As businesses expand across multiple entities, divisions, or subsidiaries, growing organizations often hit a financial management wall somewhere between the $10 million and $20 million revenue marks, when their basic accounting systems no longer support the business's growing complexity.
Many companies discover that QuickBooks, while excellent for single-entity operations, simply wasn't designed to handle the sophisticated demands of multi-entity accounting.
Understanding multi-entity accounting
Multi-entity accounting is performing financial work like transaction processing, analysis, and preparing financial statements at the business unit level and then consolidating accounting results. This approach becomes essential when organizations manage two or more distinct business units under common ownership or control, including subsidiaries, franchises, divisions, or international operations.
With accounting software for multiple businesses, companies can automate payables workflows, consolidate financial reports across entities, and access real-time dashboards that give both granular and consolidated views of performance. This eliminates reliance on manual spreadsheets and ensures leaders have accurate, timely data for decision-making.
Learn more about multi-entity financial management.
Why QuickBooks falls short for multi-entity firms
While QuickBooks allows users to manage multiple companies under one account, it faces significant limitations for true multi-entity operations:
Consolidation challenges
QuickBooks lacks true consolidation capabilities. Accounting teams are forced to export data and manually consolidate using spreadsheets. This process is slow, error-prone, and often results in outdated financials by the time the work is complete.
Intercompany transaction limitations
QuickBooks requires manual entry for intercompany transactions. Each entity must be updated separately, forcing staff to constantly switch between accounts. This prevents organizations from being able to automate intercompany transactions at scale.
Currency and Chart of Accounts issues
Multiple currencies are nearly impossible to deal with in QuickBooks. When your accounting solution is not designed to handle foreign currency conversions, your accounting staff has to do it themselves and manually convert everything into one common reporting currency. Additionally, a shared chart of accounts across multiple entities is not a feature available in QuickBooks. Staff must spend many hours adding every common new vendor, customer, expense, income, or change in inventory to each individual appropriate entity. The potential for errors and missed entries become enormous the more you grow your organization.
Top QuickBooks alternatives for multi-entity accounting
1. Gravity Software – The multi-entity specialist
Gravity Software is purpose-built to simplify managing and consolidating financial data for multi-entity firms. Designed for mid-market organizations that have outgrown QuickBooks, Gravity delivers enterprise-level capabilities without the cost and complexity of a full ERP.
Native to the Microsoft Power Platform, Gravity integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and other familiar tools, making it a natural next step for businesses already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Key multi-entity features:
- One database, unlimited entities: Manage all companies under a single login and database while maintaining separate financials.
- Automatic intercompany transactions: Distribute line items across entities with automated balancing.
- Shared chart of accounts & master data: Standardize vendors, customers, and accounts across all entities.
- Multi-tiered consolidations: Create instant consolidated financial reports across entities instantly, with a shared chart of accounts, customers, and vendors. Expenses are automatically allocated and balanced through Due To/From accounts.
- Power BI dashboards: Gain real-time insights across the business without manual exports.
Why Gravity stands out
Gravity is the only multi-entity accounting software designed specifically for growing mid-market companies. If you’ve outgrown QuickBooks but don’t want the complexity of systems like NetSuite, Gravity strikes the perfect balance: automation, scalability, and Microsoft-native integration.
Learn why Gravity is the best accounting software for multiple companies.
2. Sage Intacct - Enterprise - grade solution
Sage Intacct is a modern, cloud-based accounting solution designed primarily for small to medium-sized businesses. Known for its endorsement by the AICPA, it provides multi-entity management and reporting.
- Pre-built and custom reports
- Multi-dimensional chart of accounts
- Strong compliance features
However, Sage Intacct is built on a proprietary platform, which can limit flexibility and integrations compared to solutions like Gravity Software, which leverages the Microsoft Power Platform. While robust, Sage Intacct is also often more complex and costly, making it better suited for organizations that require enterprise-level ERP functionality.
3. NetSuite - Comprehensive ERP solution
NetSuite OneWorld is a full ERP with advanced multi-entity capabilities, global compliance, and multi-currency support.
- Operates in 200+ countries
- Real-time subsidiary reporting
- Powerful consolidations
Best for larger enterprises with international scale — but often too complex and costly for mid-market firms that need flexibility without ERP overhead.
4. Acumatica - Cloud ERP Platform
Acumatica offers a cloud ERP with integrated business management modules.
- Unlimited company reporting
- Shared charts of accounts and calendars
- Automation for reporting and intercompany transfers
A strong ERP, though often more than what mid-sized firms need when moving off QuickBooks.
5. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central (BC) is part of Microsoft’s Dynamics ERP family, originally rebranded from Dynamics NAV. It supports multi-entity operations but is often more complex than mid-market firms require.
- 40+ localized versions for compliance across regions
- 47 languages supported
- Multi-currency translation for global accounting
Many advanced features — such as subscription billing, revenue recognition, payment portals, and investment management — require third-party add-ons, which increase cost and complexity. Best suited for larger enterprises or organizations already invested in the Dynamics ERP ecosystem.
Essential features to look for in multi-entity accounting software
When evaluating QuickBooks alternatives multi entity solutions, prioritize the following capabilities:
Automated consolidation
Choose tools that provide automated intercompany reconciliation to eliminate the bottleneck of manual work. The best multi-entity accounting software automates eliminations, flags discrepancies, and consolidates financials instantly.
Multi-currency support
Look for multi-entity and multi-currency support to manage global transactions without endless spreadsheets. Strong solutions automatically handle currency conversions, compliance standards, and intercompany transactions to deliver a single, accurate financial picture.
Real-time reporting
The right system provides both entity-level detail and consolidated, organization-wide insights. With real-time access to data, you can make smarter decisions on growth, hiring, and investments.
Making the right choice for your organization
For mid-market businesses transitioning from QuickBooks, Gravity Software offers the ideal balance of multi-entity functionality, affordability, and Microsoft integration. Larger enterprises needing full ERP scope may consider Sage Intacct or NetSuite. And for organizations already evaluating Microsoft, many find that Gravity Software is a better multi-entity accounting alternative to Dynamics 365 Business Central — avoiding third-party add-ons, high implementation costs, and complex workarounds. Learn more here.
Multi-entity accounting: The smarter QuickBooks alternative
As organizations grow, relying on QuickBooks becomes a roadblock to efficiency. Multi-entity firms need specialized accounting software that can:
- Automate intercompany transactions
- Consolidate financial reports across entities
- Deliver real-time visibility for smarter decisions
Gravity Software is a powerful, Microsoft-based platform purpose-built for firms managing multiple entities. Unlike legacy ERP or QuickBooks workarounds, it gives you the automation, reporting, and scalability you need—without unnecessary complexity.
Ready to streamline your operations? Explore Gravity’s multi-entity accounting and see why it’s the top QuickBooks alternative for growing businesses.
Want to see it in action? Schedule a demo today and discover how Gravity can transform your multi-entity accounting.
Gravity Software
Better. Smarter. Accounting.
