The 7 Best Accounting Software in Ireland

The accounting side of a business is indeed essential, but it doesn’t have to consume so much of your time. 

Thankfully, you can now take advantage of plenty of tools to streamline tasks. Our picks for the best accounting software in Ireland is one example! 

Expect this article to tackle that and more. But first, let’s take a look at how much this type of service costs. 

Accounting Software Costs 

Our choices offer a variety of subscriptions and each one differs in the number of features you can avail of. 

Usually, the most basic plan is best for starting businesses and sole traders. Of course, the plans next to that are more suited for growing and established businesses. 

Depending on your chosen subscription, you’ll be able to track your expenses, send invoices, know your VAT, connect your bank, manage inventory, and so on.

Usually, basic plans only allow a limited number of users. And because it’s a basic plan, don’t expect it to support different currencies.

You may also come across limitations concerning the number of invoices you can send. Again, all these features would still depend on the plan offered by an accounting software company. 

You can find a list of their estimated monthly costs in the table we’ve made below. 

The good news is, many of them currently offer discounts. Just check out our picks’ respective websites!

SUBSCRIPTION	COST PER MONTH
Starter	$10 – $20
Plus	$25 – $30
Premium	$34 – $50

The Best Accounting Software in Ireland

Our top picks for the best accounting software in Ireland is right up ahead, so don’t miss it out!

1. Xero 

RATES	Starter (good for sole traders, self-employed, and new businesses) – $20/month Standard (good for growing small businesses) – $30/month Premium (good for established businesses of all sizes) – $40/month Optional add-ons: Claim expenses – from $4/month Track projects – from $7/month
WEBSITE	https://www.xero.com/ie/
CONTACT DETAILS	[email protected]

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software platform headquartered in New Zealand and  boasts of having almost 3 million subscribers worldwide

While it’s also available in Ireland, they have yet to establish an office here in the country. 

You can use Xero to store important files such as bills, contracts, receipts; evaluate your business through reports; keep track of your stocks; import data from your bank and other financial institutions, and more.

You can even customise Xero by connecting it to an extensive list of apps available in the Xero app store. 

There’s a wide array of options for functions such as financial services, e-commerce, debtor tracking, payroll HR, time tracking, and so on.

You can even look for apps that are especially suited for a particular industry such as education, agriculture, health, hospitality, among others. 

On pricing, Xero offers 3 plans, and each differs depending on the size of a business. 

What’s great about their plans is they that all include the following features: inventory, sales tax, import bank transactions, reporting, accept payments, purchase orders, files, and manage contacts.  

Moreover, there’s plenty to read about in each plan, making it easier for clients to understand how it can help them. 

Customer Reviews

Most satisfying software ever used 

“I have been scared to manage other accounting software as such as Sage group or Quickbooks. As the UI differs and one simple mistake can lead to big troubles, XERO has been the most satisfying software I have ever used. With great UI/UX.” -Mohammad Bilawal B

Good value for money 

“Xero is a very useful accounting package for small businesses to manage their day to day financial transactions. It is a very intuitive product which does not require extensive accounting knowledge. The product is very reasonably priced and is very good value for money. Overall I would recomment Xero to any small businesses over the other products available.” -Administrator in Computer Software 

2. Quickbooks Online 

RATES	Simple Start (for new micro businesses and the self-employed) – $16/month Essentials (for growing businesses) – $25/month Plus (for established businesses) – $34/month
WEBSITE	https://quickbooks.intuit.com/ie/
CONTACT DETAILS	1800 80 71 32

Quickbooks Online is one of the products of Intuit, a California-based global technology platform. It’s a cloud accounting software that comes with a 30-day free trial. 

Among its features, Quickbooks highlights its inventory management, invoicing, and financial reporting. Thus, these could be its strengths, in particular. 

Meanwhile, Quickbooks allows you to connect it to your bank accounts, PayPal, credit cards, and more.  Keeping track of VAT is easier as it already contains updated VAT rates for Ireland and also calculates it automatically for users. 

