The Best Accounting Software for Cleaning Businesses

If you own or operate a cleaning business in the US, the right accounting software can help you keep your finances as neat as your clients’ homes and offices. You’ll need software that makes it easy to create and send invoices, tracks expenses, and helps you gain better oversight over your finances and stay compliant with tax.

We’ve tested several popular accounting software platforms and, based on our experience, Zoho Books is the best option for cleaning businesses. It’s easy to use and comes with a solid suite of tools for managing invoices, expenses, clients, and suppliers. Plus, it’s affordable and has a free plan for very small businesses.

If you need something with more of a focus on number-crunching, QuickBooks is a great alternative. Its powerful reporting and budgeting tools can help you effectively plan out your business growth.

Summary: The Best Accounting Software for Cleaning Businesses

Here’s a quick overview of the best accounting software programs for cleaning businesses:

1. Zoho Books: Best Overall Accounting Software

Zoho Books is our top pick for cleaning businesses. It’s affordable (starter plans cost $15–$60 per month), has a free plan, which is great if you work alone, and offers easy-to-use invoicing and expense management tools.

What makes Zoho Books a good choice?

Like any good accounting software platform, Zoho Books has invoicing tools that let businesses email quotes and invoices to clients directly through the Zoho Books platform. You can also accept client payments via bank transfer or a payment processing service, or even log payments by cash or cheque. Plus, Zoho Books lets you set up recurring invoices, and automate payment reminders, cutting down on manual work.

If you operate a cleaning business, chances are you also need to log expenses, such as for cleaning supplies and transport to your clients’ homes or offices. Zoho Books makes this easy with features such as automatic mileage calculation, receipt data capture, and transaction rules that let you automate categorization for recurring expenses.

It doesn’t hurt that most of these features can also be accessed on the go using Zoho Books’ mobile app. Most competitors offer a mobile app, but Zoho Books’ app is by far the most comprehensive, allowing users to manage accounting much the same as they would from the desktop app.

Finally, Zoho Books offers a great set of reporting and financial forecasting tools, which can help you manage tax and budget for the future. Get access to over 50 pre-built reports, including sales tax liability reports, profit and loss, and a balance sheet.

Plus, you can create your own reports from scratch, and use Zoho Books’ cashflow projection tool and “what-if” scenario creator to effectively budget and grow your business. These last two features aren’t offered by competitor FreshBooks.

Our experience using Zoho Books

Zoho Books was the easiest-to-use accounting platform that we tested, so you don’t need prior experience with accounting software to use it.

We found the sidebar dropdown menus easy to interpret thanks to great signposting, and the layout of quotes and invoices was email-inspired, making them easy to edit. We also liked that the system gave us prompts when an error was detected.

We did encounter some usability issues when it came to customising reminders for clients since we couldn’t send out bulk reminders. The search function on Zoho Books also wasn’t great, since it required an exact match to come up with search results.

Are there any downsides to Zoho Books?

Zoho Books’ only offers live help and support between 9am and 6pm on weekdays, which is less than ideal if you do admin for your cleaning businesses outside of these hours. The self-help resources are also a little lacklustre, with guides not covering key topics like tax returns. FreshBooks is a better option for support since lines are open until 12am every day of the week.

Additionally, Zoho Books doesn’t integrate with as many third-party software tools as competitors QuickBooks (750) or Xero (1,000). You will get access to Zoho’s network of business tools, such as its customer relationship management (CRM) platform, but for businesses that want to keep their existing software platforms, we recommend the above competitors.

Finally, Zoho Books imposes limits on the number of invoices you can send out per year. The limit is 1,000 on the free plan, but it goes up to 100,000 on the most expensive plan. If you have a decent number of clients and jobs, you might prefer QuickBooks, which lets you send unlimited invoices from its cheapest plan.

2. QuickBooks: Best for Financial Forecasting and Reporting

QuickBooks is a great accounting platform for cleaning businesses looking to budget and grow their business through effective financial planning. It offers great reporting and forecasting tools, plus easy invoice management and a high level of automation, so you can save time on admin.

What makes QuickBooks a good choice?

QuickBooks’s high level of automation and advanced reporting and analysis tools make it a good choice for cleaning businesses looking to grow and improve efficiency.

When it comes to day-to-day tasks, QuickBooks offers unlimited invoices on all its plans, and lets users track invoice status, send payment reminders, and set up recurring invoices. Businesses can also accept payments from clients in a variety of forms, including bank transfers and payment processing services, such as PayPal.

Plus, QuickBooks has an AI tool, Intuit Assist, something Zoho Books doesn’t offer, which can create invoices based on existing handwritten notes, PDFs, photos, or emails, speeding up your admin. Other tools for increasing efficiency include automatic categorization of expenses and transactions through bank feed integrations, and automatic assignment of tax categories.

QuickBooks also outstrips the competition when it comes to its reporting capabilities. It allows businesses to create custom reports from scratch, something FreeAgent and Zoho Books don’t allow, giving you better control over your data.

