Best Mobile Accounting Apps of 2024

$0 to $275

Invoicing and payment processing
Expense categorization
Bill entry and management
Receipt capture
Time tracking

QuickBooks Online

$30 to $200

Invoicing and payment processing
Receipt capture

Wave

$0 or $16

Invoicing and payment processing

FreshBooks

$19 to $60 or custom

Invoicing and payment processing
Expense categorization
Bill entry and management
Time tracking

Xero

$20 to $80

Invoicing
Expense categorization

Do you need additional options? See our roundup of the best business accounting software for recommendations.

Zoho Books: Best overall mobile accounting app

Pros

Provides more features than most other mobile accounting apps
Has a free version for businesses that earn less than $50,000 in annual revenue
Lets you call support directly over the phone
Can create recurring invoices in all plans
Can track time worked using the mobile app

Cons

Has a limitation to the number of invoices you can send in the free plan
Requires the higher plans to access advanced features like project accounting and inventory management
Is not that popular among bookkeepers; can be difficult to seek professional support if needed

Why we chose Zoho Books

Zoho Books is our best overall mobile accounting app due to its extensive feature set that goes beyond what other similar apps offer. While many mobile bookkeeping apps offer basic features like invoicing and payment processing, Zoho Books takes it a step further by incorporating additional functions. This includes the ability to enter bills and bill payments, record time worked, and assign time entries to customers and projects.

Another notable benefit of Zoho Books is that it’s more affordable than similar programs like QuickBooks Online. It even has a free version for businesses that make less than $50,000 in annual revenue, which is most likely sufficient for freelancers and very small businesses in their early stages. Furthermore, Zoho Books allows you to contact phone support directly, which is rare in accounting software providers.

Robust mobile accounting: The Zoho Books mobile app lets you perform many essential accounting tasks on the go, including invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking. You can also view reports.
Project management: Zoho Books lets you create estimates and projects and assign them to customers. You can also attach transactions directly to projects, including time entries and expenses.
Inventory management: With Zoho Books, you can track inventory items and the cost of goods sold (COGS). You can adjust inventory levels if needed, get notified of low stock levels, generate inventory reports, and more.
Expense categorization: You can categorize expense transactions manually as you enter them or create rules so that the platform categorizes the transaction automatically based on the rules you created.

Zoho Books is available in six subscription options, all of which include a mobile app for Android and iOS devices:

Free: for businesses that make less than $50,000 in annual revenue; includes one user
Standard: $20 per month; up to three users
Profession: $50 per month; up to five users
Premium: $70 per month; up to 10 users
Elite: $150 per month; up to 10 users
Ultimate: $275 per month; up to 15 users

Add-ons:

Additional users: $3 per month for each additional user
Advanced autoscans (receipt scanning): $10 monthly for 50 scans
Snail mail credits for sending invoices: $2 per credit

Businesses and freelancers who need to track time on the go: You can start, stop, and pause time tracking sessions easily within Zoho Books’ mobile app. You can also enter time entries manually if needed.
Budget-conscious retailers: With Zoho Books’ free plan, small retailers can save money on software expenses, especially if they are starting or have limited revenue.
Companies seeking an affordable alternative to QuickBooks Online: Zoho Books offers a wide range of features comparable to QuickBooks but at a lower cost. For instance, if you need inventory features, you need to purchase QuickBooks Online Plus at $90 per month while with Zoho Books, you need the Professional plan at only $50 monthly.

QuickBooks Online: Best mobile accounting app with easy access to professional bookkeepers

Pros

Has a huge network of QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors; easy to seek professional help when needed
Comes with a user-friendly mobile app for sending invoices, accepting payments, and tracking expenses
Lets you track mileage from your mobile device
Offers flexible tiered pricing plans

Cons

Won’t let you enter bills and record time worked through its mobile app
Is a bit expensive
Doesn’t let you contact support directly over the phone unless you upgrade to Advanced

Why we chose QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online’s mobile accounting isn’t as extensive as that of Zoho Books, but it can be used for invoicing, payment processing, and receipt capture. What makes it stand out is, it provides users with easy access to professional bookkeeping support in the form of QuickBooks ProAdvisors. This makes it ideal for businesses that need assisted bookkeeping support often for complex workflows like account reconciliation, inventory management, and payroll setup.

Unless you need to enter bills and track time on the go, we believe QuickBooks Online is a great choice for mobile accounting. The app has several time-saving features, including the ability to scan and upload receipts into the system, accept payments directly from your mobile device, and access important reports like profit and loss (P&L) and cash flow statements on the go.