Plus, Quickbooks has a multi-currency feature that’ll allow you to send invoices and more using different currencies. This is especially handy if your business makes transactions abroad. 

Moreover, Quickbooks’s 3 plans are currently discounted. One key difference between the 3 plans is in the number of users. 

Simple Start, the most basic plan only allows for 1 user, while the Essentials plan allows for 3, and their Plus plan for up to 5. All plans allow another user, which is your accountant.

However, in terms of support, their website states that it’s available Monday to Friday, from 7:00 am to 12:00 am (GMT+8). It’s not 24/7, in other words. 

But this could be for prospective clients only, so inquire about this. 

Customer Reviews

Straightforward to navigate

“The best part about QBO is the ease of use. The software is clutter-free and straightforward to navigate. Unlike many software, where there are options under the options creating a much complex environment, QBO is very simple. It has pretty much everything a company would in its accounting software.” -Vikrant B

Tons of resources available 

“QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting software around, and for good reason. There are tons of resources available to help you get started or troubleshoot issues that may arise in your business. Some great features include inventory management, accounts payable/receivable, billing/invoicing options etc., which can be customized depending on what type of company you’re running.” -Angelo S

3. FreshBooks

RATES	Lite (for professionals with basic needs) – $15/month Plus (for owners looking for more automation and insights) – $25/month  Premium (for growing businesses that want to empower employees) – $50/month Select (for businesses with more complex needs) – custom pricing Add-ons: Team members – $10/person/month Advanced payments – $20/month
WEBSITE	https://www.freshbooks.com/en-ie/
CONTACT DETAILS	1800 949 046  [email protected]

FreshBooks caters to freelancers and self-employed professionals as well as businesses with contractors or employees. 

You can reach customer support by phone or email from Mondays to Fridays. While it’s not exactly 24/7 support, FreshBooks does boast of an award-winning support team that’s been recognised near 10 times for their service. 

So, we expect them to particularly shine in this area. In fact, they even host live webinars to help new clients get the hang of FreshBooks. 

Features-wise, there’s plenty of things to do with invoices, including invoice customisation, late fee application, payment reminders, multi-currency billing, and more. 

There’s also a time-tracking feature that allows clients to track team time, track time against clients and projects, log hours, and such. 

What’s more, FreshBooks lets you create project proposals and collaborate on a project with other people. 

Meanwhile, you can also integrate it with a variety of apps. Just head over to their Integrations page.  

App categories include bookkeeping services, connector tools, e-commerce, file storage, payroll, website management, to name some. 

It’s a good thing also that Freshbooks includes a plan comparison chart on its website, making it easier for clients to know which plan is best for them. Plus, they have a plan suited for businesses with more complex needs. 

Customer Reviews

Used it for over 10 years 

“I love the ease of use and the way all my clients are saved in Freshbooks. I’ve used it for over 10 years and have all my client data stored there. I frequently look back at my old billing history to see how I’ve changed my packages and pricing over the years. Saved items are also a huge help — it’s like a menu of services that are saved and can be reused on invoices over and over again, making sending a new proposal/invoice to a new client a cinch.” -Lauren H

Lots of features 

“Freshbooks is simple to use. It has lots of features and you can get quickly and easily started in very little time. Great for taking payments from your clients.” -Peter G

4. Sage 

RATES	Sage Accounting Start (ideal for the self-employed and micro businesses) – $10/month  Sage Accounting (for small businesses) – $25/month
WEBSITE	https://www.sage.com/en-ie/
ADDRESS	1 Central Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 NH10
CONTACT DETAILS	01 447 0800

Founded in 1981, Sage has grown to 9 locations worldwide, including one office in Dublin. 

It offers a variety of solutions for accounting, payroll, HR, real estate, and more, making it really ideal for businesses. 

