Accounting software for service businesses
Service businesses bill for time and projects, so you need clean invoices, bank feeds and books your accountant can open. QuickBooks Online starts at $38/mo and every US accountant knows it. Lower tiers cap users and prices rise often; FreshBooks, from $23/mo, adds built-in time tracking.
Top picks for service businesses
All 13 accounting tools, ranked for service businesses
| Tool | Fit for service business | Starts at | Pricing | Users | Integrations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 FreshBooksFreshBooksFit 90 | 90 | $23 + $11/extra person | Free trial | 1 included | Gusto, Squarespace Commerce +4100+ listed | View |
 QuickBooks OnlineIntuitFit 90 | 90 | $38 | Free trial | 1–25 depending on plan | Square POS, Toast +53800+ listed | View |
 XeroXero LtdFit 88 | 88 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Shopify POS +381,000+ listed | View |
 WaveH&R BlockFit 85 | 85 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free plan | Helcim, Shoeboxed +215+ listed | View |
 ZipBooksZipBooksFit 85 | 85 | Free for 1 user | Free tier | 1 on Starter; 5 on Smarter | Square POS, Gusto +2 | View |
 KickKickFit 82 | 82 | $0 | Free tier | Unlimited | Gusto, Mercury +3 | View |
 Patriot AccountingPatriot SoftwareFit 82 | 82 | $20 | Free trial | Unlimited | Stripe Invoicing, Patriot Payroll | View |
 KashooKashooFit 80 | 80 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing | View |
 BenchEmployer.comFit 80 | 80 | $199 | Paid | n/a (service) | Square POS, Gusto +4 | View |
 Zoho BooksZohoFit 75 | 75 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free; 3 on Standard | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing +6 | View |
 PuzzlePuzzleFit 75 | 75 | $30 | Free trial | 1 on Starter; 5 on Core | Rippling, Deel +6 | View |
 AkauntingAkauntingFit 72 | 72 | $8 | Free tier | 1 + accountant on Standard | Square POS, Shopify +4 | View |
 PilotPilotFit 65 | 65 | $99 | Paid | n/a | Ramp10,000+ listed | View |
Accounting for service businesses: questions
Which ones have a free plan?
Of the 12 that fit service businesses best, Wave, ZipBooks, Kick, Zoho Books and Akaunting 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 service businesses, 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.