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For a one-person home business that files a Schedule C, QuickBooks Solopreneur is the most tax-focused pick: Intuit says it "automates expense tracking to help you maximize deductions for your Schedule C reporting" [1]. If you want to spend nothing, Zoho Books has a $0 plan for "solopreneurs and micro businesses" [2], and Wave's Starter plan is also $0 [3]. FreshBooks fits owners who bill clients, and Xero fits home businesses that expect to grow.
Running a business from home usually means one person does the selling, the work and the books. Good home business accounting software takes the weekly chores off your plate: invoices, bank transactions, receipts, business miles and a clean profit and loss report at tax time.
How we chose
We compared six tools a home-based business or solo owner would realistically shortlist: QuickBooks Solopreneur, QuickBooks Online Simple Start, FreshBooks, Xero, Wave and Zoho Books. We looked at invoicing, receipt capture, bank feeds, mileage tracking, tax-time help, accountant access and Mac support. Everything below comes from the vendors' own homepages, pricing and feature pages, checked on 2026-11-08, not hands-on testing. Several vendors advertise introductory discounts, so we list the regular price and note the promotion. Confirm prices at checkout.
Comparison at a glance
| Product | Best for | Starting price | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Solopreneur | Sole proprietors who file a Schedule C | Free at $0; Lite listed at $20/mo, with a $10 variant also shown [1] | Free plan allows 2 receipt uploads and 5 mileage trips a month [1] |
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start | Owners who want an accountant in the books | $38/mo, or $19/mo for the first 3 months [4] | 1 user plus access for 2 accountants [4] |
| FreshBooks | Service businesses that invoice clients | Lite at $23/mo [5] | Lite bills up to 5 clients, Plus up to 50 [5] |
| Xero | Growing businesses that want daily bank feeds | Early at $27/mo after an intro rate [6] | Early covers 20 invoices and 5 bills [6] |
| Wave | Free, unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping records | Starter at $0; Pro at $19/mo [3] | Bank auto-import and unlimited receipts are Pro features [3] |
| Zoho Books | A free plan with mileage tracking | Free at $0; Standard at $20/mo, or $15/mo billed annually [7] | Free plan applies while yearly revenue stays at or under $50K [7] |
QuickBooks Solopreneur — built around self-employed taxes
QuickBooks Solopreneur is "designed for self-employed individuals running a one-person business" [1], with the focus on sorting transactions and tracking deductions.
Verified features: You can "use your phone's GPS to track miles, capture receipts, and match them to transactions" [1]. Intuit says the software "automates expense tracking to help you maximize deductions for your Schedule C reporting" [1]. The paid Lite tier adds Expert Assisted Tax "Powered by TurboTax," which you pay for only when you file [1].
Pricing: The Free plan lets you "connect one bank account, send up to two invoices per month, and track basic income and expenses" [1], with 2 receipt uploads and 5 mileage trips a month [1]. Lite lifts those caps with "Unlimited invoices" and "Unlimited receipts and mileage" [1]. When we checked, one Lite card showed $20 per month, discounted 50% for 3 months [1], while a second Lite card on the same page showed $10 with the same discount [1], so check the live price.
Strengths: Mileage, receipts and Schedule C deductions sit at the center of the product, not in add-ons, and the Free plan lets you try it on a small side business.
Limitations: The Free caps get tight once you invoice more than two clients a month. Lite is a 1-user plan with "No accountant access" [1], so your tax preparer cannot log in.
Best fit: Sole proprietors and side businesses who drive for work, file a Schedule C and keep their own books.
QuickBooks Online Simple Start — for books your accountant can work in
QuickBooks Online Simple Start adds what Solopreneur Lite lacks: accountant access and room to grow.
Verified features: QuickBooks "learns how you categorize income and expenses and then automatically matches and records transactions from then on" [4]. Because it runs in the cloud, you can reach it "from any device with an internet connection" [4]. The next plan up, Essentials, lists "Estimates quarterly payments with Business Tax AI" [4].
Pricing: Simple Start is listed at $38 per month, or $19 per month for the first 3 months, for 1 user with access for 2 accountants [4]. Essentials is listed at $85 per month for 3 users [4].
