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Accounting & bookkeeping

Forget the Excel spreadsheet, your business deserves better! Accounting and bookkeeping are essential, you can’t escape them. So make them easy to manage with the smartest cloud accounting tools on the market.

These are three of the biggies. They’re simple, reliable, and affordable for sole traders and small businesses. You just need to choose which one you prefer!

One of the biggest cloud accounting tools on the market, Xero can do everything from basic bookkeeping to more complex stuff, like payroll and stock management.

Who’s it for?

Small businesses that want to leave accounting to something they trust and think about it as little as possible.

Good bits

  • Loads of features and plug-ins. Both individual freelancers and more complicated small businesses will find lots of helpful stuff on Xero.
  • It works with loads of apps you already have, like PayPal, G Suite, and Stripe.
  • The mobile app’s nice and detailed, so you can manage most features on the go.

Not so good bits

  • Some fairly essential features cost a bit extra. If you need expenses, it’s £2.50 per user.
  • The starter package limits you to 5 invoices a month, which might not be enough for most businesses.

Free-o-meter
2/5

 

Prices: £10 – £27.50 a month.

You can try all the features for free with the 30-day trial, but there’s no permanent free version.

In terms of downloads, this is the number one online accounting tool in the world. All those people surely can’t be wrong! Quickbooks has all the essential features, plus lots of handy extras.

Who’s it for?

Small businesses and freelancers with a lot of financial stuff to manage.

Good bits

  • Loads and loads of helpful features! Payroll, mileage trackers, VAT calculations, cash flow insights, and more.
  • You can add your accountant as a user, so you’ll have less to do.
  • You can apparently save 8 hours every month in admin time.

Not so good bits

  • Some businesses will feel like they’re missing out on industry-specific tools.

Free-o-meter
2/5

 

Prices: £8 – £27 a month.

You can try it out for free during the 30-day trial. The cheapest package is for self-employed people, and the small business version is a bit more expensive. If you buy at the right time, you can usually get 50% off for your first 6 months.

Cloud accounting software equipped with payroll, forecasting, and inventory included. Sage is another big player in online accounting, and chosen by thousands of freelancers and small businesses worldwide.

Who’s it for?

Small businesses with lots to do, people to pay, and cash flow to monitor.

Good bits

  • Clever reporting and insights.
  • Manage things on the go with the mobile app.
  • Easily connect your Sage account to the apps you use all the time.

Not so good bits

  • A bit complicated if it’s your first time using an accounting tool. There are simpler tools available.
  • The sole trader package has a few crucial things missing, like time tracking and expenses.

Free-o-meter
2/5

 

Prices: £10 – £22 a month.

Sage’s pricing structure is a bit confusing. There are all kinds of different versions for different businesses. You can try most of them for free for 30 days.