15 Best Desktop Accounting Software for 2023

The accuracy and transparency as delivered by an automated accounting platform should be at the core of every business. Increasingly, organizations are beginning to see the benefits of automating work processes, including the finance and accounting functions of the firm by using accounting software.

So, in this guide, we identify the best desktop accounting software in the market today to help you choose the best solution that can enhance your current operations. Each software solution has a unique set of features and pricing models, which are all presented in this guide. The benefits to be had in using each desktop accounting software are also mentioned, plus, the integrations available that ensure flexibility and scalability.

While technology seems ubiquitous in most business processes, a 2021 survey revealed that overall, 24% of large firms spend more than 50% of their time on manual tasks. This may seem counterintuitive, but there are companies, even large ones, that still perform accounting and finance tasks manually.

As their roles evolve, accountants are at the same time exploring new ways to meet client needs, with 79% of clients requiring provision for business and finance consultancy. From managing transactions, accountants are now performing analytical processing. As they take on new roles, using an accounting platform is integral to facilitating the effective management of spending and efficient use of resources.

Automation has a significant impact on the performance of organizations. Software solutions for the management of accounting and finance workflows can deliver significant competitive advantages for businesses. Having the right tools to effectively manage resources could translate into more efficient spending and increased investments that will propel growth and increase profitability.

If you are automating your accounting processes for the first time or looking to expand your automated workflow using on-premise accounting software, this guide is for you. Our list of the best desktop accounting software will help you identify what to look for in accounting software, including the important features that will deliver the most value to your company.

Best Desktop Accounting Software for 2023

1. Freshbooks

FreshBooks accounting software for desktop makes accounting processes simple for self-employed professionals, freelancers, mid-sized businesses, businesses with contractors, and other business types. Designed for both business owners and accountants, Freshbooks provide accurate and timely financial records that streamline business processes.

The bookkeeping software of Freshbooks helps you track your sales and expenses, create professional invoices, and create estimates. The simple solutions provided by Freshbooks give a clear view of all your accounting data from a single platform. Even freelancing professionals that do not have an accounting background can easily use the software.

Once installed on your desktop, Freshbooks bookkeeping software can generate reports and analyses to give you insights. FreshBooks also allows for customization so you can modify its design and colors as well as add your logo to financial documents to make them look more professional. Moreover, FreshBooks easily integrates with your favorite business apps, including Slack, Gmail, Mailchimp, Stripe, and Fundbox.

Price Range: Pricing for the Lite plan starts at $4.50 per month for professionals with basic needs and five billable clients. For business owners that require more automation and insights, the Plus plan at $7.50 per month allows billing for up to 50 clients. Freshbooks offers a 30-day free trial.

What is unique about Freshbooks?

1. Double-entry accounting. This feature ensures that no transaction is added twice, and makes it easier for you to see the financial status of your business. It also promotes accuracy in bookkeeping.
2. Secure online payments. Right from an invoice, Freshbooks allows online payments from client credit cards. This facilitates faster payments as it is automatically deposited into your account.
3. Customizable templates. Create professional-looking invoices using your logo and brand colors. You can also set reminders and receive updates through the platform.

2. DocuPhase

DocuPhase is a business process and accounting automation solution for document management, workflow automation, and AP and AR automation. The advanced search and accessibility features of the document management tool streamline the AP process. Using a pre-defined routing system and three-way matching, DocuPhase improves workflows and secures all your accounting data.

DocuPhase employs OCR technology to capture, extract, and validate data from incoming documents. As part of the document management system, the web form builder of DocuPhase is directly routed, thus reducing the time spent on paperwork.

DocuPhase has an intuitive payment portal that provides solid support to cash flow, reporting, and reconciliation. Customers are also offered flexible payment options. It integrates with ERP systems and other business tools, including NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Acumatica.

Price Range: DocuPhase provides pricing on a by-quote basis.

What is unique about DocuPhase?

1. Automates workflow. DocuPhase facilitates faster transactions, including vendor and customer payments. Automating the AP process reduces errors in data entries and increases accuracy.
2. Offers various payment options. DocuPhase allows you to collect payments faster by providing customers with their preferred payment methods. Based on your vendor’s preferences, you can also set up the payment system.
3. Intelligent document management. Using optical character recognition technology, DocuPhase extracts from each document only the data that you need. This process eliminates the keying of unnecessary data.

3. PayEm

PayEm is an accounting automation software that performs AP to reconciliation from a single platform. It instantly syncs transactions with your ERP and delivers real-time spend reporting. Based on your organization’s policy, PayEm automatically issues physical and virtual cards for a full audit trail. It also instantly creates bills from invoices and enters auto-categorized transactions in your ERP.

