Most small businesses need accounting software to track their finances. The alternative is spreadsheet accounting, which can be cumbersome.

Below are the top solutions for small businesses. I made these picks by analyzing more than 30 data points for every contender, including whether each had the following critical features:

Free trial or free plan. It’s important to test accounting software before you commit to it. I did with each of these. Take advantage of free trials and free plan options to get a feel for a product’s user interface. The right option will seem intuitive and easy to navigate — but a lot of that depends on individual preference.

Reconciliation tools. Reconciliation is at the heart of accounting, and you need to do it every month. I tested out each product’s reconciliation process. All of these picks help you match bank transactions to accounting software entries.

Invoicing. Not all businesses need to send invoices on a regular basis. But it’s a useful feature to have.…