Zoho Books

Zoho Books gives a solo business a genuinely free plan with invoices, expenses, bank reconciliation and 1099 tracking on it, which is more than most vendors put behind their cheapest paid tier. It is worth the trade if you already use anything else Zoho makes. On its own it is a heavier, more form-driven thing to learn than the tools built for freelancers first.

The free plan covers one user plus an accountant and is not a trial. Standard is $20 a month, or $15 billed yearly, and adds users, recurring bills and more automation. The paid tiers climb from there by user count. Zoho's own pitch is that the paid plans cost less than the competition, which is true, but the free one is the reason to look.

A one person business that wants real accounting without a monthly bill, and anybody already inside the Zoho suite. A team of three has outgrown the free tier before they finish setting it up.