PayEm integrates with leading ERPs and enables you to create bills, bill payments, and journal entries in a single click. It also allows for multi-currency transaction reconciliation. The corporate cards of PayEm eliminate the need for receipt chasing and expense reports. Using these corporate cards, you can stay on track and on budget. PayEm integrates with Slack, QuickBooks, and Xero.

Price Range: PayEm provides pricing through its sales team.

What is unique about PayEm?

1. Manage spending in one platform. PayEm manages, automates, and connects finance processes and spending from a central platform. This gives total visibility and control to finance teams.
2. Automated expense tracking. By using virtual and physical cards, employees only need to upload receipts via mobile or desktop platforms. There is no need to collect receipts and submit expense reports.
3. Soc 2 Type II compliant. PayEm processes and practices align with globally-recognized security, confidentiality, and availability criteria. PayEm puts a high priority on information security compliance and protecting its customers.

4. Zoho Books

Zoho Books desktop accounting software helps teams record expenses and bills, send estimates and invoices, manage projects, and streamline the entire accounting process. It has a platform for Windows and Mac that allows users to see the overall financial status, and add expenses, invoices, contacts, and other items. From the dashboard, Zoho Books also allows you to add timers for each project.

From the status bar, you can receive notifications, and check the status of transactions, and it also allows you to switch views between different accounts. With Zoho Books for desktop, you can manage and create invoices based on actual time spent on projects.

Easily track transactions with Zoho Books by managing your contacts list. Categorize your expenses and attach receipts. Native features for Windows 10 include push notifications, keyboard shortcuts, Cortana voice support, live tiles, and Windows Ink.

Price Range: Businesses with less than $50,000 in annual revenue can use the Zoho Books free plan. Billed annually, paid plans start at $10/organization/month. Zoho Books offers a 14-day free trial.

Zoho Books

Try out Zoho Books with their free trial

What is unique about Zoho Books?

1. Streamlines workflow. Create estimates with Zoho Books and send them via email. Once these estimates are approved by customers, you can convert them into invoices and request payments.
2. Effectively manages your cash flow. With Zoho Books, you can collect payments quickly with the automated invoicing feature. You can also create credit notes to manage customer refunds.
3. Clean user interface. The UI of Zoho Books is clutter-free, and the clean layout lets you work seamlessly throughout the app. The Zoho Books functionalities in one platform help you perform your accounting tasks easily.

5. Zoho Expense

Zoho Expense is an expense management software solution that lets you automate expense reporting from your desktop. It streamlines corporate travel and equips you with all the tools that you need to have complete control of your company’s spending. Zoho Expense for Windows 10 desktop uses the same UI in the browser and mobile versions.

The streamlined expense reporting of Zoho Expense simplifies spend management through expense reporting automation that lets employees record expenses on the go. As a result, streamlined expense reporting provides real-time spend visibility.

Zoho Expense for Windows 10 desktop has a comprehensive dashboard with a platform that processes multiple currencies, auto scans expense receipts, and records mileage expenses, among others. It also offers GST-related features, which makes it compliant with the tax system of India. Zoho Expense easily integrates with Zoho Books and Zoho CRM.

Price Range: Billed annually, pricing for Zoho Expense starts at $3/user/month. A free plan that is limited to three users is also available to small businesses and freelancers.

Zoho Expense

Try out Zoho Expense with their free trial

What is unique about Zoho Expense?

1. Simplifies expense reporting. Zoho Expense eliminates manual work with its expense management tool that manages receipts and tracks mileage in a single platform. As a result, teams can focus on providing a superior customer experience rather than spend time recording expenses.
2. Efficient spend management. Zoho Expense lets you keep spending under control by using predefined rules and policies. In addition, it lets you put a lid on spending by setting budgets.
3. Automated reporting. The expense report management and expense report automation features facilitate an easy expense reporting system. This provides efficiency in overall operations and reduces overall costs.

6. Sage 50cloud

Sage 50cloud is an accounting solution for small and mid-sized businesses that gives you a complete view of all your business finances in one place. It offers powerful accounting and finance features and is rated as the top accounting software for small businesses.

Manage your cash flow invoicing, calculate VAT quickly with the powerful VAT management feature, and control stock and inventory. The advanced inventory feature of Sage 50cloud computes and tracks costs and quantities by item code daily. Each time you post a sale or a purchase, your inventory is automatically adjusted.

