The Very Best Accounting Software for Interior Designers in 2025

FreshBooks - Accounting Software Designed for Service-Based Businesses

FreshBooks has evolved from a simple invoicing tool into a comprehensive accounting solution that's particularly well-suited for interior designers. Its clean, intuitive interface makes financial management less intimidating for creative professionals who'd rather focus on design than bookkeeping.

What makes FreshBooks stand out for interior designers is how it handles project-based work. You can easily track time spent on client projects, manage expenses specific to each design job, and create professional invoices that showcase your brand. The platform's client portal also allows your clients to view estimates, approve designs, and make payments in one convenient location.

With mobile capabilities that let you capture receipts on the go and track billable hours from client sites, FreshBooks adapts well to the dynamic workflow of interior design professionals who split their time between the studio and client locations.

Internet Reviews

FreshBooks generally receives positive feedback from small business users, with many highlighting its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. Reviews often mention how quickly users can get up and running without extensive accounting knowledge. The mobile app also earns praise for its functionality when working on-site with clients.

Some reviewers note that while FreshBooks excels at invoicing and basic accounting, it may not offer the depth of features that larger design firms require. Others mention that the pricing structure can become expensive as your business grows and needs additional users or features.

Features

• Invoicing Powerhouse: Create professional, customizable invoices with automatic tax calculations, recurring billing, and multi-language support to streamline your financial workflow.
• Intelligent Time Tracking: Easily log hours, use automatic timers, and collaborate with team members while seamlessly converting tracked time into billable invoices.
• Expense Management: Capture receipts instantly, categorize expenses automatically, and generate comprehensive spending reports to simplify financial record-keeping.
• Robust Financial Reporting: Access detailed profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and sales tax summaries that provide crystal-clear insights into your business's financial health.
• Project Collaboration Tools: Invite team members and clients to collaborate, share files, track project conversations, and manage deadlines in one integrated platform.
• Seamless Bank Integration: Connect bank accounts automatically, reduce manual data entry errors, and synchronize financial transactions with minimal effort.
• Client Management System: Maintain a comprehensive client database, utilize a dedicated client portal, and keep internal notes for personalized business interactions.
• Flexible Payment Processing: Accept online payments in multiple currencies, process credit card transactions directly through invoices, and accelerate your cash flow.
• Advanced Security Features: Protect your financial data with 256-bit SSL encryption and integrate smoothly with popular business applications for enhanced workflow efficiency.

Simplified Pricing Information

• FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial for all plans, allowing users to test features before committing to a paid subscription.
• Lite Plan starts at $19 monthly (or $7.60 with 60% off), supporting up to 5 billable clients with unlimited invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking.
• Plus Plan priced at $33 monthly (or $13.20 with 60% off) offers expanded features for up to 50 billable clients, including automated invoicing and client retainers.
• Premium Plan costs $60 monthly (or $24 with 60% off) provides unlimited billable clients, project profitability tracking, and advanced accounts payable features.
• Select Plan offers customized pricing with exclusive support, lower transaction rates, and advanced features, requiring direct contact with FreshBooks for a personalized quote.
• Additional add-ons include Team Member Accounts at $11 per user monthly and Advanced Payments at $20 per month.

Overall Opinion

FreshBooks hits the sweet spot for many interior designers, especially solo practitioners and small studios. Its strengths in project tracking, time management, and client collaboration align perfectly with the way most design professionals work. The platform's intuitive interface means you won't waste billable hours figuring out your accounting software.

The pricing structure requires careful consideration. For designers with just a few clients, the Lite plan offers great value. However, as your client list grows, costs can increase substantially, particularly if you need to add team members.

For interior designers who want professional-looking invoices, streamlined expense tracking, and solid client management without needing advanced accounting features, FreshBooks provides an excellent balance of functionality and usability. It's an accounting solution that understands how service-based creative businesses actually work.

QuickBooks - by Intuit

QuickBooks stands as one of the most recognized names in accounting software, offering solutions for interior design businesses of all sizes. With both desktop and cloud-based options, it provides a comprehensive system for managing your firm's finances.

