What Could Be Best Free Solution For Mac

Screens for and is the best remote access solution for accessing our Macs when away from home. It uses industry-standard technology for remote access (VNC), but the free service makes it easy to setup. This removes the requirement to use a static IP address or configure your router manually.

If your machine is behind a corporate network that prohibits Screens from working remotely, we recommend. The and Mac apps are free, but the service is prohibitively expensive for most users. Free Productivity Guide: Download our simple guide to productivity to help you improve your workflows and be more focused with your time and attention. Why do you need remote access? With the rise of services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud, remote access services aren’t necessary for simply accessing files remotely.

There are countless ways to sync documents and access them from anywhere. Accessing a PDF file using that is stored in Dropbox is certainly better than remotely controlling a Mac and opening the document. I use remote access to manage a Mac mini at and my at home. Accessing a Mac remotely allows you to run desktop applications, have access to a full web browser from iOS, and access files and programs that are only on that one machine. Screens How does it work? Screens, at its core, is a VNC client.

VNC stands for. It was created by The Olivetti & Oracle Research Lab back in the late 90s. The lab was later purchased by AT&T, but shut down in 2002. The original VNC source code is now open source. With VNC apps, there are two pieces.

You have the VNC server (typically a laptop, server, or desktop) and the VNC client (another laptop, desktop, or mobile device). The client generally connects to the server from port 5900 and allows the client to see the display of the VNC server. Screens is using industry-standard technology, but with an easy-to-use and beautiful user interface.

Design Screens has stayed current, following Apple’s ever-changing design standards. Both apps received quick updates for the new iOS 7 design a couple years back. The iPhone and Mac apps share a lot of similar buttons and layout functions, so users of both apps can swap back and forth without having to re-learn workflows.

The apps look for available machines on the local network, and also shows you the ones available with Screens Connect (more on that later). Double tapping/clicking on a machine launches it and either logs you in or prompts you for the passcode depending on how the security of that machine is setup. Once you are logged into a machine, you are free to use it like you would just sitting in front of it. There is a dedicated Screenshot button, options to send/receive the clipboard, an option to scale down the display when network conditions are not optimal, and the ability to manage multiple displays if they are available.

On the Mac side, using a remote machine feels extremely normal. Both devices use a mouse and keyboard, so it’s fairly easy to implement that. On the iOS side, you are taking a touch screen device and making it work with a desktop OS. You quickly find out why Apple didn’t simply port Mac OS X as-is to the iPad. A touch-based OS requires drastically different interactions than a mouse/keyboard paradigm.

With that being said, Screens offers the best experience in my opinion. It’s easy to zoom in and tapping moves the cursor to your desired location and initiates a click on the server.

There is also an optional trackpad mode that turns your display into a trackpad and will make the cursor follow your finger around as you track. Both options work well, and it just comes down to personal preference. Our friends at MacMini Colo to use on a remote Mac that is “headless” (a Mac mini or Mac Pro) in order to use higher resolutions. If you plug into the HDMI port, you’ll get access to all available resolutions up to 16×9 1080p. Features Since Screens is built on open source technology, it is probably always going to lose the feature check list game when compared to custom-built services like LogMeIn. Companies that are building their own technology have the ability to do whatever their product managers can come up with. Screens is built on open-source VNC technology, so it’s going to be a much simpler design.

Most of the extra features aren’t needed in 2015 for most people (remote printing, file syncing, etc) anyways. Screens offers exactly what I want out of remote access without a monthly fee. Access Options Screens is available for and for. It does lack a web access component, so if that is a feature that you need, then you should look at one of the other options below. Web access used to be important to me, but that was before I had multiple iOS devices in my bag. I’ve actually found myself using Screens on my iPhone 6 Plus quite a bit, not to mention the extremely capable iPad version. Setup As I mentioned earlier, Screens is really just a beautiful VNC application.

VNC server support is built into Mac OS X by default, and this app is just building a VNC client. The main downside with VNC, since it’s an open-source platform, is that the setup can generally be tricky. You have to make sure the computer is configured right, and you need a static IP from your internet provider (or use a service like to update your dynamic DNS to a static host). Screens has a free service called that takes care of that for you. You create an account, install the Screens Connect app on the Mac you want to remotely access, and log in with your user name and password. On the client side, you simply log in with your Screens Connect account, and you see your logged in computers. The only place this service won’t work is when a corporate firewall is blocking VNC traffic.

Screens also offers a free program called that makes it easy to connect to a friend or family member’s Mac with a temporary link. Reliability In my experience, Screens has been rock solid. I bought it a few years back after LogMeIn discontinued their free service and haven’t looked back. Screens is really the best of both worlds. It’s pairing open-source technology that’s built right into Mac OS X with a well-supported and frequently updated app. On iOS, the developer has worked to add things like TouchID support, Touch Bar support, an adaptive toolbar and more.

Regular updates help us feel more comfortable relying on this app day in and day out. Runner Up LogMeIn ($249.99/year for two computers) is our runner up for remote access solutions.

We also recommend it for the times when VNC technology is blocked or a corporate firewall prevents Screens Connect from working. LogMeIn is easy to install and easy to use. In fact, I use it on a few machines at work in order to always have easy access to them from offsite. LogMeIn allows me to keep my firewall locked down, but still get to these machines. It works from the web, but they also recently added a Mac client that is installed when you sign up. It allows quick access to a machine. LogMeIn also offers free.

I’ve found that their iOS apps are the easiest to use. I found scrolling and tapping/clicking to feel the most native of anything other than Screens.

From a security perspective, LogMeIn uses for all its communications. You can also use RSA SecurID or 2-factor authentication along with requiring your Mac’s username and password. One of the main reasons we chose Screens over LogMeIn is the price.

Screens is a one-time app purchase where LogMeIn is $249.99/year. It’s difficult to justify that price unless this is something you depend on every day. Free Productivity Guide: Download our simple guide to productivity to help you improve your workflows and be more focused with your time and attention. The Others Back To My Mac Back To My Mac (free) was originally a feature of MobileMe, but it is now a part of iCloud. Since iCloud is free, it’s a natural choice for a lot of users.

