CNET Editors' review
The name Express Accounts Free Accounting Software pretty much sums up this freeware from NCH: it's a basic but flexible accounting package suitable for small businesses and organizations, and even some that are not so small. It integrates with other NCH business software, and it's also available, at a cost, in a Pro version that offers extra features. However, Express Accounts Free does what most users need most often, such as create and manage invoices, payments, and receipts; report income and earnings; create balance sheets; track orders and supplies; and manage customer contacts.
During installation, a wizard walked us through the process of setting up Express Accounts Free for our hypothetical business and contacts. Express Accounts Free has a familiar look, with toolbar, main view, and left-hand navigation sidebar. This software uses a series of dialogs and wizards to create invoices, bills, receipts, and other documents as well as manage accounts and settings. The navigation pane's expandable categories lead to menus labeled Todo, Transactions, Customer Invoices, Supplier Orders, and Reports, each with subentries for functions like creating documents, managing accounts, recording transactions, and issuing reports. The main view also features the program's various functions grouped by categories, and an icon-based toolbar offers access to the program's primary tools as well as Web access, Options, and a button labeled Suite that accessed other NCH software that works with Express Accounts. We clicked Create New Invoice, and a pop-up dialog opened with various entry fields, drop-down menus, and tables ready to fill in with our data; brief explanations of many of the fields appeared when we hovered the cursor over them. We tried several other standard forms as well as the reporting tools, and all opened with easy-to-use wizards that made the job a snap.
Express Accounting Free seems accurate, which we expected, and intuitive, which we didn't. This may be the friendliest accounting package we've yet come across. Small business owners, bookkeepers, and entrepreneurs owe it to their bottom lines to try Express Accounting Free before plunking down cash on big-ticket software, deductible or not.
Publisher's Description
From NCH Software:
Express Accounts Free is a free accounting software for Windows that allows you to track and report incoming and outgoing cash flow including sales, receipts, payments, and purchases. Create journal entries for payments, purchases, receipts, and deposits. Standard reports include Profit and Loss statements and Balance Sheets. Features: Set up and manage one or multiple companies. Track outgoing payment and purchasing transactions. Track incoming sales and receipts. Input journal entries manually. Reports include balance sheet and profit & loss plus more. Regional format settings include currency symbol, end of financial year, decimal point display and paper size. Express Accounts is available in a professional edition with more functionality. Combine Express Accounts with other NCH Software as an efficient and inexpensive way to manage your business. Inventoria can manage stock and procurements. HourGuard can keep track of how long you or your employees are spending on tasks. FlexiServer will keep track of employee tasks and make reporting easy with minimum cost and fuss. About NCH Software: NCH Software offers more than 80 easy-to-use audio, video, business, and telephony/VoIP software solutions that improve productivity and usability for small businesses and consumers. Focused on specific needs, they produce software with all the bells and whistles of typical brands, but without the complexity. NCH Software provides users with what they need at a price they can afford. This approach generates more than four million unique visitors and nearly three million downloads per month from the company's Web site--NCH Software.
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All versions:
2.7 starsout of 27 votes
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Current version:
2.7 starsout of 7 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-7 of 7
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"It is simple."
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
It is clear and easy to use.
Cons
I needed for very simple basic invoice and it worked well.
Summary
It is well done software for my simple use.
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"Great Application"
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
Has everything you need when starting a small business all wrapped in one piece of software. Easy to learn, except you need a basic accounting course to understand the accounting method. Very slick product.
Cons
Would be nice to open more than one child window at a time from the main app.
Summary
I think I am still on the trial, even thought I told it I just wanted the free version to see what was offered. I will find out in a few days. If I can't invoice and such when the trial expires, I will be scraping up the money to buy it. It is already the focal point of my business accounting.
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"Another wrongly classified 'Free' program"
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
It worked fine for 14 days.
Cons
After 14 days the trial expires - a complete waste of time.
Summary
This is not free software, I am beginning to lose faith in cnet.com as this is the second package in as many downloads which has turned out to not be free after all.
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"It IS FREE! You just need to click it."
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
It is Free but you have to tell it to be
Cons
None great program. Ability to create a budget from it would be an improvement.
Summary
This is a trial version that will expire in 14 days. However, if you go to your computer's control panel and select uninstall, it will open a dialogue box with some options. Select "downgrade to free version"
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"This is not free"
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
very easy to use and understand
Cons
on the 10th day I got a warning that my 14 day trial period was about to expire, what happened to "FREE"
Summary
When a company and third party says it is free it better be free or it is deceptive advertising.
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"I do not approve of lies. NOT FREEWARE"
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
Fairly easy to use.
Cons
This is not freeware. I laboriously entered all my accounting information and started using it - 14 days later it says the trial period is over and I have to buy the software for $79.99.
Highly misleading because nowhere does it say that this is demo software. CNET, you have some nerve, calling this freeware. NOT FREEWARE!!!!!!!!!!Summary
I wouldn't buy this software. I advise you not to waste your time and download it.
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"I searched for "FREE" this product is NOT FREE"
Version: Express Accounts Free Accounting Software 4.42
Pros
Great looking product for a small business and my poor review is unfortunately not about the software itself.
Looks easy to use but a waste of time as I have to pay 52GBPCons
Either CNET or the Software house has placed this program in the wrong place by saying it is "FREE" when it is NOT FREE
This is happening too often and I have lost faith in CNET's ability to promote software that is truly "FREE"Summary
Definition of "FREE" from the Cambridge English Dictionary - costing nothing; not needing to be paid for
This product fails to fall into this category and costs money after the 14 day trial period
If this false advertising happened on the high street there would be legal action taken for deliberately misleading.
Results 1-7 of 7
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