A freelance writer’s life is a tough one if she or he does not have the right accounting software. To make your writing more efficient, you need written receipts from all of your completed jobs. Without accounting software, you cannot be sure that you are getting paid for all completed projects.
This is where I come in to save the day and recommend some of my favorite accounting software for freelance writers to use today. This article will go over some features that these and other programs offer to learn how to buy accounting software for yourself.
Our Top 5 Best Accounting Software For Freelance Writers
Best Accounting Software For Freelance Writers Reviews
1. Best Overall: QuickBooks Self-Employed
Writers and freelancers account for a significant chunk of the self-employed workforce in America, so it’s no wonder that software such as QuickBooks Self-Employed is one of the most popular options for business accounting.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is a comprehensive software program that helps writers track their income and expenses, create invoices, create estimates, calculate sales taxes, and much more. It’s easy to learn how to use not only because of its intuitive interface but also because its simple design allows even first-timers to master it quickly.
QuickBooks Self-Employed Features
- Simple Interface. The interface of QuickBooks Self-Employed is quite simple, which makes it perfect for beginners and people with little to no experience using accounting software.
- Complete Accounting. In addition to what QuickBooks Self-Employed provides, it also contains other features such as a mobile app that syncs to your computer, a tax calculator, and more.
- Integrated Approach. One important factor that makes QuickBooks Self-Employed stand out from the other accounting software is its integrated approach, which simply means that you don’t need to install any additional software for it to work correctly – just install it via an installer on your computer’s hard drive and then click through the onscreen instructions to begin using it.
2. Best for Professional-Looking Invoices: FreshBooks
Many freelancers face the same problem: writing checks and paying taxes. Luckily, there is accounting software that specializes in serving the needs of freelance writers. One such software is FreshBooks, a company with an international reach and a suite of online accounting tools for small businesses.
FreshBooks is an easy-to-use tool that has been helping freelancers get paid faster for over a decade. The platform makes it easy to bill clients through email, track expenses so you can still take traditional deductions on your tax return (if that’s how you pay taxes), and invoice clients who don’t want to be billed through email by providing the company’s payment information for each job in their Dashboard.
What’s New With FreshBooks
The all-new app (available on iOS and Android) for freelancers who prefer to use their mobile devices. You’ll be able to access your Dashboard from the lock screen of your device if you’re away from your computer. Plus, you can sync clients and invoices across devices.
A new feature that allows you to have an unlimited number of clients and invoices on your account so you can focus more on what’s important: writing for your clients.
3. Best Customer Support: AND CO
Freelance writers are a special breed of people. We generally live in isolation unless we have a partner or two who takes on the same career as us, and many of us find it hard to keep track of our finances – especially since we’re not reliant on one paycheck every month. So the one thing freelance writers need is money—lots and lots of money!
AND CO has created an accounting software for freelancers to use, with features that you can’t find anywhere else:
- Forecasting tutorial: This feature will tell you when you need more clients so that your business is always running smoothly.
- All-in-one accounting: This feature does everything that you need to do in the business of freelance writing, such as creating invoices, tracking and remembering income, receiving payments from clients, and planning for taxes.
- Extra features: This program offers additional tools, including lead generation tools and invoicing tools.
Basically, all the things that freelancers need to know are integrated into this single package. You won’t have to learn new software to be able to manage your business. As a freelance writer, you just don’t have time for that.
4. Best Complete Accounting Solution: Wave
Wave is cloud-based accounting software for freelance writers. It allows you to keep track of both your income and expenses in one easy-to-understand place, so you can always have a clear picture of where your money is going and what it’s being spent on.
Core Wave Features
- Easily deals with both income and expenses.
- Gives access to real-time market rates from the IRS, proactively tracks deadlines for the tax year.
- Gives an overview of all your transactions by date, type, or payee within a single screen.
- Easy tracking of income and expenses.
- Automatic tax calculations from the IRS.
- Integrated payment processing, blockchain technology.
- Real-time cryptocurrency exchange rates.
If you have a freelance writing business, Wave can help you organize your books and stay on top of your finances.
5. Best Easy-to-Use Software: FreeAgent
FreeAgent is accounting software designed for freelancers and small-business owners; it’s made by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. It’s not just a tool to help you keep track of your records; it’s also designed to make you more productive and give you greater visibility into your financial health so that you can make better decisions every day.
Unlike other accounting tools, FreeAgent provides the tools you need to understand and grow your business, including:
- Business planning functionality.
- Time tracking and invoicing.
- Expense tracking.
- Invoice and bank reconciliation.
- Time & bill forecasting.
- A cash-flow forecast tool, and more.
Buyer’s Guide
You do not want to choose software that you are not sure of. This buyer’s guide will tell you what things to consider while choosing the best accounting software for freelance writers.
Features Of Accounting Software For Freelance Writers
The features that you will need to use in accounting software for freelance writers will differ depending on what type of project you are working on. You need to know which features you want and which ones you do not.
Here are some features that can be found in many accounting software programs for freelance writers.
Track time and projects. Many freelance writers like to track the time that they spend on each project separately, so it is easier to balance work, family life, friends, writing activities, and other activities. With this feature, it is easier to make sure you are getting the proper compensation for the work that you have done.
If you are writing on multiple platforms, you will want to make sure the software can handle it. For example, if you write blog posts and web articles, it might be helpful for you to use a program that can easily switch between your work sessions with ease.
Accounting software for freelance writers doesn’t need to be expensive, but it must offer all the necessary features for those trying to get their business up and running quickly. With so many programs on the market today, there is a good chance that you will find a program that is affordable and also offers features that are just what your business needs at this time.
FAQ
Do Freelancers Need Accounting Software?
A freelance writer, or any other freelancer for that matter, will need accounting software to organize their income and expenses. This software can be as simple as a spreadsheet or as complex as a personal finance app that tracks every cost you incur throughout the year. Freelancers of all kinds should have access to commercial and open-source programs such as Quicken.
Though it might seem like freelancers need less accounting due to the ambiguity of payment, it is still important for their financial health and business success.
Is Freshbooks Good For Freelancers?
If you’re a freelance writer, chances are you’ve been looking for an easier way to keep track of your business finances. Freelancers often don’t work with the same stability and consistency as regular full-time employees, so they must have a way of easily recording and managing their income. If this sounds like something you need, then Freshbooks might just be the accounting software you’ve been looking for.
How Do Freelancers Track Expenses?
A huge debate going on among freelancers is how to track and manage their expenses. Many different methods exist; some freelancers everything in an Excel or Google Sheet, others use accounting software like Zoho Invoice, while others are content with just a simple spreadsheet.