However, we don’t feel like it’s the best solution due to the fact that we can’t get it to work the majority of the time. Apple’s mentions a few tips related to its own routers, but not much else. Some users have no issue getting it to work, while others have no success at all.

Another reason that it’s not our pick is there is no way to use it on iOS. I use remote access apps as much on my iPhone as I do other laptops. Back To My Mac is free with an iCloud account, but it’s support and features reflect the price tag. Security-wise, Back to My Mac uses IPSec and SSL encryption between your Mac and Apple’s servers.

It uses Kerberos with digital certificates to verify that you are authorized to connect to the Mac in question. Apple Remote Desktop ($79.99) is a tool that’s aimed at Mac system administrators, but it’s really not that useful for them any more. It goes years without updates, and the ones it does see are usually for Mac OS X compatibility. Like Back To My Mac, it also lacks an iOS component. Setting it up to work remotely is also going to take some networking configuration on your router and VPN setup. Most Mac system administrators have moved onto a tool like from JAMF Software. Apple Remote Desktop fits in a weird place of not being useful for the prosumer, but not powerful enough for the IT department.

I’d rather see it become a Back to my Device app and work with iOS devices (remote access from a Mac to iOS) and make it work similar to Find My iPhone. From a security perspective, you can encrypt your session with an SSH tunnel, but it does come at a security cost. Authentication to clients uses an authentication method based on a Diffie-Hellman Key agreement protocol that creates a shared 128-bit key.

This key is used to encrypt the login credentials using AES. The Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol used in Apple Remote Desktop is similar to the one used in Mac file sharing. Chrome Remote Desktop (free) is a Google Chrome plugin that allows you to access other Macs that are logged into your Google account (with the Remote Desktop extension installed) through the web browser.

The price is right, it’s simple to setup, and offers access. I found the iOS app to be subpar compared to Screens, though. It functionally worked fine, but Screens handled multi-monitor setups better, scrolled easier, and was just all around more functional. Remote access tools are already a bit of a hack, so smoothness and speed are imperative. Chrome Remote Desktop uses Chrome’s SSL features, which includes full support for AES. None of your session data is ever recorded by Google, and in most situations, the connection is directly from the client to the remote session without passing through Google.

It’s free, so there is no reason not to give it a shot if a free solution is what you are after. TeamViewer (free for non-commercial, starts at $795 for commercial) is another popular remote access solution.

Like LogMeIn, it handles the router configuration for you. You install the client on your Mac, and then you can log in from the web or an iOS device. TeamViewer works well and is fast, but the setup and configuration was a bit more complicated than LogMeIn.

While it is a remote access solution, its also heavily pitched as a remote support and online meeting solution as well. The price is right, but LogMeIn is easier to use, and Chrome Remote Desktop is easier to set up. TeamViewer’s encryption is based on RSA private/public key exchange and AES 256-bit session encryption. RealVNC (free and paid products available) was founded by the original developers of the VNC protocol (it’s open source). They offer support for and, and also offer free and paid, but it’s not a product we recommend to most people because of how difficult it is to for off-site access. It involves knowing your public IP (most residential users have a dynamic IP that can change) and forwarding ports on your router.

The paid products offer 128-bit AES encryption or better. If you are looking for a free solution, we recommend Chrome Remote Desktop since it is a lot easier to set up. GoToMyPC ($11.95/month or $114.72/year) is one of the most well-known remote access plans. It shares a lot of features with other popular options, but it’s a little pricey per computer compared to its competitors. There is no configuration needed on your router. You simply install the client, and then you can access your computer from the web or an iOS app. You can print to your home computer from your work computer, drag and drop files, and copy/paste between computers.

From a security standpoint, it supports 128-bit AES encryption, dual passwords, and end-to-end authentication. Alternative technology Remote access solutions aren’t as essential as they once were. I used to use them to access files from off-site, but with the popularity of folder syncing services, we can have access to most of our files from any device or location already. Here are a few of the common options for Mac users: Dropbox (free up to 2 GB, $9.99/month for 1 TB) is the go-to folder syncing solution for a lot of users. Its client is relatively stable, it has great third-party app support, and offers a free plan for beginners.

Paid plans start at $9.99/month for 1 TB of storage. This makes it a nice option for storing large amounts of data and having access to it from anywhere. Google Drive (free up to 15 GB, plans start at $1.99/month for 100 GB) will be a great choice for a lot of users due to the fact they likely already use Gmail. Google Drive is best used on the web, but it has a Mac client as well that works very similarly to Dropbox. The client works well, but it lacks some of the features of Dropbox related to bandwidth control and controlling which folders are stored locally on your Mac.

Google Drive only supports selective sync on root folders, where Dropbox supports it for sub-folders. The price is right for up to a terabyte, and then Dropbox offers similar plans. Google Drive is ideal when you need more than 2 GB, but less than 100 GB, and it does offer better web support than Dropbox.

Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides are much better than anything Dropbox offers in terms of web-based editing. ICloud Drive iCloud Drive (free up to 5 GB, plans start at $.99/month for 20 GB) is Apple’s answer to Dropbox. It’s a folder than syncs on your Mac. Contents can then be synced to an iOS device or another Mac. It lacks true web access, though. OneDrive (free up to 15 GB, plans start at $1.99/month for 100 GB) is Microsoft’s answer to Google Drive. It includes Microsoft Office online for free.

1 TB is only $6.99/month and it offers access to Office 365 which includes Office for Mac and unlocks a few features on the iOS apps. It offers selective sync support that is similar to Dropbox, but web access that is similar to Google Drive, so it’s an attractive choice for heavy Office app users. Synology If you want to have a bit more control over your files, consider a device like. It’s a network-attached storage device aimed at the prosumer.

