The world loves Apple Computers. No matter how much critique they get, it’s just enough to go to one coffee shop and look around to count how many Macs you will find.
- Best Payroll Software For Mac
- Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac
- Home Accounting Software For Mac
- Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac Pro
- Mac Accounting Software Reviews
- Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac 2018
- Desktop Accounting Software For Mac
From CheckMark Software: CheckMark Payroll for Macintosh is a complete payroll program for small to medium-sized businesses. It can run as a stand-alone payroll system, or you can integrate it with.
Anywhere you go, you can see the glowing or matte apple logo on the back of the laptop screen. Apple’s design language of creating elegant, beautifully designed and impressively well-crafted laptops have earned them a place in people’s hearts.
- Sage accounting software for Mac. Whether you're looking to manage your accounts or pay your employees, our range of business software gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, using any device.
- Take care of business with Sage accounting software. Our award-winning accounting software has been developed with small businesses in mind. The best accounting software for Mac is one that can help you make smarter decisions about your company, identify new opportunities, and build better relationships with your clients and customers.
So, we get it why you don’t want to give up on your Mac to use specific software. The good news is: you don’t have to!
SEE ALSO: Best Accounting & Bookkeeping Software for Mac
There is plenty of payroll software that works well with Apple computers, and this is why we are here. We will take a look at some of the best payroll programs for Mac devices.
Best 4 Payroll Software for Mac devices:
- Patriot Payroll. Patriot Payroll Software is an affordable, robust, and reliable cloud-based payroll and accounting solution that works on PC and Mac alike.
- Intuit Payroll. Intuit Payroll is an affordable but powerful payroll program that comes loaded with features and automation capabilities to let you process payroll and pay your employees easier and faster than ever.
- ADP Workforce Now. ADP Workforce Now is an online HR application that’s best suited for small to mid-sized businesses. The solution can automate all of the HR processes of your business into a single dashboard, including payroll.
- Namely. Namely is a comprehensive human resources solution that combines payroll, talent management, and benefits administration in a single suite.
Patriot Payroll
Patriot Payroll Software is an affordable, robust, and reliable cloud-based payroll and accounting solution that works on PC and Mac alike. The app is user-friendly and easy-to-use. The solution is so simple that you don’t need any training to start using the platform.
Patriot Payroll is designed to help small businesses properly invoices their customers and monitor and handle receivables and payables. It allows enterprises always to know what their financial standing is and be able to project income in the future as well.
SEE ALSO: Best Payroll Software for small business in 2018
The solution offers an essential online payroll service that can simplify the way you pay your employees significantly. Setting up the Payroll service is much more comfortable than one would expect it to be, and you can always get help from customer support when you need it.
Once you finish the set up of the Patriot Payroll Software, you need to enter your employees working hours and let the software do the rest. It will do all the calculations, and you are guaranteed 100% accuracy, every time.
You can process as many payroll transactions as you need, and once the processing is done, you can print paychecks in a minute. You can even pay your employees via direct deposits.
Features
Some of the features that Patriot Payroll offers are:
- Online Accounting
- Simple Bookkeeping
- Money Account Tracking
- Payment History to vendors
- Save invoices as PDF
- Flexible Invoice Numbering
- View Unpaid Invoices
- Online Payroll
- Guaranteed Accuracy in Payroll and Tax Calculations
- Free Payroll Setup and Payroll Portal
- Free Direct Deposit
- Payroll Customization options
- Integrated Payroll Add-ons
- Year-End Reports
- W-2s
- Full Payroll Service
Pricing
Patriot offers two pricing plans for their payroll service:
1- Basic Payroll – $10/mo.
With this plan you get:
- Free Setup
- Free Support
- Print Checks
- Direct Deposit
- Employee Portal
- Printable W-2s
2- Payroll – $25/mo.
With this plan, you get all the features of the basic payroll plan plus:
- File W-2s and W-3s
- Deposit and File local, Federal, and State Taxes
- Tax Filings
Why Use Patriot Payroll
- Affordable
Patriot Payroll is made for small businesses, and it shows in its pricing. The solution is not only well-priced, but it also doesn’t carry any hidden fees, penalties, or long-term contracts
- Payroll Options to Suit
Best Payroll Software For Mac
Patriot’s payroll gives you options. You can have a basic payroll to save you valuable time and money, or you can have a full-service payroll that has everything you need. You get to choose what you need.
