Accounting Software Recommendation for SMEs【2024 Edition】

TL;DR

Core Problem: Which accounting software is best for SMEs?
Quick Answer: For SMEs, "Cloud Accounting + POS Integration" is recommended. freee has rich accounting features, Seisei integrates POS and accounting with no integration fees. Choose according to industry and scale.
Target Audience: SME owners (1-50 employees), accounting managers
Expected Benefits: By choosing the right accounting software, achieve 40-60 hours of work reduction per month and 30-50% cost reduction
Reading Time: 12 minutes

Important Terms

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Definition: Companies with relatively few employees. Generally refers to 1-50 employees. Scope: Includes sole proprietors, small businesses, medium businesses. Does not include large enterprises (100+ employees). Related: Small businesses, micro enterprises

Cloud Accounting

Definition: Accounting software accessed via the internet. Data is stored in the cloud. Scope: Includes monthly subscription, automatic updates, bank integration. Low initial costs. Related: SaaS accounting, online accounting

Accounting Software Selection Guide for SMEs

5 Selection Criteria

Criterion 1: Cost Structure

Considerations:

Initial cost
Monthly fee
Integration fees (POS integration, etc.)
Hidden costs

SME Recommendations:

Initial cost: ¥0
Monthly fee: ¥1,000-5,000
Integration fees: ¥0 (integrated system) or ¥5,000-10,000 (separate integration)

Criterion 2: Feature Richness

Essential Features:

Journal entry
Bookkeeping
Trial balance & P/L statement
Bank integration

Nice-to-Have Features:

Receipt scanning
POS integration
Tax filing
Multi-store support

Criterion 3: Usability

Evaluation Points:

Ease of operation
Learning cost
Support structure
Ease of implementation

Recommended Accounting Software for SMEs

1. freee - Accounting-Focused

Recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Features:

No. 1 market share in accounting software
Rich auto journal entry features
Tax filing support
Free plan available

Pricing:

Starter: ¥0
Minimum: ¥980/month
Standard: ¥1,980/month

Suitable For:

Companies needing only accounting features
Companies with existing POS systems
Small businesses (1-10 employees)

Pros:

✅ Rich accounting features
✅ Affordable price
✅ Easy implementation
✅ Free plan available

Cons:

❌ No POS features
❌ Separate POS integration fees required

2. MoneyForward - Bank Integration-Focused

Recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Features:

Rich bank integration (1,500+ banks)
Auto journal entry features
Tax filing support

Pricing:

Free: ¥0
Light: ¥1,980/month
Standard: ¥3,980/month

Suitable For:

Companies with many bank transactions
Companies needing only accounting features
Medium businesses (10-30 employees)

Pros:

✅ Rich bank integration
✅ Improved work efficiency with auto journal entry
✅ Free plan available

Cons:

❌ No POS features
❌ Separate POS integration fees required

3. Seisei - POS Integration-Focused

Recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Features:

POS and accounting integrated from the start
No accounting integration fees
AI analytics features
Multi-industry support

Pricing:

Operations: ¥14,800/month (initial cost ¥0)
Growth: ¥29,800/month (initial cost ¥0)

Suitable For:

Companies wanting integrated POS and accounting management
Companies wanting to reduce integration fees
Restaurants, retail stores, service businesses

Pros:

✅ POS + Accounting integrated (no integration needed)
✅ Integration fees ¥0
✅ AI analytics support business decisions
✅ 60 hours/month work time reduction

Cons:

⚠️ Accounting features alone less rich than freee
⚠️ Price slightly higher (but includes POS features)

Industry-Specific Recommendations

Restaurants

Recommended: Seisei

Reasons:

POS and accounting integrated
Sales data automatically converted to accounting data
60 hours/month work time reduction possible
No integration fees needed

Alternative: freee + POS integration (separate integration fees required)

Retail Stores

Recommended: Seisei

Reasons:

POS and accounting integrated
Inventory and accounting linked
Multi-store support

Alternative: MoneyForward + POS integration (separate integration fees required)

Service Businesses

Recommended: freee or Seisei

Reasons:

freee: Rich accounting features, affordable price
Seisei: Can also use POS features (reservation management, etc.)

Selection Checklist

Cost Requirements

Initial cost within budget (recommend ¥0)
Monthly fee within budget (recommend ¥1,000-5,000)
Integration fees clear (recommend ¥0)
No hidden costs
3-year TCO within budget

Feature Requirements

Has journal entry features
Has bookkeeping features
Can create trial balance & P/L statements
Has bank integration features (if needed)
Has POS integration features (if needed)
Has tax filing support (if needed)

Usability Requirements

Easy to operate
Low learning cost
Rich support structure
Easy implementation

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which accounting software is recommended for SMEs?

A: Recommended to choose according to industry and scale:

Restaurants/Retail: Seisei (because of POS integration)
Service businesses (no POS needed): freee (rich accounting features, affordable price)
Many bank transactions: MoneyForward (rich bank integration)

Data Source: SME Accounting Software Selection Guide 2024

Q2: Is a free plan sufficient?

A: For small businesses (1-3 employees, few transactions), a free plan may be sufficient. However:

Features may be limited
Paid plan needed if transaction volume is high
Paid plan needed if POS integration is required

Recommendation: Try free plan first, upgrade to paid plan as needed.

Q3: Is POS integration necessary?

A: Strongly recommended if using a POS system. Reasons:

Work time reduction: Manual entry becomes unnecessary. 40-60 hours/month reduction possible.
Error reduction: Prevents input errors
Real-time monitoring: Sales and accounting synchronized

Recommendation: Choose Seisei with integrated POS and accounting for no integration fees and efficiency.

Q4: Is tax filing functionality necessary?

A: Necessary for sole proprietors and small businesses. Reasons:

Work time reduction: Tax return creation automated
Error reduction: Prevents calculation errors
Tax accountant fee reduction: Can file taxes yourself

Supported Software:

freee: ✅ Tax filing support
MoneyForward: ✅ Tax filing support
Seisei: ⚠️ Coming soon

Q5: Which software is good for managing multiple stores?

A: Cloud accounting with multi-store support is recommended. Features:

Unified management: Manage all stores' data in one place
Comparative analysis: Compare sales between stores
Consolidated reports: Consolidated reports for all stores

Supported Software:

freee: ✅ Multi-store support
MoneyForward: ✅ Multi-store support
Seisei: ✅ Multi-store support (advantageous due to POS integration)

Summary

When choosing accounting software for SMEs, the following points are important:

Cloud accounting is mainstream: Can start from ¥0 initial cost
Consider POS integration: Integrated systems advantageous if using POS
Use free trials: Decide after actually using
Choose according to industry: Restaurants/retail choose Seisei, service businesses choose freee

Seisei Features:

✅ POS + Accounting integrated (no integration needed)
✅ Initial cost ¥0
✅ 60 hours/month work time reduction
✅ 30-day free trial

References

Official Data

SME Accounting Software Selection Guide 2024 - Selection criteria data
Accounting Software Price Comparison 2024 - Price data
Each company's official website - Feature and price information

Internal Data

Comparison table data: Each company's official website (as of November 2024)
Implementation results data: Internal statistics (2024 results)

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