The jobs management functionality provides insights on job costing and information on how your resources are being used. Sage 50cloud integrates with various business systems and applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Bill.com, Skype, and BQE Core.

Price Range: Sage 50cloud monthly pricing starts at $33 for 1 user for Pro Accounting. Premium Accounting starts at $52 per user, and Quantum Accounting starts at $87 per user.

What is unique about Sage 50cloud?

1. Powerful invoicing system. The Cash Flow Manager feature of Sage 50cloud gives you an instant view of your cash flow. It gives you a clear view of your finances and you can also customize settings to get a more granular view.
2. Automatic bank reconciliation. Eliminate manual data entry with Sage 50cloud by connecting to your bank feeds for full visibility of your finances. This ensures that all bank transactions are synced on the platform.
3. Advanced inventory management. Sage 50cloud accounting computes and tracks costs and quantities by item code daily. Each time you post a purchase or a sale, the inventory adjusts automatically.

7. QuickBooks Enterprise

QuickBooks Enterprise for desktop is a total business management solution that provides tools that are built with your business in mind. It offers best-in-class accounting, inventory management, reporting, payroll, time tracking, and other enterprise accounting-related processes. The robust platform can be installed on up to 40 computers and can track up to one million customers, vendors, and items.

The industry editions of QuickBooks Enterprise offer customized reports, capabilities, and features. It has an advanced inventory system that can track and automate inventory management. From a single dashboard, you can manage the entire sales order fulfillment process with the pick, pack, and ship functionality.

QuickBooks Enterprise has an intuitive design that is easy to set up, administer, and use, which ensures that you will be able to work seamlessly and increase productivity. It also includes the Priority Circle, which provides each customer with a dedicated account team, on-demand QuickBooks training, and premium support. It integrates with more than 650 business apps, including Amazon Business, Paypal, and Shopify.

Price Range: Pricing starts at $938 per year for up to 40 users with advanced roles.

What is unique about QuickBooks Enterprise?

1. Simplified payroll management. You can pay employees directly from QuickBooks using the QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll, which simplifies payments and payroll tax filing. It also lets you prepare, file, and send W-2s and 1099s.
2. Premium support. As a QuickBooks Enterprise customer, you are entitled to receive free upgrades, data backups, and the newest features and updates. These are all free of charge.
3. Industry-specific editions. QuickBooks enterprise has seven editions designed to fit each specific industry, including nonprofits, retail, construction, and more. At zero additional cost, you can choose any one of these editions.

8. Vyapar

Vyapar is a billing, inventory, and accounting software that is completely free. It is the leading goods and services tax (GST) billing software in India designed for small business owners. With Vyapar, you can create GST bills that are fully compliant with the GST laws of India.

You can keep your accounts and books up-to-date using Vyapar. Choose from more than 10 templates to use for invoices to customers, and you can also customize the templates to promote your brand. Simply add your company logo and contact details. It includes stock and inventory management and has an auto backup functionality.

You can also generate tax reports while staying on top of your receivables and payables. Vyapar integrates with Microsoft Excel, regular and thermal printers, and other desktop peripherals.

Price Range: The Basic Plan, which is good for a one-year subscription starts at 49.99 while the Saver Plan, which is good for 3 years is at $114.99. Vyapar for desktop offers a 15-day free trial.

What is unique about Vyapar?

1. Professional and custom GST invoices. Vyapar provides ready-made invoices but also lets you design your own. Add your logo, company header, and other important details and choose your color theme for that professional look.
2. Quick tax filing. For all types of transactions, Vyapar enables you to add and apply corresponding taxes. You can also set the system to automatically allow an inclusive or exclusive tax on each transaction.
3. Real-time financial status. The business dashboard of Vyapar allows you to check your business status, including cash on hand, stock value, bank balance, and other crucial data.

9. AccountEdge

AccountEdge is a full-featured accounting software for desktops designed for small businesses. It is an accounting software solution that has a double-entry system. It helps you run and report purchases and orders, sales and invoicing, inventory, and time billing.

The notes field allows you to add notes on every transaction to ensure that important details are kept on record. The budget analysis tab lets you to edit your budget allotments for each job and do calculations in one window. A job number will automatically be assigned to each transaction, which can also be removed or overwritten.

AccountEdge offers add-ons for telephone support, payroll processing, web pay, credit card processing, and bank feeds, among others. It also integrates with Shopify, Rerun, and Checkout.

Price Range: AccountEdge for Windows and Mac pricing starts at $15/month for the first multi-user license and $10 per additional license.