Interior designers particularly benefit from QuickBooks' project tracking capabilities, allowing you to monitor expenses and income for each client project separately. The software simplifies daily financial tasks like invoicing clients, tracking vendor bills, and reconciling accounts.

For design firms handling inventory or products for clients, QuickBooks offers tools to track these items and their associated costs, helping maintain accurate job costing for each project.

Internet Reviews

QuickBooks receives mixed feedback from users across the web. While many praise its comprehensive accounting features and wide integration options, there are recurring concerns about customer service quality and unexpected account issues.

Interior designers specifically note the software's strength in handling project-based billing and expense tracking. However, some mention a steeper learning curve compared to more design-focused solutions.

Recent reviews highlight frustrations with payment processing services, including unexpected account freezes and difficulties resolving issues through customer support channels.

Features

• Comprehensive Financial Management: Track your business finances with an all-in-one accounting solution that handles invoicing, expense tracking, and reporting for businesses of all sizes.
• Customizable Invoicing: Create professional invoices with your company logo, send them directly to customers, and set up recurring billing for convenience.
• Online Payment Processing: Enable secure digital payments that help you get paid faster and simplify your financial transactions.
• Automated Expense Tracking: Automatically categorize expenses, track bills, and manage payments across multiple vendors with minimal manual effort.
• Inventory Management: Monitor stock levels, receive low inventory alerts, and track product costs across multiple warehouses with advanced inventory tools.
• Payroll Processing: Streamline employee payments with automated direct deposits, tax calculations, and comprehensive payroll management.
• Detailed Financial Reporting: Generate comprehensive financial statements, sales reports, and cash flow analyses to make informed business decisions.
• Bank Account Integration: Connect your bank accounts to automatically import and match transactions, simplifying reconciliation.
• Tax Management Tools: Automatically categorize expenses for tax deductions, prepare 1099 forms, and support tax filing processes.
• Scalable Solutions: Choose from multiple versions that adapt to your business needs, from solo entrepreneurs to large enterprises.

Simplified Pricing Information

• QuickBooks Solopreneur: $20 per month for freelance designers, including business banking, invoicing, payment processing, and basic tracking for a single user.
• QuickBooks Online: Tiered pricing from Simple Start at $35/month (1 user) to Advanced at $235/month (up to 25 users), with expanding features for growing design firms.
• QuickBooks Enterprise: For larger design studios, priced from $1,703/year (Silver) to $5,364/year (Diamond), offering industry-specific solutions with increasing functionality.
• Payroll Processing: Additional options from $50 per month + $6 per employee (Core) to $130 per month + $11 per employee (Elite), providing flexible payroll management solutions.

Overall Opinion

QuickBooks delivers a robust accounting system that can handle the financial complexities of interior design businesses. Its project tracking, expense management, and reporting tools make it well-suited for design professionals managing multiple client projects simultaneously.

The software's biggest strengths lie in its comprehensive financial management capabilities and extensive integration options with other business tools. However, the recent concerns about customer service quality and payment processing issues deserve consideration.

For interior designers seeking an established, full-featured accounting solution with strong project tracking abilities, QuickBooks remains a solid choice—especially for those willing to invest time in learning its extensive feature set. Smaller firms might find the pricing of higher tiers challenging, while larger design studios will likely appreciate the scalability and depth of features available.

Wave - Free Financial Software for Small Businesses

Wave stands out as a comprehensive financial platform created specifically for independent interior designers and small design firms. Its user-friendly interface makes financial management accessible even for creative professionals with limited accounting experience.

What makes Wave particularly appealing for interior designers is how it combines essential business tools in one place. You can create professional invoices for your design projects, track expenses from fabric samples to furniture purchases, and manage your business finances - all from a single dashboard.

The platform's mobile app proves especially valuable for designers who split their time between client sites, showrooms, and their studio. You can snap photos of receipts while shopping for materials and send invoices between client meetings without returning to your desk.

