If there’s one system every business relies on, it’s the general ledger—the foundation for clean reporting, consistent records, and confident decision-making. However, not every general ledger software is built the same. Some are built for speed and simplicity, while others focus more on handling complex structures like multiple entities or currencies. Depending on your needs, the right tool can make audits much less stressful.

In this blog, we’ve reviewed nine of the best general ledger software to consider in 2025. For each one, you’ll find its core features, ideal use cases, example customers, and pricing details—helping you figure out which system actually fits your setup. Let’s get into it!

Comparison Table

Company 

Best For 

Main Features 

Pricing 

QuickBooks Online 

Small businesses, startups, and freelancers 

Double-entry GL, automation, 750+ integrations, add-on payroll 

Starts at $35 per month, 30-day free trial 

Xero 

Small to medium businesses needing multi-user access 

Unlimited users, multi-currency, 1000+ integrations 

Starts at $20 per month, free 30-day trial 

Zoho Books 

Small businesses on a tight budget 

End-to-end accounting, inventory, free plan, affordable pricing 

Starts at $0 per org per month, free 14-day trial 

Sage Intacct 

Mid-market firms needing intelligent GL 

Intelligent GL, anomaly detection, multi-book support 

Starts at $400 per month + $225 per user per month 

Oracle NetSuite 

Mid-sized businesses needing global consolidation 

Custom COA, recurring entries, GAAP/IFRS parallel books 

Starts at $999 per month + $50-$200 fee per user 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 

Businesses using the Microsoft ecosystem 

Multi-entity, dimensional accounting, Excel integration 

Starts at $70.00 per user per month 

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP 

Enterprises needing intelligent, scalable ERP 

Adaptive Intelligence, centralized accounting hub 

Starts at $625.00 per user per month 

Workday Financial Management 

Service-centric firms needing unified HR + finance 

Worktags, embedded analytics, operational plus financial insights 

Starts at $5,000 per month 

FreshBooks 

Freelancers and small service-based businesses 

Time tracking, invoicing, receipt scanning, basic reports 

Starts at $21.00 per month, 30-day free trial 

1. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks is about as common as it gets when it comes to small business accounting. It offers a full double-entry general ledger and covers all the basics—profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow reports, and more. The part that usually saves the most time is the automatic bank feeds.  

Transactions come in on their own and get categorized, which cuts down on manual entry and keeps your books moving. Sales and expense workflows are built in, so you can invoice, accept payments, and pay bills without jumping between tools. Another important thing is that payroll is available, too, but only as an add-on. 

What also helps is how easily it connects with other platforms—QuickBooks supports over 750 integrations, including e-commerce and CRM tools. Globally, over 6.5 million businesses use QuickBooks Online as their ledger and accounting system. TM Thong and Company and Zen Accountants are part of that number. 

Best For: It works best for small businesses, startups, and freelancers. The software supports up to 25 users on the Advanced plan and is widely used across industries—from retail and e-commerce to consulting and professional services. 

Pros

  • Receipts and invoices can be managed easily, which helps during tax season
  • Supports multi-user access, making collaboration across departments easier
  • Automation of repetitive tasks like bank feeds and recurring invoices saves hours

Cons

  • Reports lack customization and can be difficult to configure
  • Mobile app performance is slow and lacks some desktop functionalities

Pricing

QuickBooks Online offers a subscription-based model with the following pricing plans:

  • Simple Start: $35 per month
  • Essentials: $65 per month
  • Plus: $99 per month
  • Advanced: $235 per month

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

2. Xero

Xero Accounting Solution is a full double-entry general ledger software built entirely online, and it’s especially popular for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs). One thing that stands out is that all its plans include unlimited users, which makes it easier to keep your bookkeeper, accountant, and internal team working from the same set of books.

One of Xero’s standout features is its bank feed setup that supports over 21,000 financial institutions globally—making transactions flow automatically without manual intervention. Another area where Xero performs well is multi-currency accounting (available on higher-tier plans). It handles foreign transactions, revaluations, and currency conversions smoothly—something many tools still struggle with.