Additionally, QuickBooks makes it easy to view core data since it has a dashboard that highlights overdue payments and other key metrics in the form of graphs. It’s not the only provider to do this – Zoho Books does it too – but we found QuickBooks’ data dashboard easier to interpret.

We were also impressed by QuickBooks’ cashflow projection tool since, besides providing clear estimates, it can also alert businesses about potential cash shortfalls or surpluses. Xero’s cashflow projector doesn’t do this, although FreeAgent’s and Zoho Books’ equivalents do.

Our experience using QuickBooks

QuickBooks wasn’t the easiest platform to use, mainly because its signposting wasn’t always clear, and the menu was a little cluttered. We also found it difficult to complete core tasks, since expenses and tax rates require manual setup before launching into using the platform.

That said, the platform did offer helpful tooltips and a clear setup guide that made getting started easier, and we liked the fact that the menu could be customised to optimize efficiency. Plus, QuickBooks’ invoicing tool had a clear layout and it was easy to find action buttons, such as “send payment reminder” and “convert quote to invoice”.

Are there any downsides to QuickBooks?

Although QuickBooks wasn’t the most difficult to use of all the platforms we tested, we found the initial learning curve quite steep. Zoho Books or FreshBooks are better alternatives for businesses that need to get up and running quickly, and don’t want to spend a long time learning how to use their accounting software.

QuickBooks also doesn’t offer a time-tracking tool as part of its standard features, although you can get it as a paid add-on. Given that QuickBooks is already one of the most expensive accounting software platforms on this list, you might prefer Zoho Books, which is affordable and offers time tracking at no extra cost.

3. Xero: Best for Established Businesses

Xero is best for established cleaning businesses that have long-term clients and complex operations. It’s got an excellent project tracker, which makes it easy to bill for large jobs, great forecasting and reporting tools, and allows for high levels of detail when creating quotes and invoices.

What makes Xero a good choice?

Xero allows businesses to input a high number of details into quotes and invoices, including unique IDs and a wide variety of tax codes. This makes Xero perfect for businesses that have large portfolios to keep track of and rely on detailed reports to keep things running.

The platform’s expense management tools are also very advanced, making it a good option for cleaning businesses with a team of employees. For example, you can also assign expenses to a specific client, something competitors don’t offer. Like QuickBooks, Xero can also automatically categorize expenses through receipt data capture and bank feed integration, saving you time.

Another Xero highlight is its project tracker tool. You can create a project and assign jobs and expenses to it, as well as record time spent working on the project. All these details get added to an invoice, making it easier for your cleaning business to manage large jobs and provide clients with transparent billing.

Xero also has tools to help growing businesses gain a deeper insight into their finances. Its cashflow tool is a close second to QuickBooks’s, just missing alerts for shortfalls and surpluses. Like QuickBooks, Xero also allows users to build custom reports that meet their needs and goals.

It’s also the platform with the highest number of integrations. Xero integrates with 1,000 third-party apps, making it a great choice for cleaning businesses that use a variety of software to help with their operations. Xero’s integrations include small business payroll software Gusto.

Our experience using Xero

Xero was the most challenging accounting software platform that we tested. Its dashboard was quite cluttered, and a lot of the menu headings were quite vague, which made finding tools difficult when first using the platform.

The overall layout of the platform made it frustrating to use key features such as quotes and invoices. These two functions, for example, are housed in different tabs, and we found that there were a lot of unnecessary fields interrupting the workflow. We also received poor visual feedback when actions were incomplete.

However, not every task was difficult to complete. We found it quite easy to create bills and expenses, and we were impressed by the level of detail we could include, making Xero great for businesses with complex portfolios.

Are there any downsides to Xero?

As we’ve noted above, Xero’s main downside is that it’s difficult to use. This means it’s not the best option for business owner-operators with limited experience using accounting software. Easy-to-use alternatives include Zoho Books and FreshBooks.

Our experience wasn’t helped by the fact that the design of Xero’s interface looked quite dated overall, especially compared with top competitors Zoho Books and QuickBooks.

4. FreeAgent: Best Value for Money

FreeAgent only has one accounting software plan, which costs $27 per month, yet still comes with impressive features, such as unlimited invoicing, and financial planning and budgeting tools. This makes it great value for money for small cleaning businesses on a budget.

What makes FreeAgent a good choice?

On top of its low price point, FreeAgent is also a highly functional piece of software. Users get access to unlimited invoices and FreeAgent’s invoicing tool includes a timeline feature, which tracks the progress of an invoice until payment. You can also create invoices in up to 25 different languages, which is useful if you work in immigrant communities.

FreeAgent also offers expense tracking tools, although unlike QuickBooks and Xero, it can’t automatically classify expenses for you. It is possible, however, to customize your expense categories, so they accurately reflect how your business spends money.

