Run your small-business books

1. 1

   Get the background

   A quick read before you start, so you know what good looks like.

   Guides & editorial

   How to Start a Business With AI

   Start a business with AI: target real pains, pre-sell, ship a tiny no-code MVP, price on outcomes, iterate fast, and use AskZyro to accelerate everything.

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   Guides & editorial

   Common Mistakes When Naming A Business

   Read the guide on AskZyro.

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2. 2

   Pick your accounting software

   One ledger for bank feeds, reports and tax — choose based on your country and whether you work with an accountant.

   After this step: Accounting software set up with your bank connected.

   

   Finance & Accounting

   Xero

   Cloud accounting with no per-user fees — bank reconciliation, invoicing, VAT and Making Tax Digital, payroll and the JAX AI assistant.

   Paid · £7/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: UK, Australian and New Zealand small businesses — and US businesses that value a large app ecosystem — that want proper cloud bookkeeping, VAT or sales tax, and free access for their team and accountant.

   Consider another option if: You send more than 20 invoices a month but want to pay entry-level prices (Ignite and Early cap invoices), you need US payroll included in the subscription (it's a Gusto add-on), or you only need simple invoicing.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   

   Finance & Accounting

   QuickBooks Online

   Cloud accounting for small businesses — bank feeds, invoicing, VAT and sales tax, reports and AI bookkeeping that learns how you categorise.

   Freemium · Free

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Small and growing businesses — especially in the US and UK — that want cloud bookkeeping, invoicing, VAT or sales tax and reporting in one place, and that work with an accountant or bookkeeper.

   Consider another option if: You're a freelancer who only needs invoicing (cheaper invoicing tools cover it), you want predictable long-term pricing (QuickBooks has raised prices most years), or you're outside the regions QuickBooks supports well and need local tax features.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   

   Finance & Accounting

   Wave

   Free accounting and invoicing for US and Canadian small businesses — unlimited invoices and bookkeeping on the free plan, with paid payments and payroll.

   Freemium · Free

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Freelancers, sole proprietors and very small businesses in the US and Canada who want free invoicing and double-entry bookkeeping, and are happy to pay only for payments, payroll or automation when they need it.

   Consider another option if: Your business is outside the US or Canada (including the UK — Wave isn't MTD-compliant and no longer supports invoicing there), you need inventory or project accounting, or you want a large app ecosystem and advanced reporting.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)
3. 3

   Invoice and get paid

   Professional invoices with online payment get you paid faster than bank details in an email.

   After this step: Invoices going out with a pay-now link.

   

   Finance & Accounting

   FreshBooks

   Invoicing-first accounting for freelancers and service businesses — invoices, time tracking, proposals, expenses and projects in one place.

   Free trial · $23/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Freelancers, consultants, agencies and other service businesses that bill clients by project, time or retainer and want simple invoicing, payments, expenses and reports without needing accounting knowledge.

   Consider another option if: You sell physical products and need inventory, you need UK payroll in the same software, you have a growing team (every extra user costs extra), or you invoice many small clients on a budget plan (client caps of 5 and 50).

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   

   Finance & Accounting

   QuickBooks Online

   Cloud accounting for small businesses — bank feeds, invoicing, VAT and sales tax, reports and AI bookkeeping that learns how you categorise.

   Freemium · Free

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Small and growing businesses — especially in the US and UK — that want cloud bookkeeping, invoicing, VAT or sales tax and reporting in one place, and that work with an accountant or bookkeeper.

   Consider another option if: You're a freelancer who only needs invoicing (cheaper invoicing tools cover it), you want predictable long-term pricing (QuickBooks has raised prices most years), or you're outside the regions QuickBooks supports well and need local tax features.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

   

   Finance & Accounting

   Xero

   Cloud accounting with no per-user fees — bank reconciliation, invoicing, VAT and Making Tax Digital, payroll and the JAX AI assistant.

   Paid · £7/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: UK, Australian and New Zealand small businesses — and US businesses that value a large app ecosystem — that want proper cloud bookkeeping, VAT or sales tax, and free access for their team and accountant.

   Consider another option if: You send more than 20 invoices a month but want to pay entry-level prices (Ignite and Early cap invoices), you need US payroll included in the subscription (it's a Gusto add-on), or you only need simple invoicing.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)
4. 4

   Stop typing receipts

   Capturing receipts and bills as they arrive keeps your books current and your records complete.

   After this step: Receipts and bills flowing into your books automatically.

   

   Finance & Accounting

   Dext

   Receipt and invoice capture that reads your paperwork and publishes it into Xero, QuickBooks or Sage — no more manual data entry.

   Free trial · £24.17/month

   Is it right for me?

   Best for: Businesses with a steady flow of receipts, bills and expense claims — and the accountants who serve them — that want paperwork captured, coded and published into Xero, QuickBooks or Sage automatically.

   Consider another option if: You only have a handful of receipts a month (your accounting software's built-in capture may be enough), you want one tool that also invoices and files VAT, or you don't use accounting software at all — Dext is a front end, not a ledger.

   SaveRead review →Visit (new tab)

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