With over 1,000 integrations in its app marketplace, Xero connects well with CRMs, inventory systems, and other financial tools. It has 4.4 million subscribers worldwide, with brands like Visual Contrast or Xendoo among its customers.

Best For: It’s particularly favored by SMBs, including startups, that want a full-featured GL (General Ledger) with multi-currency support and easy collaboration with accountants.

Pros

  • Multiple users can access the system without paying per seat
  • Live dashboards help businesses track income, expenses, and cash flow as they happen
  • Users appreciate that Xero releases quarterly updates to improve features and performance

Cons

  • Payroll is an add-on and not included in standard plans, which increases the cost
  • One user reported that missing a payment could lead to a full lockout of account access, including all data

Pricing 

Xero offers three main plans in most regions. In the U.S., it offers the following pricing plans along with a 30-day free trial:

  • Early: $20 per month (limited to only 20 invoices and 5 bills per month)
  • Growing: $47 per month
  • Established: $80 per month

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

3. Zoho Books

Despite its low price point, Zoho Books’ feature set is robust. It supports end-to-end accounting: sales orders, invoices, bills, purchase orders, expense claims, project accounting, and even basic inventory tracking (for product businesses). 

It’s a fully capable double-entry system with invoicing, expense tracking, and inventory management features, making it comparable to QuickBooks or Xero in functionality. What sets Zoho Books apart is its value: it provides many advanced features at a fraction of the cost of competitors and even offers a free plan for small businesses.

Zoho reports over 120 million users across its full suite of products. Zoho Books is part of that, with companies like Asta Bumi Cipta and Swifty Print Ltd using it for accounting.

Best For: Zoho Books is ideal for small businesses and sole proprietors on a tight budget who still want a full-featured accounting system. Especially those businesses that are already using other Zoho products such as Zoho Sheet and Zoho Projects.

Pros

  • Users find the financial dashboards helpful and the reporting tools useful for tracking business health
  • Offers better pricing than competitors and includes a free plan for small businesses
  • Provides strong data protection for sensitive financial records

Cons

  • Migrating large amounts of historical data can be difficult and time-consuming
  • Lacks a built-in module to track fixed assets and depreciation

Pricing 

One of Zoho Books’ biggest selling points is its pricing plans. The vendor even offers a 14-day free trial that gives full access to the Premium features. Its plans are as follows:

  • Free: $0
  • Standard: $12 per org per month
  • Professional: $24 per org per month
  • Premium: $36 per org per month
  • Elite: $129 per org per month
  • Ultimate: $249 per org per month

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

4. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is often considered a step up from entry-level accounting software. Its general ledger is often described as the ‘Intelligent GL,’ and to be fair, it does more than just hold transactions. It can automatically detect anomalies or outliers in transactions, using machine learning (ML) to flag unusual entries for review. This helps catch errors or fraud early. 

The software also supports multi-book accounting, meaning you can maintain parallel sets of books (e.g. one for US GAAP, one for IFRS, one for cash basis) and post to them simultaneously, which is critical for global companies. Not only that but companies like Bitly and Burger King already use Intacct to manage their accounting. 

Best For: The software is perfect for mid-market companies and organizations that have outgrown basic accounting software and need advanced functionality. 

Pros

  • Integrates smoothly with third-party tools like ADP Payroll and Ramp Visa
  • Supports fund accounting and grant tracking for nonprofits
  • Easy to import and export large volumes of financial data

Cons

  • Certain features like AR credit card batching and email invoicing are missing
  • The fixed asset module lacks flexibility and is difficult to manage

Pricing 

Estimates indicate a ballpark starting cost of around $400 per month for the core modules, plus approximately $225 per user per month for additional licenses.

Disclaimer: The pricing has been sourced from third-party websites and is subject to change.

5. Oracle NetSuite

NetSuite is known for being flexible—and its general ledger reflects that. The chart of accounts can be tailored to fit your setup, and user-defined segments like departments, classes, and locations make it easier to break down financial data the way you manage the business.

