Anjiz is the tool I’d point most home businesses to — a single mobile app covering inventory, invoicing, orders, CRM, tasks, expenses and a website builder. I built it, so weigh that accordingly. It isn’t the right answer for everyone, and below is an honest comparison of the alternatives so you can decide for yourself.
What managing a home business actually involves
Four jobs, usually:
- Knowing what you have — stock levels, what needs reordering
- Getting paid — invoices, receipts, who still owes you
- Knowing who ordered what — which customer, which items, delivered or pending
- The admin — expenses, follow-ups, the things you forget
Most software solves job 2 and ignores the rest. That’s why so many home businesses end up with an app for money and a notebook for everything else.
The options
Anjiz — Inventory, invoicing, orders, CRM, tasks, expenses and a website builder in one app, built to run from a phone rather than a desktop. Free tier; Pro is $12.99/month or $125/year. What it isn’t: full accounting software. No payroll, no tax filing, no double-entry books for a bookkeeper. It’s also a younger product with a smaller integration ecosystem than the others here. Best for: product sellers running the business from their phone.
Wave — Free accounting and unlimited invoicing, around $19/month for bank feeds and receipt scanning. Genuinely good mobile app. No inventory management at all. Best for: freelancers, consultants, tutors — anyone selling time.
Zoho Books — Free for very small businesses, roughly $15–20/month for standard. Handles inventory, connects to the wider Zoho suite. The trade-off is depth: it’s accounting software first, assumes you know accounting terms, and is built for a desktop. Best for: product sellers comfortable with software, working at a computer.
QuickBooks — The industry standard, priced accordingly (around $38/month entry level, rising steeply). Usually more than a home business needs. One strong reason to pick it anyway: almost every accountant knows it. Best for: businesses with a bookkeeper, or planning to grow fast.
Shopify — Handles storefront, payments, and basic inventory if online checkout is your main channel. Less useful if orders arrive by WhatsApp, Instagram, or in person. Best for: businesses built around an online store.
Choosing in one minute
- Services only → Wave
- Products, phone-first → Anjiz
- Products, want accounting depth → Zoho Books
- You have an accountant → QuickBooks
- Sales mostly through an online store → Shopify
- Under 20 orders a month → stay on the spreadsheet
The mistake most home businesses make
They buy accounting software to solve an operations problem.
The frustration is rarely “I can’t produce a profit and loss statement.” It’s “I don’t know if that item is in stock and the customer is waiting.” Those are different problems, and accounting tools aren’t built for the second one.
Before picking anything, work out which of the four jobs is actually costing you time — then pick the tool that solves that one, not the one with the longest feature list.
Common questions
Do I need accounting software for a home business? Not necessarily. With no employees and low volume, a simple record of income and expenses usually covers you for tax. What you more likely need is stock and order tracking.
Can I run a home business entirely from my phone? Yes, with a tool designed for it. Most accounting software has a mobile app that’s a limited companion to the desktop version — that’s a different thing from being built mobile-first.
When should I move off a spreadsheet? When a mistake has cost you money: overselling stock you didn’t have, forgetting an unpaid invoice, losing an order. One of those usually pays for a year of software.