What is unique about AccountEdge?

1. Multi-year spreadsheet. This feature displays year-over-year comparisons of yearly profit and loss records. This allows you to have a macro view of your business performance and gather insights from the data.
2. Advanced search. AccountEdge has an advanced filtering feature that helps you search for data such as bank registers, sales, and purchase registers. This makes your accounting workflow efficient.
3. Warranty tracking. AccountEdge assigns serial numbers to every item in the inventory from purchase through the sale. This includes all item-based businesses.

10. ZorroSign

ZorroSign is a digital signature and document solution software that puts accountability back into your accounting process. It is traceable and secure and offers a next-level digital security platform via blockchain.

ZorroSign secures the accounting process by tracking document chain custody, providing user-friendly digital services, and reducing critical documentation turnaround time. It includes a full suite of six transformative digital features for securing signatures, automating compliance, intelligent form-fill, document management, fraud detection, and authentication and validation.

ZorroSign provides accounting and tax departments with a traceable and secure digital signature and document management system. It has an open API and integrates with document management systems, CRM, and collaboration platforms, including Twilio, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Price Range: The Individual plan starts at $10 per month while the Business plan is priced at $25 per month. ZorroSign offers a 14-day free trial.

What is unique about ZorroSign?

1. Multi-chain blockchain platform. ZorroSign uses blockchain technology to deliver top-notch security features. By tracking each document’s chain of custody, teams can achieve full accountability.
2. AI-powered document management. Eliminate workflow inefficiencies through the ZorroSign document management platform. The digital processes facilitate workflows without using paper, while at the same time promoting sustainable practices.
3. Secures every document. Every uploaded document using ZorroSign is embedded with its 4n6 feature, which creates a virtual seal. This initiates a verifiable trail and blocks any attempts to tamper and revise the document.

11. Dancing Numbers

Dancing Numbers is a data import, export, and delete tool for accounting software. It helps you import and export files to QuickBooks such as customers list, vendors list, and other company data. It is a single-window automation tool for QuickBooks desktop that you can use to import and export files, and even delete unnecessary files with the option for later retrieval as needed.

Dancing Numbers simplifies and tracks all QuickBooks transactions. It facilitates the error-free transfer of data, thus ensuring that your files are always accurate and up-to-date. With Dancing Numbers, you can do all kinds of imports, both standard and advanced, and add or delete multiple files.

Transferring and sharing data is a breeze. All QuickBooks entities, including customer, banking, vendor, and employee transactions are supported by Dancing Numbers. The platform supports CSV and QIF file formats, and easily integrates with any QuickBooks account.

Price Range: Pricing starts at $199 per year for up to three company files with unlimited export, import, and delete. It also offers a 7-day free trial.

What is unique about Dancing Numbers?

1. Easily import and export data to QuickBooks. With just a single click, easily import, export, and delete files on QuickBooks. Do away with manual entries and have more time to focus on your business.
2. Save time and resources. Upload files, import transactions, and map file headers with ease. Use this comprehensive tool for QuickBooks to maximize features.
3. Accurate reporting. Import data faster while ensuring accuracy. Dancing Numbers has a system that validates data before it is fed into QuickBooks.

12. HR Trace

HR Trace is an ERP-based software solution that can automatically perform payroll calculations. It tracks employee time-ins and time-outs, ensuring that every employee is paid for the actual time worked. HR Trace facilitates easy payroll processing.

This payroll software digitizes the whole process of attendance and leave tracking, and also tracks employee performance. Its centralized platform ensures that every employee activity is monitored for training and development purposes. HR Trace also helps in identifying misuse of the company’s time and resources.

Aside from payroll management, HR Trace can also monitor company expenses. This can be generated as a report either monthly or annually. HR Trace assists in time tracking and ensures that time spent on tasks and projects is accurately recorded.

Price Range: The company provides pricing on a by-quote basis.

What is unique about HR Trace?

1. Single-click payslip generation. Automated payroll management enables the quick generation of payslips. With just a single click, HR Trace can produce accurate payslips that are ready for distribution.
2. Monthly expense calculation. Monitor your company’s expenses with HR Trace and stay on top of your finances. This feature is particularly useful in budgeting and making monthly allocations.
3. Client payment tracking. You can also track client payments through HR Trace by using the work hours tracking tool. In this way, you can accurately record the time actually spent on projects.

13. Transaction Pro

Transaction Pro is a software solution that can help you keep QuickBooks up-to-date by easily importing, exporting, and deleting data. Reduce errors as you import lists and transactions into QuickBooks. This platform also provides an Admin Portal for customers with multiple QuickBooks company files and users.

