Read our complete QuickBooks Online review for more details and take advantage of the free 30-day trial.
5) Zoho Books
Best for small businesses looking for an affordable QBO alternative with strong features and intenrational invoicing.
Zoho Books is a complete accounting package. The cloud-based software was launched in 2009 and is easy for Mac users to learn and use.
Overall, Zoho Books is incredibly affordable, offers good customer service, supports 30+ integrations, and provides some of the best invoicing on the market. Zoho Books sets itself apart with international invoicing and incredible mobile apps.
Zoho Books is ideal for small businesses looking for features similar to QuickBooks Online, but for half the cost. The software is not ideal for businesses in need of payroll.
![Business Business](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125324146/855882852.jpg)
Pricing
Zoho Books offers three pricing plans ranging from $9 – $29/mo. Each plan offers unlimited estimates and invoices. The larger the plan, the more users, contacts, and features you have access to.
Features
Zoho Books offers an impressive number of features, especially considering the price. Much like QBO, Zoho Books support accounting capabilities like bank reconciliation, a customizable chart of accounts, accounts payable, journal entries, and good reporting. Here are some of the other features you’ll find with Zoho Books:
- Invoicing
- Contact management
- Expense tracking
- Inventory
- Project management
- Time tracking
- Tax support
- Mileage deductions
As we mentioned earlier, Zoho Books has some of the best invoicing on the market with over 15 templates to choose from, advanced customization, several automations, and the ability to send international invoices.
The only drawback is that Zoho Books doesn’t offer payroll or a payroll integration. Read our complete Zoho Books review for a full breakdown of the pros and cons.
Ease Of Use
Of every software app on this list, Zoho Books by far is the easiest to use. The software is well-organized with a modern, customizable UI. A background in accounting is not required to use this program, in other words.
Customer Support
Zoho Books is also the first app on this list to offer great customer support. Zoho Books has short wait times, ample learning resources, and their representative are generally kind and helpful.
Takeaway
Zoho Books is a compelling QuickBooks Online alternative with strong accounting, advanced features, impressive invoicing, and great mobile offerings. Read our complete Zoho Books review to learn more and take advantage of the free 14-day trial.
Best Accounting Software for Macs Compared
All of the programs above are good accounting choices for Mac owners, but how do they compare to each other? Here’s a side by side comparison chart of the top accounting software programs for Macs:
Which Accounting Software Should I Choose?
When it comes to choosing the best small business accounting software for Mac users, we couldn’t pick just one favorite. There are several great Mac accounting options, and choosing which one is right for your business will ultimately depend on your business’s size, needs, and price range.
To summarize:
- QuickBooks Mac: QuickBooks Mac has the best design for Mac-users. The software is ideal for Mac-loyalists who want that iconic Mac design paired with strong accounting and lots of features. The software is not ideal for businesses in need of payroll or payment processing add-ons or any other add-ons or integrations for that matter.
- AccountEdge: AccountEdge is the best locally-installed accounting software for Mac users. The software offers more features than any of the other Mac accounting software alternatives, but there is a learning curve and the software is not ideal for businesses with multiple users as it can get expensive.
- Xero: Xero is an incredibly robust accounting option that is ideal for medium to large businesses. The software also has a bit of a learning curve, but it offers unlimited users and great customer support.
- QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Online is one of the best small business accounting options. It has hundreds of integrations and plenty of features for most businesses. The software isn’t the easiest to use, and customer support can be a hit or miss.
- Zoho Books: Zoho Books is the easiest accounting software for Mac users to learn. It offers true accounting, beautiful invoicing, and competitive pricing. The software is ideal for small business who don’t need payroll.
When choosing between these five options, one of the first questions you should ask is: Do I want locally-installed or cloud-based software?
If you’re set on a locally-installed program, then the decision’s already made for you — QuickBooks Mac or AccountEdge is the way you should go.
If you prefer the mobility of cloud-based software, then Xero, QuickBooks Online, or Zoho Books, would be better options.