It offers a lot of great features, but at its core, it’s storing your files and making them available everywhere (web, iOS, etc). Plex If the only thing you want to access a Mac remotely for is your media collection, you might consider using as a media manager (movies, TV shows, music, photos, etc). It installs on your Mac, and then you can access it from the web and ($4.99). It handles all of the login management, so there are no router configurations needed. An optional gives you features like syncing offline, camera roll uploads, and cloud sync (backup your media to various cloud services in case your server goes offline). Conclusion While remote access to a Mac isn’t as essential as it once was due to multiple options for syncing your files across your various devices at low cost, Screens is the best choice for when you need it. With native apps on and, it offers the most streamlined experience without a subscription.

If you have more complex needs or your Mac is behind a corporate firewall, I recommend checking out. Free Productivity Guide: Download our simple guide to productivity to help you improve your workflows and be more focused with your time and attention.

2017-11-30T11:18:44+00:00 Alex 20 Best Accounting Software for Small Business in 2018 We have updated this article with the most recent 2018 accounting software systems that are catered towards providing solutions for small businesses. Many accounting software solutions are more similar than different in terms of features. Standard modules include general ledger management, invoicing, and payment processing.

Accounting has always been an integral part of any business organization as it provides businesses with a view of their profitability or in some cases, losses. The process is likewise necessary for sound financial management, enabling businesses to keep expenditure and income records, which can be utilized in coming up with sound financial decisions. It maybe seen as a trying task but the importance of accounting can never be overstated. This necessary process has resulted in the development of accounting software, which aid accountants and bookkeepers in recording and reporting business transactions. In the olden days, these tasks were done manually with the use of bulky ledgers and journals. Thanks to accounting solutions, these processes, along with reporting tasks are now automated, eliminating the need for the consolidation of manual entries. With accounting software, these tasks were automated and costs and human errors were remarkably reduced, making them indispensable tools for just about any type and size of business.

What’s very interesting is that accounting platforms are now being used even by small businesses. These startups often need the basic functionalities that most of these platforms share. So what should small businesses look for in such an app?

For starters, ease-of-use, integration and security should be taken into consideration. However, what counts most is the pricing.

As most of these players are on a tight budget, we recommend that they subscribe to a cloud-based solution as they provide customized processes, integrations and pricing flexibility. These benefits, coupled with the demand for accounting automation have resulted in the growth of the global accounting software market.

However, at a CAGR of over 6% from 2017 through 2021. The continuously rising demand for financial process modernization is seen to fuel this growth. Another notable market trend is the increased, which have features such as payment acceptance, invoice distribution, receipt tracking and budget planning, to name a few.

Although an emerging trend, businesses have yet to overcome the challenge of choosing the right solution as few of these tools are available on Mac despite supporting Android devices. 1.FreshBooks First on our list of 20 best accounting software for small business is an accounting solution known for making financial management an easy undertaking. Helps users address recurring invoices and subscription easily. It supports online payment collection via credit cards, PayPal and Google Checkout.

This piece of software integrates seamlessly with known business applications, allowing for streamlined processes. As it is a complete suite, the need for additional software is eliminated, providing users with absolute control over their financial operations all from a single dashboard. For its out-of-the-box core accounting features and flexible pricing, FreshBooks is our Best Best Accounting Software in 2017. You can easily check its features with no commitment when you sign up for. FreshBooks won our Best Accouting Software Award for 2017 To make the app even better, the vendor saw to it that its latest version as advanced functionalities to further improve the financial management capabilities of users. Its dashboard makes for easy customization while data security is not an issue as secure backups are regularly implemented to keep user information secure at all times. Charges are bound to be accurate using the system, which likewise allows the use of Android and iOS apps to track outside work times.

FreshBooks can be purchased in a variety of pricing models starting at $15/month. What’s unique about FreshBooks?.

Simpler but powerful solution. The latest version of FreshBooks is designed to be simpler but advanced features were incorporated in the platform. A sleek interface now comes with the software and collaboration among team members is now promoted, resulting in higher work quality. Mobile optimized. FreshBooks comes with mobile add-ons for devices running on Android and iOS, enabling users to access information anytime, anywhere.

Online payment. The tool’s time tracking capability is designed for use in billing, enabling businesses to get paid online through a variety of payment gateways. Impeccable invoice to payment. For small business, FreshBooks offers invoice to payment functionalities. Users can pinpoint the exact location where a customer opened an invoice email, very useful in catching customers who say the invoice never got to them.

Billing history management The platform hosts features that allow for the tracking of both past and current invoices. Unpaid invoices can be pulled out instantly using this functionality.

Sage 50cloud is an online accounting solution designed to help small and medium-sized businesses manage their financials and stay compliant with taxes and reporting requirements. It comes with all essential features expected of a best-in-class accounting platform such as taxes, inventory, budgeting, cash flow, and invoicing. In addition, you get a wide range of add-ons including credit card processing, HR/payroll, POS, e-commerce, data management and more.

With its mobile capability, you can make payments on-the-go and bill customers, and provide your accountants real-time access to accounting books. You can easily and get to know the features firsthand at no cost and without commitment. A distinctive attribute of the accounting platform is that it combines the robust feature set of a desktop tool with the accessibility of the cloud. This hybrid set up lets you access and store data in the cloud while doing other tasks in your local machine. You can use the software to track purchases and vendors and pay bills while its expense management features let you undertake mobile payments and bank feeds. It also allows you to connect to your bank accounts, providing for real-time recording of sales and receipts, tracking receivables, transferring funds, reconciling bank accounts, and making deposits. Sage 50cloud offers three pricing plans starting at $44.97/month. It also has a 60-day risk-free, money-back guarantee.

What’s unique about Sage 50cloud?. Powerful & convenient hybrid solution. It gives you extreme flexibility by combining the power of desktop software and the convenience of the cloud with an array of 50 features to manage your financial business operations and requirements. Bank-level protection. You’ll have your finances safe and secure with screen-level user access and bank-level online protection to keep your critical information safe.

