\n\tMatching the right application to handle a company finances is as challenging as balancing that budget. Is your company small enough that a simple ledger would work? Or is your company complex enough to require a full-blown accounting package?
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\n\tWith so many packages out there, finding the right one requires some careful evaluation. To get you started, I’ve narrowed the field to five finance packages that are suited for small and midsize companies.
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\n\tNote: You can read the full post in our Five Apps blog.
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\n\tPhoto copyright \u00a9iStockphoto.com/clu
\n\tAs anyone who has used QuickBooks knows, the software is prone to connection issues and data file problems. When QuickBooks works, it works wonders. When it doesn’t work, watch out!
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\n\tFor QuickBooks, you purchase a license for every concurrent user you need. So if you need five users working in the data file at one time, you purchase five licenses at roughly $183.95 per license.
\n\tBookkeeper is a low-cost solution for small businesses. It stands up to the likes of QuickBooks at a fraction of the cost ($35.00 USD, as of this writing). Bookkeeper allows you to manage all your accounting tasks in a single window, write checks, collect payments, generate more than 125 kinds of reports, manage payroll, track jobs, schedule recurring payments, batch-pay bills, calculate earnings and deductions, and much more.
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\n\tPhoto credit: Avanquest Software
\n\tSage Peachtree is considered on par with QuickBooks for SMBs. Depending upon the version you purchase, the features could range from progress billing and labor burden assessment to creation and tracking of work tickets. The pricing of Sage depends upon the number of users. It runs from $229.99 to $2,549.15 for five to 40 users.
\n\tSage Simply Accounting is another “on par with QuickBooks” tool. With this software, you can do any accounting task you need — the features are in line with those of QuickBooks and Sage Peachtree.
\n\tOne of the more appealing aspects of Simply Accounting is the pricing. For a single user, purchase the Pro edition for $199.99. For two to four users, purchase the Premium edition for $399.99. For five or more users, you must invest in the Enterprise level and call for a quote.
Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic, The New Stack, and Linux New Media. He's covered a variety of topics for over twenty years and is an avid promoter of open source. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.