When choosing accounting software, also take into consideration your business’s size, budget, feature needs, and user needs. This will help narrow down which program is right for you. If none of these programs fit the bill, take a look at our other accounting reviews, or if you need a more affordable option, check out our post on the best free accounting software.
For additional help choosing which software is best for your business, read our Complete Guide to Choosing Online Accounting Software. And don’t forget to take advantage of any free trials the programs offer to help you decide.
Good luck on your journey to finding the perfect accounting software for your Mac, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions along the way!
Chelsea Krause
Chelsea Krause is a writer who has specialized in accounting for over three years and is a QuickBooks Certified User. She has a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied at the University of Oxford as well. She has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business.
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Intuit QuickBooks for Mac 2014
Read Macworld's reviewCognito Software MoneyWorks Gold 7 (Mac)
Acclivity AccountEdge Pro 2014
Marketcircle Billings Pro 1.6
If home is where your heart is, then there’s a pretty good chance that home—or at least your Home Folder—is where you prefer to keep your business’ financial information. While there are plenty of excellent Web-based apps you can use for tracking your business finances, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of working within a browser and keeping your business’ financial information in the cloud, a traditional Mac application is your best option.
I looked at four apps for managing your business invoicing and finances: Cognito Software’s MoneyWorks Gold, The Acclivity Group’s AccountEdge Pro, Intuit’s QuickBooks for Mac, and Marketcircle’s Billings Pro. The first three are traditional invoicing and accounting applications, while Billings Pro offers compelling features, but also requires additional software to complete the package. Though all of these apps offer excellent tools for managing your business finances, MoneyWorks Gold stands above the rest, for an excellent user interface.
Top choice: MoneyWorks Gold 7
If you’ve been around the Mac accounting game for any length of time you’re likely already aware of the more well-known players, QuickBooks and AccountEdge. The one application that probably hasn’t made it onto your radar—but should have—is Cognito Software’s MoneyWorks Gold (; $499). MoneyWorks Gold is a solid, full-featured business accounting application that is networkable, supports multiple users, and works on both Macs and PCs.
MoneyWorks uses a flowchart-like interface similar to what’s used by both AccountEdge and QuickBooks for Mac. The application’s interface consists of a sidebar with navigation links to MoneyWorks’ collection of financial tools and a larger main window that displays a flowchart that changes depending on which item you’ve selected in the sidebar. As is the case with both AccountEdge and QuickBooks 2014, the flowchart attempts to create a visual relationship between various business activities. While this makes all of these applications a bit more interesting visually, in practice I’ve rarely used the flowchart to figure out how the many aspects of a business are related.
Most of the tools you’ll use on a regular basis appear in the navigation section entitled Day-to-day. Here you can create quotes, sales orders, and invoices, reconcile your bank accounts, create and receive purchase order items, and review accounts payable. Each of these same tasks are also available in other areas of the application and selecting other Navigation options provides you with access to a deeper set of tools and features. For example, when you select Items and Inventory you have tools for receiving stock on items you’ve ordered, viewing a journal list of all the stock you have on hand, and building new stock items from items you have in your existing inventory.
MoneyWorks includes just under 100 reports, including sales tax reports for Canada and VAT reports for the U.K. If none of the application's existing reports fit your specific needs, you can create custom reports of your own. Reports are available either from the Reports menu or from the main application window when you’ve selected a specific navigation area. For example, selecting Chart of Accounts from the navigation sidebar provides you with links for a number of account-related reports.
Two features make MoneyWorks a standout: Multiuser network capabilities and cross-platform client applications. (Features also found in Acclivity’s AccountEdge product.) Sharing your MoneyWorks file on the network is as simple as opening the Sharing and Users settings and putting a check in a box to turn on sharing. (A Datacenter version allows access by iOS devices and multicompany hosting) By default the application allows access to anyone on the network, so to limit access you also need to password protect your data file. Once you do so you can add users and limit their access to features. Unfortunately, there is no group option for managing user access to data, so every user you create needs to have access managed individually.