Interior Designer Reviews

Design professionals who use Wave frequently mention how the software helps them look more established. The ability to create branded invoices and send automatic payment reminders helps maintain a professional image without requiring a large financial investment.

Users particularly appreciate how Wave organizes project expenses and income, making tax season less stressful and helping track profitability across different design jobs. Some designers note that while the free version works well for basics, growing firms often benefit from the paid features like automated bank imports.

Features

• Create unlimited professional invoices with customizable templates that showcase your design brand and accept multiple payment methods
• Track project expenses with double-entry bookkeeping that automatically categorizes transactions for tax preparation
• Capture material purchase receipts on the go with mobile scanning to keep project expenses organized
• Manage payments to contractors and vendors with streamlined payroll processing for your design team
• Monitor your design business health with real-time financial insights that show pending and completed client payments
• Keep your design business organized with integrated tools for task management and client tracking

Simplified Pricing Information

• The core accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning features are completely free with no monthly subscription
• Pay only when clients make credit card payments: 2.9% + $0.60 per Visa/Mastercard/Discover transaction and 3.4% + $0.60 for American Express
• Bank payment processing costs $1 or 1% per transaction (whichever is greater)
• Optional upgrades include advanced receipt scanning ($8/month) and payroll services starting at $40/month plus $6 per employee

Overall Opinion

Wave offers tremendous value for interior designers just starting out or running established small practices. The free accounting and invoicing tools provide everything most designers need to manage basic finances professionally.

The platform strikes an excellent balance between simplicity and functionality. While it lacks some advanced features that larger design firms might need (like detailed inventory tracking for product-based businesses), it covers all the essentials without overwhelming users.

For interior designers looking for an affordable way to streamline their financial management without a steep learning curve, Wave represents one of the best options available. The ability to start with free tools and add premium features as your business grows makes it particularly well-suited for evolving design practices.

Mydoma Studio - Project Management for Interior Designers

Mydoma Studio offers a specialized cloud-based solution created specifically for interior designers, decorators, and home stagers. This platform brings together essential project management tools, client collaboration features, and financial tracking capabilities in one central location.

With Mydoma, designers can build professional mood boards, manage client communications, and organize their product catalogs all while giving clients access to a dedicated portal where they can view progress and provide feedback. The software works across desktop and mobile devices, making it easy to manage your design business from anywhere.

The platform integrates with popular business tools like QuickBooks and Stripe to create a streamlined workflow that helps creative professionals focus more on design and less on administrative tasks.

Internet Reviews

Mydoma Studio garners mostly positive feedback from the design community. Users particularly appreciate the clean interface and project management capabilities that help organize their creative workflow. The professional invoice design receives frequent praise, as does the responsive customer support team that stands ready to assist users.

However, not all feedback is glowing. Some designers report challenges with navigation, especially following recent updates to the platform. Others mention limitations with the accounting features, often stating they need additional software to handle their financial needs completely.

Features

• Comprehensive Project Management: Streamline your design workflow with intuitive task tracking, customizable checklists, and a unified calendar that helps you manage projects, deadlines, and team assignments efficiently.
• Enhanced Client Experience: Leverage a powerful client portal that allows digital contract signing, asset sharing, and collaborative mood board creation to improve communication and client satisfaction.
• Automated Financial Management: Simplify billing with integrated invoicing, time tracking, and payment processing that helps you manage product pricing, markups, and professional revenue streams.
• Professional Design Catalog: Build a personalized product library that lets you quickly access favorite items, create design packages, and embed automated discovery tools on your website.
• Mobile Productivity: Manage your design business from anywhere using cross-platform mobile apps that sync seamlessly with desktop features and essential business integrations.
• Designer Network Support: Connect with a vibrant community of interior design professionals through events, webinars, and knowledge-sharing platforms that foster growth and collaboration.
• Seamless Business Integrations: Connect Mydoma Studio with tools like Stripe, QuickBooks, Zapier, and scheduling platforms to create a unified, efficient design business ecosystem.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Starter Plan costs $64 per user monthly with basic project management and time billing features, including QuickBooks integration. Annual payment offers a 10% discount at $691 per user.
• Essentials Plan at $72 per user monthly provides streamlined project management and accounting features with limited customization options, totaling $744 per user annually.
• Enterprise Plan for $84 per user monthly delivers comprehensive project management and accounting tools with robust customization and support features, costing $852 per user yearly.
• Premier Plan offers the most complete feature set at $109 per user monthly, including high-touch support services, with an annual cost of $1,068 per user.
• Additional features available for $50 USD monthly, with custom pricing options available by contacting Mydoma Studio directly.

