Accounting and Billing Software necessarily do not have to be massive programs that hog system resources. A small business only wants a convenient means of tracking their inventory, processing tax information, creating quotations, invoices and keeping records of customers, product and warehouse inventory. This is what you can expect from Free Accounting and Billing Software available for the Windows platform. Some are completely freeware and require additional support software such as a database creator or manager while others are full-fledged systems with paid versions and added benefits.
1. Adminsoft Accounts
Adminsoft Accounts is free for a single user and offers accounting packages for midsized and smaller businesses with several useful features like Payment slips, Profit and Loss, Invoicing and Customer support. Manage inventories, suppliers, contacts, clients, personnel and banking with answers on customer relations, tax, discounts, shipping and much more. This comes with a freeware license and is actually quite compact and portable by nature letting you build a database on Visual FoxPro v6.
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- Pros: Regular updates, support, great for database management and businesses.
- Cons: Isn’t userfriendly, takes time to get used to.
- OS: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008, Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
2. GnuCash
GnuCash is a free and capable software great for financial management and operates on Windows platform. It comes with an interface that might be a bit bland but presents in a user-friendly manner with access to online banking access, management of holdings such as investment, CDs, stock and more. Get tutorials on financial terminology and walk-through with a wizard that lets you setup your entire project on the fly.
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- Pros: Extensive documentation, good reviews and user friendly.
- Cons: Program is counter-intuitive, documentation is a tad bit difficult to understand.
- OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8
3. NCH Express Invoice
Specifically catered towards small businesses, NCH Express Invoice is excellent for tracking bills, keeping invoices and so on. It provides plenty of useful options and a simple layout that is easy on the eye. Finance will become simpler with this software as it has clear labels and helpful onscreen instructions to guide users along the way. Some of the things you can do is extensive report running, warehouse inventory tracking, quotations and order forms. This is a freeware and installs on your average Windows desktop with a single folder and has a minute footprint.
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- Pros: Small size, easy to use, easy to backup and intuitive interface.
- Cons: Hard to create quotations and invoice as it lacks auto-complete feature for items.
- OS: Windows XP/Vista, Windows 7 and 8 (64 bit versions are supported too)
4. Invoice Expert XE
If you want a light version of an accounting software for your small business then the Invoice Expert XE is ideal with its limited features and simplified invoicing system. It lets you establish tax settings, calculate taxes on products or invoices and at first glance while it may look cluttered, it is actually easy getting used to. Labelled toolbar with divided sections on Vendors, products, customers and invoices helps in navigation and quick creation of anything. The only drawback is that the Lite version does not provide access to import product or customer information.
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- Pros: Easy to use, free and simple.
- Cons: Limit on Lite edition is for 100 items, Paid version unlocks many useful features.
- OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/8
5. BS1 Accounting
With BS1 Enterprise Accounting small businesses now have a means of keeping track of their accounting needs in a simple to use platform with a desktop toolbar access. The tutorial is detailed enough and yet easy to follow letting you get acclimatized with things such as Accounts Receivable and Account Payable, Sales, Inventory, Accounts and so on. The program also features a Filter feature that lets you search within various categories and overall, it is great for processing sales and purchase orders.
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- Pros: Easy to handle multiple ledgers, subaccounts and customize account settings.
- Cons: Version upgrades aren’t free plus limited features in free edition.
- OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/8
