If you’re a busy person the last thing you want to do is chain yourself to your desk to do your accounts. The good news is that thanks to cloud-based accounting software, you now have the freedom to manage your accounts on the move.
The great thing is that most of the top accounting software vendors produce their own spin-off Android accounting software, offering a simple way to send invoices, track expenses, and access your business’ bank account information from your Android device.
Here we take a look at the biggest players in the Android accounting software game, exploring the features of each app and giving you an idea of how much each app will set you back if you decide to take up the subscription.
FreshBooks
The FreshBooks Android app is a pleasure to use. FreshBooks is simple to understand, even if you haven’t used any accounting software before. FreshBooks features an easy-to-understand dashboard and brilliant visualizations, which make it rewarding to use.
FreshBooks for Android allows you to create slick-looking invoices and set up credit card payment support. The application allows you to see instantly if your client has viewed your invoice, and imports clients to invoice directly from your phone’s address book.
You can use the FreshBooks Android app to snap photos of expenses receipts and store them in the cloud, and the app even includes time tracking functionality.
User Iqbal Aroussi says “I love FreshBooks’ service and especially the mobile app, (which) enables me to give estimates very quickly on the go”.
Price: Free app, subscription from $9.99 per month
FreshBooks
Xero
Xero is an online accounting application that’s designed to offer a more efficient and enjoyable way for a small business to manage its accounts. The app imports all your financial transactions into its database and links them to the corresponding accounting transactions.
Xero Accounting Software for Android gives you visibility of all of your accounts, credit card and PayPal balances, as well as outstanding invoices, expense claims, reports, and contacts.
You can use the Xero Android app to create and send invoices from your device, generate expense reports from uploaded photos, and call customers and suppliers through the Xero app.
App user Sid Mehra says of the Xero app for Android that it’s a “well designed product and fantastic”.
Price: Free app, subscription from $29.99 per month.
Xero
Nutcache
If you’re looking for an online app for invoicing and time management, Nutcache is worth a nibble. It allows you to create an unlimited number of invoices, adding your logo, and sending them in bulk to your various clients.
The Nutcache Timelogger app for Android enables easy time-tracking from your mobile. You can access all the companies to which you have access rights, link time to your tasks and projects, and add notes to time entries.
The Android Nutcache Timelogger app boasts an intuitive user interface available in eight different languages.
Nutcache user Stephen Hampton says on Google Play: “Best I’ve found I’m using the online desktop version of nutcache and added this time logger. I am constantly amazed with its features, reliability and ease of use. It’s best feature is that you get multi users for free – no one else does that”.
Price: Free (Nutcache subscription starts at $14 per month).
Nutcache Timelogger
FinancialForce Accounting
FinancialForce Accounting is ideal for small business owners who hate bookkeeping largely because it plays so nicely with SalesForce.com. As a matter of fact, FinancialForce is made for SalesForce integration. If your business is one of the many using Salesforce for customer relationship management (CRM), you owe it to yourself to check out FinancialForce Accounting.
FinancialForce Accounting has two companion accounting apps for Android: FinancialForce Expenses, which offers you the ability to track and record billable project expenses, review receipts and create expenses offline; and FinancialForce Timecards for keeping professional services road workers connected at all times.
Price: Both apps are free to download
FinancialForce Expenses
Sage One
Sage One is an accounting app that operates on a curious principle. Acknowledging that small business accounting is mostly a snore, a laborious residual of doing business, Sage One aims to put the dull aspects of being in business, accounting tasks, largely on autopilot.
The free version of the Sage One app for Android lets you create and send up-to five professional invoices each month, recording payments to see who still owes you money. Other features of the app include the ability to record and categorize expenses, and store the products and services you invoice for the most.
Price: Free app, subscription from $9 per month.
Sage One
Zoho Books
Zoho Books is another super simple accounting app. Zoho Books also benefits from integrating with Zoho’s other business apps, which are perhaps the most notable alternatives to Google Apps for Business. Zoho Books, together with the other apps in Zoho’s growing Web app ecosystem, can help you keep it simple at every stage of small business accounting.
The Zoho Books Android app lets you create and send invoices from your phone or tablet. You can record expenses and bills through the app and categorize them. Zoho Books for Android also allows you to add your bank or credit card accounting, enabling bank feeds so you can view activity on your device.
Google Play user Love Lovely be says “I’ve tried so many online accounting options, and this one is the best. The most simple to set up; the most elegant.”
Price: Free, subscription from $9 per month
Zoho Books
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online handles accounting, billing, and invoicing, all from the same spot. Its colorful, user-friendly interface is home to a powerful set of features. These include estimates invoicing, time tracking, accounts payable, reporting, inventory, contacts, sales, and tax.
QuickBooks Online for Android lets you send invoices to your clients from wherever you roam, allowing you to get paid faster via a Pay Now link. The QuickBooks Online Android app lets you download bank transactions (U.S. only) and match them up to existing QuickBooks transactions, or add them as new ones.
User DJ Technical says on Google Play: “Love it. Makes my life so much simpler. I own a dj company and for billing and keeping track of my expenses it works great! Plus client service is A+.
Price: Free, subscription from $9.99 per month
QuickBooks Online
For more information about the top cloud-based apps for accounting, visit our sister site GetApp and compare the top accounting applications. Be sure to let us know which accounting apps you prefer, too!
