It’s well known that Quickbooks dominates the small business bookkeeping and accounting market with its huge market share. So of course all bookkeepers need access to it. But bookkeeping practice management software has become the main tool for bookkeeping businesses to manage the work across all of their clients. Keeper is quickly becoming the bookkeeping software that bookkeeping businesses use, as it is the leading QuickBooks and Xero-integrated bookkeeping practice management tool. Read on to learn more about the software tools available to bookkeepers, and the practice management software features that every bookkeeping business needs to streamline their operations. 

What Software Do Most Bookkeepers Use?

While numerous bookkeeping software options are available, two platforms are at the head of the pack — QuickBooks Online and Xero.  In 2023, QuickBooks Online Accountant had 7.2 million users, making it the most popular small business accounting software.
quickbooks homepage
Source: QuickBooks Online
In second place was Xero accounting software, with three million users.
xero website
Source: Xero
QuickBooks Online accounting software is the overall market leader and is especially popular in the United States. Xero, on the other hand, is often the choice of bookkeepers and small business owners in New Zealand and Europe.  After these platforms, some other small business accounting software leaders include:
  • FreshBooks (has a mobile app)
  • Sage Business Cloud Accounting (has a mobile app)
  • Zoho Books (has a mobile app)
  • Wave (has a mobile app)
  • Kashoo (has a mobile app)
These platforms run the gamut in terms of capabilities, ranging from invoicing and inventory management to payroll and financial reporting.  Nearly all have solid customer support that can assist an accountant if they run into trouble. And some, like Zoho Books, even offer a free accounting software version.  Bookkeeping practice management software is still relatively new, but it’s quickly becoming the norm for bookkeeping business operations.  With benefits like streamlined workflows, increased efficiency, and automation capabilities, it’s easy to see why small business accounting software is becoming ubiquitous.  Not to mention, the best accounting software can help bookkeepers close the books significantly quicker than using older small business accounting technology. Even if it’s free accounting software with limited features, the impact can be immense. 

Other Bookkeeping-Related Software

Besides the accounting software options just mentioned that handle accounting end-to-end, some niche platforms can be used for more specific tasks, such as payroll, invoicing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and financial management.  Here are some examples of the best accounting software alternatives.  Payroll Services
  • Sage 50
  • Patriot Software 
  • Gusto Payroll
  • Paychex Payroll
Accounts Receivable
  • Bill.com Invoicing
  • HighRadius
  • Sage Intacct Invoicing
Accounts Payable
  • SAP Concur
  • Tipalti
  • Oracle Netsuite
Financial Management
  • Wave
  • Oracle Netsuite
  • Sage Intacct
If you’re only looking to tackle certain aspects of bookkeeping and don’t necessarily need a comprehensive accounting solution, choosing an accounting tool like this may be a good option.  For instance, if you need a reliable payroll solution to manage payroll for small business accounting, Gusto could be a potential choice.
gusto website homepage
Source: Gusto 
You can quickly set up payroll, sync employee hours, track hours, and generate detailed reports. It’s also simple for a bookkeeper to set up payroll taxes in all 50 states, which is perfect for clients with remote workers. Just note that Gusto doesn’t have a mobile app for payroll.  Most of these platforms have excellent customer support, and some have free accounting software features and a mobile app. 

Can You Automate Bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping is a profession that’s notorious for being bogged down with repetitive, manual tasks. From invoicing to payment reminders to inventory management to gathering W-9s, productivity can take a hit without properly streamlined workflows.  For perspective, one survey found that more than half (56%) of today’s bookkeepers spend too much time on manual tasks like invoicing.  Fortunately, technology has made massive strides in recent years, where bookkeeping automation is now available and can cover a wide range of tasks.  For instance, you can use bookkeeping software to conveniently keep track of expenses without resorting to antiquated techniques like manually sorting through a box of receipts.  Instead, a client can simply upload their receipts through a mobile app (either from an Android or iOS app). From there, bookkeeping software will automatically extract the data through the mobile app and offer coding suggestions.  Once edited, it will automatically post to the client’s ledger for maximum efficiency and accuracy.  As for invoicing, bookkeeping software can automate much of the process by allowing you to create customizable invoice templates to send to clients, send automatic payment reminders, and complete payment processing by integrating with invoicing software.