Other tools FreeAgent has to help small businesses navigate the accounting landscape include tax time reminders and pre-built end-of-year reports, such as sales tax reports. These ensure your business never misses a deadline, and has ample time to prepare before the end of the financial year,

Despite its low price, FreeAgent is also the only accounting platform on this list to offer built-in tools for tax forecasting and planning. On top of this, FreeAgent provides businesses with alerts on potential cash shortfalls or surpluses and lets them run “what-if” scenarios to evaluate future financial outcomes. These are both features that are unavailable with competitors Xero and FreshBooks, although QuickBooks offers them.

Our experience using FreeAgent

We found FreeAgent generally easy to use when we tested it, although not quite as easy as Zoho Books, which earns the top spot for ease of use.

Creating invoices and estimates was a breeze thanks to FreeAgent’s clear, pre-built templates. FreeAgent’s comprehensive end-of-year reports and tax reminders were also particularly suited to accounting beginners since they were clear and simple.

However, we had difficulty locating features like payment reminders, customization options for invoice reminders, and currency settings. The search bar also didn’t produce any results to help us find these features when we tested them.

Are there any downsides to FreeAgent?

FreeAgent is one of the few platforms we tested that wasn’t able to suggest frequently used entries when we were typing data into fields. This is something competitors QuickBooks and Xero did very well, and it’s a real time saver.

Additionally, FreeAgent doesn’t let users import invoices into the platform directly from their computers. This slows down the process of switching to FreeAgent from another platform. A platform that lets you do this quite easily is Xero.

Finally, FreeAgent doesn’t support W-9 and 1099 forms and filing, which you need if your cleaning business hires contractors. If that’s you, Zoho Books, QuickBooks, or Xero are great alternatives.

5. FreshBooks: Best for New Businesses

If your cleaning business is relatively new or you’ve just started, then FreshBooks is a great choice. It has solid customer support, is easy to use, and is affordable, with plans starting at $21 per month.

What makes FreshBooks a good choice?

FreshBooks was the second easiest to use platform that we tested, making it a great option for novice users, such as new business owners.

It also has excellent customer support, with a phone line that’s open until 12am, even on weekends, and a 24/7 chatbot. Zoho Books, by contrast, only offers support on weekdays. FreshBooks’ knowledge center also has excellent self-help guides covering a wide range of topics, with each guide being clear and up to date; a stark contrast to competitors such as Xero.

When it comes to features, FreshBooks isn’t quite as advanced as its competitors, but it’s still very functional. Businesses will get access to unlimited invoices and quotes, although client numbers are limited on the two cheapest plans, as well as sales tax calculation and expense logging.

We particularly like the fact that FreshBooks’ mobile app lets you track expenses on the go, and comes with a mileage-tracking function, for more accurate tracking and tax deduction calculation.

FreshBooks’ reporting tools aren’t as advanced as those of its competitors, but it offers enough for a small business just starting out. You’ll get access to a range of pre-built reports, including profit and loss, sales tax, and balance sheets.

Our experience using FreshBooks

As we’ve noted above, FreshBooks was the second easiest accounting software to use, after Zoho Books. Part of what made the platform easy to use was the clear menu and the fact that quotes and invoice settings could be edited directly on the page we were working on, so there was no need to go to a separate tab.

In general, buttons for key actions, such as converting quotes into invoices, were placed in highly visible spots, so there was very little scrolling through pages.

That said, we didn’t like using FreshBooks’ emailing tool. There was no clear button for sending messages to clients. When testing, we actually resent an invoice to a client, since we couldn’t find another way to edit a personalized message.

Are there any downsides to FreshBooks?

FreshBooks doesn’t have a great selection of financial planning tools. For example, it doesn’t have cashflow projection and budget-setting tools, and there’s no custom reporting available on any plans. For robust reporting tools, we recommend QuickBooks.

FreshBooks’ mobile app also isn’t great for fully managing accounting on the go, since it can’t be used to view reports or process transactions. We recommend Zoho Books for businesses that need a mobile accounting app with virtually all the same features as the desktop software.

FreshBooks also doesn’t support W-9 and 1099 forms and filing, which are essential for businesses hiring contractors. If your cleaning business uses contract workers, we recommend Zoho Books, QuickBooks, or Xero instead.

Buying Guide: How to Choose Accounting Software for a Cleaning Business

If you’re a cleaning business, here’s what you should look out for when choosing accounting software:

• Core features: Make sure the accounting software lets you create invoices for services, can help you log expenses for cleaning supplies and mileage, can calculate sales tax, and has pre-built reports for tax submission.
• Ease of use: If you own or operate a cleaning business, chances are you aren’t a trained accountant, so choosing a platform that’s easy to use can save you time when you first set up.
• Costs: Price isn’t everything, but, as with all purchases, make sure you weigh cost against the features you’re getting. We also recommend you look out for hidden add-ons.
• Mobile accessibility: If you work for yourself, chances are you’ll often be out in the field, so choosing an accounting software that offers a comprehensive mobile app will ensure you can manage invoices and expenses wherever you are.
• Integrations: There’s a high chance accounting software isn’t the only business software you use and choosing an accounting platform that integrates with your existing tools, such as your CRM, payroll, or website, will help you avoid data discrepancies.

Methodology: How We Test Accounting Software