Wide network of QuickBooks ProAdvisors: QuickBooks Online boasts a vast network of QuickBooks ProAdvisors, who are certified professionals trained to provide assisted bookkeeping support and services to businesses using QuickBooks Online.
Invoicing: You can create and customize invoices easily in QuickBooks. Recently, the provider improved QuickBooks’ invoicing feature further by incorporating real-time PDF creation. This tool allows you to view the final look of your invoice in real time as you input the necessary information. What’s more, you can create and send invoices to clients through the mobile app.
Expense management: You can enter expenses manually or import them from bank and credit card transactions. Also, you can use the receipt capture feature to upload receipts directly into the software using your mobile device or a scanner.

QuickBooks Online is offered in four subscription options, and all plans include a mobile app for Android and iOS:

Simple Start: $30 per month for one user
Essentials: $60 per month for up to three users
Plus: $90 per month for up to five users
Advanced: $$200 per month for up to 25 users

You can try any of the plans for free for 30 days, or you can purchase right away to get a 50% discount for three months.

Businesses with extensive bookkeeping workflows: ProAdvisors can work closely with you to understand your unique business needs, help you customize your accounting system, and guide you through complex processes like project accounting and cost allocation.
Business seeking professional-looking invoices: QuickBooks Online provides customizable invoice templates that you can tailor to match your brand colors, logo, and style preferences. You can also add personalized messages to customers if needed.
Companies with employees who often travel for work: Your employees can use the built-in mileage tracker to track business trips automatically instead of logging odometer readings manually.

If you think QuickBooks Online isn’t right for you, check out our list of the best QuickBooks alternatives for small and midsize businesses (SMBs).

Wave: Best free mobile invoicing app for companies with single users

Pros

Has a free version for businesses with single users
Enables you to create and send unlimited invoices
Lets you create recurring invoices even in the free plan
Is easier to use than most similar accounting apps
Allows you to record bills and track unpaid bills easily

Cons

Supports only one user in the free plan
Can’t enter bills, categorize bank transactions, and view reports through the mobile app
Doesn’t let you connect bank accounts in the free plan
Is not suitable for large businesses with advanced accounting needs

Why we chose Wave

Wave’s free plan allows you to create and send unlimited invoices for free. The invoices aren’t as customizable as those in Zoho Books and FreshBooks, but they are still decent, professional, and more than sufficient for effective billing processes. The free version also lets you create recurring invoices, which come in handy if you have regular transactions with clients on a fixed schedule.

Another thing we like about Wave is that it is easy to use—both the desktop interface and the mobile app. You don’t need an accounting background, and you can master all its features in less than an hour. Meanwhile, if you need more than one user to work on your books, then you can upgrade to the paid version, which accommodates unlimited users.

Free accounting and invoicing: Wave’s Starter plan lets you track income and expenses, create and send invoices, reconcile bank transactions, and generate reports for free.
Basic invoice customization: The free plan allows you to upload your company and add personalized messages for your customer. If you need additional customization options, such as the ability to choose from invoice templates and change the invoice color, then you must upgrade to the paid plan.
Payment links: Both the free and paid plans allow you to create payment links where your customers can process their payments online easily.
Receipt scanning: If you’re using the free plan, you can pay an additional fee to use Wave Receipts for scanning and uploading receipts directly into the software. If you want to use Wave Receipts for free, then you’ll need to upgrade to the paid Pro version.
Financial reporting: Wave provides standard reports, such as P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Wave offers two plans and both come with a mobile app for Android and iOS users:

Starter: Free; includes one user and comes with standard features like invoicing, income and expense tracking, and reporting
Pro: $16 per month or $170 per year; supports unlimited users and includes additional features, such as bank feed connections, free receipt scanning through Wave Receipts, and live chat and email support.

The free plan comes with unlimited invoicing and some customization features. However, you might want the Pro plan as it provides some additional invoice customization options.

Add-ons:

Starter:

$11 monthly for unlimited receipt scans via the mobile app

Starter and Pro:

Wave Payroll: $40 monthly for tax service states or $20 for self-service states plus an additional $6 per month, per employee or independent contractor.
Wave Advisor: $149 monthly for bookkeeping support
Accounting and payroll coaching: $379 (one-time fee)

Businesses seeking free invoicing: If you need basic invoicing features to bill clients for products or services, then you can save money by using Wave’s free plan. You can send as many invoices as needed, and the invoices aren’t as bad as you can customize them with your company logo.
Very small businesses that want to save money: The Starter plan provides you access to essential business accounting features without incurring additional expenses. There are also no setup costs and hidden fees, helping you save money on your accounting software.
Businesses with minimal bank transactions: With the free plan, you need to enter transactions manually and reconcile accounts without automated bank feeds. If you need to connect your bank and credit card accounts, then you’ll need the paid plan.
Businesses that need an affordable payment processing solution: With the Starter plan, you can accept bank payments for 1% per transaction and credit card payments starting at 2.90% plus $0.60 per transaction. These rates are essentially more affordable than most other payment processors.

