Free QuickBooks Alternative for Contractors


If you’ve been searching for an affordable QuickBooks alternative that incorporates all of the features your business needs? ZipBooks has you covered. Our free accounting software was built with small business owners in mind—meaning all of the features you need with none of the ridiculous fees.

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QuickBooks vs. ZipBooks for Contractors

As we’re sure you’re well aware, there are a lot of reasons to ditch QuickBooks other than the fact that it’s expensive, because sometimes the more expensive platforms truly are superior. And we know what you’re thinking. Of course they’re going to slam QuickBooks. They’re competitors! But stick with us. When you compare the features and the price point, there truly is no comparison.

Send and track invoices
Bank feed import
Credit card processing
Recurring billing
Time tracking
Pricing
$15 / month
FREE
$15 / month
4.8 rating from 344 reviews
ZipBooks on Chrome Web Store
  • After trying multiple accounting apps for 10 years, ZipBooks was finally the solution. My clients can pay online & accept quotes through a simple, interactive process. Clients love it as much as I do.

    Chris Kelley Digital Craft Co.
  • Why not have bookkeeping software that is delightful and intuitive? Do you like using your old, boring software? Nah, didn't think so. ZipBooks rocks!

    Alex Harvey Illuminate Design
  • After trying multiple platforms, ZipBooks proves to surpass all expectations. They make bookkeeping a breeze. Would recommend a thousand times over because it has been crucial to my business growth.

    Laine Napoli Branding Addicts
  • I never studied accounting, but I found this software to be very user friendly for basic bookkeeping. I was able to figure it out in a short period of time. ZipBooks, I love you!

    Bonnie Cohen Bonnie Cohen-Gallet, Esq
  • This is by far the best app that has helped me with my small business. It has made accounting, invoicing, and tracking payments a breeze! I really love it!

    Jill Muñiz Quirky Print & Design Studio

True Fact: ZipBooks users spend 15% less time on mundane bookkeeping tasks.

You probably went looking for QuickBooks because there were certain features your contracting business needed that you weren’t sure you could find anywhere else. Fortunately, ZipBooks incorporates all of the accounting features your business needs, and more.

Get Paid ASAP – Contracting is expensive. You don’t have time to wait weeks for your payments to come through. ZipBooks financial partners process your payments and pay you faster than the competition in as little as two business days. Easily enable credit card payments, set up free auto-billing, decide which payment options to accept (like Stripe and PayPal), and sync your bank with your ZipBooks account for easier balance monitoring. Plus, your account is protected with 256-bit encryption, meaning your bank balances and your clients’ credit card information is always safe

Free Invoices, Forever – You have a lot of clients to keep up with, meaning you need an accounting platform that makes it easy to send and manage invoices. Fortunately, ZipBooks beautifully designed invoice templates make invoicing clients and getting paid easy. Simply fill in the details in a few clicks and hit send. Plus, personalize your invoices with your logo for free to give your clients an elevated, professional experience.

On-the-Go Accounting – We know that sometimes you need to access your financial information on-the-go, so whether that’s while you’re sitting in traffic on the 101 or picking up your daughter from preschool, you can access your ZipBooks account from anywhere. ZipBooks was designed to operate in the cloud, so you can login from any browser, or simply download our free app for a more seamless experience.

Save Your Wallet – QuickBooks monthly fees are expensive as is, and with added fees for support and additional features, and you’re waving goodbye to a hefty chunk of your wallet every month. Fortunately with ZipBooks, your monthly free is $0. That’s right—completely free, and always will be. Can your other accounting app say that? We didn’t think so.


The Most Affordable Contracting Accounting App

We know, you’re skeptical. How can a platform with all of the features of QuickBooks be free? There are no tricks and no gimmicks here – our founders simply felt the pain of expensive DIY accounting solutions that didn’t get the job done and decided to build a better solution.

In addition to fast payments, free invoices, and on-the-go access, here are a few other features you’ll get access to with your free ZipBooks account:

Linked Accounts – Easily connect your bank account and view every transaction – in and out – as it happens. This way, you’ll always know exactly how much you have to invest in your next ad campaign.

Effortless Time Tracking (Paid Feature after Trial Period) – If you bill hourly, ZipBooks allows you to track time spent on each project, set different rates for different clients, and even calculates how much you need to invoice. Have additional team members? You can set different rates depending on the skill level of your employees, too.

Late Payment Reminders (Free!) – If you have more than a few clients, it can get tedious and downright painful to try to remember when you sent invoices and who has and has not paid you. Outsource the annoyance to ZipBooks by setting up auto-reminders so your clients never forget to pay, and so you always get paid on time.

Accept Credit Cards (Free!) – Studies have shown that small businesses get paid significantly faster when they offer the option to pay by credit card, and with ZipBooks, it’s easy. Simply choose which credit card options you’d like to offer and set it as the default for all of your invoices.


QuickBooks was designed to be a desktop software solution for Windows users, meaning if you use any other operating system or need to access your accounting software on any device other than your office computer, you’re out of luck.

Fortunately, ZipBooks was designed to be a completely cloud-based accounting software solution that works on any modern browser. Add in an intuitive app that you can use whether you’re on a build site or at home in bed, and you’ll never need another accounting app.

Looking for Something Besides QuickBooks for Contractors?

Here are some other QuickBooks business solutions that you can compare to ZipBooks.

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