What stands out most is how much of the GL process can be automated. NetSuite can pull in bank transactions, auto-match them, post recurring journal entries, and handle accruals or allocations on a set schedule. Once it’s configured, it takes a lot of routine work off the table.

For businesses working across borders or entities, the system’s multi-currency and multi-company support is strong. It handles conversions, consolidations, and local compliance in the background—which is one less thing to manually track.

There’s also a ‘Multiple Books’ feature that lets you maintain parallel ledgers for different standards like GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). That’s especially useful for companies balancing internal and external reporting requirements.

It is used by over 41,000 customers, including well-known names like Lettuce Entertain You (hospitality) and Marine Layer (apparel retail).

Best For: It’s best suited for mid-sized businesses or fast-growing small companies that need a full ERP (enterprise resource planning) platform—not just a standalone general ledger. It tends to serve industries like wholesale distribution, manufacturing, retail, technology, and professional services particularly well.

Pros

  • Regular feature updates and improvements are delivered automatically
  • Offers customizable dashboards and saved searches for real-time insights
  • Supports multi-subsidiary consolidation and global financial reporting

Cons

  • The interface is dated and can be difficult to navigate without training
  • System performance can slow down after applying complex customizations

Pricing

Starts at $999 per month,User licenses typically range from $50 to over $200 per user. Costs vary based on modules, user count, and company size

Disclaimer: The pricing has been sourced from third-party websites and is subject to change. 

6. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Business Central is Microsoft’s cloud ERP platform for SMBs, and its general ledger comes with more depth than you'd expect from an entry point into Dynamics. It supports multi-currency, multi-entity, and consolidation and offers a solid range of financial reports right out of the box.

One of the more useful features is dimensional accounting. Like NetSuite and Sage Intacct, Business Central lets you tag transactions with dimensions such as department, project, or region. It’s a cleaner way to segment data without turning your chart of accounts into a mess.

Another strength is how well it integrates with Microsoft tools. Journal entries can be edited and posted directly from Excel, and financial reports open with live data links—handy if your team already works in that ecosystem. With over 45,000 customers, Dynamics 365 Business Central has a wide global reach (available in 160+ countries and multiple languages). Companies like Andretti Indoor Karting & Games and Michelin have been noted as their users.

Best For: Businesses often choose this system when they are already using Microsoft 365 software, Azure, or Dynamics CRM and want seamless integration. 

Pros

  • Tracks progress of transactions with options to add notes on each step
  • Allows easy electronic invoicing with minimal equipment
  • Uses AI with Copilot to speed up work and reduce manual effort

Cons

  • No alerts/notifications when something updates
  • Multiple users said they needed developers to customize the platform, which is expensive and time-consuming

Pricing

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers the following plans along with a 30-day free trial. All these plans are billed annually:

  • Essentials: Starting at $70.00 per user per month
  • Premium: Starting at $100.00 per user per month
  • Team Members: Starting at $8.00 per user per month

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

7. Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP is designed for enterprises that deal with complex financial operations. Its general ledger is flexible enough to handle multi-ledger and multi-currency setups without much friction—something that becomes essential when you’re dealing with multiple entities, regulatory standards, or global reporting.

Where it tries to differentiate itself is with built-in intelligence. Oracle’s ‘Adaptive Intelligence’ features help automate tasks like invoice coding, flagging outliers in expenses, and forecasting trends. Some features work well out of the box, but they’re especially valuable in larger environments where manual reviews slow things down.

One feature that stands out in real-world use is the Accounting Hub. It lets Oracle act as a central GL, pulling transactions from different systems—including non-Oracle ones—and applying uniform accounting rules. That’s a big help if your financial data is scattered across platforms and you need one place to standardize it.

Oracle reports almost 11,000 organizations across industries are using Oracle Cloud ERP. DHL Supply Chain, for example, uses it to unify financial processes across 40+ countries.

Best For: Mostly ideal for large enterprises and upper mid-market companies that want a complete, cloud-based ERP with cutting-edge technology.

