Every nonprofit needs a budget — not just for the board, but for grant applications, program management, and survival. But building a budget in a spreadsheet that nobody updates is a recipe for mid-year surprises. The right budgeting tool keeps your numbers live, your board informed, and your grants compliant.

We compared the top budgeting tools for small nonprofits on ease of use, fund tracking, and price.

Quick Comparison

1. QuickBooks Online — Best if Your Bookkeeper Knows It

Most nonprofit bookkeepers already know QuickBooks. Its budgeting features — budget vs. actual reporting, class tracking for funds, and integration with payroll — work for nonprofits that don’t need true fund accounting.

Pros:

• Most bookkeepers and CPAs already know it
• Budget vs. actual reporting by class (fund)
• Budget creation by month, quarter, or year
• Integration with QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Time
• 750+ integrations
• Good for nonprofits using classes to track funds
• Annual budget creation and comparison to actuals
• Customizable budget reports for the board

Cons:

• No true fund accounting (classes are a workaround)
• Fund balance reporting requires manual adjustments
• Budgeting features are basic compared to purpose-built tools
• No grant-specific budgeting
• Overkill if you only need budgeting (not full accounting)
• Monthly cost adds up

Pricing: Simple Start $30/mo; Essentials $60/mo; Plus $90/mo

Best for: Nonprofits already using QuickBooks for accounting that need budget vs. actual reporting.

Start free trial →

2. Aplos — Best for Fund-Based Budgeting

Aplos handles fund-based budgeting correctly — each fund (general, building, mission, restricted) gets its own budget, and you can report on each fund separately without workarounds. For nonprofits managing multiple restricted and unrestricted funds, Aplos is the most accurate budgeting tool.

Pros:

• True fund-based budgeting (each fund gets its own budget)
• Budget vs. actual reporting by fund
• Restricted and unrestricted fund tracking
• Built-in donation tracking (budget revenue by source)
• Grant and program budgeting
• Board-ready financial reports that make sense for nonprofits
• Clean interface designed for non-accountants
• Integrated accounting + budgeting (no syncing)

Cons:

• More expensive than spreadsheets or basic accounting tools
• No free plan (14-day trial only)
• Not as widely known as QuickBooks
• Fewer integrations than QuickBooks
• Budgeting features are good but not as deep as enterprise tools
• No HR or payroll budgeting

Pricing: Accounting only $45/mo; Accounting + Donations $59/mo

Best for: Nonprofits with multiple funds that need accurate fund-based budgeting without workarounds.

Try Aplos →

3. Google Sheets — Best Free Option for Simple Budgets

Google Sheets is free, collaborative, and enough for many small nonprofits with simple budgets. Create a budget template, share it with your board, and update it in real time. It’s not purpose-built for nonprofits, but for organizations with one or two funds and a straightforward budget, it works.

Pros:

• Completely free
• Real-time collaboration (multiple people can edit simultaneously)
• Easy sharing with board members
• Good for simple budgets with one or two funds
• Templates available (search “nonprofit budget template”)
• Automatic calculations and formulas
• Access from any device
• No learning curve

Cons:

• No fund accounting (you build it manually)
• No integration with accounting software
• No automatic budget vs. actual reporting (you update it manually)
• Error-prone (wrong formulas, accidental deletions)
• Doesn’t scale past simple budgets
• No audit trail or version control
• No grant-specific budgeting
• Not suitable for nonprofits with 3+ funds

Pricing: Free

Best for: Small nonprofits with simple budgets (1-2 funds) that need a free, collaborative tool.

Get Google Sheets →

How to Choose

1. How many funds do you budget for?

One general fund → Google Sheets or QuickBooks. Two or more restricted/unrestricted funds → Aplos. Complex program budgets → Plangrid or Aplos.

2. What accounting software do you use?

QuickBooks → Use QuickBooks budgeting (it’s included). Aplos → Use Aplos budgeting. Spreadsheet → Google Sheets.

3. Who needs to see the budget?

Just the bookkeeper → QuickBooks or Aplos. The board → Google Sheets (easy sharing) or Aplos (board-ready reports). Grant funders → Aplos (fund-based reporting).

4. What’s your budget?

Free → Google Sheets. Under $50/month → Aplos or QuickBooks. Under $100/month → QuickBooks Plus.

Our Top Pick

For nonprofits with multiple funds, Aplos is the only tool that does fund-based budgeting correctly without workarounds. For nonprofits already using QuickBooks, its built-in budgeting is good enough if you’re tracking classes. And for small nonprofits with simple budgets, Google Sheets is free and collaborative.

SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.