Designed for SMBs. With its enterprise-grade features, the software is kept affordable and within reach of small and medium-sized businesses, making it the accounting solution of choice by over 7 million customers in 23 countries. Accounting made easy. You don’t have to be an accountant to organize your business and get ready for tax season with its built-in checks and balances to ensure your financials are accurate and are available anytime and anywhere for you and your accountant. Training & support.

Explore the Sage University for on-demand learning topics and comprehensive instructor-led classes. You also get 24/7 access to support articles and other resources from a comprehensive knowledge base. FreeAgent is a feature-rich, cloud-hosted accounting platform intended to help small businesses and freelancers.

It is relied upon by more than 60,000 businesses with its ability to bring together and manage all aspects of financial operations. The software comes with an array of tools designed to let you efficiently manage all important financial tasks and processes such as payrolls, taxes, expenses, estimates and invoices, bank transactions, cash flows, time tracking, and your project’s financial performance. The software allows you to create, send, and track invoices; monitor expenses by simply taking a photo of your receipt and uploading it to the system; keep time records using a built-in stopwatch; and link to bank accounts with transactions imported automatically into the platform. The dashboard gives you full visibility over your business’ income, cash flows, expenses, profitability, and receivables. FreeAgent also provides seamless connectivity as it allows you to associate it with all of your bank accounts, or move numbers in and out with few clicks through its integration capability. In fact, it integrates with over two dozen third-party apps and services and supports more than 750 add-ons with Zapier. Adding to its small business friendly appeal is its low-cost pricing available in one universal plan of $10/month for 6 months, then just $20/month afterward.

The vendor also offers a great free trial plan that lets you try out all the key features. You can easily.

What is unique about FreeAgent. Built for small business. The software is designed for small businesses as well as contractors and freelancers, providing them with all the accounting and financial tools they need. Intuitive navigation. Known as “Overview”, the dashboard features a sleek and modern interface that displays all important data and provides quick access to your invoices, projects, estimates, and timeslips. Advanced expense management. Small businesses can take advantage of an advanced tool normally reserved for more expensive solutions.

You can have all expenses categorized by currency, linked to specific projects and activities, tracked, and documented once the invoice is paid. Facilitated payments. FreeAgent has enabled payments directly into the system, letting you attach links to all internationally applied payment systems in the invoicing templates.

Expense tracking. The solution gives you the capability to track your businesses’ expenses with the use of bank feeds and imported bank statements as well as attach expenses to individual projects when billing customers. Zoho Books is a smart accounting solution designed to manage small businesses’ cash flow and finances. It is known for its ease-of-use, helping users make intelligent business decisions. Being a part of the Zoho product stable, the product does not only offer hassle-free accounting but excellent support, uptime, and security as well. It is capable of sending customers professional invoices and even accepting payments online. If you want to explore its features signing up for a is fast.

The platform is not just handy, it is also powerful, giving users absolute control over financial management. It has a myriad of useful features such as P and L, cash flow statements and balance sheets creation, to name a few. The dashboard is pleasant to the eyes and is able to display financial overviews and graphs. Aside from these, the solution is also capable of streamlining other back-office functions. Zoho Books can be purchased in different pricing plans, starting at $9/organization per month.

But if you want to take it for a spin first, a free trial is available. What is unique about Zoho Books?.

Automatic bank feeds Zoho Books imports all credit card and bank transactions, eliminating the need for manual data entry. These data are likewise categorized in accordance with bank rules. Automatic payment notifications Users can come up with messages for clients, reminding them to pay on time and set their frequency that is convenient to both parties. Customer engagement The app’s collaboration functionalities engage customers by making them feel that they are part of the payment process.

This is done by providing clients with access to their invoices and estimates and allowing them to directly make payments online. Invoice distribution and tracking The system helps users in the collection of prepayments and retainers. Invoices can be pulled off for individual estimates. Offline payments can be recorded and even linked to selected invoices and projects. Project management and tracking Simply entering the time spent on projects into the system allows Zoho Books to record the expenses incurred on projects and invoice customers.

QuickBooks Online is an accounting solution specifically targeted at small businesses and freelancers as it simplifies the most complex accounting processes. It has become a popular tool among accountants, bookkeepers, small business owners, and finance officers. For up to five users, all the app’s features can be accessed. However, functionalities are limited for packages with an unlimited number of users. To learn more about this software and see if it matches your needs, you can easily sign up for a. The software automatically syncs business profiles to a single dashboard, where multiple users can view reports and corporate accounts. It is capable of generating profit and loss and trade sheets, invoices and billing, all which are accessible via mobile devices.

Custom reports and feeds can likewise be created from the dashboard. Popular integrations include Quickbooks Online Payroll and Intuit GoPayment. The app is being offered in a variety of pricing schemes, starting at $18/month. A free trial is available to those who want to try the software’s features first. What’s unique about Quickbooks Online?.

Accounts management The app provides users with access to accounting information and allows for the creation, editing, sharing and duplication of the same with relevant parties. Online accessibility Users can log in to the system wherever there is Internet access without the need for any additional software. Creation of customizable feeds and charts can also be accomplished. Security and backups All accounting information is securely stored in the cloud. These can be accessed and exported to Excel spreadsheets.

Support and upgrades All subscription packages come with support from the time of set up. Regular updates and upgrades are also provided. Xero is an accounting software that is largely known for having revolutionized accounting. Developed to provide the best user experience possible, the solution is easy to use, making tough accounting tasks like double bookkeeping simple even for first-time users. For those who require a bookkeeper, the vendor offers certified advisors who are more than willing to assist them. The platform has gained traction in countries like the UK, US, Australia, and Europe. It comes with integrations with known third-party applications and accounting tools and the software’s Express Setup feature makes set up a breeze.

You can maximize the product’s potential with the assistance of its help center. Xero comes in different pricing models beginning with its Starting plan, which can be purchased for $25/month. A Premium package, which can handle complex accounting tasks such as invoices, bills, quotes, and multi-currency transactions is also available. But if you want to give it a try first, you can avail of a 30-day free trial.

