Choosing the right interior design accounting software for your interior design business is seen by many as a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be.
Accounting software for interior designers is readily available through many programs. Some are general programs that cater to a variety of industries, others are made specifically to help your interior design business.
Interior design accounting software allows you to be creative and flexible, so you need a business software that’s flexible too. In this review, we take a look at some of the most popular programs for an interior design business of any size.
Choosing The Best Accounting Software For Interior Designers
Best Overall: QuickBooks
No matter how big or small your interior design business, this is a great pick.
From solo designers to teams of designers at a firm, their interior design accounting software does away with manual data entry and easily tracks and organizes all of your financial information for you.
It automates tasks like bank reconciliation, bookkeeping, budgeting, and sales tax management, leaving you to focus solely on your business and your clients.
Their cloud-based program and allows you to grant direct access to your financial information to your bookkeeper or accountant. You can access it from a computer or through their mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Anytime access gives you the ability to check your balance sheets, cash flow statements, profit and loss statements, and all of your tax information, no matter where you are.
Your accountant can work directly with your data from any device with internet access, with the system keeping a detailed log of all the changes that have been made.
If you are unsure about the prospect of uploading your financial information online, QuickBooks promises complete safety through advanced, industry-recognized security with continuous data backup.
A basic subscription costs less than $30 per month.
Suitable For
Businesses and designers of all sizes with the appropriate budget.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- No software download needed
- Multiple user access
- Task automation
- User friendly
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Software upgrade fees
Alternative: IVY
If you’re looking for well-rounded software that not only provides you a great Interior Design Accounting tool, but integrates other business management tools, IVY is the software for you.
Made specifically for the interior design industry, IVY helps you manage all aspects of your interior design business.
IVY comes with QuickBooks integration, meaning you can sync your financial information from directly to their software to have access to all of your data on one, simple platform.
On top of their integration feature, IVY provides you with financial tools like online payments and invoicing for clients.
IVY also gives their users a free subscription to HouzzPro, which helps you control all your various business management tools.
A comprehensive IVY subscription will cost you less than $65 per month
Suitable For
Designers using business management tools looking for integration with their accounting software.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Made for interior design
- Well-rounded business and accounting tool
- Free demo
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Not standalone accounting software
- Not all subscriptions include QuickBooks integration
Best Value: Studio Designer
Created as a project management software for interior design, Studio Designer has fantastic interior design accounting tools integrated into their software. Studio Designer is a tool that manages your business from start to finish.
Studio Designer’s accounting tools are specifically aimed at the needs of interior design, including budget reports, client invoicing, and statement and journal entries. It also has a great feature that allows you to increase your profitability with access to in-depth financial analyses.
The fully integrated double-entry accounting system has features and reports specifically built to meet the needs of interior design firms.
You’re also able to accept client payments through electronic fund transfers with ACH and credit card payments. This feature is only available with Studio Designer’s Professional subscription.
Studio Designer can be accessed on PC or through their mobile app.
A subscription to Studio Designer will run you around $45 per user for their basic plan.
Suitable For
Small or medium interior designers with basic accounting knowledge.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Free online training videos
- Mobile app included in subscriptions
- In-depth financial analysis tool
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Online payments only included in Professional subscription
Alternative: Mydoma Studio
Mydoma Studio is another business management tool for designers that includes QuickBooks integration.
Mydoma’s software allows you to easily create proposals and invoices, and keep track of your profit margins. You can generate and export all of your financial reports directly to Excel.
Most of the accounting features included with Mydoma Studios draw from financial data integrated through QuickBooks.
Some of the best features of Mydoma Studio are the ability to accept online client payments and enable an automatic bookkeeping function that pulls data directly from your invoices. This makes taking and tracking payments to and from your business easy, and you can separate them into specific categories.
Mydoma Studio is user friendly and provides software training and in-app or dedicated support depending on your subscription plan.
Mydoma’s Team subscription plan will cost you less than $100 a month.
Suitable For
QuickBooks users looking for additional business management and tracking tools.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Software training included
- In-app support
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Pricey
- No discount for yearly subscriptions
Best Budget: FreshBooks
FreshBooks’s double-entry accounting software helps you make the best financial business decisions based on your business data and insights.
Their accounting software includes the ability to compile information on your balance sheet, general ledger, journal entries, Chart of Accounts, and your payable accounts.
With automated bank reconciliation, all of your financial transactions, transfers, and refunds are seamlessly imported, marked, and categorized. You can easily create summary reports that can be exported directly to Excel.
FreshBooks gives exclusive financial and reporting access to your accountant. Your accountant will have the ability to access your general ledger, balance sheets, and profits and losses, and manage your Chart of Accounts.
A great benefit of FreshBooks is their Credits feature, which tracks prepayments, overpayments, and credit notes, and easily applies this information to invoices. This eliminates any human error in your AP, saving you money.
FreshBooks doesn’t generate accounting reports for tax purposes, although it allows you access to all the information you would need to personally compile them.
The cheapest version of FreshBooks–Lite–can cost you as little as $15 a month.
Suitable For
Users looking for modular features to take advantage of the scalable subscription model.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Customizable subscription plan
- Exclusive accountant access
- Great for individuals
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Pay to add team members
- No tax report generation
- Client limit on cheaper plans
Alternative: Design Manager
Design Manager is an all-in-one software branded as a business management platform specifically created for the industry.
Their accounting features follow an accrual-based accounting strategy and place your client’s interior design deposit in a liability account until you invoice them directly. This keeps you safe from legal troubles while still ensuring you get paid for your work.
Design Manager has tools to create and send client invoices, record all online and offline client payments, balance your checkbook, set up recurring payments to vendors, track all company expenses, and even manage your bank and credit card statements.
If you know where to look and what to look for, Design Manager can give you a comprehensive picture of your business’s financial standing and its potential for growth.
You can also upload your bank or credit card statements directly to Design Manager for transaction matching. No more manually going through bank statements line by line to make sure everything matches up.
A unique benefit of this software is its advanced accounting features, like the ability to close fiscal months.
There’s no need to fret if you don’t have accounting experience – Design Manager offers personalized software training and support for a small fee.
Subscription to Design Manager’s DM Cloud costs around $40 a month.
Suitable For
Small interior designers looking for a single platform to handle business management and accounting.
Pros of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Integrated management and accounting software
- All accounting functions in one tool
- Free trial
Cons of this Interior Design Accounting Software
- Expensive to add users
- Software training not included in subscription
What To Consider When Choosing Accounting Software
Are You a Design Firm or Individual?
Software like FreshBooks and Design Manager are both great options for small teams, with subscription plans that won’t break the bank.
For large firms with a team of designers, you’ll need software that allows multiple users and more advanced accounting tools.
Do You Want a Standalone Product?
Many of the softwares on our list are not accounting-specific, but rather programs that allow both accounting and business management.
If you are looking for accounting-only software, our top picks are QuickBooks or FreshBooks, depending on your budget.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best accounting software for interior designers, we highly recommend QuickBooks for its superior accounting abilities.
While there are plenty of great alternatives, others have less focus on accounting alone and don’t offer tools as comprehensive.