book keeping software - any recommendations....

[rob1970]

Hi there, Could you recommend booking software for a small business with around 30 transactions per month? Ideally, I'm looking for something that can import/download statement data, categorise purchases, and save me a lot of data entry. I use a spreadsheet at the moment. Thank you for your help.

 

[john1989]

Accounts Portal, VT Cashbook / Transaction, Clearbooks and Xero all get a mention frequently on this forum.

It's worth testing a couple out that you like the look of and see what suits you best.

 

[Energise Accounting]

We use Exact it is excellent once you have used it for a week or so.
1. You get all your suppliers to send invoices to your digital inbox and for a week or so post them from the input screen within the digital inbox. then for a small fee you can set it to a automated function.
2. automatic bank feeds
3. loads of 3rd party add-ons
4. free mobile app to take pictures of your receipts on the go and send them straight to your digital inbox.

 

[kevin.doran]

Honestly, under the hood they're all pretty much the same, bookkeeping is bookkeeping after all. The overall user experience does change from product to product though which is why you'll get such varied opinions when asking on a public forum.

So, unless you've got some bespoke requirements, if I were you i'd just hit Google and jump on some of the free trials to see which takes your fancy.

PS Clear Books is by far the best though obviously

 

[Clinton]

There are options like Xero, VT etc., as mentioned earlier.

I would caution against jumping on free trials. In many cases free is the most expensive!

In your shoes I would be looking for a solution that doesn't screw me by the month (pay-once software like VT is better than pay monthly especially if you don't need all the extra features, if any, that the subscription model is offering). I would also want something that's secure, that can be easily backed up (and restored!) and that is simple to use and doesn't have millions of bells and whistles that I don't need.

Also, beware the vendor lock-in. I'm amazed at how easily people jump into lock-ins!

On subscriber models you invest a lot more than the fees you've paid. You're putting trust in the company to always be around. If they have a major security breach or other problem that causes them to go bust, or simply takes their site down for a few days, what happens to all your data? Can you access it? Extract it? Can you port it to a different provider?

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Hi there, Could you recommend booking software for a small business with around 30 transactions per month? Ideally, I'm looking for something that can import/download statement data, categorise purchases, and save me a lot of data entry. I use a spreadsheet at the moment. Thank you for your help.

Accounts Portal is my recommendation.

I use it myself and have lots of clients using it.

The bank import facility does work really well - its a huge time saving.

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

...

In your shoes I would be looking for a solution that doesn't screw me by the month (pay-once software like VT is better than pay monthly especially if you don't need all the extra features, if any, that the subscription model is offering). ....

But the OP stated ''I'm looking for something that can import/download statement data'' The bank import facility in VT is truly awful. I've tried it several times.

It is personal preference but I dont begrudge paying less than £10 per month for an online system which offers so many features and saves so much of my time - worth every penny as far as I'm concerned.

 

[kevin.doran]

I would caution against jumping on free trials. In many cases free is the most expensive!

Go on then, it's nearly the end of the week and i've got my curious hat on??

 

[Energise Accounting]

I disagree with @Clinton cloud software is the way to go. I have also used accounts portal in the past and it is very good. I just moved over to exact as it is perfect my type of client.

 

[UK Contractor Accountant]

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/anyanswers/question/xero-vs-clear-books-vs-freeagent-vs-others

 

[GGGSurrey]

Note that Xero monthly fees are going up 10% or 11% soon

 

[Energise Accounting]

Note that Xero monthly fees are going up 10% or 11% soon

xero is already one of the more expensive offerings. Many other software providers are just as good if not better. Even if they linked with accounts production i dont think i would use them as my software costs would increase by 75% to get the same functionality.

 

[GGGSurrey]

I work with a cloud-based invoicing and accounting solution called Debitoor that you might consider checking out. It's been developed specifically for small to medium sized businesses. It offers automatic bank reconciliation, tracking of invoices, 3rd party apps, as well as categorisation of expenses and tons of other features. There are free trials available for all three of the different plans, so it could be a good place to start!

How much does it cost?

 

[UK Contractor Accountant]

https://debitoor.com/pricing

 

[Paige]

Hey,

Hi there, Could you recommend booking software for a small business with around 30 transactions per month? Ideally, I'm looking for something that can import/download statement data, categorise purchases, and save me a lot of data entry. I use a spreadsheet at the moment. Thank you for your help.

Hello!
I've noticed some of the suggestions on here which are great. I personally use Booking Live and would recommend them for anyone looking for an online booking software. I used to use a spreadsheet just like you, hope this helps you and hopefully others reading this post too!
Thank you Paige.

 

[Jeet Chaudhary]

Looking for some Business Developers for Accounting and Bookkeeping Solutions? Anyone want to be associated with my firm.