- User-Friendly
The solution is intuitive and user-friendly enough for anyone to pick it up and start using it right away. No training is required, and the setup only takes minutes.
Intuit Payroll
Intuit Payroll is an affordable but powerful payroll program that comes loaded with features and automation capabilities to let you process payroll and pay your employees easier and faster than ever.
The software can do payroll calculations, perform taxes calculations, and generate as many paychecks as needed – in seconds!
The payroll service Intuit offers is not only about Payroll tools and functionalities, but they extend to help you manage your employees more efficiently.
The system brings hiring tools and tips as well to help your business access valuable business advice as well as guides so you can attract and acquire top talents.
Intuit also offers one of the best customer support services on the market, with top class expertise on even the most complicated matters. You can rest assured that when you call with questions, they will have the answers you need.
Features:
- Instantly Create Unlimited Paychecks
- Automatically calculate payroll taxes
- Works well with QuickBooks
- Guaranteed to avoid tax penalties
- Hiring tools and tips
- Workers’ compensation
Pricing
Intuit Payroll offers three main pricing plans:
1- Basic Plan: $20/mo. + $2/employee/mo.
With this plan you get:
- Tax Calculations
- Runs Payroll instantly
A Free trial is available for this plan
2- Enhanced Plan – $31.20/mo. + $2/employee/mo.
With this plan, you get all the features of the basic plan plus:
- Automatically fills in Ta forms
- Files Taxes electronically
- Pays taxes electronically
A free trial is also available for this plan
3- Plan – $79.20/mo. + $2/employee/mo.
With this plan you get all the features of the Enhanced plan plus:
- The Vendor sets up, runs, and files payroll
- Vendor transfers data from previous providers
- 100% accuracy guaranteed
Why Use Intuit Payroll?
- Free Paycheck Calculator
Intuit Payroll offers a free paycheck calculator that takes away all the inconveniences of calculating payroll taxes and makes figuring the paychecks of both your hourly and salary employees more comfortable than ever before.
- Payroll Management Made Easy
Intuit’s Payroll Software main goal is to help you pay your employees on time and with no errors. A goal many would argue that it does achieve. The solution allows you to create unlimited paychecks instantly and calculates payroll taxes in no time.
- Excellent Customer Support
Intuit is well known for their superb customer support. Anytime you face an issue, and you can pick up the phone and have an expert on the other end guiding you step-by-step through the solution. You can also find help via online chat.
SEE ALSO: Best Mac Time Tracking Apps to Increase Your Productivity
ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now is an online HR application that’s best suited for small to mid-sized businesses. The solution can automate all of the HR processes of your business into a single dashboard, including payroll.
ADP Workforce Now will allow you to manage all your employees’ benefits as well as generate insightful reports with the click of a button. The benefits administration features are, of course, all compliant with annual reporting requirement for IRS forums 1094 and 1095. The solution provides a benefit plan creation wizard which can be easily configured to the on-boarding process of the company.
Features
Some of the features ADP Workforce Now include:
- ACA
- Global Human Capital Management
- Human Resource Management
- Benefits
- Analytics
- Employee Wellness
- Online Support
- Payroll
- Talent Management
- Cloud storage
You can learn even more about the features of ADP Workforce Now in this ADP vs. Paychex vs. Paylocity Payroll service comparison.
Pricing:
ADP Workforce Now doesn’t offer an official pricing list, so you will have to contact them for the details.
However, according to some users, pricing starts at $62/month.
Why Use ADP Workforce Now?
- Robust Benefits
Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac
ADP Workforce Now handles benefits management like a boss. It comes with a dashboard for reporting purposes such as status and confirmation reports, deductions, beneficiaries, covered dependents, enrollments, and coverage levels.
- Real-Time and Insightful Analytics
ADP Workforce provides you with insightful analytics in real-time. The solution allows you to create customized reports, charts, graphs, and spreadsheets. This analytics can help users make informed decisions at the right time.
- Benchmarks
ADP Workforce Now doesn’t only give you useful data in real-time, it even makes this data more useful by showing you where exactly do you stand when compared with your competitors as it shows you your standing against benchmark data collected from thousands of businesses.