Overall Opinion

Mydoma Studio stands out as a solid option for interior designers seeking to organize their business operations and client relationships. The platform's strength lies in project management and mood board creation, making it particularly valuable for visual professionals who need to communicate design concepts clearly.

While the software excels at organizing creative workflows, some users might find the accounting features somewhat limited compared to dedicated financial software. The price point, starting at $64 monthly, positions it as a mid-range investment that most established design practices should find reasonable for the functionality provided.

For designers who prioritize client collaboration and project organization, Mydoma Studio offers enough value to justify considering it as part of your business toolkit, especially if you already use QuickBooks or other integrated platforms for deeper financial management.

Xero - Cloud-Based Accounting for Creative Businesses

When it comes to managing finances for your interior design business, Xero offers a refreshing approach that doesn't require an accounting degree. This New Zealand-born platform has become a global favorite among small creative businesses that need financial clarity without the complexity.

What makes Xero particularly suitable for interior designers is its visual, intuitive interface that feels more aligned with a creative's mindset than traditional accounting software. You can easily track client projects, manage expenses for different design jobs, and keep tabs on your vendor relationships all in one place.

The platform's mobile functionality means you can snap photos of receipts while sourcing materials or meeting clients, then instantly upload them to your accounts. This real-time financial visibility helps you make smarter decisions about which projects to take on and how to price your services.

Internet Reviews

Across the web, Xero consistently earns praise for its user-friendly approach to accounting. Interior designers and other creative professionals frequently mention how the clean interface makes financial management less intimidating. Users particularly appreciate the automated bank feeds and the ability to create professional invoices that reflect their brand aesthetic.

Some reviewers note occasional issues with bank connections dropping unexpectedly, which can disrupt workflow. Others mention that while the basic features are intuitive, some of the more advanced reporting tools have a steeper learning curve. Customer support receives mixed reviews, with some users reporting excellent assistance while others describe inconsistent response times.

Features

• Online Invoicing and Payment Management: Create custom invoices with payment links, accept multiple payment methods, and automate payment reminders to streamline your billing process.
• Advanced Banking Reconciliation: Connect with over 21,000 global banks, automatically import transactions, and easily match statement lines to simplify financial tracking.
• Comprehensive Expense Management: Track and categorize business expenses, upload receipts via mobile app, and maintain clear visibility of cash flow and financial health.
• Project and Inventory Tracking: Manage project budgets, quotes, and invoicing while tracking stock levels and inventory movements in real-time.
• Integrated Payroll Solutions: Streamline employee payments, calculate deductions automatically, and ensure tax compliance across different regions.
• Robust Financial Reporting: Generate detailed financial reports, access advanced analytics, and gain insights to make informed business decisions.
• Multi-Currency and Global Integration: Support transactions in over 160 currencies, integrate with multiple business apps, and facilitate international operations seamlessly.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Standard Plan offers unlimited invoices and bill payments, suitable for local interior design businesses without international clients.
• Premium Plan includes multi-currency support, ideal for designers working with international suppliers or clients.
• Add-on features like Xero Projects and Xero Expenses are particularly valuable for interior designers who need to track project profitability.
• Pricing scales with your business, making it affordable for solo designers while still offering robust features as your firm grows.

Overall Opinion

For interior designers looking to upgrade their financial management in 2025, Xero provides a solid balance of user-friendliness and powerful features. The platform shines in its ability to track project profitability, manage relationships with multiple vendors, and create professional client invoices that get paid faster.

