When you work alone, your books can be simple. You need a clear record of money in and money out, your receipts, and a way to send invoices. Many tools can do that for little or nothing. The right one depends on how many clients you have and how you get paid.
What a one-person business needs
Before you compare tools, write down what you actually do each month.
- Record income and expenses, each with a category.
- Keep a photo or file of every receipt.
- Send invoices and see which are unpaid.
- Track mileage, if you drive for work.
- Pull a simple profit and loss report for your tax return.
That is most of it. You probably do not need inventory, multiple users, budgets or project costing. Paying for them is money you could keep.
Open a separate business bank account first. It makes your books simpler in any tool. Bookkeeping basics explains why.
The options
Prices are as of October 2026, from each vendor's pricing page. They differ by country and change often, so check the link before you sign up.
A spreadsheet
Free, and it can be enough while you have a handful of transactions a month. One row per transaction, with a date, amount, category and a link to the receipt. See QuickBooks vs Excel for when a spreadsheet stops being enough.
Wave Starter, US and Canada only
Wave Starter is free, with unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records. Pro, at 19 US dollars a month, adds automatic bank import and unlimited receipt capture. Wave is only for businesses in the United States and Canada.
- Suits: sole proprietors in North America who want real bookkeeping for free.
Zoho Books Free or Zoho Invoice
The Zoho Books Free plan is for businesses with yearly revenue under 50,000 dollars. It includes 1 user plus 1 accountant, up to 1,000 invoices a year, bank reconciliation and standard reports. If you only need invoices, Zoho Invoice is free for up to 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding on the free plan.
- Suits: freelancers who want free accounting with room for an accountant to log in.
FreshBooks Lite
FreshBooks Lite is 23 US dollars a month for up to 5 billable clients. It includes time tracking, mileage tracking, recurring invoices and automatic bank import. Accountant access starts on the Plus plan.
- Suits: consultants and freelancers with a few regular clients who bill for time.
QuickBooks' own one-person plans
If you like QuickBooks but not the price, look at QuickBooks Solopreneur before you leave. In the US there is a Free plan with 2 invoices, 2 receipt uploads and 5 mileage trips a month. Lite is 20 dollars a month with unlimited invoices, receipts and mileage, and the mobile app. Neither includes accountant access. The page is written for US self-employed taxes.
- Suits: US sole proprietors who want QuickBooks with fewer features and a lower price.
How to choose
- Check your country first. Some tools are only sold in a few countries.
- Count your clients and invoices in a normal month.
- Decide if your accountant needs to log in.
- Check how your clients prefer to pay, and the fee on each payment.
- Pick the simplest tool that covers your list. You can move later.
Keep the routine small
Whatever you pick, set a short weekly slot. Sort new transactions, save receipts, send invoices for finished work and chase late ones. The overdue invoice reminder emails help with the last part. Once the books are up to date, you can see how much to pay yourself without guessing.
Tax rules for the self-employed differ a lot by country. The software keeps the records. An accountant or your tax office can tell you what to file and when.