Home Accounting Software For Mac
Namely
Namely is a comprehensive human resources solution that combines payroll, talent management, and benefits administration in a single suite.
It is a very simple and straightforward solution that is designed to simplify and accelerate HR processes and workflow. Namely provides users with a unified location where they can manage all their HR Data, and the solution is customizable as well to fit into the already-existing workflow of any business.
The system is also scalable so it can grow with your business and you never have to go through the painful process of changing solutions.
The provider offers top-notch customer support that can help you with anything at any time.
Features:
Some of the features offered by Namely include:
- Time-off tracking
- Reporting
- Calendar
- Workflows
- Employee Wellness
- Commuter
- 401K
- FSA and HAS
- Payroll
- Custom Profiles
- Mobile apps
Pricing
Similar to ADP Workforce Now, no official pricing list is offered by the vendor. If you want the pricing information, you need to contact the company, and they will provide you with the details.
However, according to some users, pricing begins are $12/mo. And you should be aware of some additional costs such as the implementation fee.
Why Use Namely?
- Full Payroll Service
Namely can keep all HR and Payroll data in synch automatically. It can also update benefits, handle W-2s, 1099s, and other forms of yearend reporting simplify filling with payroll taxes, help you stay compliant with the law, and more.
- Customizable and Configurable
Namely can adapt to your needs and the system of your business quite quickly thanks to the customizability of the solution. Users can control not only how the platform looks, but how it performs as well.
- The Only HR Platform you will need
Namely is a fully-featured, modern, all-in-one HR solution that can meet all your HR needs and more!
The solution comes with features such as Custom profiles, social newsfeeds, employee database, analytics, organizational charts, auditing, calendar, and workflow automation.
As you can see, there is no shortage of options. We tried to give you as many details as we could in a limited space about four of the most commonly used payroll software for Mac which we think Mac users are going to like. You can also take a minute to learn about the Best Accounting Software for Mac, or the Best Mac Time Tracking Apps in 2018.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below, and we will get back to you. If you found this article helpful, why not share it with a friend who might find it useful as well?
Just because you’re a Mac person doesn’t mean you have to settle for less with your accounting software. Check out these 6 great options.
A few years ago, we published an article on the best accounting software options for Mac users. This is an update of that article, but here’s the thing: There’s no such thing as “accounting software for Mac” anymore.
Sure, there’s plenty of accounting software that you can use on your MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, etc. But while there used to be Mac software and PC software, it’s now virtually all the same with the ever-increasing expansion of cloud-based software that works seamlessly in any browser.
In other words, you’d have a much harder time finding accounting software that doesn’t work on your Mac than a program that works only on Macs. In fact, with more than 100 million active Mac users, if you found an accounting program that somehow wasn’t compatible with Mac, that alone would be cause for alarm.
Cloud software is here to stay, and the market is only getting bigger. Gartner predicts that by 2022, 28% of enterprise IT spending will have shifted to cloud applications, up from 19% in 2018. (Full report available to Gartner clients.)
6 user-friendly accounting software options for Mac
Rather than giving you a generic list of accounting software that works on Macs (which would basically just be our accounting software directory), I decided to determine which top factors users have for choosing Mac over PC and then find accounting software that best suits those users.
- Macs are typically high-end machines with consistently strong reviews from users, so I included only accounting tools with an overall rating of 4.5/5 stars or higher in our directory (based on verified user ratings) and with at least 100 reviews.
- In general, Macs are considered easier to use than PCs, so I’m including only products with an ease-of-use rating on our site of 4.5/5 or higher.
- Finally, I included only products with a native iOS app with a user rating of 4/5 or better on the App Store, since Mac users typically use iPhones and iPads as well as their desktop or laptop computers.
With those factors in mind, here’s what I found, listed in order of rating and reviews from highest to lowest:
Jump to:
QuickBooks
FreshBooks
Accounting by Wave
Zoho Books
FreeAgent
Kashoo
1. QuickBooks
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:14,700+ |
It’s no surprise that the big name in accounting software is available on Mac operating systems. QuickBooks has even had a desktop-only (not cloud-based) option available for Macs since at least the mid-1990s, making the company something of a pioneer for cross-platform functionality.