Their accounting software is divided into two categories: Sage Accounting for small businesses and Sage 50cloud Accounts for both small and medium businesses. 

Two plans are offered under Sage Accounting, both of which you can try for 30 days free. 

With Sage Accounting, you can check your tax liabilities, convert accepted quotes/estimates into invoices, customise invoices, convert currencies, be aware of your cash flow, and so on. 

There’s also a payroll service, but it looks like you’ll have to purchase this as separate software. 

And like our other picks, you can integrate a host of other apps as well as other Sage products to Sage Accounting via Sage Marketplace. 

You can pick from a wide array of categories, such as payments and banking, e-commerce, payroll and HR, taxation and compliance, just to name some. 

Best of all, Sage provides 24/7 telephone support. This is complemented by online drop-in Q&As, pre-recorded webinars, among others.

Customer Reviews

Good cloud-based software

“It’s good cloud based software that you can work on at the same time as your client. The 24/7 phone support from Sage is valued highly by my clients.” -Anonymous 

Works great for small and medium businesses 

“This system has been very helpful in enabling my departments to easily track all our financial operations. It works great for small and medium businesses and can grow as a company. By being in the browser this eliminates the need to set up a separate server to host all the accounting, CRM and finance we need, which is a great advantage. Customer service can be easily achieved and data is always more useful.” -Priscila R

5. AccountsIQ

RATES	Essentials (for businesses of all sizes) – from €199/month Growth (for growing and multi-entity businesses) – from €450/mont Enterprise (for larger/complex enterprises) – contact us
WEBSITE	https://www.accountsiq.com/
ADDRESS	Sand House, Bath Place, Blackrock, County Dublin
CONTACT DETAILS	Sales: + 353 (1) 707 44 90 [email protected]  Support: + 353 (1) 707 4400 [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS	8:30 pm to 6:00 pm (Monday – Friday)

AccountsIQ may not be as well-known as our other picks, but that may be because they’re more suited for larger companies. 

They’ve been awarded multiple times and also have a physical office here in Ireland. More than 4,000 companies use AccountsIQ, including The Irish Times and multinational companies like Mazars. 

With AccountsIQ, you can have accounting, business intelligence, and consolidation under one cloud accounting system. 

It supports multiple currencies and clients may even add a cryptocurrency as well as utilise more than 250 pre-built in reports. 

Just some of the features offered are 3-level general ledger structure, accounts payable automation, period management, and bank statement feed and auto reconciliation. 

However, with their services, you can expect their plans to be more expensive than others. Subscriptions start at €199 per month. 

Unfortunately, AccountsIQ only gives 2 weeks for clients to test their software. 

Customer Reviews

Lot of visual control 

“I like that they use a lot of visual control to represent the data. The control panel gives you a great overview of all the important personalities. At a glance, you see the total amount of receivables and payables. One of the best features is the OCR One, which allows you to automatically draw invoice information. Banks can also be easily applied.” -Moira T

Always accessible 

“Intuitive to navigate. Always accessible even over highly contended internet connections. And unlike many of it’s competitors – it handles Irish Vat! Great selection of standard report to meet most users needs.” -Fiona M

6. Lightyear

RATES	https://www.lightyear.cloud/uk/pricing
WEBSITE	https://www.lightyear.cloud/
CONTACT DETAILS	+44 2896 002357
OPERATING HOURS

Lightyear is a global Software as a Service business that is geared to accommodate businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers. With various offices across Ireland, Australia, and UK, they are able to service up to 40 countries worldwide ever since its founding back in 2017.

Their software is able to help enterprises by providing innovative technical tools for purposes such as streamlining, data digitalization and even enhancing business network relations across other clients. Though it has limited availability in Asia and the American region, clients residing in the said regions may contact them for more information.

The website also features a table of their comprehensive plans in which clients may avail of along with its corresponding perks, inclusions, and price for each range. Their rates are fixed and are free of any hidden fees and clients may also cancel or upgrade their subscription at any time on their site as well.

