Best cloud accounting software
Seven cloud accounting and ERP vendors with an Accountio profile, side by side.
Listed alphabetically. Accountio does not rank vendors, and a featured listing does not change the order.
Cloud accounting software is hosted by the vendor and used online, from small-business ledgers to full ERP suites. The seven vendors here include Xero and QuickBooks, which serve small businesses and their accountants, Pennylane, sold in France and Germany, and the ERP suites NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Business Central and Odoo. QuickBooks also has a desktop edition and Odoo can run on-premise, so how each one runs matters as much as what it covers.
Cloud accounting software at a glance
| Vendor | Best for | Founded and HQ | Customers | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Intuit QuickBooks | The self-employed and small and growing companies, plus their accountants | Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published | 10 million businesses worldwide | US list prices: free plan; Simple Start US$38 a month, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340 |
 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central | Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits | Not published | 55,000 companies | Essentials US$80, Premium US$110, Team Members US$8 per user a month, paid yearly (UK: £61.50, £84.60, £6.20 ex VAT) |
 NetSuite | Businesses from startups to enterprises | 1998, as NetLedger | More than 44,000 | Not published; quote on request (the site offers a free product demo) |
 Odoo | Small and mid-sized businesses, from one user to large enterprises | 2002; Belgium (Grand-Rosière and Louvain-la-Neuve) | Over 28 million users worldwide, counting on-premise installations; billing revenue of about €900m expected in 2026 | One app free with unlimited users; Standard €24.90 and Custom €44.90 per user a month billed yearly (€31.10 and €56.90 monthly), all apps included; first-year discount for initial users |
 Pennylane | Freelancers and very small businesses, SMEs and mid-sized companies, and accounting firms | 2020; Paris, France | 1.5 million+ business owners, freelancers and finance directors; 6,500+ accounting firms; customers include Yuka and happn | France, one user, excluding VAT: Free €0, Starter €7, Basique €14, Essentiel €24 a month |
 Sage Intacct | Growing organisations (typically 20+ employees) and mid-sized companies | San Jose, California (Intacct's base when Sage bought it in 2017); founding year not published | 30,000+ finance teams | Not published; quoted by modules and organisation size |
 Xero | Small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers | 2006; Wellington, New Zealand | 5 million customers in more than 180 countries | UK from £18 a month (Ignite) to £70 (Ultimate), excluding VAT; US from US$27 (Early) to US$97 (Established) |
The seven vendors
In alphabetical order. “Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
Intuit QuickBooks
Best for: The self-employed and small and growing companies, plus their accountants
Cloud-based accounting software covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting, with a desktop edition (QuickBooks Desktop).
- Founded and HQ
- Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published
- Ownership
- Part of Intuit Inc. (INTU); Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi
- Customers
- 10 million businesses worldwide
- Pricing
- US list prices: free plan; Simple Start US$38 a month, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340
- How it runs
- Cloud (QuickBooks Online) and desktop (QuickBooks Desktop); local sites for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions
- Good to know
- QuickBooks Online Accountant for accountants; Intuit has 93 million customers across its products
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Best for: Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits
ERP connecting finance, sales, service and operations, working with Outlook, Excel and Teams.
- Founded and HQ
- Not published
- Ownership
- Owned by Microsoft
- Customers
- 55,000 companies
- Pricing
- Essentials US$80, Premium US$110, Team Members US$8 per user a month, paid yearly (UK: £61.50, £84.60, £6.20 ex VAT)
- How it runs
- Cloud; available in 157 countries and 50+ languages
- Good to know
- Works with Outlook, Excel and Teams; Copilot and AI agents for expenses, sales orders and payables; 30-day free trial
NetSuite
Best for: Businesses from startups to enterprises
Cloud ERP suite covering financials, supply chain, CRM, e-commerce and HR, with embedded AI.
- Founded and HQ
- 1998, as NetLedger
- Ownership
- Owned by Oracle since 2016
- Customers
- More than 44,000
- Pricing
- Not published; quote on request (the site offers a free product demo)
- How it runs
- Cloud; local sites across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA
- Good to know
- Began as NetLedger in 1998; dedicated pages for companies moving from QuickBooks, Microsoft, Sage, SAP and Deltek
Odoo
Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses, from one user to large enterprises
Suite of business apps, including accounting, invoicing, CRM, e-commerce, inventory, HR, point of sale and projects, in a free Community edition and a paid Enterprise edition.
