The 5 best accounting packages for small businesses

Not every freelancer or small business is going for growth, but by far most entrepreneurs think big from the start. Whatever your plans and dreams are, you need accounting software at every step of your development. Do you have big ambitions? Then you want an accounting package that you can expand flexibly, without immediately paying the full price. If you would rather keep it small, you preferably choose software that is not so extensive that you don't use three quarters of the features. At the same time you do want all the options to automate as much as possible. And should things turn out differently and growth opportunities arise, you want your software to be able to grow with you after all.

With AFAS SB you have all of that. Even so, we took a look around the field. What other accounting software is there? What can you do with it as a freelancer or small business? What do you miss? Why would we ultimately still choose AFAS SB?

We briefly go through the Top 5 with you.

Rompslomp is a fairly complete program that has all the basic functions, and you can also log hours and trips with it. You can also give your accountant access to the program.
Downsides: for some functions you have to pay extra, such as for scanning and recognising incoming invoices. You also don't get overviews of debtors and creditors, only a balance sheet. We could not establish clearly whether the program grows flexibly with your business.

SnelStart offers many features and possibilities for integrations. You can quickly create quotations and invoices in your own house style with it, and submit VAT returns electronically. On the other hand, you cannot register kilometres and projects in it and it is a fairly expensive program. The reporting options are disappointing. In this program too you can only view the balance sheet to know who your debtors and creditors are. With SnelStart you can opt for a broader package as you grow.

With Moneymonk you can easily set up a bank connection, submit VAT returns electronically and use the scan and recognise function. The program offers no automatic payment recognition and also cannot automatically take over data on an invoice.
Please note: Moneymonk is aimed at service-providing freelancers. If you are not, look for a different package. It is unclear what happens to your software if, from your freelance existence, you want to work with others or take on staff.

This package is favourably priced and user-friendly. It automates well. A connection with your bank is quickly made and you can submit VAT returns electronically. There are many more options that make e-boekhouden very interesting. Direct debit, for example, and easily creating invoices and quotations in your own house style. You can set up integrations with your webshop, your POS system and your Payment Service Provider. You can also do inventory management with this program.

AFAS is the only party with an accounting package in which entrepreneurs and their accountant actively collaborate. For a fixed price per month (indeed, it is a bit higher) you can use all the functionality the software offers. SB offers a smart task list that reminds you of what still needs to be done. That way you always keep the bookkeeping up to date. The task list is updated automatically. Incoming invoices are booked automatically. With the free AFAS Pocket app you can scan receipts and do much more, simply on your phone. More important still is that you can see at any moment how your business is doing. And the icing on the cake: with AFAS you can stay small or grow as big as you like. The software grows seamlessly as your business develops. Whether you grow purely in substance or in volume and hundreds of employees, AFAS software is a choice for life.