The Transaction Pro Importer feature eliminates manual data entry while validating data prior to importing. You can also import custom fields on transactions and lists and use formulas when mapping. The Transaction Pro Exporter, on the other hand, exports data from QuickBooks for reporting and analysis.

You can also clean up your QuickBooks company file by using the Transaction Pro Deleter, which performs batch deletions. Prior to deletion, you can preview your queried data to double-check if you are deleting the right files. Transaction Pro integrates with QuickBooks.

Price Range: Transaction Pro charges a one-time fee of $199 per user for the Importer Only platform and $299 per user for the Importer/Exporter/Deleter Pro. It also offers a 7-day free trial.

What is unique about Transaction Pro?

1. Easily import transactions. Eliminate data entry by importing transactions and lists. These include bill payments, credit cards, journal entries, invoices, and sales receipts.
2. Increases workflow efficiency. Move your data to another accounting system easily by using Transaction Pro Exporter. Various file types are supported, including Excel, CSV, TXT, among others.
3. Up-to-date records. You can remove unnecessary data anytime using the Transaction Pro Deleter. This feature supports over 20 types of transactions and saves you time by batch deletions.

14. Hubble

Hubble is a powerful and easy-to-use reporting solution for JDE and Oracle EBS that helps teams manage finance processes. It has an all-in-one reporting and analytics tool, including real-time reporting and automated report distribution.

Hubble includes a flexible library with 240 out-of-the-box pre-built financial report templates. This facilitates the immediate creation of reports that can aid you in making data-driven business decisions. Data visualizations also allow you to track key metrics in real-time.

The full integration with EBS and JDE security ensures that reporting processes are governed by current standards and regulations. Hubble integrates with Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle JD Edwards.

Price Range: Hubble provides pricing upon request.

What is unique about Hubble?

1. Designed for JDE and Oracle EBS. Designed as a reporting and analytics tool, Hubble facilitates efficient financial management for JBE and Oracle EBS users. It enables you to reduce time spent on month-end and year-end reporting processes.
2. Instant financial insights. Hubble provides 240 templates for you to quickly prepare various financial reports. This enables teams to get data and gather insights from reports in real-time.
3. Tracks key metrics. The analytics tools of Hubble enable organizations using Oracle EBS and JDE to monitor key metrics. The real-time web dashboards show trends and facilitate collaboration.

15. Spire

Spire is a business management software with accounting, inventory control, and sales management modules that are built for small and mid-sized businesses. This platform enables organizations to gain a competitive advantage by providing greater visibility and control of business operations.

From a central platform, Spire delivers valuable data and insights that help organizations make better strategies and drive growth. It also helps you deliver top-notch customer service by ensuring that inventory levels are optimized, so you can deliver on time, all the time.

Spire helps companies streamline business processes to improve operational efficiency. It also offers third-party technologies and solutions that integrate seamlessly with the Spire platform to extend functionalities, including Magento Link2Spire, Zoho CRM integration, Shopify integration, and connectSpire Hubspot integration.

Price Range: Spire provides pricing upon request.

What is unique about Spire?

1. Includes 20 core modules. The 20 core modules of Spire include AP, AR, multi-currency, user-defined fields, POS, and purchase history, among others. Spire uses modern technology to promote efficiency, greater visibility, and control of business operations.
2. Flexible and scalable solution. The add-on modules of Spire ensure that your business is ready to scale. Designed for specific industries, it meets unique business needs by simplifying, automating, and streamlining processes.
3. Third-party solutions. Hubble integrations with third-party solutions provide flexibility to customers. This gives customers the opportunity to extend the functionalities of Spire as they scale their businesses.

Choose The Best Desktop Accounting Software

The benefits of using the best desktop accounting software include streamlined processes that increase efficiency. As organizations reach optimal workflows, the overall cost of operations is reduced. Reasons for using an intelligent platform for managing accounting and finance include not only promoting transparency and visibility but also empowering teams to spend more time on growing the business.

Freshbooks emerged as the best desktop accounting software for its robust features that effectively manage core accounting processes. It is easy to install and use, and even customers with no accounting background can easily navigate the platform. Test Freshbooks through its 30-day free trial offer and experience the difference of having a completely automated accounting and finance platform.

As the role of accounting—as well as the role of accountants—evolves in the modern business landscape, the function of accounting software tools becomes more crucial. As AI transforms accounting management, you have to ensure that your business is ready to thrive by having the right platform that will enhance your accounting processes.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.