Accounting-grade apps (Editor's pick)

Purpose-built posting to keep taxes, fees, COGS, and inventory correct with minimal babysitting.

When to use: 100–10,000+ orders/mo, refunds/fees, multi-location inventory, month-end close pressure.

Why it’s simplest for small merchants: set once, audit-ready entries, no DIY rule drift.

Editor’s note: Webgility is our recommended option if you want “set it once” simplicity and accounting-grade correctness.

How it works

Accounting-grade apps are purpose-built to post ecommerce transactions into QuickBooks with full accounting accuracy—taxes, fees, COGS, inventory, and audit trails included.

When to use

• You’re processing 100+ orders per month
• You need accurate tax, shipping, and fee mapping
• Multi-location inventory and COGS tracking are critical
• You have an accountant who needs clean books for month-end close
• You want to avoid manual reconciliation work

What they do

• Map taxes, discounts, shipping, and gateway fees to the right QuickBooks accounts
• Post daily batches or per-order with full audit logs and error replay capability
• Keep COGS and inventory accurate across multiple locations
• Handle refunds, chargebacks, and partial payments with proper accounting treatment
• Reconcile gateway payouts (Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal) automatically

Popular choices

• Webgility – Best for “set-it-once” simplicity; handles complex mapping and multichannel
• A2X – Popular for marketplace-heavy sellers who need payout summarization

Key benefits

1. Time savings: Automation reduces manual posting from hours to minutes per month
2. Accuracy: Built-in accounting logic prevents common errors (tax misposting, missing fees)
3. Audit trail: Every transaction is logged with source data for accountant review
4. Scalability: Handles growing volume without adding manual work
5. Compliance: Proper COGS, inventory, and tax tracking for clean financial statements

Setup process

1. Connect accounts: Link Shopify and QuickBooks via secure OAuth
2. Map accounts: Set up revenue, COGS, tax, shipping, and fee account mappings
3. Configure posting: Choose daily batching vs per-order posting
4. Test sync: Run a test batch and verify entries in QuickBooks
5. Go live: Enable automatic daily sync

Cost vs. ROI

• Monthly cost: $99-299/month depending on volume and features
• Time saved: 10-40 hours/month vs manual methods
• ROI: Usually pays for itself in the first month for businesses over 100 orders/mo

Editor’s note

If you’re scaling past 100 orders/month or have accountant oversight, accounting-grade apps save the most time and avoid costly rework. Webgility is our recommended choice for founders who want “set it once, forget it” simplicity with full accounting accuracy.

See Webgility details →