Accounting Software Rating Criteria

Proper accounting procedures help you budget correctly, spend money wisely, and prepare accurate tax documents. But not every business can afford a dedicated accounting staff. That’s where accounting software comes in. Modern, online accounting software makes the bookkeeping and tax process easier.

Because accounting software is so vital–and the business and tax ramifications of doing it incorrectly are so severe–we take our reviews and ratings very seriously, following a precise methodology. Here are just some of the reasons readers can trust the Merchant Maverick rating system:

• Merchant Maverick has been reviewing accounting and invoicing software since 2013.
• Over the years, we’ve evaluated 50+ accounting and invoicing solutions.
• Each review involves 10-15 hours of initial research, followed by 5-10 hours of research for each review update.
• We update our accounting reviews at least every 12 months, though most reviews are updated twice a year, and a few of the platforms most popular with our readers receive quarterly updates.

While we research and compare many different systems, the reviews displayed on the site have been handpicked based on metrics like overall popularity, availability, and quality. The goal is to provide the most actionable and accurate information to our readers, so while we love to recommend great products, we don’t shy away from pointing out the areas where popular providers fall short.

Our expert writers engage in independent research and testing for each accounting software review, evaluating usability, cost, depth of features, tax support, customer service, and more. When determining the star rating for a vendor, we score the following areas:

• Pricing
• Ease Of Use
• Features
• Customer Support
• User Reviews

Each section’s score is weighted differently, with the highest weights on pricing, features, and ease of use. The scores for each section are displayed openly in the review and then combined to create a holistic rating for the product out of 5 stars.

Read on for a more minute explanation of how we determine the individual section ratings.

Pricing

30% of the total score

The Pricing score is broken into three sections:

• Software Plans (70% of the total section rating)
• Pricing Transparency (20% of the total section rating)
• Pricing Customization (10% of the total section rating)

Our expert reviewer looks at many things when determining the Pricing score for accounting software, including the number of software plans available, the relative baseline affordability compared to the industry average, feature affordability, upfront pricing disclosure, free trial availability, hidden fees, add-ons, and initial set-up fees.

Ease Of Use

20% of the total score

The Ease Of Use score is broken into four sections:

• Initial Setup (30% of the total section rating)
• Software Reliability (10% of the total section rating)
• Everyday Use (40% of the total section rating)
• Integrations (20% of the total section rating)

When determining the score for this section, we test the software carefully, evaluating data import options, the process of creating new contacts, the ease of initial setup, bookkeeping support options, the reliability and usability of the user interface, the availability of mobile apps, the breadth and quality of third-party integrations, and more.

Features

40% of the total score

The Features score is broken down into several sections.

• Bookkeeping & Reporting (15% of the total section rating)
• Invoicing (10% of the total section rating)
• Built-In Time Tracking (10% of the total section rating)
• Built-In Project Management (10% of the total section rating)
• Inventory Support (10% of the total section rating)
• Accounts Payable (10% of the total section rating)
• Contact Management (10% of the total section rating)
• Tax Support (10% of the total section rating)
• Expense Tracking (10% of the total section rating)
• Niche Features (5% of the total section rating)

We take many factors into account when evaluating accounting software features. Our first consideration is always whether the software allows for both cash-basis and accrual accounting methods. We also ensure that the app offers a good range of accounting services and tools and most of the basic reports a business would need, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Next, we examine the customizability and automation of the invoicing tools available, test the client portal, look for the ability to create custom quotes and estimates, and try out any time tracking or project management features. Finally, we look at expense tracking and tax support features and note any specialty niche features the app might offer.

Customer Service

20% of the total score

The Customer Service score is broken down into two sections.

• Personal Support (30% of the total section rating)
• Self-Service (70% of the total section rating)

When scoring customer service, we pay the most attention to the number of support options available (phone, email, in-person, etc.), the quality of personal support received, the training options available, and the usability and depth of any online training materials, such as wikis, videos, and webinars.

User Reviews

10% of the total score

The Customer Reviews score is comprised of two sections.

• User Feedback (30% of the total section rating)
• Review Site Aggregate (70% of the total section rating)

We scour the internet for user feedback on all the products we review, looking for positive and negative feedback. Merchant Maverick is not a user review platform, so for part of this total rating we rely on aggregate user scores from review sites such as GetApp, TrustPilot, the App Store, the Play Store, and more