Small Business Owner: Recommend an alternative to QuickBooks

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SR1729

Senior member
Jan 11, 2010
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I'm a small business owner with QuickBooks Pro 2007. I'm sick of the bloated beast that is QuickBooks. I'm also rather put off by the fact that they castrate their software after a few years (beginning June of this year, 2007 users will no longer be able to email invoices to clients, for instance).

Can anyone recommend an alternative? It doesn't even have to be free. I don't mind paying for good accounting software as long as it's not designed to bend me over. Of course, if there's a free/open source option, even better. I've done some of this research already, but I'd like to hear from others here who've made "the switch".
 
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SlitheryDee

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
I hear peachtree is good.

I've never used anything but quickbooks though. I have my gripes about it, but I'm not sure I could do without the integration it has with quickbooks POS.
 
S

SR1729

Senior member
Jan 11, 2010
602
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Fortunately, I just need basic accounting functions. I don't even process my own payroll (using Paycor for that). I just use it to keep track of my time, invoice customers, and track business expenses.
 
PricklyPete

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,714
164
106
I'll install SAP at your site if you want. You'll have to negotiate the software price with SAP...but my consulting services will come out to about a million. Game?
 
I

imagoon

Diamond Member
Feb 19, 2003
5,199
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PricklyPete said:
I'll install SAP at your site if you want. You'll have to negotiate the software price with SAP...but my consulting services will come out to about a million. Game?
Click to expand...

I <3 paying 30k a year just for the privilege of running accounting software!
 
T

The-Noid

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,117
0
76
Mind Your Own Business is supposedly good.

I always liked peachtree.

Microsoft Excel works too or paying someone else...
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
63,012
11,397
136
I prefer Peachtree to QuickBooks, but it's more detail oriented and takes more time to do things. IMO, it's designed for a full-time bookkeeper rather than a business owner trying to muddle through his own stuff.

Another good (albeit fairly expensive) option is Sage's Business Works. VERY good program, fairly easy to use, can be as detailed as you want.

IMO, Microsoft Office Accounting sux. It was the worst of the bunch when I was in school a couple of years ago. I did the same exact project with Peachtree, QuickBooks, and MOA. Peachtree gave the best over-all detailed results, QuickBooks was by far easier, but less detailed, and MOA was a bloated PITA to deal with...and the end results weren't nearly as good.
 
C

chusteczka

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2006
3,400
1
71
I have recently been considering the same question.

Wikipedia has a comparison listing of accounting software. It includes the following categories:
  • Free and open source software
  • Propietary software

Does anyone have any experience with any of the free and open source software?

One thing I noticed is none of the free and open source software seems to provide Inventory Control or Inventory Management functionality. This is something I am looking for.
 
Mike Gayner

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
The best small accounting software available is a NZ made product called Xero, but I'm not sure if it's available in USA yet (it's an online accounting package).

I'm an accountant and have been getting more and more of my clients off piggish software like Quickbooks and MYOB onto this.
 
Mike Gayner

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
BTW for those people above recommending Excel - I don't know what the OPs business is, but Excel is not accounting software, and is not nearly powerful/useful enough to run most of the businesses I'm involved with.
 
highland145

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,386
5,812
136
Mike Gayner said:
BTW for those people above recommending Excel - I don't know what the OPs business is, but Excel is not accounting software, and is not nearly powerful/useful enough to run most of the businesses I'm involved with.
Click to expand...
Agree but he said he needed it to "track time, invoice customers, and track business expenses." And since I'm a cheap bastard....
 
M

Mickey3D

Junior Member
Apr 22, 2010
1
0
0
SR1729 said:
I'm a small business owner with QuickBooks Pro 2007. I'm sick of the bloated beast that is QuickBooks. I'm also rather put off by the fact that they castrate their software after a few years (beginning June of this year, 2007 users will no longer be able to email invoices to clients, for instance).

Can anyone recommend an alternative? It doesn't even have to be free. I don't mind paying for good accounting software as long as it's not designed to bend me over. Of course, if there's a free/open source option, even better. I've done some of this research already, but I'd like to hear from others here who've made "the switch".
Click to expand...


Hi,
I suggest you to have a look at TioLive. This is a free and Open Source competitor of QuickBooks which is very efficient according to me (we use it in business). You can manage all the operations that you want, you can learn by yourself how to use it thinks to tutorials and since it is online, you just have to register on the platform.
Moreover, the accounting part is very complete : you track each accounting operation, you manage your inventory, you can generate the State of Accounts and the Balance sheets, etc. I like it !
 
J

JS80

Lifer
Oct 24, 2005
26,271
7
81
Mike Gayner said:
The best small accounting software available is a NZ made product called Xero, but I'm not sure if it's available in USA yet (it's an online accounting package).

I'm an accountant and have been getting more and more of my clients off piggish software like Quickbooks and MYOB onto this.
Click to expand...

Xero has no inventory function.

Any recommend any web-based accounting system besides QB and Xero?
 
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