Small Business Accounting Software Comparison Review
This paper evaluates and compares three leading small business accounting software packages — Intuit QuickBooks Pro and Basic, Peachtree (Sage) Accounting, and Microsoft Small Business Accounting — across three dimensions: functionality, usability, and price. The analysis examines core accounting modules (General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Inventory), SOX compliance implications, third-party integration capabilities, and Web 2.0 technologies such as ETL and AJAX. Usability histories and design philosophies are contrasted for each vendor, and pricing structures are outlined. The paper concludes with a recommendation that Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2009 serve as the development baseline for a custom ASP.Net/C# small business accounting application.
- Introduction: Scope, market context, and evaluation criteria
- Analyzing the Functionality of Accounting Applications: Feature comparison including SOX, ETL, and integration
- Assessment of Accounting Software Usability: Usability histories and design strengths of each vendor
- Pricing: License and SaaS pricing across all three packages
- Recommendation: Microsoft platform recommended for development baseline
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds its comparison in concrete, functional criteria (AP, AR, Inventory, SOX compliance) rather than subjective preference, giving the analysis a structured and defensible framework.
- Integrates regulatory context (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) to explain why certain features matter, connecting technical software capabilities to real business and legal consequences.
- Moves logically from functionality to usability to pricing before offering a recommendation, mirroring a professional procurement analysis structure.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative analysis across multiple evaluative dimensions. Rather than reviewing each product in isolation, it applies a consistent set of criteria — feature breadth, integration capability, usability history, and cost — to all three packages simultaneously, which allows direct, evidence-supported conclusions about relative strengths and weaknesses.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a scoping introduction that defines the evaluation criteria and market context. It then proceeds through three analytical sections: a functionality comparison (the longest and most citation-heavy section), a usability assessment organized vendor by vendor, and a brief pricing overview. A short recommendation section closes the paper by naming the preferred platform for follow-on development. References follow APA formatting conventions throughout.
Introduction
The intent of this analysis is to evaluate and compare small business accounting software applications designed for between 5 and 10 users with respect to features, usability, and price. This analysis will also serve as the basis for creating a small business software application using ASP.Net and C# programming languages. The core functionality of a small business accounting system includes General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, and integration with accounting-related applications such as financial reporting and expense management.
With over 70 vendors in the small business accounting software marketplace — and an increasing number moving from licensed to hosted or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery models (Meeks & Swann, 2009) — the need to define feature-based development that accounts for functionality, usability, and price is critical. While there are dozens of applications available, the three most predominant are Microsoft Small Business Accounting, Intuit QuickBooks Pro and Basic, and Peachtree (Sage) Accounting. This analysis concentrates on these three applications and evaluates their ability to integrate with third-party applications. Across all enterprises, small businesses included, the ability to create process workflows that rely on accounting data to accomplish goals in engineering, marketing, product development, sales, and service is also evaluated. This analysis will illustrate how companies are no longer isolating their use of accounting data.
References
Bernoff, J., & Li, C. (2008). Harnessing the power of the oh-so-social web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 36–42.
Collins, J. C. (2006). Small business software grows up. Journal of Accountancy, 201(3), 50.
Cong, Y., & Du, H. (2007). Welcome to the world of Web 2.0. The CPA Journal, 77(5), 6, 8–10.
Giardina, M. (2004). Buying software: Look for what's right, not for what's "best." The CPA Journal, 74(3), 10.
Lin, P., & Smith, L. M. (2006). Using a web-based accounting system for teaching accounting system design and implementation. Journal of Information Systems, 20(2), 65–79.
Meeks, G., & Swann, G. (2009). Accounting standards and the economics of standards. Accounting and Business Research, 39(3), 191–210.
Nikitkov, A., & Sainty, B. (2008). Designing and implementing an information system for the dental office of Branckowitz & Young. Accounting Perspectives, 7(4), 341.
Qazi, S. (2005). Should you consult for Microsoft, Intuit or both? CPA Technology Advisor, 15(6), 36–37.
Sanghvi, A. (2007). Improving service through online payroll. The CPA Journal, 77(3), 11.
Saunders, B. (2003). Productivity in the small services firm: Using software to decode the bottom line. The CPA Journal, 73(7), 13.
Shin, I. (2006). Adoption of enterprise application software and firm performance. Small Business Economics, 26(3), 241.
Swartz, N. (2006). Small firms seek different SOX rules. Information Management Journal, 40(1), 6–7.
Swartz, N. (2008). SOX costs sock small firms. Information Management Journal, 42(2), 14.
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