Business Tools — Chapter 3

In the US, the two most popular accounting and invoicing programs are QuickBooks and Xero, neither of which offers a free option. But there are some less well-known low or no-fee alternatives.

Accounting and Invoicing Platforms

GnuCash

GnuCash is a free and open-source accounting software, modeled after Intuit’s Quicken. It’s available worldwide in numerous languages. Like other free software, it lacks a handsome interface and some of the visualization options that cloud-based tools offer. It is also hosted locally as opposed to in the cloud, so works best when a single user does all the accounting. It does not incorporate payment processing.

Cost: Free

Languages: Broad range

Monito

Although some international money transfer services come more highly recommended than others (for instance, many users strongly prefer Wise over Paypal), fees can vary significantly depending on exchange rates, the amount of money being sent, and other variables. Monito is a Swiss-based website that compares different international money transfer services. Enter the currencies of your transfer transaction and Monito will provide a list of vetted apps, neo-banks, and available wire transfer services, along with the rates and fees they will charge. Monito also rates and reviews these services.

Cost: Free

Languages: Site is in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Russian; 154 currencies are available for comparison.

Wave

Wave offers free cloud-based accounting and invoicing software. It also includes a payment processing platform, which charges comparable per-transaction fees to PayPal. Wave is designed to be simple and intuitive, so it might not be ideal for larger businesses with more complex accounting needs. It is currently only available to clients in North America.

Cost: Free, with additional paid features and charges for payment processing

Languages: English only