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Here are our top manufacturing accounting software recommendations.
| Product | Best for | NerdWallet rating | Starting at | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Xero
|
General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations |
$25/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90. |
|||
 QuickBooks Online
|
General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations |
$38/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275. |
50% off
for 3 months or free 30-day trial. |
||
|
QuickBooks Enterprise
|
Midsize to large manufacturing businesses |
$1,703/year
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. |
|||
 Fishbowl |
Overall manufacturing accounting software |
$329/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee. |
|||
 Katana |
Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations |
$199/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999. |
|||
 Odoo |
Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses |
$0
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80. |
Monthly discount
for the first 12 months. |
Xero
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
QuickBooks Online
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
for 3 months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for Midsize to large manufacturing businesses
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Pros
- Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
Fishbowl
Best for Overall manufacturing accounting software
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee.
Pros
- Specialized industry software designed for manufacturing businesses.
- End-to-end manufacturing software solution.
- Integrates with popular accounting software.
- Customer support available by phone, chat and email included in all plans.
- Mobile app available for all plans.
Cons
- Integration needed for accounting functions.
- Only two users included in plan pricing; additional users cost extra.
Katana
Best for Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Pros
- Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
- Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
- Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
Odoo
Best for Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
Starting at
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
for the first 12 months.
Pros
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Sort by:
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90.
Pros
- Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
- Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
- Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
- Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
- No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
- Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
- Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
for 3 months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Best for General accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $75, $115, $275.
Promotion
for 3 months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
- More than 750 app integrations.
- Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
- Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
- Expensive compared with the competition.
- Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
- Limited account users with each plan.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Pros
- Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Best for Midsize to large manufacturing businesses
Best for Midsize to large manufacturing businesses
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $2,210; $2,717; $5,364. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Pros
- Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
- More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
- Outdated user interface.
- Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
- Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee.
Pros
- Specialized industry software designed for manufacturing businesses.
- End-to-end manufacturing software solution.
- Integrates with popular accounting software.
- Customer support available by phone, chat and email included in all plans.
- Mobile app available for all plans.
Cons
- Integration needed for accounting functions.
- Only two users included in plan pricing; additional users cost extra.
Fishbowl
Best for Overall manufacturing accounting software
Best for Overall manufacturing accounting software
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $429. There is also a one-time implementation fee.
Pros
- Specialized industry software designed for manufacturing businesses.
- End-to-end manufacturing software solution.
- Integrates with popular accounting software.
- Customer support available by phone, chat and email included in all plans.
- Mobile app available for all plans.
Cons
- Integration needed for accounting functions.
- Only two users included in plan pricing; additional users cost extra.
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Pros
- Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
- Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
- Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
Katana
Best for Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
Best for Manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
Starting at
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $399; $899; $1,999.
Pros
- Access to accounting and e-commerce integrations in all plans.
- Introductory plan lets you track inventory in up to three warehouses.
- Use Katana Shop Floor app to track time spent on particular tasks, scan barcodes and assign jobs to employees.
- Gain insights into top-selling products, profit margin by category and cost of goods sold.
- Create purchase orders from within the software.
Cons
- Higher-tier plans require costly implementation package.
Starting at
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
for the first 12 months.
Pros
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Odoo
Best for Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
Best for Scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
Starting at
For use of a single app. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $31.10, $46.80.
Promotion
for the first 12 months.
Pros
- Unlimited users.
- Vast library of directly integrated apps means the software can grow with your business.
- Open-source model encourages regular testing and improvement of the software.
Cons
- Paid plan is required to access the full list of features for most apps and any additional apps.
- Phone support is only available for database emergencies.
Jump to
Our picks for best manufacturing accounting software
Best overall manufacturing accounting software
Why we like it: Fishbowl Manufacturing provides a full ERP system for your manufacturing business that directly integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for your accounting needs. It also integrates with a number of other third-party apps and platforms, as well, to round out your manufacturing software solution.
The software allows you to customize your bill of materials, manage work orders and labor costs and keep production plans and schedules organized. It also helps you create an efficient workflow, which is essential to running a manufacturing business.
Best manufacturing inventory management software with accounting integrations
Why we like it: Katana’s manufacturing inventory management software offers an “insights” dashboard for monitoring sales, spending, profits and other financial information as well as a Shop Floor app, which caters especially to manufacturers that need to closely track production progress. Katana’s purchase order functionality is another plus: When you create a purchase order, the software will take stock of your inventory from that particular vendor and let you know if you’re missing anything. The system even integrates with well-known accounting and e-commerce products, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, WooCommerce and Shopify.
Best for midsize to large manufacturing businesses
Why we like it: Although this is a desktop solution, QuickBooks Enterprise for Manufacturing & Wholesale can easily be hosted in the cloud (at an additional cost). This version of QuickBooks has many of the features manufacturers need, such as assemblies management, order management, bill of materials tracking and a hub for centralizing all your vendor details. Because QuickBooks Enterprise offers a wealth of advanced, industry-specific reporting and inventory management capabilities, and because costs for this product can add up quite quickly, it makes better sense for a larger, more established manufacturing business.
Best scalable accounting software for small manufacturing businesses
Why we like it: Odoo is a network of open-source business applications that have been designed to work seamlessly together. Odoo offers an enticing pricing model that allows you use of a single Odoo app, say accounting, completely free of cost. You only begin to pay a monthly fee as you add on applications. In that way, Odoo’s software is highly scalable. Start with the accounting and manufacturing apps, then add on sales, CRM, marketing and more as your business needs evolve.
Odoo’s accounting app will fetch you all the expected functions, including automated bank reconciliation, invoice templates, automatic invoice payment reminders for your customers, online payment enablement and financial reporting. Its manufacturing app gives you access to tools for capacity planning, barcode scanning, quality control and analysis, bill of materials management and more.
Best general accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Why we like it: You may have been told QuickBooks Online is not a good fit for inventory-based businesses like your small-manufacturing company. On its own, this is true. QuickBooks Online has a very limited inventory feature. However, there are more than a dozen third-party applications specifically designed for small-manufacturing businesses that integrate directly with QuickBooks Online, including Fishbowl.
Best general accounting software with manufacturing business integrations
Billie Anne Grigg contributed to an earlier version of this article, which was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
Last updated on June 18, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
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