Running a business in Ireland? Here are the best free accounting tools
If you’re struggling to keep on top of the day to day financial administration needed to run an Irish business, using an accounting software can help. This guide introduces some options for the best free accounting software in Ireland, including invoicing tools, full service accounting programs and free plans with optional paid extras whenever you need them.
We’ll also touch on the Wise Business account which has smart accounting integrations and can be a handy tool for Irish businesses, particularly when trading internationally.
Do you need accounting software for your business?
It’s not mandatory to have accounting software for your business in Ireland. However, it is mandatory to keep adequate business transaction records and to submit your tax and VAT details to Revenue - which means that using bookkeeping software for Ireland can make your business administration much less burdensome.
You’ll also find it easier to submit VAT and tax returns via Revenue Online Service (ROS) if you have accounting tools which are compatible with Revenue systems.
Here are a few examples of when getting accounting software might be a smart plan:
- You’re drowning in spreadsheets which can’t handle all the details you need to record
- You’re worried about losing track of invoices or not getting paid in full and on time
- Managing VAT and tax time means late nights and lots of manual administration
- You need more advanced tools to manage payroll, employee expenses, inventory or other business processes
- You’d like to cut down on admin time and spend more time with your customers and colleagues.
What to look for in a free accounting software in Ireland?
There’s a broad choice of accounting software in Ireland, including tools from Irish accounting specialists, as well as options from regional or global providers.
Many accounting services offer a free trial to new customers, but you may then start to pay a fee after this is finished. If you’re looking for a truly free option you may find your choices are a bit more limited, but there are still some out there.
Ultimately, the best free accounting software in Ireland for your specific business depends on your exact needs. Look out for tools which offer free to use features which really matter to you. Some providers only grant free access to a small selection of products, which may not cover everything you need.
It’s also worth checking if the tools you’re interested in support VAT and tax calculations for Irish businesses. This isn’t always available on free plans, and where it is it may need manual configuration to handle Irish VAT correctly.
Finally, check if the provider offers customer support for free plan holders. Again this isn’t always an option, and while services do usually have comprehensive self help tools and guides to help you navigate how to use them, you’ll need to find a program that’s user friendly so learning the system doesn't eat into your time too much.
Free vs. Paid accounting software: Which do you actually need?
There’s no set answer to whether free or paid accounting software is right for you. However, as a rule of thumb, free packages can suit low turnover startups and individuals with simple bookkeeping needs, while paid packages offer end to end support which costs more but can be invaluable for large or growing companies with more complex needs.
Here’s a summary to help you decide which is right for you:
| Free accounting software may suit: | Paid accounting software may be better for: |
|---|---|
The best free accounting software available in Ireland
To help you decide on the best free accounting software available in Ireland for your unique business, take a look at these popular choices:
Gimbla
In a nutshell: Free to use finance tools, with PAYG access to more advanced services like payroll management.
Gimbla¹ is an Australian business which offers its core finance module free to use, with pay per use services covering things like payroll and multi-currency features as an add on. This can offer a good blend of core services for free, with access to additional tools only when you need them.
What's free: Core accounting program, called the Finance Module, is free
- Multi-user role based controls on access
- Tools for invoicing and quotes, payments and receipts
- Create critical financial statements like the balance sheet and income statement for your business
- Customisable double entry accounting system.
What's not free: Optional, paid modules, such as payroll or multi-currency accounting services
Benefits for Irish businesses: Accept card payments for a fee, handy for occasional use.
Manager.io
In a nutshell: Desktop downloaded accounting service as an alternative to cloud based options, solid option as an accounting software for sole traders in Ireland.
Manager.io² offers their accounting program free to download and use, or you can pay a fee to get the cloud based version which has more features. The service has unlimited access to the program on and offline, with no cap on data usage.
✅ What's free: Desktop version of the service is free, which is described as being ‘full feature’.
- Free to download accounting software for Windows, Mac and Linux
- Work on or offline with no time limits or usage limits, no ads to watch
- Full feature accounting program covering general ledger, accounts, expenses and invoicing
- Import bank statements to reconcile.
❌ What's not free: Cloud based version of the same program, which has a monthly per business charge to pay.
💼 Benefits for Irish businesses: Clear, flat pricing model if you do decide to upgrade to the cloud based version.
Odoo
In a nutshell: Get free access to one of Odoo’s apps, forever - including accounting, expenses, or invoicing, depending on which you need most.
Odoo³ offers a very broad range of app based services covering sales, supply chain, HR, finance, ecommerce and more. You can choose one of their apps to try for free, for life, and then if you decide to upgrade you can pay a fee to get access to their whole suite of app based options for your business.
✅ What's free: Get one app from Odoo’s range for free forever, which can include financial tools like accounting, expenses, or invoicing.
- Choose one from a range of apps for free, to test out the Odoo service
- Accounting app offers bank integrations and AI driven invoice support
- Tax tools to help you manage cross border sales
- Get real time reporting to see how your business is performing.
❌ What's not free: Odoo has a huge range of apps, but to get more than one at a time you’ll need to pay a monthly fee.
💼 Benefits for Irish businesses: Peppol compliant invoicing tools which are included in some of the free apps you can opt for.
Zoho Invoicing
In a nutshell: Free invoicing software available for small business, with invoicing tools including quotes, invoices, payment reminders and reports.
Zoho⁴ has a vast range of tools including online and app based platforms for finance management, HR, legal compliance, sales, marketing and more. Zoho Invoicing was a paid app for years, but has now been released as a free to use tool for Irish small businesses.
✅ What's free: Zoho Invoicing feature is now available free for small business customers, for end to end invoicing tools.
- Create tax-compliant one off and recurring invoices
- Customise templates to create your own branded invoices and quotes
- Record and report on invoice activities to track performance
- Integrate with other Zoho apps (you may need to pay a fee for other Zoho services).
❌ What's not free: Other Zoho products still have their own fees, so if you want extra finance tools such as billing, bookkeeping, inventory or expense management you’ll still need to pay a fee.
💼 Benefits for Irish businesses: Businesses may be entitled to free trial use of some additional Zoho apps if you like the invoicing tools and want to explore more.
Wise Business: Sync accounting software for easier global payments
Check out Wise Business account in Ireland for a way to manage your money across multiple currencies, and connect with accounting integrations to transfer financial data automatically.
Available Wise Business integrations include bank feeds, bills, invoices, and other financial transactions, which can streamline the process of managing financial activities and save you time.
Plus with Wise Business you get access to:
- Account to support 40+ currencies for holding and exchange
- Ways to receive customer payments with local account details in 8+ currencies
- Wise Business debit card and expense cards for spending and withdrawals
- Send money to 140+ countries, including batch payment option
- Currency conversions done at the mid-market exchange rates and low, transparent fees.
See how Wise Business can help you connect with customers and suppliers globally, today.
Open your Wise Business
account today 🚀
Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 27 April, 2026
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
