Running a small business can be a challenge, especially when it comes to managing your finances. That’s where accounting software comes in. These tools can help you keep track of your expenses, invoices, and other financial tasks, saving you time and effort.
If you’re a small business owner in South Africa, you may be wondering which accounting software is the best fit for your company. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 free accounting software for small businesses in South Africa for 2023.
Our list includes options for invoicing, expenses, payroll, and more. All of the software on our list is user-friendly and tailored to the needs of small businesses in South Africa.
Best free accounting software in South Africa 2023
| # | Free Accounting Software |
|---|---|
| 1 | FNB instant accounting software |
| 2 | WAVE accounting Software |
| 3 | GnuCash |
| 4 | xTuple PostBooks |
| 5 | ZipBooks |
| 6 | Akaunting |
| 7 | Money Manager EX |
| 8 | TurboCASH |
| 9 | SlickPie |
| 10 | Palladium Accounting |
You may easily prepare your business books on a PC or a mobile device using a free accounting software. You have more immediate problems as a small business owner, and resources are sometimes limited, so paying for accounts compilation might be costly.
For small businesses in South Africa, there are various free accounting software solutions. This software can generate payroll, ledger entries, invoicing, trial balance, VAT, and financial statements.
The best thing about using accounting software is that the data it collects is always available and can be translated into information at any time. Your data will be available within seconds. If you want to borrow money from a bank or another lender, thanks to automation, you may have your financial information in minutes.
1. FNB instant free accounting software
For FNB business account holders, this accounting software is free. FNB quick accounting is one of the greatest free all-around software programmes in South Africa, with a variety of functions to help you manage your day-to-day business finances. The programme can save all of your customers and creditors and is linked to your business account.
When you make a payment to a third party, you can quickly record the transaction. It aids in the management of your employees’ pay, allowing you to do automatic data grabs and monthly debit orders for employee salaries. The programme also assists with your VAT calculations; by using this function, you can eliminate your VAT accounting fees and perform the calculations yourself.
This software will allow you to pay all of your SARS obligations, including PAYE, Skills Development Levy, and UIF for employees and directors.
2. WAVE accounting Software
WAVE is a Canadian corporation that operates globally and provides banking and small business software services. WAVE accounting software is likely the world’s best free accounting software. The software is extremely user-friendly and may be utilised by anyone who has an interest. The software may be simply adapted to utilise South Africa’s tax framework.
WAVE’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards, therefore they are reliable, especially if your organisation follows the same practises. This programme assists with billing, payroll, and accounting entries to financial statements. As part of their value-added services, WAVE will charge you for making online payments.
3. GnuCash Free Accounting Software
GnuCash is open-source accounting software and it is freely available to anyone who wants to make use of it. GnuCash is available for Linux, Microsoft, and Mac OS. GnuCash can be optimized to fit South African standards of accounting and has built-in IFRS and GAAP functions. There is more to benefit from using this software and the benefit is not only monetary but also the quality of output that the software offer. Further benefits include
- Double-Entry Accounting
- Stock/Bond/Mutual Fund Accounts
- Small-Business Accounting
- Reports, Graphs
- QIF/OFX/HBCI Import, Transaction Matching
- Scheduled Transactions
- Financial Calculations
If you are looking for multicurrency free accounting software that is linked to your business bank account and offers flexibility then GnuCash is for you.
4. xTuple PostBooks
xTuple has created the free accounting software PostBooks. PostBooks is ideally suited for manufacturing enterprises, thus if you’re in the manufacturing industry, you should consider this programme. With PostBooks, you will not only be able to manage your accounting entries, but also your inventory and debtors, which are the most important variables in the success of your business.
You will also be able to efficiently manage your purchases and work-in-progress inventory in order to operate your production process. XTuple PostBooks offers for a fee value-added capabilities such as client relationship management and sales management.
5. ZipBooks
Only one of ZipBooks’ three accounting software options is free. Consider ZipBooks as your accounting software option if you own a very small business that does not require complex accounting. The user-friendly, free ZipBooks programme allows you to link your business bank account and PayPal account to simplify accounting.
However, on a free ZipBooks website, reconciliations are not included and must be completed by the user. With ZipBooks, you can manage an infinite number of clients and generate an unlimited number of invoices for free.
6. Akaunting
Akaunting is completely free accounting software with no membership required. Akaunting will assist your business in tracking. You will be able to monitor your company’s cash flow and determine its liquidity at any given time. Invoices: You will be able to track paid and unpaid invoices in order to take appropriate action.
All of your spending will be logged, and you will be able to identify where you spend the majority of your money and if any reductions are necessary. Clients: You will be able to track each client’s outstanding balance. This will aid your company in future decisions to lend to specific debtors.
Akaunting is a robust programme that may be utilised by a variety of businesses. On Akaunting, you cannot link business bank accounts.
7. Money Manager EX
Money Manager EX is a free, open-source accounting programme. The software is very simple to use for everyday tasks. The software allows you to monitor your budget and cash flow. You can import a CSV file from your bank into the software to get started.
8. TurboCASH
With TurboCash it’s all about quality financial reporting. This accounting software is good for both small and medium enterprises. Using this software you will be able to handle multiple companies and reconcile every account whenever you want to for a group of companies.
You can deal with multiple VAT, creditors, debtors, bank, inventory, sales, and other relevant accounts using one software.
9. SlickPie
SlickPie has its user experience on a different level with revenue charts, spending graphs and bank account activity all visible on the home page. This accounting software is not entirely free, it is, however, very easy to use and come with value-added services that one can subscribe for at a fee.
If your business is online then you can use SlickPie’s payment processing system to allow payments on checkout. SlickPie has many services and the services are beyond accounting, many of these services are charged so if you really need additional services from SlickPie then you just have to pay for the service.
10. Palladium Accounting
Palladium provides multicurrency accounting software with the most recent accounting processing technology. The software is simple to use and navigate, thus learning how to use it will take less time. There are no expenses associated with the software application, and cloud storage is available. It is a viable choice for a startup business with limited capital.
Conclusion
Choosing accounting software can be challenging at times, especially if you’re looking for a free one. Prior to selecting accounting software, you must have a thorough understanding of your organization so that you can select software that best meets your company’s requirements. It is unnecessary for a small firm to purchase accounting software when one is available for free.
The majority of free accounting software is user-friendly, so you won’t require an accountant to make entries. As long as your organization is in its infancy and there are no complex accounting activities, you can utilise any of the top ten free accounting programmes.