What is unique about Xero?. Easy setup One does not need to render overtime or undergo complicated training to set up Xero. Once all needed data are uploaded into the system, the software takes care of all transactions and contacts, all from a single page. Inventory/stock management The platform also doubles as an inventory and stock management tool, allowing it to process and run payrolls and adjust taxes for more than 20 states. It can create comprehensive possession records, which can be automatically be utilized in every transaction. Transactions made easy The transaction forms that the system generates provide users with richer transaction experiences.

For example, editing of purchase files is possible with the ready-made templates that Xero provides, resulting in more personalized documents. Robust financial reporting Xero offers users financial reporting that effectively puts all activities’ impact in a nutshell.

This can be done by filling filters for items for inclusion. Wave A free business suite that offers accounting, receipt scanning and invoicing capabilities, is ideal for small businesses who employ less than 10 workers.

It also works for entrepreneurs, freelancers, consultants, and other self-employed professionals. The app is easy to set up and even easier to operate owing to its simple dashboard, which has everything you need for your financial management processes. The platform makes simple work of all invoicing and accounting processes, eliminating the hassles of expense monitoring, payments handling and employee and tax management. With Wave, you can generate and send estimates, receipts and professional-looking invoices in an instant. As said earlier, Wave comes absolutely for free. However, the vendor offers pay-as-you-go payment plans for credit card processing and payroll services in selected countries. Contact the vendor for details.

What’s unique about Wave?. Free software The solution comes for free and is therefore suitable for small businesses and startups. Easy invoice creation Users can create beautiful invoices, receipts and estimates very easily.

Monitoring of invoice and payment status is also possible. Income/expense tracking simplified Using the software, income and expense tracking is simplified. Receipt scanning tools and bank links are also available, eliminating the need for manual data entry. Automated billing/invoicing The system automates the billing and invoicing creation process, saving users precious time.

Recurring bills and invoices are also addressed. Online payment Users can pay their teams from virtually anywhere by using online pay stubs. Direct deposits are also supported 8.

OnPay A total payroll solution known for its ease-of-use, is highly-designed for small to medium-size businesses. This cloud-deployed software has the ability to streamline your payroll processes while automating tax filing and payment. You can enter payment data like tips, hours, bonuses and reimbursements easily. It can likewise manage benefits such as compensation insurance (for pay-as-you-go workers), health insurance and 401(k).

The platform offers unlimited payroll runs for W-2 workers and 1099 contract workers. You can pay workers using a check or via direct deposit, for which you must pass a risk assessment. OnPay handles all your payroll tax needs. It can compute state and federal payroll taxes, manage filing of tax forms, withholding and tax payments. What makes it even better is that the vendor guarantees accuracy by taking responsibility for any tax filing errors committed by the product.

OnPay is being sold in a simple pricing plan, with the first month free of charge. The basic fee is pegged at $36/month for online payroll. Every user (workers/contractors) is charged $4/month, which is added to the base fee. What’s unique about OnPay?. Employee management The software enables employees to enter their own personal information, edit them and even retrieve their individual tax forms and pay stubs, saving businesses valuable time. Streamlined payroll OnPay allows for unlimited pay runs, letting businesses run payrolls at no added cost.

Pay run corrections and cancellations are also allowed. Improved payroll compliance The product takes care of all IRS and state requirements during payroll runs. It computes, pays and fills all needed tax forms. HR process management OnPay helps users in all aspects of their payroll processes by allowing them to store documents and take notes.

This advanced note-taking feature comes with an image and document attachment capability. Access to an online HR library that houses templates for employee handbooks is also provided. Health insurance benefits management As OnPay is available nationwide, health insurance benefits are easily managed. Licensed insurance brokers are ready to assist users in better understanding these benefits. QuickBooks A very popular accounting platform, is capable of tracking customers and vendors and is able to automatically manage all relevant banking processes. It has a lot of organizational features that are very useful in managing accounting information such as payable bills, contact data, overdue items, and common accounting tasks.

The solution makes payment so much easier with its Pay Now link, which can be connected to customers and vendors’ credit cards or bank accounts. QuickBooks can come up with reports on a business’ profits and losses, with a few clicks from users, allowing them to stay on top of their game. 24/7 premium support is also provided by competent personnel while adoption of high-security standards help protect information. Upgrades are always available at no extra charge and can be availed easily.

To make the product even better, the vendor has introduced smart search filters and automated reporting. QuickBooks is available in a variety of pricing models. The Freelancer version comes for $5/month. The Small Business plan is available for $7/month. An Essentials plan can be purchased for $17/month, while the Plus plan is priced at $25/month.

What’s unique about QuickBooks Pro?. More organized accounting The software is capable of organizing businesses’ accounting data, including overdue items, contact information, payables and common accounting processes. Easier payment QuickBooks Pro’s PayNow feature makes payment a lot easier as it can be linked to clients and vendors’ bank accounts and credit cards. Profit/loss reporting Reports on corporate profits or losses can be generated in moments. This allows businesses to have an idea of how their organization is performing financially.

Support and security With QuickBooks, users are assured that all their data are secure as the system complies with high security standards. Premium support is also available 24/7 to those who have issues about the product. Free upgrades The vendors provide constant upgrades absolutely for free. These are easily available to all users. Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management platform that houses cloud computing and accounting in a single tool.

The product’s apps are used by a wide array of businesses as they are preferred for AICPA business solutions. Designed to improve business performance and financial productivity, Sage Intacct is being offered by many accounting firms and resellers to their clientele. Core product functionalities such as accounting, cash management, purchasing, subscription billing, and financial consolidation are present. Easier information entry and error minimization are possible with the platform’s general ledger. The system can cut down income losses and is able to effectively control margins and costs. Computing for currency difference is much easier using the solution as it offers multi-currency support.