FreshBooks: Best for freelancers and solopreneurs

Pros

Lets you track time and bill clients for time entries easily, even in the mobile app
Has strong project accounting features
Is easy to use
Lets you contact phone support directly

Cons

Lacks inventory management features
Won’t let you enter bill payments and assign expenses to projects through the mobile app
Won’t let you reconcile account without bank feed connections

Why we chose FreshBooks

We recommend FreshBooks for freelancers because of its strong project management features, including the ability to track time and add time entries to invoices easily when billing clients. Also, it allows you to compare your budgeted and actual income and expenses, helping you determine whether a project is profitable.

Moreover, FreshBooks has a functional mobile app that allows you to record time worked, enter bills, accept payments, and scan receipts on the go. It’s also easy to use, and we appreciate that it allows users to call customer support directly over the phone.

Project accounting: When creating projects, you can assign tasks to team members and set budgets, timelines, and milestones to ensure that projects are completed on schedule and within the budget. You can also track project-specific income and expenses to monitor profitability better.
Billable time tracking: FreshBooks tracks billable time spent on tasks, projects, and client works. Then, you can convert the tracked billable time into client invoices when you’re ready to bill your clients.
Mileage tracking: The automated mileage tracker app captures business mileage automatically as your employees travel for business purposes. Then, they can review and categorize mileage expenses and include them on invoices for company or client reimbursements.

There are four FreshBooks plans, all of which include a single user and come with a mobile app for Android and iOS.

Lite: $19 monthly
Plus: $33 monthly
Premium: $60 monthly
Select: Custom priced

Add-ons:

Additional users: $11 monthly for each
Advanced payments: $20 per month (free in Select)
FreshBooks Payroll: Custom priced

Those charging clients on an hourly basis: You can specify hourly rates for different tasks or projects and customize billing preferences based on client agreements.
Freelancers with no accounting background: FreshBooks has a streamlined user interface (UI) that allows you to enter transactions easily, without the need for accounting experience.

Xero: Best mobile app for businesses with many users

Pros

Supports an unlimited number of users
Has strong inventory management features
Lets you reconcile bank transactions easily
Can scan receipts, send invoices, and categorize expenses through the mobile app

Cons

Doesn’t allow you to enter bills and receive payments through the mobile app
Has limited customer support options; no live support
Is not that popular among accountants; can be difficult to find a professional bookkeeping support

Why we chose Xero

If you need multiple users to access your accounting software, then Xero is suitable. Unlike other software that charges per seat or includes a limited number of users, Xero lets you add as many seats as needed without any additional cost. This makes it a cost-effective solution for companies with different departments or divisions handling various financial aspects, such as accounts payable (A/P), accounts receivable (A/R), payroll, and financial reporting.

Additionally, Xero offers advanced features, including project accounting, enhanced inventory management, and fixed asset accounting. It’s also among the easiest-to-use software we’ve reviewed, although we like to see the provider add live customer service, like phone and live chat support.

Unlimited user access: You can set up and add as many users as needed for free regardless of the plan you’re subscribed to.
Invoicing: Xero allows you to create and customize invoices easily. You can insert your company logo, edit the line items, and customize the layout of your invoice.
Expense categorization: You can create categories and subcategories in your chart of accounts to classify expense transactions. You can also set up bank feeds and create bank rules to automate the categorization process.
Inventory management: The program lets you create inventory items, track quantities and COGS in real time, and adjust inventory levels to reflect changes like wastage or loss. Also, you can create purchase orders (POs) to order inventory items from your suppliers.
Fixed asset tracking: In Xero, you can create an asset register to record the details of a new fixed asset. The system calculates depreciation automatically based on the chosen method, and you can set up schedules to allocate depreciation expenses over the asset’s useful life.

You can choose from three Xero plans, all of which include unlimited users. Also, all include a mobile app for Android and iOS devices.

Early: $20 monthly
Growing: $47 monthly
Established: $80 monthly

Companies with many users: Whether you have a growing company that needs to onboard new employees or grant access to stakeholders and accountants, Wave lets you add as many users as needed without any costs. You can also customize user permissions and access levels so that you can control what each user can see and do in your accounting software.
Ecommerce businesses: Xero’s inventory management features are well-suited for ecommerce businesses to track inventory quantities and optimize stock levels. Also, Xero integrates with ecommerce automation apps like Parex Bridge and Orderspace to help you set up and manage your online stores.