Helpful Bookkeeper Software Features

Modern small business bookkeeping software is incredibly comprehensive and can assist in virtually every aspect of the process.  And the result is always the same. Increased efficiency, a quality client experience, and closing the books for a small business owner quicker — everyone from a sole proprietor to a full-fledged team. As for specific features that can help your bookkeeping services operate at their peak, here are some to look for. 
  • Automated file review - Use bookkeeping software to catch errors and increase accuracy.
  • Automated expense management - Quickly and easily track expenses with small business accounting software to identify patterns and trends for better business financing.
  • W-9 gathering - Determine which vendors meet the 1099 threshold and follow the steps from start to finish without endless back-and-forthing.
  • Streamlined client communication - Ask questions about forms, invoicing, and more, and get responses from a single portal and automate reminders.
  • Task management - Create recurring or one-off tasks and follow the status until completion.
To give you a better idea of what these bookkeeping practice management software features look like in real life, here are some of Keeper’s core capabilities. 

File Review and Automated Expense Management

Manually searching for coding errors can be a huge time drain for an accounting professional. With Keeper, however, you can automatically catch errors that could’ve led to delays in your month-end close.  keeper expense management After an accounting firm team member makes corrections, the report is automatically synced with Intuit’s QuickBooks Online or Xero to drastically speed up file review and expense management.  Also, Keeper allows you to view all uncategorized transactions directly within the platform and track a client’s response until it’s resolved — all while offering a paper trail for quick reference. keeper category

W-9  Requesting and Tracking

Collecting W-9s from vendors that meet the 1099 threshold is a critical part of accounting. It can also be incredibly time-consuming.  But Keeper streamlines the process by automatically identifying who meets the criteria for a small business.  w9 requesting and tracking Then, it lets you conveniently send requests and track responses until the form is completed. keeper requisition But that’s not all. Keeper also syncs the updated data to accounting software like QuickBooks Online or Xero for maximum efficiency. 

Client Portal

Spreadsheets — also known as “dreadsheets” to some — can also be a serious time-drainer. You have to copy and paste your transaction questions, send them out, wait for responses, send reminders, and update the financial information in your accounting software.  But with bookkeeping software for bookkeeping businesses, you can centralize communication from within a portal.  That way, you can upload files,... keeper files upload …ask questions,... client questionnaire …automate follow-ups, and more without having to toggle between multiple platforms. This makes your life and your client’s life much easier while saving a ton of time.  practice level client portal

CRM and Client Communication

Juggling multiple clients and coordinating communication with a small business owner can quickly become chaotic for an accountant. With Keeper, you can easily manage every single client from a personal dashboard for a big-picture overview.  keeper client list You can also conveniently organize your client list and make changes as needed. You can zoom out to see your entire list of clients at a glance. Or you can go more granular with saved views if you’d like.  keeper client tier And for communication, you can create accounting tasks, send files, ask questions, and follow responses without the need for multiple platforms. accounting task Whether it has to do with invoicing, inventory tracking, inventory management, payroll, or anything else, you can stay in the loop at all times. 

Task and Project Management

Equally important as client communication for an accountant is internal team communication, where everyone stays on the same page without information breakdowns.  With Keeper, you have an overarching view of individual tasks and collective projects at all times, allowing you to see what’s been assigned to who, when it’s due, what the status is, and when something has been completed. keeper project management There’s no bouncing around between three or four programs, as everything is included right from within the platform.  And with workflow templates, you can create tasks to be automatically re-applied each month for even more time saved.  workflow payroll template

Automated Report Creation

Having a crystal clear understanding of a client’s financial trajectory is essential for your accounting service. But in the past, generating this information has been meticulous.  However, now highly detailed reports can be generated using client-friendly visuals that are easy to digest.  keeper report dashboard You can share the vital information a business owner needs, such as total expenses, spend by category, cash on hand, sales, and much more for a high-level understanding at a glance.   report executive summary And with Keeper, reports can be published directly to the client portal for even more efficiency.  Keeper financial report

Keeper: The Bookkeeping Software for Bookkeeper Businesses

If you’re looking for a bookkeeping workflow software that’s built specifically for bookkeepers, Keeper is right up your alley.  It’s the first platform that integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero and includes all of the features listed above. Accounting firms can utilize the desktop version or mobile app to accelerate workflow and close the books quicker. In fact, many bookkeepers can slash their month-end close in half with Keeper. And with a robust help center, you can find detailed customer support to get the absolute most out of this platform.