TooziThe best bookkeeping apps for self-employed people in 2026
For most self-employed people — a trade, a chair, a side hustle or three — the best bookkeeping app is the one you will actually use in July. On that test Toozi comes first: you text income and expenses and the books keep themselves. Wave is the best free option if you are happy at a laptop, Found and Lili are the picks if you also want a new business bank account, and Bench is the answer if you want humans doing all of it and can pay for it.
How we judged
- How much of the bookkeeping happens without you (bank feed, categorization, transfer matching).
- Whether it leads to taxes — quarterly estimates and the return — or stops at reports.
- Price for one person, including what the free tier actually covers.
- Fit for more than one business under one roof.
The picks
Toozi Best for Books by text, taxes included
$49/mo flat, 14-day free trialYou text a phone number; the bank feed is sorted for Schedule C, you confirm the few it is unsure about, and the same books feed your quarterly estimate and the e-filed return. Separate books per hustle at one price. Not a fit if you need double-entry statements for a lender or an S-corp return.
Wave Best for Free accounting on a laptop
Free Starter; Pro roughly $19/mo as of 2026Real accounting software with unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping for nothing. You do the categorizing yourself and it does not touch taxes, but if you are comfortable with software and want free, start here. How it compares to Toozi →
Found Best for Bookkeeping inside a bank account
Free core; Found Plus roughly $35/mo as of 2026Open a Found business account and bookkeeping comes with it: card transactions are categorized as they happen and tax estimates update live. Weakest when your money runs through other banks, and it does not file. How it compares to Toozi →
Lili Best for Banking plus tax buckets
Free core; paid tiers roughly $15–$55/mo as of 2026A business checking account with tax savings buckets and, on higher tiers, invoicing and bookkeeping. Good if you want everything in one banking app; the bookkeeping is lighter than a dedicated tool and filing is not included. How it compares to Toozi →
ClaryBook Best for Landlords who like chat
Roughly $30/mo as of 2026Bookkeeping through chat in its app or Telegram, with a Schedule E emphasis that suits rental-property owners. Not real SMS and not multi-business at one price, but a thoughtful product for its niche. How it compares to Toozi →
Hurdlr Best for Mileage-first expense tracking
Free; Premium roughly $9.99/mo as of 2026If driving is a big part of your work, Hurdlr's automatic trip tracking plus expense logging is cheap and reliable. It is a tracker with tax estimates rather than a full set of books. How it compares to Toozi →
Bench Best for Done-for-you by humans
Roughly $399/mo; $599/mo with tax as of 2026A human team closes your books every month and can file. The right call if you never want to see a transaction and the business can carry the fee; eight times Toozi's price for a one-person operation. How it compares to Toozi →
Try the one that works by text.
Have Toozi text you first. Log one expense and you'll know in a minute whether this is your kind of tool.
- 14 days free
- No card to start
- Cancel by text
- IRS e-file authorized
Questions
Do I need bookkeeping software if I only have one side hustle?
You need records the IRS will accept and a number for Schedule C. An app that sorts your bank feed does that with almost no effort; a spreadsheet works if you will keep it up, and most people do not.
What is the difference between bookkeeping and tax software?
Bookkeeping tracks income and expenses all year. Tax software turns totals into a return once a year. Toozi and Bench do both; Wave, Found, Lili, and Hurdlr stop at the books or at estimates.
Which app is best for more than one business?
Toozi keeps separate books and a separate Schedule C for each hustle at one flat price. Wave supports separate business profiles. Most banking-app bookkeeping is built around one account.
Tax is a doozy.
Toozi isn't.
Text (844) 482-4881 and your first expense is logged in 10 seconds.