- Founded and HQ
- 2002; Belgium (Grand-Rosière and Louvain-la-Neuve)
- Ownership
- Private; €500m secondary transaction (Nov 2024) led by CapitalG and Sequoia Capital at a €5bn valuation
- Customers
- Over 28 million users worldwide, counting on-premise installations; billing revenue of about €900m expected in 2026
- Pricing
- One app free with unlimited users; Standard €24.90 and Custom €44.90 per user a month billed yearly (€31.10 and €56.90 monthly), all apps included; first-year discount for initial users
- How it runs
- Cloud (Odoo Online, Odoo.sh) or on-premise; customers in more than 100 countries; about 8,000 staff
- Good to know
- Run by founder and CEO Fabien Pinckaers; one app free with unlimited users, all apps on paid plans
Pennylane
Best for: Freelancers and very small businesses, SMEs and mid-sized companies, and accounting firms
All-in-one financial management and accounting: e-invoicing, invoicing, purchases, real-time cash tracking, full accounting and a business account and card.
- Founded and HQ
- 2020; Paris, France
- Ownership
- Founder-controlled; €359m raised in six rounds, the latest €175m in January 2026
- Customers
- 1.5 million+ business owners, freelancers and finance directors; 6,500+ accounting firms; customers include Yuka and happn
- Pricing
- France, one user, excluding VAT: Free €0, Starter €7, Basique €14, Essentiel €24 a month
- How it runs
- Cloud software with a mobile app, data hosted in the EU; sold in France and Germany, with a Spanish company being set up
- Good to know
- Used by 6,500+ accounting firms; approved e-invoicing platform in France
Sage Intacct
Best for: Growing organisations (typically 20+ employees) and mid-sized companies
Cloud financial management: core accounting, multi-entity consolidation, reporting and dashboards, with AI agents for close, AP automation and journal-entry review; HR, payroll and planning modules.
- Founded and HQ
- San Jose, California (Intacct's base when Sage bought it in 2017); founding year not published
- Ownership
- Owned by The Sage Group plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange; Sage agreed to buy Intacct for US$850m in 2017
- Customers
- 30,000+ finance teams
- Pricing
- Not published; quoted by modules and organisation size
- How it runs
- Cloud; available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and South Africa
- Good to know
- AICPA-preferred finance solution; part of Sage since 2017
Xero
Best for: Small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers
Cloud accounting, payroll and payments platform for small businesses, with tools for accountants and bookkeepers.
- Founded and HQ
- 2006; Wellington, New Zealand
- Ownership
- Listed on the ASX; CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
- Customers
- 5 million customers in more than 180 countries
- Pricing
- UK from £18 a month (Ignite) to £70 (Ultimate), excluding VAT; US from US$27 (Early) to US$97 (Established)
- How it runs
- Cloud; customers in 180+ countries; offices in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Singapore and South Africa
- Good to know
- Regional head offices in Wellington, Melbourne, Milton Keynes and San Mateo
Related tools in the same directory categories
Other ledgers with an Accountio profile, covered on the AI accounting and general ledger pages.
How to choose cloud accounting software
- Does it run only in the cloud, or is there a desktop or on-premise edition?Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Business Central and Pennylane run in the cloud. QuickBooks has QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, and Odoo runs on Odoo Online, Odoo.sh or on-premise.
- How big is the business, and does it need accounting only or a wider ERP?Xero and QuickBooks are aimed at small businesses and their accountants, and Pennylane at freelancers through to mid-sized companies and accounting firms. Sage Intacct adds multi-entity consolidation for growing and mid-sized organisations, while NetSuite, Business Central and Odoo also cover sales, operations, HR or inventory.
- Is it sold where you operate?Xero has customers in 180+ countries and Business Central is available in 157 countries. QuickBooks has local sites for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and other countries, and Sage Intacct is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and South Africa. Pennylane is sold in France and Germany.
- How is it priced: per user, per plan or by quote?Xero, QuickBooks and Pennylane publish monthly plans, from £18 a month in the UK or US$27 in the US for Xero, US$38 for QuickBooks Simple Start and €7 for Pennylane Starter in France. Business Central costs US$80 or US$110 per user a month and Odoo €24.90 or €44.90 per user a month, billed yearly. NetSuite and Sage Intacct are priced by quote.
Compare further
Common questions
What is cloud accounting software?+
Accounting software the vendor hosts and runs, used through a browser or app rather than installed on the company's own servers, so the business and its accountant can work in the same books from anywhere.
Which cloud accounting software also has an on-premise or desktop edition?+
QuickBooks has a desktop edition, QuickBooks Desktop, alongside QuickBooks Online, and Odoo can run on-premise as well as on Odoo Online and Odoo.sh. Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Business Central and Pennylane run in the cloud.
Which cloud accounting software suits a growing or multi-entity business?+
Sage Intacct consolidates multiple entities and is aimed at growing organisations, typically 20+ employees, and mid-sized companies. NetSuite serves businesses from startups to enterprises, and Business Central small and midsize businesses across several industries.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