In addition, it can streamline compliance by automating sales tax management. Sage Intacct is available in different pricing plans starting at $400/month. What’s unique about Sage Intacct?. Solid reputation Recognized by the AICPA as a top provider of financial-related apps, Sage Intacct has been helping accounting professionals make sound decisions using key statistics and figures as a basis. Highly-scalable pricing Although the software is marketed starting at $400, the vendor offers optional features for additional fees. Aside from this, users can avail of an interactive demo and a webinar introduction. Robust accounting features Data entry is easier and time-saving with the system’s general ledger.

It likewise minimizes inaccuracies in financial reporting. The product can significantly lower losses and boost cost and margin control. Customized reporting With its pre-made report templates, users can utilize balance sheets in analyzing performance and sales tracking. You can simplify financial reporting using your presentations’ needs as a basis. Fast payment processing The platform offers highly-secure and speedy credit card and bills processing.

It can work seamlessly with online sellers’ websites by streamlining their processes. ADP Workforce Now This web-based human resource management software automates virtually all HR processes, including employee benefits, holidays and payroll management, all from a single dashboard. It likewise can generate reports which can be used in coming up with valuable business insights. The app assists staff in managing and coordinating HR functions by providing them with additional user permissions. ’s key features include talent, benefits and payroll management and time and attendance keeping.

It has a benefits plan creation wizard, which can be set up depending on a company’s on-boarding procedures. Benefits management functionalities are compliant with IRS reporting rules while its dashboard can be used to view all reporting statuses. Support for devices running on Android and iOS means that the solution can be accessed anytime anywhere. ADP Workforce Now’s pricing plans are not publicly disclosed. You will have to contact the vendor for a price quote.

What’s unique about ADP Workforce Now?. Payroll and HR management Using a single dashboard, ADP Workforce Now can coordinate businesses workforce management efforts. It helps in managing benefits, payroll, commissions, bonuses, talent, time and attendance and employee health statistics. Mobile optimization The platform can be accessed from mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones via apps for iOs and Android. These apps are totally synced with the system’s dashboard, providing a clear view of statistics and reports. Analytics and cloud storage Using the solution, analytics can be displayed in real-time, allowing users to come up with customized spreadsheets, charts, graphs, and reports. As it is web-based, hosting is likewise in the offing, along with constant security backups and server audits.

Reliable support Expert support teams are regularly on standby to help users manage their workforce, through a variety of flexible service options. Easy payroll and tax filing The platform effectively reduces administrative errors and duties using real-time payroll computations. Users can also enlist the services of compliance professionals. Tipalti is a cloud-based payment automation and management software that is known for helping businesses accurately meet deadlines. The solution helps solve problems that include non-compliance, late payments, administrative overload and complications arising from human error. Time spent on financial management is significantly decreased, solving one of the biggest problems facing accounting teams. Aside from those mentioned, the software can automate any business’ payment operations around the world, which could range from tasks like onboarding to tax compliance.

It is capable of streamlining payment processing in around 190 countries. Using the product, businesses can rest assured that they are compliant with all existing tax and regulatory requirements minus too much human intervention. Customer and vendor payment experiences are likewise improved, along with service quality. Tipalti is available on a price quote basis.

Interested parties can contact the vendor to get a customized quote. What’s unique about Tipalti?. Automated payment The system automates around 50% of all payment processes in 190 countries.

It’s a leading solution for payment reconciliation, financial reporting, and AP. It normalizes data over a wide array of payment gateways. Payment facilitation The software makes payment easier than one can imagine. Users can pay across 190 countries, 120 currencies and 6 payment methods.

It has an advanced payment configuration, providing a myriad of financial controls. Tax compliance The app collects W-9 and W-8 tax forms to be able to withhold payment for non-compliant payees.

This allows for the prevention of payment to terrorists, money launderers and similar parties. In addition, the software creates forms with ease while computing for the right tax. Advanced Reporting The product has an excellent payment reporting system, generating accurate payment reconciliation reports. This is done with minimal intervention from managers. FinancialForce Accounting Known for its ease-of-use, for Salesforce is a robust accounting software that is highly recommended for small and large businesses. As it is cloud-based users are bound to boost operational efficiency at very minimal cost.

A key feature is the Salesforce Accounting application, which is capable of doing tasks far beyond bookkeeping and processing transactions. The product seamlessly integrates with Salesforce CRM, enabling users to work with the use of a singular platform, resulting in an efficient and consistent financial system. Aside from having a multidimensional chart of accounts, the app supports multi-company and multi-currency transactions. It automates expense and invoice approvals via authorization workflow and is capable of setting credit terms and limits. Other notable functionalities include invoice creation, cash management, ordering and billing FinancialForce comes in a variety of modules, all of which are priced on a quote basis.

You have to contact the vendor to get a quote. What is unique about FinancialForce Accounting?. General ledger FinancialForce can handle multi-company and multi-currency transactions and has a flexible chart of accounts. It can facilitate costs transfer between companies and business units via its intercompany journal.

Accruals can be performed and budgets computed with its automatic reversing journals. Electronic invoicing and payment processing The software automates approvals for invoices and expenses via workflow authorization. Credit limits and terms can likewise be set through vendor accounts. Vendor payments can be made through checks or electronic transfer and invoice creation is automated through electronic invoicing and document templates. Cash management FinancialForce can predict cash flows and needs and is capable of setting up multiple bank accounts in a variety of currencies. Receipts can be recorded from customers and one-off payments issued to clients. Users can reconcile bank statements automatically and record bank interest and charges.

Easy billing The platform can pull an invoice from any Salesforce CRM activity, create a singular invoice with a number of installment payment schedules. Recurring invoices can be set up and accounting entries generated.

Ordering and invoicing Orders can be created from Salesforce with a single click. Invoices can also be generated automatically from approved orders.

Dayforce HCM Cloud-based is a workforce management, tax, payroll, analytics, benefits, talent management, HR management, and document management solution. Providing businesses with real-time human capital management data, the platform offers a single user experience by consolidating all HCM processes.