Strengths: Accountant access on the starting plan, automatic transaction matching, and an upgrade path inside the same product.
Limitations: At $38 per month, it has the highest regular starting price of the six. Quarterly payment estimates sit on Essentials, not Simple Start [4], which more than doubles the cost.
Best fit: Home businesses that already work with an accountant or bookkeeper.
FreshBooks — invoicing first, for service businesses
FreshBooks sets its plan limits by how many clients you bill [5], which suits consultants, designers and other service businesses run from a home office.
Verified features: FreshBooks "works in any web browser on all your devices," and its iPhone and Android app "includes mileage tracking" [8]. For tax time, it offers reports "like the Profit and Loss Report and Sales Tax Summary, which have the key numbers you need to fill out and file your tax return" [5].
Pricing: Lite is $23 per month for invoicing up to 5 clients, and FreshBooks was advertising 80% off for the first 4 months [5]. Plus is $43 per month for 50 clients and adds expense receipt scanning and accountant access [5].
Strengths: Client invoicing and estimates, mileage tracking in the phone app, and tax-time reports [5].
Limitations: Lite stops at 5 billable clients [5], and receipt scanning and accountant access are listed starting with Plus [5], so a solo owner who wants both pays $43 per month.
Best fit: Freelancers and service businesses that bill a handful of clients.
Xero — daily bank feeds and room to grow
Xero suits owners who want bank transactions flowing in automatically and expect to grow into projects or employees.
Verified features: Bank feeds "pull your transactions into Xero every day, and Hubdoc captures your bills and receipts automatically" [9]. Xero supports 1099 contractor reporting and "automatically calculates sales tax across 13,000 US jurisdictions via Avalara on invoicing" [9]. The Established plan adds "Employee expense and mileage claims," project cost tracking and multiple currencies [10].
Pricing: Early is $27 per month after a promotional $5.40 per month for the first 3 months, and covers quotes, 20 invoices and 5 bills [6]. Established is $97 per month [10].
Strengths: Daily bank feeds, automatic receipt and bill capture through Hubdoc, and sales tax handling on invoices.
Limitations: Early's 20-invoice and 5-bill limits are low for an active business [6], and built-in mileage claims sit on the $97 Established plan [10], a lot for a solo owner who mainly logs trips.
Best fit: Home businesses that want reliable bank feeds and plan to add staff or projects.
Wave — a free plan with a low-cost upgrade
Wave offers unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping records for $0, which makes it one of the lowest-cost starting points here.
Verified features: Starter lets you "create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records" at $0 [3]. Pro adds automatic bank imports, auto-categorization and unlimited digital receipt capture [3]. Wave's tools are web-based, so "you just need an Internet connection and browser" [11].
Pricing: Starter is $0. Pro is $19 per month billed monthly [3], or $190 per year billed annually [3].
Strengths: A free plan with unlimited invoices and records, and a $19 Pro plan when you want bank imports and receipt capture.
Limitations: On Starter, automatic bank import and unlimited receipt capture are not included; both come with Pro [3]. Mileage tracking does not appear among the features on Wave's pricing page, so drivers may need a separate mileage app.
Best fit: New or very small home businesses that mainly need invoices and clean records.
Zoho Books — a free plan with mileage tracking
Zoho Books aims its free plan at "solopreneurs and micro businesses" [2].
Verified features: The Free plan includes invoices, quotes and expenses, receipt autoscans, mileage tracking, bank reconciliation, 1099 contractor tracking, and one user plus one accountant [7]. Standard adds "Connect bank feeds," sales tax tracking and 1099 e-filing [7]. Zoho says Books works on "desktops, Mac and Windows laptops," phones and tablets [7].
Pricing: Free is $0 as long as your revenue for the financial year does not exceed $50K [7]. Standard is $20 per month, or $15 per month billed annually [7].
Strengths: Mileage tracking, bank reconciliation and an accountant seat on a free plan.
Limitations: Automatic bank feeds start on Standard [7], and the free plan ends once yearly revenue passes $50K [7].
Best fit: Home businesses under $50K in revenue that want mileage tracking without a monthly bill.
How to choose home business accounting software
- You drive for work and file a Schedule C. Look first at QuickBooks Solopreneur, which pairs GPS mileage tracking with Schedule C deductions [1], or Zoho Books, which includes mileage tracking on its free plan [7].
