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Money & Accounting

Bookkeeping, invoices, and bill pay tools for small businesses.

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Best accounting software for contractors in 2026

Money tools keep your books, send invoices and pay your bills. Good books show which jobs make money. Some tools also read receipts or pay suppliers online. To pick one, ask your bookkeeper what they use. Then check invoice limits, the cost for each user and the free trial.

Our top picks

  • QuickBooks: best for small trade shops that want clear books. There is a free plan, and paid plans start at $38 a month.
  • Xero: best for small trade shops and their bookkeepers. Plans start at $27 a month.
  • FreshBooks: best for small service shops that want easy invoicing. Plans start at $23 a month.
  • Melio: best for small shops that want to pay supplier bills online. There is a free plan, and paid plans start at $20 a month.
  • Dext: best for owners buried in paper receipts. Plans start at $25.21 a month.

How to choose

  • Your bookkeeper: Ask what they use. Moving books later is a pain, so match them now if you can.
  • Users: Xero has no per-user fees. FreshBooks charges $11 a month for each extra team member.
  • Job costs: To see profit on each job, check the plan. QuickBooks Plus and Xero Established track projects.
  • Payroll: Payroll is an add-on for QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks. Add it to the price when you compare.

Quick compare

QuickBooks: Monthly, from $38 for one user · free plan with 2 invoices a month · small trade shops that want clear books

Xero: Monthly, from $27, with no per-user fees · no free plan listed · small trade shops and their bookkeepers

FreshBooks: Monthly by number of clients billed, from $23 · 30-day free trial, no card · small service shops that want easy invoicing

Melio: Free Go plan, Core from $20 a month billed yearly, plus fees on some payments · free plan · small shops that want to pay supplier bills online

Dext: Monthly by documents, from $25.21 · 14-day free trial, no card · owners buried in paper receipts

Questions contractors ask

Should I use QuickBooks or Xero?

Both work for small trade shops. QuickBooks has a free plan, and Simple Start is $38 a month for one user. Xero starts at $27 a month with no per-user fees. Ask your bookkeeper which one they use.

Can I see the profit on each job?

Yes, on higher plans. QuickBooks Plus, at $140 a month, tracks profit on each project. Xero Established, at $97 a month, tracks project time and costs.

How do I stop losing receipts?

Use a receipt app. With Dext, you snap a photo of a receipt or forward a bill by email. It reads the details and sends them to QuickBooks or Xero.

Want help picking? Book a free call and we will point you to the right fit.

Tools in this category

Tools

Tools are sorted with the best fit for contractors first.

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