The payment is in accordance with the credit usage which differs from the usual payment scheme which clients may find a bit confusing. Customer support is readily available should the client have any queries for that matter.

Customer Reviews

Here are some reviews from their clients:

“I love that all my actions can be done in one place – Lightyear stores/archives all information received and makes searching it a breeze.” – Sharon Batty, Accountant

“Simplicity – easy for non-finance users to navigate, a clear audit trail on all interactions with our docs and it is very cost-efficient.” – Merran Brookman, Financial Controller, Zagame Corporation

7. Osservi

RATES	Request a Consultation
WEBSITE	https://osservi.ie/
CONTACT DETAILS	+353 1800 938 796 / [email protected]

Osservi is a company that specializes in providing enterprises and businesses with outsourcing services and has been known to be one of the leading providers of bookkeeping and payroll services in the area ever since its founding back in 2018.

Their approaches are specifically geared to help companies have a better grasp of their financial paperwork and provide more time for them to focus on other vital aspects of the business.

Furthermore, they offer personalized solutions to every company that they work with since they can access and work with a wide range of highly integrative and innovative software technologies that also readily updates owners on how the business is doing as well.

Rates aren’t readily available on their website though they do offer a free quote in lieu of this information.

Overall, with experienced professionals in the industry, modern and flexible technologies used, and easy-to-work-with personnel, we highly recommend them to business owners looking for reliable and prompt outsourcing and accounting services.

Customer Reviews

Here are some reviews from their clients:

“We were looking for an accountant in the EU due to the new Brexit regulations. So glad that we came across Osservi! They are so efficient and are so helpful in every aspect. Highly recommend!”

“So happy, being an Australian company who had offices in the UK and also Singapore we had recently started to hire in Ireland and needed a payroll partner there. I was recommended 3 all of which impressed me but it was the simplistic and easy manner in both the way John presented himself and also his solution. It has all been working perfectly and I have already recommended him to clients of ours looking to launch into Ireland. It is not often I feel compelled to write a review but this was one of those cases.”

Tips for Selecting Accounting Software

Of course, each company that creates accounting software would claim they’re the best out there. However, what’s best for other businesses, might not be what’s best for yours.

Check out these tips we’ve gathered to aid your decision-making:

1. Business needs 

Identify your business needs and know how a specific accounting software will meet those needs. 

For example, what are its invoicing features? How can it help you with tax, time tracking, inventory, etc? And if you conduct international transactions, how many currencies does it support?

Ask how many users can have access to the software. Plus, it’s also a good idea to inquire about their clients who belong to your industry. 

2. Ask your accountant

Another good tip is to ask your accountant. Remember, your accountant would be among those who have considerable knowledge of your business. 

His or her input will lend valuable insight to your decision in choosing accounting software. 

3. Usability

It’s always a good idea to consider the software’s ease of use for you and your employees as well.

Adjusting wouldn’t be that hard, and you wouldn’t spend so much time on training. Thus, include this factor in your evaluation when you try out the software. 

4. Pricing

Don’t immediately assume that your monthly subscription is all that you would be paying for. 

Ask if there are any other fees to think about. These could be maintenance fees, training, support, and so on. 

Know the features that come as standard to your subscription. If you’d like to integrate other apps, inquire about those costs as well. 

5. Support 

Don’t forget customer support. Even if accounting software companies have a wealth of resources on their websites, there will be times when you’ll need a real person to address a particular issue. 

Inquire about how and when you can reach them, such as by phone, email, live chat, etc. 

FAQs about the Best Accounting Software in Ireland

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Our list of the best accounting software in Ireland ends here for now. Hoping you found it to be a worthwhile read!

Got your own picks for the best accounting software? Please let us know, so we can check them out as well!

More Resources for Accounting Software 

• Best accounting firms in Ireland
• Best accounting firms in Dublin
• Best POS Systems in Ireland 

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