CCH iFirm Alternatives

Finding the right accounting firm management software can make or break your practice. The right software will improve you efficiency (and profitability), while the wrong software will slow your team down and lead to frustration.

CCH iFirm frequently appears on lists of the top accounting project management software, but is it the right choice for your firm? 

This article will examine issues firms have with the CCH iFirm software and also offer some possible alternatives to explore.

Shortcomings of CCH iFirm

CCH iFirm is a popular accounting practice management software program. However, it is not without its flaws. 

Difficult to Use: One of the most common complaints is that it can be challenging to use. The interface is often criticized for being confusing and non-intuitive. This can make it challenging for new users to get up and running with the program. 

Frequent Errors: CCH iFirm has been known to be buggy, with various reports of features not working as intended or unexpected errors popping up. These issues can be frustrating for users and can lead to lost productivity in your accounting practice. 

Poor Customer Support: Customers report long wait times and poor triage of errors with the system.

Frequent Downtime: As a cloud-based software solution, uptime for the system is key to customer satisfaction. CCH iFirm’s customers frequently report being unable to access the system due to server errors.

While CCH iFirm has many strong points, these shortcomings should be considered when considering whether or not to use the program.

The 5 Best CCH iFirm Alternatives

Fortunately, CCH IFirm is not the only option on the market. These are the top 5 alternatives to CCH iFirm for your practice.

1. Jetpack Workflow

jetpack workflow alternatives

What It Is: Jetpack Workflow is project management software that enables teams to streamline their processes and get work done more efficiently. The software is designed to help teams track every aspect of their work, from individual tasks to larger projects. Jetpack Workflow also includes a number of features that make it easy for team members to communicate and collaborate on tasks. The software is available in monthly and annual subscription options, offering a free trial for new users. 

Top Features: Jetpack Workflow is widely recognized as one of the easier project management software to use for accounting and bookkeeping firms. The predefined (but customizable) templates allow new users to hit the ground running. The capacity management aspects of the software allow firms to allocate tasks to underutilized resources. Jetpack Workflow uses Zapier to integrate with more than 2,000 apps.

Best For: Small and medium-sized accounting and bookkeeping firms looking for a workflow management system to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Pricing: $36 per user/per month for the Organizer subscription. $39 per user/per month for the Scale option, which includes capacity planning and management capabilities.

2. Financial Cents

What It Is: Financial Cents is a minimalist project management system for accounting firms. The program allows you to track each project’s progress and upcoming due dates. You can delegate tasks, manage your documents, and track your time within the system. The initial setup takes a significant time investment because the templates must be integrated using proprietary file types. 

Top Features: Financial Cents allows you to complete most of your firm management tasks in a single place, including time tracking, billing, and workflow management. However, some of the workflow features are lacking because Financial Cents is not solely focused on workflow management.

Best For: Small accounting firms with only a few team members that don’t need a system that can integrate with other apps.

Pricing: Starts at $39 per user per month when paid annually, or $49 per user per month for the monthly payment option. To unlock features like their Zapier integration and a firm branded client portal, you’ll have to upgrade to the Scale Plan ($59 per user per month when paid annually, or $69 per user per month when paid monthly).

3. Canopy

What It Is: Canopy is a cloud-based accounting firm management system. The software allows firms to work directly with clients through document requests and document management software. 

Top Features: Canopy integrates with QuickBooks online, allowing you to track your time in the software and create invoices through the integration. 

Best For: Firms looking for an all-in-one solution. Although, because Canopy tries to do it all, some of the workflow management features fall short compared to the other options on our list. 

Pricing: The workflow module is $35 per user per month. Additional modules such as document management and time & billing can be purchased separately ($40 per user per month and $25 per user per month, respectively). Additionally, you are charged separately depending on how many contacts you have in your database, and the cost can add up quickly.

4. CS Professional Suite

What It Is: CS Professional Suite is a workflow management system meant to integrate with the Thomas Reuters tax preparation software and other CS Professional Suite modules. 

Top Features: The biggest selling point for CS Professional Suite is that all of your firm’s work can stay within the Thomas Reuters system. It provides a basic way to manage your task lists and assign projects to your team.

Best For: Firms using Thomas Reuters’ CS Professional Suite. 

Pricing: Upfront cost of $3,350 and $5 per user per month ongoing fee.

5. Asana

What Is It: Asana is a project management software that enables teams to collaborate on tasks and projects. It’s designed to help teams better manage their work by providing a centralized place to track progress, share files, and communicate with each other. Asana also offers a variety of features such as templates, calendars, and reporting tools to help teams work more efficiently. In addition, Asana integrates with a number of popular productivity apps such as Google Drive and Slack.

Top Features: Intuitive interface can be picked up quickly by most teams, although the navigation will take some time to get used to and customize. Asana allows flexibility for creating and assigning tasks, although a task is only allowed to be assigned to a single person. You can create your own templates for tasks. However, it does not include any predefined templates for standardized tasks.

Best For: Asana is best for accounting and bookkeeping departments that are part of larger firms. Since Asana is not accounting-specific, it works best for teams that are part of larger organizations that are not accounting-focused. Additionally, the messaging features within Asana are limited and often require a separate chat and note function for client engagements.

Pricing: $13.49 per user per month when billed monthly. 

See Jetpack Worflow In Action

Get under the hood of Jetpack Workflow’s accounting workflow and project management platform. See some of the top features and how it helps your firm standardize, automate, and track client work more efficiently.