Using Free Bookkeeping Systems

Taking advantage of free bookkeeping systems is a good way to get your feet wet before committing money to buying one for your business. Of course any free system will just offer the basics for you to try but even then these basic services can serve the purpose of you doing a full evaluation of your own needs. Some companies offer a limited-time trial of their systems. Before you commit to even taking on this offer, be sure that the stipulated time frame is one in which you can do a complete evaluation and will leave you with meaningful information about your needs.

Other companies put no time frame on the use of the free system, but may just offer very basic services with offers to upgrade to a version with much higher functionality. Again, even here you can use these to gain great insights into your own bookkeeping needs for your business.

There are plenty of free bookkeeping systems online – some you can use directly on the internet and some that allow you to download the software to your computer and thereafter install and set up the system.

Even for personal use, some of these systems give great functionality. From paying bills to storing information for your tax returns, these systems offer services that any household can take advantage of.

One thing to keep in mind when using free bookkeeping systems is that the vendor is more interested in selling you an upgraded version of the system than in providing support, so you may find yourself with less than stellar customer services should you need help in making any aspect of the system work. For this reason, when evaluating which free system to use, take a good look at level of customer service support comes with the free system and the quality of the documentation if any. If the documentation is pretty good, you may chance using the system even where customer support seems to be lacking.


Whatever your needs may be, there are some fundamental considerations that are important in deciding to use a free bookkeeping system.
- How secure and private will your data be if the system is online? You do not want to leave your information where unauthorized persons are able to access it.
- How reliable is the system if it is online? Can you download the system and use it offline? This would probably be a better option.
- How long is “free” going to last for? A free system that allows only a very limited use or time can be more of a headache than a help so this is very important to know.
- Will you have access to the system any time you want to or are there going to be block-out periods?
- Will you have access to customer service support and if so will this be free?

Finally, make sure that you take the time to read any terms of use or conditions associated with the free use before you start using the system. Some terms of use may just be too onerous and not worth it, even when the system is free.