Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/696186
June 2016 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 19 SMB ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS CLOUD BEST FIT FreshBooks is designed for sole pro- prietors and other small business owners that desire a mobile system that can be used to track customer, payment, and client information. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Designed for mobile users • Integrates with a variety of apps • Easy system startup, with litle training needed • Ofers time tracking capability POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Users may f ind themselves overwhelmed with apps in order to obtain the functionality they need SUMMARY & PRICING FreshBooks ofers new users a free 30-day trial, with no credit card needed. Users have access to the full system, where they can try out the product at their leisure. FreshBooks pricing starts at 9.95 per month for Sprout, which supports up to fve customers/clients. Evergreen, which includes unlimited custom- ers/clients and one additional system user, runs $29.95 per month. www.freshbooks.com BEST FIT Small businesses owners who are seeking a cloud-based system with a clean and simlifed interface for basic accounting. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Quick, easy system setup • Scalable, with support for up to fve users • Users can import data from the Desktop version of Quick Books • Tremendous number of apps available POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Users can get bogged down with multiple apps • Importation limitations when moving data from desktop ver- sion to online SUMMARY & PRICING QuickBooks Online ofers a variety of versions and pricing options for users. Regular pricing for QuickBooks Online Simple Start is $12.95 per month; Essentials is $26.95 per month; and QuickBooks Online Plus is $39.95 per month. Payroll is priced separately, with both Essentials and Plus ofering a payroll option with the product. Tese prices can vary, as Intuit frequently runs online specials. www.quickbooksonline.com BEST FIT AccountingSuite is a good ft for sole proprietors, freelancers, and other small businesses that are look- ing for a solid accounting product that is mobile, fexible and easily accessible from anywhere. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Product ofers excellent time tracking capability • Product of fers easy import/ export capability • A ll versions of the product ofer the same level of functionality • Ofers solid help, including a user guide, videos, and training sessions POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Some businesses may outgrow the product SUMMARY & PRICING AccountingSuite is a good solution for smaller businesses with up to 10 system users that desire easy accessibility and product scalability. AccountingSuite is available in three versions: Entrepreneur – which is a single user system, with one outside accountant/bookkeeper seat, and is $15.00 per month. Small Business is $29.00 per month, and includes 5 active users and one accountant/ bookkeeper; and Premium, which is $49.00 per month, and supports up to 10 users and 1 accountant/ bookkeeping seat. All functionality is the same across all versions. www.accountingsuite.com BEST FIT Sage One is a good ft for micro- businesses and sole proprietors that desire accounting functionality in a product that can be easily accessed from anywhere. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Low monthly cost for unlimited users • Good invoicing functionality • Of fers over a dozen globa l versions and accepts foreign currencies • Easy import functionality POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Does not ofer check printing capability • No Payroll functionality SUMMARY & PRICING Ideally designed for sole propri- etors, or those ofering client/ customer services, Sage One is available for $10.00 a month, and includes complete online access, unlimited invoicing, and multiple users. www.sageone.com FreshBooks Cloud Accounting Intuit QuickBooks Online AccountingSuite Sage One Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12213823 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12213831 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12213811 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12213833 4.5 4.5 4.75 4.5 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING system security and audit trail options. Integration/Import/Export – For those using other third-party applications, this area looks at how easy (or possible) it is to import or export data from other applications. Another area of importance is accountant accessibility to the product. Help/Support – In this area, help and support functionality is assessed, as well as what product sup- port options are available. We also take a look at system updates and their availability. So many factors are taken into consideration when looking at purchasing sofware of any kind. Whether a business has one employee or one hundred, helping you and your client determine what is best for their business is what we do. ●