Accounting software for agencies and studios
Agencies bill clients, often in more than one currency, and need everyone from founders to project leads looking at the same books. Xero starts at $27/mo with unlimited users on every plan and handles multi-currency well. Early plan limits are tight and fewer US accountants use it; FreshBooks adds built-in time tracking from $23/mo plus $11 per extra person.
Top picks for agencies and studios
All 13 accounting tools, ranked for agencies and studios
| Tool | Fit for agency or studio | Starts at | Pricing | Users | Integrations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 XeroXero LtdFit 90 | 90 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Shopify POS +381,000+ listed | View |
 FreshBooksFreshBooksFit 88 | 88 | $23 + $11/extra person | Free trial | 1 included | Gusto, Squarespace Commerce +4100+ listed | View |
 KickKickFit 85 | 85 | $0 | Free tier | Unlimited | Gusto, Mercury +3 | View |
 QuickBooks OnlineIntuitFit 85 | 85 | $38 | Free trial | 1–25 depending on plan | Square POS, Toast +53800+ listed | View |
 PuzzlePuzzleFit 82 | 82 | $30 | Free trial | 1 on Starter; 5 on Core | Rippling, Deel +6 | View |
 BenchEmployer.comFit 80 | 80 | $199 | Paid | n/a (service) | Square POS, Gusto +4 | View |
 PilotPilotFit 78 | 78 | $99 | Paid | n/a | Ramp10,000+ listed | View |
 ZipBooksZipBooksFit 75 | 75 | Free for 1 user | Free tier | 1 on Starter; 5 on Smarter | Square POS, Gusto +2 | View |
 Zoho BooksZohoFit 72 | 72 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free; 3 on Standard | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing +6 | View |
 KashooKashooFit 72 | 72 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing | View |
 WaveH&R BlockFit 70 | 70 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free plan | Helcim, Shoeboxed +215+ listed | View |
 Patriot AccountingPatriot SoftwareFit 70 | 70 | $20 | Free trial | Unlimited | Stripe Invoicing, Patriot Payroll | View |
 AkauntingAkauntingFit 65 | 65 | $8 | Free tier | 1 + accountant on Standard | Square POS, Shopify +4 | View |
Accounting for agencies and studios: questions
Which ones have a free plan?
Of the 12 that fit agencies and studios best, Kick, ZipBooks, Zoho Books and Wave have a free plan. Check the limits on each tool page; most cap users, volume or features.
How are these ranked?
Each tool has a fit score from 0 to 100 for agencies and studios, based on what it is built for and who its features serve. We list tools scoring 70 or more as strong fits, then break ties by the monthly price for a team of six. Partner links never change the order. How we calculate prices.