Best financial consolidation software for small business groups of 2 to 5 companies

Best financial consolidation software for small business: the short list

For a small business group of 2 to 5 companies, Joiin Core is $41 a month for 2 companies and $77 for 5, billed monthly, and JustConsolidate is $50 and $65 plus a QuickBooks subscription. Fathom, the financial reporting app (fathomhq.com), and Spotlight Reporting list higher monthly figures at both counts.

Pick JustConsolidate for a group on QuickBooks Online alone, Spotlight Reporting for a franchise with a head office, and Joiin Core for a group that wants one app across QuickBooks Online and Xero.

Two or three companies: when Excel is enough

A group of two or three companies in one currency, with few intercompany items, can start in Excel. Its Consolidate command works by position, for sheets laid out the same way, or by category, for sheets that use the same labels, and it adds no license cost if the group already has Excel.

In Excel you open Data, then Consolidate, pick a function such as Sum and add each company's range. Microsoft says labels that do not match become separate rows. The steps are in consolidated profit and loss for multiple companies in Excel.

Four or five companies: the monthly price by company count

The table prices exactly 2 and 5 companies; a group of 3 or 4 reads its figure from each vendor's pricing page. At 5 companies, Joiin Core is $77 a month billed monthly, or $744 a year billed annually, and JustConsolidate $65 a month before its QuickBooks subscription. Financial consolidation software cost carries the figures for 10 and 20 companies.

Fathom says consolidated groups are free of charge, so its meter is the number of companies connected. Syft says the same of its consolidations and prices each connected entity. Spotlight Reporting includes reporting, forecasting and dashboards in its business plans, and its price is $35 a month for each organization.

Free trials before a small group pays

Joiin gives 14 days on its Max plan with no card, Fathom 14 days with no card, Spotlight Reporting 14 days and Syft 14 days with no card. JustConsolidate's trial runs at least 30 days and until the first consolidation is posted.

What small groups give up on the entry plans

Joiin Core reports in one currency and has no forecasting; both start on Pro. Syft gives a consolidation the functions of the lowest plan among its entities. JustConsolidate connects QuickBooks companies, and a company on other software goes in by manual trial balance journal entry. See Joiin vs JustConsolidate.