Accounting software for trades and contractors
Trades need books that keep up with bank feeds, job costs and invoices sent from the road, plus something your accountant can open. QuickBooks Online starts at $38/mo and most US accountants already use it. Lower tiers cap users and prices rise often; Xero has unlimited users from $27/mo.
Top picks for trades and contractors
All 13 accounting tools, ranked for trades and contractors
| Tool | Fit for trades or contractor | Starts at | Pricing | Users | Integrations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 QuickBooks OnlineIntuitFit 92 | 92 | $38 | Free trial | 1–25 depending on plan | Square POS, Toast +53800+ listed | View |
 XeroXero LtdFit 84 | 84 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Shopify POS +381,000+ listed | View |
 Patriot AccountingPatriot SoftwareFit 80 | 80 | $20 | Free trial | Unlimited | Stripe Invoicing, Patriot Payroll | View |
 FreshBooksFreshBooksFit 80 | 80 | $23 + $11/extra person | Free trial | 1 included | Gusto, Squarespace Commerce +4100+ listed | View |
 WaveH&R BlockFit 75 | 75 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free plan | Helcim, Shoeboxed +215+ listed | View |
 ZipBooksZipBooksFit 72 | 72 | Free for 1 user | Free tier | 1 on Starter; 5 on Smarter | Square POS, Gusto +2 | View |
 KashooKashooFit 72 | 72 | $27 | Free trial | Unlimited | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing | View |
 KickKickFit 70 | 70 | $0 | Free tier | Unlimited | Gusto, Mercury +3 | View |
 BenchEmployer.comFit 70 | 70 | $199 | Paid | n/a (service) | Square POS, Gusto +4 | View |
 Zoho BooksZohoFit 65 | 65 | $0 | Free tier | 1 on free; 3 on Standard | Square POS, Stripe Invoicing +6 | View |
 AkauntingAkauntingFit 60 | 60 | $8 | Free tier | 1 + accountant on Standard | Square POS, Shopify +4 | View |
 PilotPilotFit 40 | 40 | $99 | Paid | n/a | Ramp10,000+ listed | View |
 PuzzlePuzzleFit 30 | 30 | $30 | Free trial | 1 on Starter; 5 on Core | Rippling, Deel +6 | View |
Accounting for trades and contractors: questions
Which ones have a free plan?
Of the 9 that fit trades and contractors best, Wave, ZipBooks and Kick 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 trades and contractors, 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.