You run field software, or plan to
Our pick
QuickBooks Online$38–340/mo
The safe rail: every one of the ten field platforms we track syncs with it, and it's the format most outside bookkeepers work in. Job costing needs the Plus tier ($140/mo).
Accounting Software for Contractors
Whether you run an HVAC, electrical, plumbing or any other trades business, this decision comes down to one question: does the books software talk to your field software? Five options priced from their own pages (checked September 7, 2026), and the QuickBooks sync facts for the ten field platforms we track.
Which accounting software fits your contracting business
Your books live in QuickBooks Desktop
Our pick
QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseOn request
The only Desktop product still sold to new buyers. Six of our ten field platforms sync with Desktop; pair carefully.
Solo, invoice-first, no field software
Wave is genuinely free to start; FreshBooks adds estimates with e-signatures. Neither connects to any field platform we track.
Cheapest real double-entry books
Our pick
Xero$25–90/mo
Starts at $25/mo with free ACH bill pay. The catch: its only field-software path is Jobber, one-way, on Jobber's Connect plan or higher.
Which field platforms reach QuickBooks and Xero
The most common version of this decision runs the other way around: the field software is already chosen, and the question is whether it syncs with QuickBooks. Here is the short answer for all ten platforms we track, from each field vendor's own pages; "unconfirmed" means the vendor doesn't state it clearly and we won't guess. For which Desktop editions each one names, which direction the data flows, what the sync costs and the catches that appear after you connect, see QuickBooks for contractors.
| Field platform | QuickBooks Online | QuickBooks Desktop | Xero |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceTitan | Yes | Yes | Unconfirmed |
| Jobber | Yes | No | One-way |
| Housecall Pro | Yes | Yes | No |
| FieldEdge | Yes | Yes | No |
| Service Fusion | Yes | Yes | No |
| QuoteIQ | Yes | no: its QuickBooks page says QuickBooks Online only and Desktop is not supported at this time; a features-page tile still claims Desktop (conflict, 2026-09-16) | No |
| FieldPulse | Yes | Yes | Not in the US |
| Workiz | Yes | Yes | No |
| Kickserv | Yes | $50/mo add-on | No |
| ServiceBox | Yes | Yes | No |
FreshBooks and Wave have no column because none of the ten field platforms offers a sync with either. ServiceTitan also exports natively to Sage Intacct.
Buying QuickBooks Desktop in 2026
Since September 30, 2024, Intuit sells no new Desktop Pro or Premier subscriptions; existing subscribers can renew, and Enterprise is the only Desktop product a new buyer can get. Support for Desktop 2023 ended May 31, 2026. If a field-software vendor's "QuickBooks Desktop sync" matters to you, know which side of that line your license is on before you commit to it.
The five accounting options for contractors, priced
Every field-service platform we track syncs with it
Built forTeams of 1 to 25 people
Works withall 10 field platforms we track
Job costingproject profitability tracking - Plus tier and up
The only QuickBooks Desktop product still sold to new buyers
Built forTeams of 5 or more people
Works withHousecall Pro, FieldEdge, Service Fusion, FieldPulse, ServiceBox, Kickserv
Job costingjob cost tracking from labor and materials to deadlines and change orders
Cheapest full double-entry entry point at $25/mo
Built forTeams of 1 to 20 people
Works withJobber
Job costingtime and cost tracking for projects - Established tier only
Easiest invoicing-first bookkeeping for a solo operator
Built forTeams of 1 to 5 people
Works withno field platform we track
Job costingproject profitability - Premium and Select tiers
The only real free tier in the set
Built forTeams of one person
Works withno field platform we track
Job costingnot claimed
Trade-specific accounting guides
The sync paths above are global, not per-trade, but the field platforms worth pairing them with differ by trade. The HVAC accounting guide and the electrician accounting guide cover that side of the decision.
Choosing field software at the same time? Run the Stack Builder: your accounting choice is one of its six questions, and it treats a missing sync as a removal, not a demerit.