Pros

  • Offers built-in artificial intelligence (AI) features to improve forecasting and planning
  • Allows for custom role-based access for both internal users and vendors
  • Enables real-time goods or invoice receipts and invoice status visibility in inventory

Cons

  • Customer support lacks in-depth knowledge of module-specific queries
  • Some dashboards and KPI-level reporting are missing or need third-party add-ons

Pricing

Starting cost: $625.00 per user per month, Minimum of 10 users required

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

8. Workday Financial Management

Workday is best known for its HR tools, but the Workday Financial Management platform brings the same level of structure and flexibility to accounting. The general ledger doesn’t rely on a traditional account code structure. Instead, it uses ‘Worktags’—flexible labels that let you tag transactions by project, department, or other dimensions.

This makes the reporting more flexible without overloading the chart of accounts. For teams that need multi-dimensional reporting but want to avoid rigid account structures, it’s a big plus. Another key feature is embedded analytics: it captures not just financial amounts but also operational details at the point of transaction (because of its HR and operational context).

According to Workday Financial Management, more than 10,500 organizations use the platform. That includes companies like Shelter Insurance, Coventry Building Society, and Stout.

Best For: Service-centric organizations (consulting firms, universities, hospitals) find Workday attractive because it can manage both the workforce and the finances in one place.

Pros

  • Allows custom financial reports with scheduled outputs
  • Supports data encryption and multi-factor authentication to protect sensitive financial data
  • Many reviewers appreciated the modern design, especially compared to legacy systems

Cons

  • No automated compliance checks for grants, which may expose organizations to audit risks
  • User guides and documentation aren’t readily accessible, forcing teams to contact support for basic tasks

Pricing

Estimates suggest that Workday Financial Management pricing begins at approximately $5,000 per month.

Disclaimer: The pricing has been sourced from third-party websites and is subject to change.  

9. FreshBooks

FreshBooks software started as an invoicing tool and later expanded into a general ledger system with double-entry accounting features. It offers a streamlined set of features centered around what small service businesses need. This includes intuitive invoicing (with professional invoice templates that can be emailed and paid online), expense tracking (users can snap photos of receipts and have FreshBooks categorize them), and time tracking (a built-in timer and project tool to log hours and convert them into invoices).

It's worth noting that it provides basic financial reports like profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow, which are easy to generate. Another recent addition is bank feeds: FreshBooks can connect to bank accounts and credit cards to import transactions, making reconciliation simpler (though this feature is somewhat simpler than in full-fledged GL systems). FreshBooks reports that 30M+ people have used the platform, which likely includes many who tried the product.

Best For: It is best for freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses (under 10 employees), especially those in service industries. This includes creatives (designers, writers, photographers), consultants, marketing agencies, tradespeople.

Pros

  • Offers time-tracking features useful for project-based billing
  • Sends automated reminders to clients, helping reduce late payments
  • Tracks expenses efficiently to help stay within budget

Cons

  • Limited advanced reporting unless you’re on a higher plan
  • Invoice Details report lacks important fields like reference

Pricing

FreshBooks comes with a 30-day free trial and offers the following pricing options:

FreshBooks comes with a 30-day free trial and offers the following pricing options:

  • Lite: $21.00 per month
  • Plus: $38.00 per month
  • Premium: $65.00 per month
  • Select: Custom Pricing

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

Final Take: Which General Ledger Software Is Best For You?

The truth is not every business needs an enterprise-grade ledger system—and not every tool is built for scale. That’s why choosing the right one depends more on how your company works than on feature lists alone.

If you need to track income, send invoices, and stay organized for tax time, tools like FreshBooks, Zoho Books, or QuickBooks Online work with minimal setup. For more complex needs—like handling multiple departments, currencies, or approval workflows—NetSuite, Business Central, or Sage Intacct offer better structure and automation. If you're managing finances across countries or business units, enterprise platforms like Oracle Cloud ERP or Workday provide the control and scalability that smaller tools lack.

Use the insights from this list to weigh your options and choose the system that best fits how the business operates. If you want to compare them in more detail, check out our resource center for side-by-side breakdowns.