# General Business Category > Accounting Forum >  Free Accounting Software

## Mike Simmonds

Palladium Software, South Africas most Technologically advanced accounting software vendor is pleased to offer its single-user, 2-company, Individual software version to companies *absolutely free of charge*.  :Smile: 

This version offers clients the ability to invoice customers, remit statements, process and pay suppliers, pay their taxes and print compliant financial statements. 

In addition the data is retained for life so users need not access old backup or copy companies to access their data History. 

Whats more Palladium will add a release every year so that the application stays current with new enhanced features.

http://www.palladiumsoftware.co.za/i...122&Itemid=193

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AndyD (28-Aug-11), Dave A (28-Aug-11), Miro Bagrov (17-Jan-12), pedrob (08-Sep-11), Perform Computers (28-Aug-11), tannu1 (01-Apr-17), wynn (29-Aug-11)

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## Perform Computers

Hope this is better than Quickbooks. Thank you Mike.

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## Mike Simmonds

Andrew, to even start comparing this to Quickbooks would be injustice of note and of course this is free.  I am really quite surprised that Quickbooks is even allowed to be sold in SA!

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## Perform Computers

Mike, could you attach an image of how the invoices and statements look like? If possible.

I like Quickbooks because their invoices & statements convert automatically to .pdf, and just looks nice.

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## Dave A

POR only?

Couldn't find one on their website.

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## Mike Simmonds

IN-000000005.pdf Construction Concrete Corp.pdf

You can email Invoices and Statements directly as PDF files and naturally preview and print them too.

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Perform Computers (28-Aug-11)

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## Mike Simmonds

> POR only?
> 
> Couldn't find one on their website.



Sorry Dave, forgive my ignorance but what does POR stand for?

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## Mark Atkinson

Ermmm... It can only be used for a service-based business? The free version seems to offer no facility to keep stock of your inventory.

Even my *really* basic shirt business needs that facility.

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## Mike Simmonds

Hi Mark, yes the free version is aimed at small businesses who do not keep track of their inventory.

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## Dave A

POR - price on request.

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Mike Simmonds (28-Aug-11)

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## Mike Simmonds

Dave, there is no POR for the Free Version!

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## Dave A

I'm not interested in the free version. I'd definitely need enterprise.

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## Mike Simmonds

> I'm not interested in the free version. I'd definitely need enterprise.


The Enterprise version is R 8 373 for a single user.  Pricing is incremental.  The cost of a 5 user would be R 20 970, 10 user it is R 35 864 and for a 100 user R 207 628.  

All prices include VAT.

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Dave A (28-Aug-11)

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## Dave A

Quite a slow download  :EEK!: 

Price looks OK at first glance (given that I got a quote of over R250k for SAP with 7 users), but if I go this route it seems there are some other costs to factor in.
I see I'll need to buy SQL server 2008 and Crystal Reports, not to mention set up a new server (current one is running Kubuntu Server)...




> I am really quite surprised that Quickbooks is even allowed to be sold in SA!


Why shouldn't Quickbooks be allowed to be sold in SA?

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## Mike Simmonds

> Quite a slow download 
> 
> Price looks OK at first glance (given that I got a quote of over R250k for SAP with 7 users), but if I go this route it seems there are some other costs to factor in.
> I see I'll need to buy SQL server 2008 and Crystal Reports, not to mention set up a new server (current one is running Kubuntu Server)...


Dave, there is no need to purchase SQL Server and unless you want to constantly update every single form and report that runs, then no need for Crystal Reports.  Normally one can use the trial version when needed to do modifications to the reports.  No new server is required, SQL Server Express (Free) will run on almost any half decent PC, with absolutely no issues.




> Why shouldn't Quickbooks be allowed to be sold in SA?


This is of course my opinion:  I have a new client who uses Quickbooks, and on doing my checks and balances regarding the Accounting Officer's report I noticed that there were numerous invoice numbers missing from the run of numbers for the financial year.  I enquired as to what had happened to these invoices, and was informed that they were incorrect and deleted from the system.   :EEK!:   So I thought this was strange and that my client (IT guru) was just mis-informed, and double checked with the bookkeeper who confirmed the issue.  She also informed me that in speaking to a CA friend of hers, that the CA had warned her about this.

