Bookkeeping & admin - AI tools for contractors
Categorising expenses, capturing receipts and keeping the accounts current.
What Bookkeeping & admin actually involves
Bookkeeping is the admin everyone postpones, and the cost appears once a year as accountant fees. Photographing receipts the day you spend the money and connecting a bank feed is most of the work; the rest is categorising consistently so the numbers mean something at year end.
Bookkeeping & admin tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks | Businesses that need proper books and an accountant who already knows the software. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| FreshBooks | Owner-operators who want invoicing without an accounting degree. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| Xero | Businesses wanting cloud accounting with trade-specific add-ons. | Paid (tiered) | Free trial |
| Dext | Businesses drowning in paper receipts for materials. | Paid (per user) | Free trial |
| Expensify | Businesses with staff buying materials on the go. | Free tier; paid for teams | Free tier |
QuickBooks
Accounting software most trade businesses end up on.
FreshBooks
Simple invoicing and accounting for very small businesses.
Xero
Cloud accounting with a large add-on marketplace.
Dext
Receipt and invoice capture that feeds your accounts.
Expensify
Expense reporting with automatic receipt scanning.
Frequently asked questions
Which bookkeeping & admin tools are worth trying first?
The three that stand out here are QuickBooks (Businesses that need proper books and an accountant who already knows the software), FreshBooks (Owner-operators who want invoicing without an accounting degree), Xero (Businesses wanting cloud accounting with trade-specific add-ons). Start with the one that matches your size and the work you do most, not the one with the longest feature list.
How much does bookkeeping & admin software cost?
Across the 5 tools on this page, 1 have a free tier and the rest are paid, most of them billed per user per month. Prices move often, so confirm on the vendor site before committing.
Can I try these tools for free?
Yes 鈥?Expensify all have a free tier, so you can run a few real jobs through them before paying anything.
Can I do my own bookkeeping as a small trade business?
Yes for day-to-day recording, and most owners do. What is worth paying for is year-end and tax advice. Software handles the recording; a good accountant stops you making expensive structural mistakes.