The software can be utilized in managing core HR processes like payroll, benefits administration, and onboarding, among many others. This web-based tool is highly-flexible and compatible with all popular browsers. It allows employees to check on all transactions and information related to their work. Managers can use the app to get pertinent information across all existing departments and applications. Errors and redundancies are minimized as the product makes use of a single record for each employee. Dayforce HCM’s pricing plans are not publicly disclosed.

You will have to contact the vendor for a price quote. What’s unique about Dayforce HCM?.

Employee self-service Dayforce HCM allows employees to check transactions and information related to their job descriptions while managers get to have access to reports with analytics. Important data can also get across departments and applications using the app. Tax and payroll management Users can rely on the vendor’s experts for assistance in tax filings, garnishments and other payroll-related matters.

Multi-currency and multi-language support is also in the offer. HR platform integration The product can integrate seamlessly with other HR management applications. Zoho Expense is an accounting solution that is capable of making expense reporting and tracking far simpler. It can automate many expense management tasks while making a record of all financial transactions. With this piece of software, receipts can be converted into expenses, collated, from which reports can be generated. The platform can likewise capture expenses from credit card transactions, a very useful feature. It can be accessed at any given time and place as it runs on any device.

Problems arising from spending limits and expenditures that are permissible are minimized, resulting in compliance and enforcement of companies’ spending policies. Popular integrations include Zoho Books and Zoho CRM, which allow users to utilize a single account for all tools. Zoho Expense can be purchased at a single price model of $15/month. However, if more functionalities are required, contact the vendor for a customized quote.

What is unique about Zoho Expense?. Easy recording Zoho Expense can easily record all company expenses in real time, saving users valuable time. It allows for the syncing of credit card transactions, which can be accessed automatically.

The smallest yet relevant detail can be included in such records. Expense reports The solution can review and approve expense reports with the click of a mouse.

Users are categorized as approvers, administrators and submitters, who play different roles in the system’s operations. Integration with other Zoho products The system is ideal for users of Zoho’s productivity suite as it works well with Zoho CRM and Zoho Invoice. Sage Business Cloud Accounting Cloud-based accounting and invoicing management platform is designed to cater to small businesses. Its core functionalities include accounting, compliance and expense management. What sets Sage Business Cloud Accounting apart from its sister app Sage 50c is that the former is an add-on service that allows for the integration of the latter to the cloud, resulting in cloud storage and accessibility for all your accounting data.

This combination makes Sage Business Cloud Accounting better than ever. The system’s graphs, dashboards, and transaction overviews offer users a vivid idea of how their business is doing anytime, anywhere. It can generate histories of purchases and sales and bank statement imports, which is very useful in managing cash flow. The app can be accessed via smartphones, giving users a real-time view of customer data and letting them record notes at any given time.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting is being offered in two pricing models, starting at $30/month. If you want to give its functionalities a try first, a free trial is available. What’s unique about Sage Business Cloud Accounting?.

Accounting tool for small businesses Sage Business Cloud Accounting is targeted at small businesses, allowing them to manage all tasks related to accounting. It helps users manage payment processes like estimates, invoicing and price quotations. It also comes at flexible pricing terms, making it ideal for businesses on a tight budget. Cloud storage and accessibility The app’s integration with Sage 50c provides it with cloud storage capability and gives users access to all accounting data. Robust features from a single dashboard The platform makes users’ accounting information all available from its dashboard, keeping them informed on receivables and cash flows. Tax management Sage Business Cloud Accounting also serves as a tax management tool, able to calculate taxes accurately based on transaction information. It can forecast cash flow, allowing users to estimate cash requirements.

Mobile optimization The platform comes with Android and iOS apps, which can be used in the creation of invoices, expense recording and in viewing graphs reflecting businesses’ performance. Integration with third-party apps is also possible. ECount ERP A cloud-based enterprise resource planning platform, is designed to let you manage your sales, production, accounting, HR and purchasing processes from a single dashboard.

What Could Be Best Free Solution For Mac Pro

It is popular for aiding businesses in implementing and maintaining ERP systems while minimizing costs, making it ideal for small to medium-size businesses. As the system is cloud-based, all its features and functionalities can be accessed from any device.

It is easy to set up, without the need for additional hardware or software. It caters to specific users with a variety of customization options. The accounting module, which is a key feature of the platform allows users to manage processes like accounts receivable/payable, cash flow and cost accounting, among many others. ECount ERP is being offered in a single enterprise pricing plan of $55/month or $600 per year.

For those who want to give it a try first, a free trial is available. What’s unique about ECount ERP?. Accessibility and easy setup ECount ERP can be accessed anytime, anywhere through any device. Setup is easy, requiring no additional hardware. Powerful modules ECount ERP is made up of six distinct modules–Accounting, Purchasing, Sales, Inventory, Manufacturing and Business. Accounting capabilities With these, the software can manage accounts receivables/payables, cash flow projects and cost accounting.

Manufacturing tool The platform’s manufacturing component sees to it that production is implemented within estimated costs and schedules, resulting in timely and cost-efficient project completions. Sales platform ECount ERP’s sales module helps users in managing sales activities more accurately. Greater transparency in sales processes is therefore achieved. Spendesk equips businesses and organizations with a set of tools for efficient company expense management and monitoring. Controlling company budget is easily done by allocating a fixed amount of money to an employee’s virtual card and accordingly records all transaction details in real-time, allowing for easy spend monitoring and preventing unwanted overspending. Storing receipts and inputting purchase details are no longer necessary as it keeps track of all purchase information. Because of this, users will no longer have to be burdened with lost receipts and documents for expense reconciliation.

It profiles and categorizes all purchase records as well for easy auditing and reporting. What’s unique about Spendesk?.