Top contender: AccountEdge Pro
Depending on how you look at Acclivity’s AccountEdge Pro (; $399 new, $159 single user upgrade, $249 multiuser upgrade) it is either a little stale or as consistent as it has ever been. The basic idea behind the application’s flowchart interface has been around since it was first released well before Mac operating systems were named after cats. Little has changed about the way the AccountEdge looks in nearly a dozen years, but, in terms of accounting capabilities, it remains a solid application.
AccountEdge has long been an application that allowed you to do your business in a networked environment on both Macs and PCs and, like MoneyWorks, gives you control over who has access to specific parts of your company’s financial data. The program still provides excellent tools for securing your data while still providing access to your accounting and inventory data in a multiuser, multiplatform environment.
While not much has changed on the front end, AccountEdge has added a few new features for 2014, including the addition of master inventory items that allow you to create dozens of varieties with out having to create distinct inventory items for each variety. So, for example, you can create a category called Whole Bean Coffee that can then be broken down into more specific varieties such as specific roasts in caffeinated or decaf, all of which makes it much easier to manage your inventory. Acclivity has also rebranded and updated its AccountEdge Web front end, offering features in the cloud, including options for creating invoices and other transactions from a webpage.
The rest of the pack
Billings Pro 1.6.5
Marketcircle’s Billings Pro (; $0/$5/$10 per month per user plans, or $99 per year per user) is beautifully-designed application that uses a subscription-based service with some Web-based features, but with which you create invoices, estimates, and collect time-billing information using your Mac OS or iOS device. Everything you do is created and managed locally and then synced with using a database that is hosted on Marketcircle’s servers.
I’ve used the Mac and iOS versions of the original Billings application for years and, like many, was disappointed when Marketcircle dropped the standalone application in favor of a client-server subscription model. That said, after about a month of using Billings Pro instead of the standalone application, I found it to be better than the old standalone version.
Billings Pro is not an accounting application, but you can export Billings Pro data directly into QuickBooks for Mac or MoneyWorks 6. (At present, MoneyWorks 7 is not supported, but Marketcircle states that support is forthcoming.) What makes Billings a standout is integrated time billing and what are probably the most beautiful, customizable documents you will ever see in a program of this type. The key here, though, is time billing. While almost every business accounting package you’ll find offers a way to enter time billing information into time sheets, Billings Pro lets you track your time in the field, and create an invoice directly from the collected information. This may sound like a small deal, but it’s integral to the way many people bill for services, and a feature missing from all of the other applications mentioned here.
While I do love Billings Pro, it’s not perfect and requires you to discover the “Billings Pro workflow” before you can use it. In the Billings Pro world everything you do needs to be part of a project, so no matter what you’re doing, you have to set up a project first and then add Working Slips to those projects and bill based on information collected in the slip. This isn’t a huge problem, but may be an unnecessary step for some businesses.
QuickBooks Mac 2014
QuickBooks Mac 2014 got a full review in Macworld (; $250) last December.. well, no surprise, there haven’t been any changes.
Apple Accounting Software Small Business
While this business accounting application has made it easier to get your data to and back from your accountant, it is still incapable of working in mixed Mac and PC environments. Sad, but true. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a poor accounting application. QuickBooks for Mac will take good care of your business finances, as long as you understand its limitations.
A new user interface gives QuickBooks a look and feel similar to Intuit’s Mint.com and the new Web interface for QuickBooks Online. This new look gives you a great overview of your financial status at a glance. While not everything you might want, QuickBooks for Mac 2014 still gives you what you need to take care of business.
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Bottom line
Color me surprised. While AccountEdge remains an excellent application for managing your business finances, and remains one of my personal favorites, MoneyWorks Gold offers all the accounting features you’ll need, though it is more expensive than AccountEdge. And while it doesn’t offer any true accounting features, Billings Pro is the only invoicing application available that allows you to create invoices from time billing information you collect. For me, that’s a necessary feature missing from all of the other applications. QuickBooks, while good, still lags behind the others because it lacks the cross-platform capabilities necessary for any fully networked cross-platform business environment.
Editor's note: Updated on 4/10/14 to correct MoneyWorks Gold pricing.
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Intuit QuickBooks for Mac 2014
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