CPA Practice Advisor - 16

REVIEW: SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS
Cougar Mountain Denali Accounting
www.cougarmtn.com
Denali Business Accounting, from Cougar Mountain Software, is a good fit for
small to mid-sized businesses looking
for a scalable accounting application.
Denali can be installed on-premise or
users can access the application on the
cloud. Denali is scalable, with three
versions of the software available, or
users can opt to purchase only the
modules they need and add the rest
if necessary.
Denali has updated their user

interface with more subdued colors
and a cleaner interface. The Controller
module is a required module, with all
system setup and user access created
in the Controller module. The most
comprehensive of the three product
options, Denali Summit includes
numerous modules including Controller, GL, Bank Reconciliation, AR, AP,
Inventory, Order Entry, Crystal Reports,
Purchase Order, Multi-Location Inventory, iVault Online Backup, and two
hours of product training, support,

and enrollment in Software Assurance.
Denali uses a batch system, with
users able to process multiple batches
simultaneously. Running the batch
report prior to posting can help to
ensure that all entries are accurate,
though users will need to be sure and
post any outstanding batches prior to
running system reports. Along with
the business application, Denali also
offers a nonprofit version as well as
Denali Payroll.
Denali Business Accounting offers

FreshBooks Cloud Accounting
www.freshbooks.com
FreshBooks is best suited for sole
proprietors, consultants, and other
micro-businesses that are looking for
mobile capability and an easy way to
track business expenses. As one of
the mobile pioneers, FreshBooks was
started in 2003 as a way for those
working independently to get a better
handle on their income and expenses.
Along with complete accounting

functionality, FreshBooks also offers
integration with numerous third-party
applications, which will be discussed
later in the review.
FreshBooks can be accessed via
the Internet from any computer, with
a mobile app available that supports
both Android and iOS devices. FreshBooks offers a variety of features,
which include accounting, time tracking, expense management, payments,

invoice generation, projects, estimates,
and cash management capabilities.
The product is scalable, with four versions available. Once a plan is chosen,
users can immediately begin the setup
process, which is quick and painless.
FreshBooks offer those interested
the option to try the application for 30
days with no credit card needed. FreshBooks offers four product versions; Lite,
which is $15.00 per month, Plus, which

QuickBooks Online
www.quickbooksonline.com
QuickBooks Online Accounting is a
good fit for small businesses looking
for an easily accessed accounting
application. QuickBooks Online has
made numerous improvements and
enhancements to its initial online product that have made it easier to use and
more in tune with QuickBooks Desktop

products. QuickBooks currently supports up to five system users.
QuickBooks Online Accounting is
available in three versions, suitable for
sole entrepreneurs to small businesses
of any type, with users able to start
small and scale up to a more robust
version of the application if needed. The
global version of QuickBooks Online

supports multiple currencies, and can
be translated into 45 languages.
Regular pricing for QuickBooks
Online Simple Start is $20 per month;
Essentials is $40 per month; and QuickBooks Online Plus is $70 per month,
though Intuit runs frequent sales
throughout the year. Payroll is priced
separately, with both Self-Service and

Sage Business Cloud Accounting
www.sage.com/en-us
Formerly known as Sage One, Sage
Business Cloud is a good fit for microbusinesses and sole proprietors that
desire an easily accessible accounting
application. Sage Business Cloud can
be accessed from a computer, tablet,
or smart phone, with the mobile app
working with both iOS and Android

16

JULY 2019 ■

devices. Though core product functionality is limited to creating invoices,
tracking AR, and connecting to various
financial institutions, the available of
numerous apps that integrate with
the core application extend product
functionality considerably.
Sage Business Cloud uses an easily
navigated user interface with numer-

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

ous dashboards available.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting is
available in two versions: Accounting
Start, which is an entry level system
designed for sole proprietors and currently runs $10 per month; and the
Accounting version, which is currently
$25 per month and includes reporting,
invoicing, and quote and estimate

4.75

2019
OVERALL
RATING

three product versions; Basecamp,
Ascent, and Summit, with each version
offering additional modules. Users can
also choose to build a system that better suits their needs, purchasing only
the modules they need. Pricing starts
at $1,800 for a single user system, with
all add-on modules priced separately.

Read the full review
for this product online at:
www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21084314

4.5

2019
OVERALL
RATING

is $25.00 per month, Premium, which
is $50.00 per month, and Select, which
supports more than 500 billable clients,
with Select pricing directly available
from FreshBooks.

Read the full review
for this product online at:
www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21084310

4.75

2019
OVERALL
RATING

Full-Service payroll options available,
with prices varying.

Read the full review
for this product online at:
www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21084321

4.5

2019
OVERALL
RATING

creation. Both versions are available
as a free trial.

Read the full review
for this product online at:
www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21084316
http://www.cougarmtn.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21084314 http://www.freshbooks.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21084310 http://www.quickbooksonline.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21084321 http://www.sage.com/en-us http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21084316 http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
CPA Practice Advisor

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