Now, any of QuickBooks’ cloud-based offerings will work fine on your Apple device, and Intuit even still offers a desktop version for Mac. The desktop version for Mac even has a few features designed specifically for Mac users:
- QuickBooks for Mac 2020 takes advantage of the Mojave OS Dark Mode.
- You can upload text searchable images with the iPhone scanner.
- Documents can be automatically shared through iCloud.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
QuickBooks is available on virtually every device, so whether your team has Macs, PCs, or smartphones, you know that everyone can use it together. | QuickBooks has very attractive entry-level pricing, but it doubles after three months. |
With hundreds of integrations, QuickBooks is highly customizable. | QuickBooks is an enormous company, and some reviewers find that the customer service isn’t as hands-on as they’d like. |
How much does QuickBooks cost? | |
QuickBooks Online starts at $25/month. QuickBooks Desktop for Mac is a one-time payment of $299. | |
What about the iOS app? | |
The QuickBooks iOS app has a 4.7/5 rating on more than 100,000 reviews. It allows users to create invoices, manage expenses, and view reports. |
The QuickBooks Online dashboard (Source)
2. FreshBooks
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:3,000+ |
Designed specifically for small businesses and the self-employed, Toronto-based FreshBooks has been around for more than 15 years. FreshBooks also has Mac users in mind. They say that their easy-to-use accounting software works on any device—desktop, mobile, or tablet—and “plays nicely” with Mac.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Users rave over FreshBooks’ customer support, and the company stakes their reputation on it. | If your company is rapidly growing—for example, if you plan on going public—you may quickly outgrow FreshBooks. |
Even though it’s targeted at smaller companies, FreshBooks has all the important accounting features you would need, so it can handle much more than lemonade stands. | Freshbooks does a great job of keeping your books clean, but if you love forecasting and crunching numbers, it’s a little skimpy on the reporting side. |
How much does FreshBooks cost? | |
FreshBooks starts at $15 per month for five clients and goes up to $50 per month for 500 clients. *At the time of writing, FreshBooks has a fall sale of 60% off for six months on all plans. | |
What about the iOS app? | |
The FreshBooks app has a 4.8/5 rating on almost 8,000 reviews. It allows you to run invoices, record expenses, track time, and accept payments, all while you’re away from your computer. |
The Invoices dashboard in FreshBooks (Source)
Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac Pro
![Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126359512/283523820.png)
3. Accounting by Wave
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:800+ |
Accounting by Wave is one of the youngest tools on this list, having launched out of Toronto in 2010 before being acquired by H&R Block earlier this year. Its biggest differentiator is that it has a completely free version, as long as you don’t need to use it to accept payments or run payroll (those are optional, paid features).
So what makes Wave an attractive option specifically for Mac users? As mentioned, it’s free, so it’ll help you save for the next iPhone or MacBook upgrade. It also scores high for ease of use, making it fit in nicely with the intuitive Mac ecosystem.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
It’s free without limitations on users or transactions as long as you don’t need to accept payments or run payroll. | Wave is missing an audit trail feature, leaving it vulnerable to fraudulent employees. |
Wave offers above-average reporting features for a free tool. | The free version offers only email support, and even if you pay for payments or payroll you still only get access to chat support (no phone support). |
How much does Wave cost? | |
Wave is free. Payments are 2.9% + 30 cents per credit transaction, or 1% per bank transaction. Payroll starts at $20 per month plus $4 per employee. | |
What about the iOS app? | |
Invoice by Wave passes the user review test, clocking in at 4.6/5 with almost 2,000 reviews. It doesn’t completely replace the web version of Wave, but it does allow you to keep an eye on your business finances wherever you are. The biggest complaints that users have seem to be related to customer service, which is not unique to the app. |
Recent transactions in Accounting by Wave (Source)
4. Zoho Books
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:380+ |
If you’re looking for the peace of mind of an established, international company offering Mac-friendly accounting software and you’re trying to avoid QuickBooks for whatever reason, Zoho Books might be for you. Zoho has been releasing business software since 1996, and Zoho Books is specifically tailored for Mac users, as it is designed to work with iMessage, Apple Maps, Siri, and 3D Touch. It even has an app for the Apple Watch.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Zoho Books is one of the most user-friendly options out there. In fact, it placed fourth—better than any other option on this list—on our Top 20 Most User-Friendly accounting software report earlier this year. | Zoho Books offers integrated payroll in California and Texas for now, but if you’re in any other state you’ll have to use a separate payroll app. |