SARS obviously has a major issue with this!  But any business owner should too, because what is stopping any employee from issuing an invoice, receiving payment and deleting the invoice, after pocketing the cash.

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## Dave A

> I enquired as to what had happened to these invoices, and was informed that they were incorrect and deleted from the system.    So I thought this was strange and that my client (IT guru) was just mis-informed, and double checked with the bookkeeper who confirmed the issue.  She also informed me that in speaking to a CA friend of hers, that the CA had warned her about this.
> 
> SARS obviously has a major issue with this!  But any business owner should too, because what is stopping any employee from issuing an invoice, receiving payment and deleting the invoice, after pocketing the cash.


That's why there's an audit trail  :Wink: 

Effectively Palladium does the same thing in allowing editable transactions. The difference is the way Palladium does it, it's recorded in the GL with automatic credit note and invoice generation. In Quickbooks you need to use the audit trail functionality to find edited and deleted transactions, which in my view actually makes mischief easier to find.

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Mike Simmonds (29-Aug-11)

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## Mike Simmonds

> That's why there's an audit trail 
> 
> In Quickbooks you need to use the audit trail functionality to find edited and deleted transactions, which in my view actually makes mischief easier to find.


Thanks, I will ask him to activate this functionality.

Yes, catching the offenders probably is!  Preventing it in the first place, because they know it is not hidden, would be my preferred approach  :Wink:

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## Dave A

An early impression. Looks like Pastel Accounting should be feeling a little nervous. This looks like a serious competitor.

If Palladium ever works out that hidden account and transaction numbering and indexing is the secret to Quickbooks' usability, they might even give Quickbooks a run for their money one day.

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## geraldenek

Hi Mike

 Haven't downloaded or looked into the software yet - does it have the functionality of invoicing in foreign currencies? and does it have a warehouse module for consignment stock?


just for basic invoicing in foreign currency and they have stock which  they sent on consignment to distributors which get invoiced on a monthly  basis - but to be quite honest i don't know what the shareholders want -  i suggested pastel partner with the add on modules as i have used these  before and they work quite well, but they currently have pastel xpress  which does not do any justice to it and that is why they want to change

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## Mike Simmonds

Hi Geraldene

The Enterprise version has full foreign currency functionality in all areas.

The inventory system does allow for the creation of multiple warehouses and by using the "Other Activities" classification, it will typically remove it from your own stock and place it as unavailable until transferred back to an invoicing warehouse. 

I hope this touches on some of the areas, but I am more than willing to help you find a solution, irrespective of the chosen product.

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## Perform Computers

I think I'm going to give this application a shot.

Thx again Mike.

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## Mike Simmonds

Hi Andrew, please just give me a shout if I can be of any assistance, I have sent you a email with my phone number.

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## mbsmit

Hi there Mike,

This is just to kindly inform you that the slash in the download link is pointing the wrong way. it \ in stead of /. Thanks, downloading now.

Regards

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## Mike Simmonds

Hi mbsmit

I clicked on the link and once again it took me to the download page, not sure exactly where the problem with the slash is?

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## Brake&steering

Hi good day

I have just stated my own company would this free software work for me or not

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## Dave A

I suggest check out the version comparison table to see if the free version does what you need.

Make no mistake though, this is real accounting software - nothing Mickey Mouse about it at all.

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## theEntrepeneur

Palladium makes use of on-demand database connections allowing it to run seamlessly in the most challenging of environments, supporting the simplest stand-alone system, to the local area network environment with full support for wireless networking technologies, right to the wide-area (remote access) solution. Where most other systems establish a direct connection to the datasets on installation, Palladium takes this a level higher, allowing users to create multiple Database Connection Sets each with the ability to connect to its own Palladium Server group of companies. This facilitates wide area connectivity across multiple servers or simply for a user to work from home without the need to purchase other 3rd party terminal emulation software, and all from the exact same Palladium System Interface.

*Palladium is the only company around to offer a 3-year money back guarantee against data corruption.*

Read about the complete functions of this product at http://www.c2csolutions.co.za/

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## Mattpinner

If you are want a simple, free solution, I would recommend the SlickPie accounting software. The software works fine and for me the best thing about it that it sends automatic payment reminders to clients that havent paid the invoices. I was happy to see how my cash flow got better after I used this resource. IT turns out clients actually pay you faster that way. I'm more than satisfied with it.

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