- You bill clients for services. FreshBooks is built around client invoicing, but count your clients against its plan caps [5].
- You want an accountant inside the books. QuickBooks Online Simple Start includes access for 2 accountants [4] and Zoho Books Free includes 1 [7]. QuickBooks Solopreneur Lite does not [1].
- You want to spend as little as possible. Wave Starter and Zoho Books Free both cost $0 [3] [7], but automatic bank feeds are paid features on both [3] [7].
- You expect to grow. Xero's Established plan adds project cost tracking and multiple currencies [10], and QuickBooks Online Essentials adds quarterly payment estimates [4]. If you plan to hire, compare payroll costs too; our Gusto pricing breakdown covers one common option.
Keep business money in its own account. Bank feeds and Schedule C categories work best when business income and expenses run through a dedicated account instead of personal checking. Any business checking account will do. One option is Novo, which offers "a free business checking account" [12] and syncs transactions "with QuickBooks, Xero, and other accounting tools" [13]. Note that Novo "is a fintech, not a bank"; its banking services are provided by Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A. [12].
To track leads and clients alongside your books, see our roundup of free CRM software. If you need invoicing or payments built into your own product, SFDIFY builds fintech applications.
FAQ
What is the best self-employed accounting software for a one-person business?
For a sole proprietor who files a Schedule C, QuickBooks Solopreneur is the closest fit, since Intuit says it automates expense tracking to help maximize Schedule C deductions [1]. For a free option with mileage tracking, Zoho Books Free includes it [7]. If invoicing clients is your main job, FreshBooks Lite covers 5 clients at $23 per month [5].
What is the most inexpensive small business accounting software?
Wave Starter and Zoho Books Free both cost $0 [3] [7]. Wave Starter includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records [3], while Zoho Books Free adds mileage tracking but only while yearly revenue stays at or under $50K [7]. QuickBooks also has a $0 plan, limited to two invoices a month [1].
What is the best small business accounting software for Mac?
Any of the browser-based tools here will work on a Mac. QuickBooks Online is reachable "from any device with an internet connection" [4], FreshBooks "works in any web browser" [8], Wave is web-based [11], and Zoho Books lists "Mac and Windows laptops" among supported devices [7].
Can self-employed bookkeeping software help with quarterly taxes?
It can organize the numbers, but you still file and pay. QuickBooks Online Essentials lists "Estimates quarterly payments with Business Tax AI" [4]. FreshBooks reports carry "the key numbers you need to fill out and file your tax return" [5]. QuickBooks Solopreneur Lite adds Expert Assisted Tax powered by TurboTax [1].
Our recommendation
For most one-person home businesses, start with QuickBooks Solopreneur if mileage and Schedule C deductions drive your bookkeeping [1], or Zoho Books Free if you want mileage tracking at $0 and revenue stays under $50K [7]. Choose FreshBooks for client invoicing, Wave for a free plan with unlimited invoices, and Xero or QuickBooks Online Simple Start if you work with an accountant or plan to grow. Whichever you pick, run business money through a separate account so your bank feed stays clean.
Sources
- Self-Employed Accounting Software for Solopreneurs | QuickBooks — checked 2026-11-08
- Powerful Accounting Software for Your Business | Zoho Books — checked 2026-11-08
- Wave Pricing - Wave Financial — checked 2026-11-08
- QuickBooks® Online Pricing & Free Trial | Official Site — checked 2026-11-08
- FreshBooks Pricing, Lite, Plus and Premium Packages - FreshBooks — checked 2026-11-08
- Accounting Software for Small Businesses | Xero US — checked 2026-11-08
- Pricing | Zoho Books — checked 2026-11-08
- Invoice and Accounting Software for Small Businesses - FreshBooks — checked 2026-11-08
- Self-Employed Accounting Software for Freelancers | Xero US — checked 2026-11-08
- Pricing Plans | Xero US — checked 2026-11-08
- Wave: Small Business Software - Wave Financial — checked 2026-11-08
- Novo: Free Business Bank Account for Small Businesses | Novo — checked 2026-11-08
- Connect QuickBooks, Stripe & Business Tools | Novo — checked 2026-11-08
