Seeing as how most of the readers on this blog are web designers/ developers, I decided to write an article about an accounting software you may be using or may find useful to manage the finances of your freelance work or your business.
QuickBooks is an accounting software developed by Intuit. Even though this accounting software is a common solution for the small business owners, with no formal account training, who are looking to keep their home or even business finances in order, the previous versions of this software were initially not completely available to users with Mac computers. So, in the year 2011, Intuit started offering QuickBooks for Mac. The Mac version is very different from the Windows version. You may have some problems when transferring files to and fro between two versions. Nevertheless, it is very easy to solve these problems by selecting any Mac QuickBooks alternative out there.
Here are some alternatives you can consider:
PostBooks
In case you are looking for a solution that will not cost you anything, PostBooks, developed by xTuple, may be a good choice for you. This accounting software was developed using other open-source software and it’s free to download and also to use. However, if you want to develop to the software’s commercial license version, the prices starts at approximately four hundred dollars, at the time of publication. The software includes in and out features of ledger and accounts, as well as shipping, sales reporting, address books, shipping, inventory distribution, and vendor reporting features.
FirstEdge and AccountEdge
MYOB, an accounting company common among business owners in Australia, offer a basic solution for the Mac users, known as FirstEdge. This program is well-suited for MobileMe and iCal, and provides basic accounting features including transaction recording, importing bank and credit card statements, as well as invoicing. For managing payroll or inventory, MYOB also offers the AccountEdge software program, available for the Mac users. The FirstEdge software program goes for about three hundred dollars, at the time of publication.
GNUCash
This is a free open-source accounting program, which implements a double-entry bookkeeping system for a small business accounting. The program include features such as transaction accounting, check registry, transaction scheduler, and a statement reconciliation tool, which allows you to check the deposits and credits against your bank statement. Furthermore, the program offers a number of reporting features to allow you see your ins and outs in a visual setup.
Mac Partition
Another QuickBooks alternative to running a Mac version is to run the Windows version, by doing a boot camp on your Mac hard disc to run the Windows in one unit of the disc. In order to do this, access your Mac’s Disk Utility from the Finder, and then select “Partition” on the next page. Now, click on the disk you want to partition and then click “OK”. You can then load a Windows version onto that part of the hard disc, and then load the Windows version of QuickBooks there too.
In conclusion, these are just some of the alternative accounting software programs to QuickBooks, which are available for Mac computer users. In reality there are more alternative options. From the simple and free programs, to the complex and completely featured business software, these alternatives clearly show that QuickBooks doesn’t have a monopoly on business solutions.
You can buy quickbooks online directly from amazon. For Indian customers, I recommend them to use coupons for any online purchase. Indian market is very volatile. No one knows when prices will decrease. One of my friend from India had purchased a laptop for just 20k INR at amazon by using some deal link from couponmachine. May be you will use coupon for your future purchase.