Accounting is such a basic thing, i.e. and so many people understand how accounting works and its so widely used, that has to be some good options with open source software.
I would use extreme caution with quickbooks. They are aggressively pushing everything toward the cloud model which is problematic in that it can be impossible to exit. We recently had a case where even with numerous calls to tech support it we couldn't get the files off the cloud. (we bought a business and wanted to get their QB cloud books onto our local QB, just not possible). The day that happened I started the plan to move away from QB as I think their strategy is clear and the writing is on the wall for their local install offerings.
imo its very expensive compared to local....and just wait a few yeas until they've really got you....it is the hotel California of software, you can check in but you can never leave.
I do not totally disagree, but what you say is not true
Quickbooks stopped selling Enterprise, they only rent now, no deal screw them
But I have many, many years of data in Enterprise, having moved up in the early 2000s from QB Pro, and you, theoretically, cannot 'downgrade'
Well, you can.
you sign up for a free month of QB online, and upload your enterprise into it. IT is not without glitches and I compressed data first and it took several tries to get it through correctly, but it worked.
Then you buy a copy of standalone QB Pro.
There is then a process to get the data out of QB online,and into QB pro. Again, complicated, and I actually had to get QB on the phone, and linked into my computer to get it done.
But it worked.
Look, quickbooks is not just invoicing software.
once setup, I keep everything in it
all my contacts, notes on pricing, phone numbers
Thing is it is painless to get into, you just type the info and it will save it, and you never have to enter it again.
New customer?
Just start filling out the form, you enter the address info it gets saved under that new name, then you click ship, right in the software address filled out you just put in the weight and poof, done, tracking number saved on the invoice
Customer calls, hey, six months ago, did we buy, such and such?
5 seconds later, yup August 12, 3 of those, paid xx.xx, shipped on this tracking number for this much, you paid, 2 weeks later, you need the same?
sure, click copy this invoice, it will ship today
balance checkbook, it will download data right from your bank website
End of year, profit and loss report, send to accountant. He wants more info? Send a copy of your company file to them
Sure you can use it as just invoicing software, but I have run my entire business out of it for decades.