No manual data entry It automatically captures all essential details per transaction, such as the date, venue, total amount, and other information. Controlled budget The management can easily define a custom budget per employee to prevent instances of overspending. Automated data capture Users will no longer have to fret about storing their purchase records such as receipts and tickets. All spend information is automatically recorded, allowing for simplified bookkeeping, auditing, and reporting. EasyForm Expense Management Built for small businesses to enterprises, provides users with an easy way to control, track, and manage their expenditures to enhance their bottom line. This online expense tracking and management solution paints a clear picture of all expenses through complete visibility on expense records and various reporting tools, such as category and split reports.

With EasyForm Expense Management, employees will no longer have to physically submit expense reports. Users can take a snapshot of their receipts and easily upload them alongside their expense claims. Thereafter, managers can quickly approve or reject expense claims based on acquired data and audits. The software also utilizes GPS technology for reconciling travel-related expenses by tracking distance traveled during a business trip. Its travel intelligence capability also provides useful insights into how to better optimize one’s cost and spend. What’s unique about EasyForm Expense Management?. Location intelligence Keep tabs on an employee’s whereabouts without hounding their backs. The software leverages the power of GPS to get precise data on their location.

Geofencing can also be used so you can be alerted when an employee goes out of their intended destination. Online submissions Employees can take a photo of receipts with their mobile devices and upload these alongside their expense claims. Basically, employees no longer have to waste time printing reports and physically submitting them to their managers.

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Streamlined approvals Managers are able to easily track and audit expense claims digitally, thus, this leads to faster approvals. Detailed reports The platform provides users with a builder tool for Excel and PDF reports. It also provides real-time reporting capabilities where you can display the data via bar charts and other visuals for easier comprehension. MyBooks Online Accounting Software comes equipped with all the essential features for small businesses that are looking to manage their accounting processes at an affordable price. This web-based accounting application has a few automation capabilities to speed up one’s workflow, including automating conversions for foreign currencies and automatically displaying bank feeds on your dashboard. MyBooks Online Accounting software supports multi-currency transactions, which essentially eliminates the intricacies attached to foreign exchange processes. Moreover, it features an enterprise-grade security to safeguard your financial data from external threats.

Those that are looking to kickstart their business can take advantage of myBook’s free version, which comes with limited features. It offers straightforward subscription plans for businesses that have thousands of monthly transactions, purchase orders, and contacts. What’s unique about myBooks Online Accounting?. Ease-of-use This solution is easy to use and allows users to quickly learn and understand how to utilize its accounting tools. Multi-currency It is able to automatically process credit cards and bank transactions, regardless of the currency used. Automated bank feeds Once you connect the software to your bank accounts, it can automatically send you bank feeds that are easily viewable from within your dashboard. So there you have it our top 20 accounting software for small business for 2018, but if you’re a Mac user and would like to know what options are available to you, check out this.

Every product has its own strengths and weaknesses, but one is bound to suit your business. You are right to assume that accounting technology designed for freelance and corporate use is rarely the same, and without knowing this, it is more than likely to end up paying for features one doesn’t need.

The good news is that You, as a sole accountant, are not excluded from the best-in-breed accounting landscape! Many of the systems we’ve reviewed are just cut for freelancers, with configurable billing & invoicing, automated tax calculations, integration with all major banks, and of course – reports and metrics that comply with your needs. A large portion of them are also extremely affordable, but so that you stay on the safe side, we recommend you to look exclusively at online and cloud-hosted technology. Pick natively integrated systems instead of hiring a developer to build software connections from scratch, and pay attention to scalability so that your prospective system can handle sudden workload spikes. At this point, you shouldn’t exclude any of the products discussed in this list, but rather compare their features in detail to determine which one works the best for you.

We’d probably hit off with FreshBooks or Wave, as they both offer a no-commitment freemium plan, and you can check whether they fit without investing in them. It is exactly SMB-friendly accounting systems that invest the most in efficient billing & invoicing technology, as larger companies are usually looking at tools they can integrate with their bank service providers, and handle payments from their original accounts. The challenge is, as you noticed, to get a standalone and restrictions-free product, or at least one where you don’t have to pay recurring fees each time you cross a predetermined limit. Looking up the list, we’d probably begin with Wave – their billing & invoicing services may not have the bells & whistles QuickBooks does, and you may not be able to infuse that much branding material in your docs, but they’ll get the job done for free. Zoho Books is the next-to-the-best service, as it lets you bill 25 clients for as much as $9 a month. FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Xero are slightly more expensive (pricing starts at $15) and restrict their low-tier package to a smaller number of billed clients, but they will suit you perfectly if you want to customize and categorize invoices, and to report on your billing activity.

Note that all five providers on this list offer a free trial of their product, and you can test them in advance to pick the right solution for your needs. You are absolutely right to believe that sensitive information must only be entrusted to reputed and premium providers. However, the affordability of a system and the safeguarding of customer data are not mutually exclusive, as this is how all vendors turn first time users into loyal clients. Security matters are among our prioritized criteria when comparing and listing suggestions, and they played a role when picking the 5 products above. They all use bank-grade data encryption technology and comply with leading safety regulations, and will assume full responsibility on eventual safety breaches as soon as you become their client. With data being hosted in cloud, and accessible only with valid credentials, you won’t risk losing it even if something happens to your device. With locally hosted solutions, however, you will need a dedicated team to work around your security network, and to keep an eye 24/7 to prevent a crash or an intruder.

Plus, most of these systems offer additional security layers to be managed on your behalf, including 2-factor authentication, role-based access, audit logs, and a historical overview on all changes being made to your data. Why is FinancesOnline free? FinancesOnline is available for free for all our business professionals interested in an efficient way to find top-notch SaaS solutions.

We are able to keep our service free of charge thanks to cooperation with some of the vendors, who are willing to pay us for traffic and sales opportunities provided by our website. Please note, that FinancesOnline lists all vendors, we’re not limited only to the ones that pay us, and all software providers have an equal opportunity to get featured in our rankings and comparisons, win awards, gather user reviews, all in our effort to give you reliable advice that will enable you to make well-informed purchase decisions. Back to top Page last modified 2018-11-30.