Wave Financial is our choice for the best accounting software with payroll, thanks to its affordable two-in-one solution that makes it easy to pay employees and contractors while syncing payroll ...

Wave's free starter plan appeals to self-employed contractors on a budget, while FreshBooks' invoicing and accounting tool works best for freelancers, small businesses, and some midsize companies.

Jennifer Simonson is a business journalist with a decade of experience covering entrepreneurship and small business. Drawing on her background as a founder of multiple startups, she writes for Forbes ...