While not specifically designed for interior design businesses, Xero's flexibility makes it adaptable to the unique workflow of design professionals. The project tracking capabilities are particularly valuable, letting you see at a glance which design jobs are profitable and which might need pricing adjustments.

The mobile app functionality means you can handle financial tasks between client meetings or while on site visits. This real-time access to your business finances helps you make informed decisions about taking on new projects or adjusting your service offerings. For most interior design businesses, Xero represents a worthwhile investment that will likely pay for itself in time saved and improved cash flow management.

Houzz Pro - Complete Business Management for Interior Designers

Houzz Pro brings together project management, client communication, and marketing tools in one platform specifically designed for interior designers and home renovation professionals. This all-in-one solution helps streamline your daily workflow by centralizing everything from lead tracking to project completion.

What makes Houzz Pro stand out is its direct connection to the larger Houzz ecosystem, which millions of homeowners already use for inspiration. The software bridges the gap between your business operations and client expectations with features like 3D visualization tools that help clients see designs before implementation.

With dedicated client portals, branded communication, and integrated project tracking, Houzz Pro aims to reduce administrative hassles so designers can focus more on their creative work.

Internet Reviews

Online feedback for Houzz Pro reveals a mixed reception among interior design professionals. Many users appreciate how the platform integrates with the wider Houzz community, potentially connecting them with new clients. The visualization tools receive particular praise for helping designers communicate concepts effectively to clients.

However, numerous reviewers express frustration with customer service quality and unexpected price changes. A common complaint centers around contract terms, with many users feeling locked into yearly subscriptions that don't fully meet their needs. Software stability issues and limited customization options are also frequently mentioned drawbacks.

Features

• Lead and Client Management: Track potential clients from first contact to signed contracts with a smart CRM dashboard that automates follow-ups and provides centralized communication portals for seamless project updates.
• Branded Proposals and Invoices: Create professional, customized documents with your company's branding that allow clients to review and approve proposals online with just a few clicks.
• Comprehensive Project Management: Organize tasks, monitor project progress, and maintain clear timelines to ensure smooth workflow and client satisfaction throughout each renovation or design project.
• Marketing and Visibility Boosters: Build custom websites, run targeted advertisements, and optimize your online profile to attract more clients and expand your professional reach in the design industry.
• Advanced Room Visualization: Use augmented reality and 3D floor planning tools to help clients see exact room measurements, furniture placement, and design transformations before construction begins.
• Design Selection Management: Create comprehensive selection boards that track product choices, manage budgets, and integrate directly with the Houzz Shop for streamlined design planning.

Simplified Pricing Information

• Starter Plan: $55-$99 monthly with basic CRM, proposals, estimates, invoicing, and 3D floor planner tools.
• Essential Plan: $139-$149 monthly, adding marketing tools suitable for small teams and individual designers.
• Pro Plan: $199-$249 monthly, featuring advanced marketing capabilities, multi-project management, and custom websites.
• Ultimate Plan: $199-$399 monthly for large-scale operations with comprehensive tools and dedicated support.
• Custom Enterprise Plans available upon request for specific business requirements.
• 30-day free trial available for Essential and Pro plans to test before committing.

Overall Opinion

Houzz Pro offers a solid foundation for interior designers who want to streamline their business processes in one platform. The integration with the Houzz marketplace provides unique marketing opportunities that standalone accounting software can't match. The visualization tools add particular value for designers who need to communicate complex ideas to clients.

However, the higher price point compared to dedicated accounting solutions might be a barrier for some. While it handles basic financial tracking, designers with complex accounting needs might need to supplement with additional software. The reported customer service issues and contract inflexibility are also worth considering before committing.

For designers who frequently use the Houzz platform already, the Pro version could simplify their workflow by bringing together marketing, project management, and basic financial tools. Those primarily focused on accounting functionality might want to compare it carefully with dedicated accounting solutions before making their decision.