Starting at $9 per month, Zoho Books is one of the best values in accounting software this side of Wave, which is free. And unlike Wave, Zoho has almost universally praised customer service. | Zoho Books is optimized for use with Zoho’s customer relationship management system, Zoho CRM, so if you’re already using a different CRM, it won’t work as efficiently. |
How much does Zoho Books cost? | |
Zoho Books starts at $9 per month or $90 per year for 50 contacts and two users and goes up to $29 per month or $290 per year for unlimited contacts, 10 users, and more features. | |
What about the iOS app? | |
As mentioned above, the Zoho Books iOS app takes full advantage of iOS-specific features such as messaging and voice assistant, and users love it, giving it a 4.7/5 rating on almost 150 reviews. While some accounting software apps have minimal features, allowing you to basically just check balances and view transactions, Zoho Books allows you to create and send invoices, manage expenses, track time, view reports, and share numbers with your accountant. |
Managing invoices in Zoho Books (Source)
5. FreeAgent
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:110+ |
FreeAgent accounting software is based in the U.K. and originally designed for British businesses, but they also have versions customized for U.S. and global businesses, and the software has full multicurrency support. Like any good cloud-based software, FreeAgent works like a breeze on the Mac platform, and its iOS app is a fan favorite.
Mac Accounting Software Reviews
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Users are quite pleased with FreeAgent’s recurring invoice and receipt scanning features, which help take repetitive tasks out of small business accounting. | FreeAgent is designed for small businesses, so if you’re growing fast, you could outgrow it relatively quickly. |
Users also have good things to say about FreeAgent’s customer service, which is available by email or phone. | FreeAgent is 50% off for your first six months, but after that it’s $24 per month, which is a little high compared to other options on this list. |
How much does FreeAgent cost? | |
FreeAgent has a flat-rate of $12 per month for everything (unlimited users and clients) for the first six months, then goes up to $24 per month after that. | |
What about the iOS app? | |
FreeAgent’s iOS app has an average rating of 4.7/5 on 20 reviews. It allows you to view your accounts, manage expenses by snapping pictures of receipts, create and send invoices, and track time. |
The main dashboard in FreeAgent accounting for iPad (Source)
Best Accounting Software With Payroll For Mac 2018
6. Kashoo
User rating: 4.5/5.0 Ease-of-use rating: 4.5/5.0 Reviews:110+ |
Once you’ve stopped giggling about the name, you’ll see that Kashoo is a comprehensive accounting tool that is easy to use right from the start on any web-connected device, including Macs. One of Kashoo’s standout features is their customer support: You get free phone and web support with your subscription, which is much easier than standing in line at the Genius Bar.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
The free phone and web support is a real plus for those of us who like to have some expert guidance. | Kashoo integrates with Square for payments and Paychex for payroll in the U.S. (and PaymentEvolution in Canada, where it’s based) but beyond that, it doesn’t have much to offer as far as customization. |
Kashoo has a flat rate, so you get every feature in the basic plan. | Some users have reported issues syncing multiple bank accounts with Kashoo, so it’s a good thing they have easily accessible customer support. |
How much does Kashoo cost? | |
Kashoo is $19.95 per month, or $16.58 per month if you pay for an entire year up front ($199). | |
What about the iOS app? | |
Kashoo’s iOS app has a 4.3/5 rating on more than 50 reviews. It allows Kashoo users to view reports, manage and send invoices, accept payments, and scan receipts. |
The tax management interface in Kashoo (Source)
What’s your favorite accounting software for Mac?
Are you an accountant (either accidental or professional) and a power Mac user? If so, what’s your weapon of choice, whether it’s listed above or something else? (There are plenty of other options out there with iOS apps, as you can see by filtering for iOS deployment in our accounting software directory.)
I’d love to hear what you use and why you use it so I can recommend it to others. Just let me know in the comments or connect with me on Twitter @AndrewJosConrad.
Desktop Accounting Software For Mac
Note: Listed pros and cons are derived from features listed on the product website and product user reviews on Gartner Digital Markets domains (Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice). They do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Capterra or its affiliates.
Note:The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.
Looking for Accounting software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Accounting software solutions.