Ask HN: Best startup accounting software?

1 points by bdclimber14 15y ago ↗ HN

I'm looking for some great web-based accounting software and am coming up empty. Sure, there's Outright, InDinero and other "accounting" services, but they don't have anywhere near the functionality for real, QuickBooks-killing, accounting software. I'm talking about software a real accountant wouldn't sneeze at.

Specifically, I need non-cash accounts to track loans/debt from investors. All the web software I find are trying to make accounting trivial by removing 95% of the functionality, leaving only checking account expense tracking. This is great for some I'm sure, but I need true "QuickBooks online that doesn't suck" type of software.

I'm not saying online accounting software needs to be complicated, but in order to disrupt QuickBooks, it needs that functionality.

3 comments

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grevutsky 15y ago ↗

Truth? Quickbooks desktop edition would be just fine at your size, and has a huge number of consultants that can come help once a month.

We're currently using Quickbooks online, and its also flexible enough to account for convertible notes and loans.

Alternative: Try LessAccounting - they may let you enter in a loan from investors too. Don't know this for sure.

bdclimber14 15y ago ↗

Thanks for this. LessAccounting doesn't let me enter loans from what I can see, and their software was fairly buggy. Kept getting weird errors, and I never heard back from my support email...

I didn't have much look with Quickbooks online either. It was at least a year ago when I tried it, but it said I had to use IE on Windows. They didn't support mac. Seriously... in a browser, it said buy a PC. lol

_b8r0 15y ago ↗

Unless you're a CFO type then don't do it yourself. One of the best things I ever did was get a bookkeeper. They know the rules, prepare everything for your accountant to sign off and will make you more money in tax savings than they usually cost.

Doing the accounts might seem like a monthly thing, but realistically the amount of stuff you have to learn, understand and keep up with takes your time away from working on your business. If you can afford it, don't do it.