Best free invoicing/accounting software for small business

[Chris.Geerdts]

Hi. I review financial performance of small businesses for a living and one of my customers does everything on spreadsheets. She asked what software I recommend and I thought I would ask around before suggesting anything.

Any ideas?

From what I can see, the requirements are extremely simple but I would like to suggest something which could be expanded later (or which could export the books into a bigger or a commercial package when the time comes)

 

[Frikkenator]

This, so much of this, it's awesome: http://www.sageone.co.za/

EDIT: It's not free I know, but R165 per month is basically free. Also if your business account is with Standard Bank you may qualify for 1 year free.

 

[WaxLyrical]

Turbocash is free.

 

[werfie]

This, so much of this, it's awesome: http://www.sageone.co.za/

EDIT: It's not free I know, but R165 per month is basically free. Also if your business account is with Standard Bank you may qualify for 1 year free.

+1 for this. I think Pastel really got it right on this one.

Also a relatively new-ish kid on the block with a free entry level version: http://www.palladium.co.za/

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

Turbocash is free.

Hi. Thanks. I can get a list of free cash programs on Wikipedia together with features. I'm keen on recommendations to pass on from people who have experience with these programs

Do you find Turbocash helpful?

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

This, so much of this, it's awesome: http://www.sageone.co.za/

EDIT: It's not free I know, but R165 per month is basically free. Also if your business account is with Standard Bank you may qualify for 1 year free.

There's a whack of free software on the market (see wikipedia) so I'm not going to recommend R165/m as first option, but thank you for the review

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

+1 for this. I think Pastel really got it right on this one.

Also a relatively new-ish kid on the block with a free entry level version: http://www.palladium.co.za/

Thanks. That Palladium individual looks appropriate and free, but I presume upgradable. Has anybody tried it?

 

[Frikkenator]

There's a whack of free software on the market (see wikipedia) so I'm not going to recommend R165/m as first option, but thank you for the review

Yea I hear you, but if a company can't spend R165pm on an excellent accounting package with excellent support then they've got bigger things to worry about than an accounting package. Plus you want something that can be upgraded into a fully fledged accounting system later so who better than the guys who build the fully fledged accounting systems.

But it's up to you, just my 2c worth.

 

[LazyLion]

We've used Turbocash in the past, but ended up on Sage Pastel.

You might as well just skip the Turbocash and just go straight to Sage.

You won't be sorry.

 

[DA-LION-619]

Yea I hear you, but if a company can't spend R165pm on an excellent accounting package with excellent support then they've got bigger things to worry about than an accounting package. Plus you want something that can be upgraded into a fully fledged accounting system later so who better than the guys who build the fully fledged accounting systems.

But it's up to you, just my 2c worth.

This

 

[AstroTurf]

Hi. Thanks. I can get a list of free cash programs on Wikipedia together with features. I'm keen on recommendations to pass on from people who have experience with these programs

Do you find Turbocash helpful?

That 165pm gets you software specifically designed for south africa...

 

[Fulcrum29]

We've used Turbocash in the past, but ended up on Sage Pastel.

You might as well just skip the Turbocash and just go straight to Sage.

You won't be sorry.

This.

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

Ok, thanks for the inputs. So far I've got the following

Lots of votes for Pastel, which I accept is a great package. I use this myself and got WAPA onto Pastel when I was chair there.

It's not free, though.

One suggestion of Palladium, also tailored for SA. The benefit of that is it would grow with the business - upgrade to a commercial version and then a multibranch.

No votes for Easybooks, which is also SA tailored.

I confess I have only had experience with Turbocash and Pastel (and two others I would only recommend to my worst enemies) so wouldn't know which of these to suggest.

 

[nic777]

You can try Wave. Its free and could work for you dependent on the features you require. http://www.waveapps.com/

 

[S-B-S]

Also consider - www.xero.com. Its a bit more user friendly, in case the business owners are not financial people, and can pull in bank feeds (same as Sage One).

 

[ALD]

Mappi accounting at www.softcomdev.co.za provides full function bookkeeping to trial balance and assisted financial statements for reviews and compilations.
Full function payroll and government returns automation also included.
Check it out ..

 

[Willie Trombone]

Are you going to provide your expertise free? If not, I'd wager that turbocash will cost them a lot more.

 

[Thor]

Waveapps if your business is too big, complex for that then Sage. Just pray to God you never need support because pastel is useless. They don't answer emails either, try to cancel. Oh joy world of incompetence there. But the software is defacto there is no competition in South Africa.

So yea we use Sage pastel

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

Mappi accounting at www.softcomdev.co.za provides full function bookkeeping to trial balance and assisted financial statements for reviews and compilations.
Full function payroll and government returns automation also included.
Check it out ..

It costs R4500 so not free. Also, my request on the thread is to hear the experience of local users.

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

Are you going to provide your expertise free? If not, I'd wager that turbocash will cost them a lot more.

I only provide advice on the financial management (what the numbers are saying) and business improvement. I won't be helping with bookkeeping. The customer went with Turbocash.

It's a useful topic anyway.