7 Free Online Bookkeeping Courses with Certificates for 2025.
A great way to start your bookkeeping career is to take free online bookkeeping courses that offer certificates upon completion. Online bookkeeping courses can teach you the basics of how to record and report your business' financial information. These courses also allow you to test your skills and gain practical experience, which can boost your confidence. In this post, we'll review 7 free online bookkeeping courses, most of which offer certificates upon completion.
Bookkeeping Overview
Bookkeepers record the income and expenses of businesses, organizations, and even governments on a daily basis. Staying up to date on bookkeeping procedures is essential to keeping the books in order. Free online bookkeeping courses offer bookkeepers the opportunity to update and refresh their skills. These courses cover basic accounting principles and procedures that overlap with the accounting process.
Job Outlook for Bookkeepers
According to PayScale.com, the average hourly wage for bookkeepers is $17.37. Top bookkeepers earn more than $56,900. CareerBuilder.com notes that bookkeeping skills are highly transferable to financial oversight, analysis, or management positions. The site calls bookkeepers "ideal" for those who are interested in keeping their organization's finances on track.
7 Free Online Bookkeeping Courses
OpenLearn University
OpenLearn University offers a variety of free finance courses, including a free 8-hour course, "Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting".
This course helps you understand the basics of double-entry bookkeeping and how it relates to the balance sheet and profit and loss statement. Other topics covered by OpenLearn include managerial accounting, how to do accounting for an organization, and the basic digital skills you need to be an accountant or bookkeeper.
OpenLearn University offers interactive, video, and text courses for all types of learners. Their accounting courses range from 2-20 hours in length and are divided into levels 1, 2, and 3 for your convenience.
With your OpenLearn profile, you can easily track your progress, take quizzes, and earn participation statements or completion badges.
National Association of Certified Bookkeepers (NACPB)
New and experienced bookkeepers can take free training courses by visiting the NACPB website. These recorded online presentations require a high-speed internet connection. While the courses are free, registration is required. Course topics include:
Accounting
Payroll Taxes
Analyzing Business Transactions
Financial Statements
National Association of Bookkeepers (NBA)
Similar to the course offered by NACPB, the NBA's free "Understanding Bookkeeping" course provides online recorded instruction on a variety of bookkeeping topics. Registration is required. Training for this course takes approximately one hour. Topics covered in this course include:
Processing payroll
Processing purchases and payments
Maintaining the general ledger
Processing sales and receipts
Making accounting adjustments
Alison
Alison hosts a variety of free accounting and bookkeeping video training courses, including certificate and diploma courses in sales and purchasing, accounting basics, payroll basics, and software.
Alison offers a variety of courses, from 2-3 hour payroll and bookkeeping certificate courses to 15 hour effective bookkeeping and payroll diploma courses.
Oxford Home Learning Centre
The Oxford Home Learning Centre (OHSC) is the UK's leading provider of professional distance learning courses. OHSC offers both free and paid bookkeeping courses to help learners equip themselves with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a bookkeeping career.
OHSC's free online bookkeeping course is a 20-hour course that covers the basics of bookkeeping, including basic terminology, basic financial records, double-entry bookkeeping, ledger preparation and more. The course is completely free, but you will need to pay a small fee of £25-45 to receive a copy of your certificate.
FreshBooks Accounting Partner Program
FreshBooks is a popular software used by freelancers and small business owners.
Learning accounting software like FreshBooks is essential for accounting professionals these days. This is because many business owners have replaced spreadsheets with accounting software to make their lives easier.
If you are a bookkeeper or accountant who is new to FreshBooks, joining the free partner program is the fastest way to learn the software and get your FreshBooks accounting certification. Learning to use FreshBooks allows you to reach more potential clients and grow your company.
Once you join the program, you will receive ongoing skills training, tools, resources, dedicated support, and personalized education. You can also be added to the partner directory where you can be matched with FreshBooks clients.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Bookkeeping and basic accounting often cover the same topics and procedures. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a free online introductory accounting course through its online learning center. The course covers basic bookkeeping procedures, especially those related to running a small business.
Is Bookkeeping Right for You?
Every business can benefit from having a bookkeeping professional or someone who understands the basics of bookkeeping. Learning bookkeeping is a good idea for anyone with a business, even if your primary goal isn't to become a professional bookkeeper.
If your career goals include providing bookkeeping services for yourself or another company, bookkeeping can be a rewarding and flexible career. Some of the benefits of this career path include plenty of remote work opportunities and the ability to work in a wide range of industries.
Are Bookkeeping Certificates Valuable?
A bookkeeping certificate can prove that you understand basic accounting and bookkeeping concepts. This is useful for new bookkeepers who don't have much real-world experience or a degree to support their study time. Earning additional bookkeeping certificates can also help those who already have bookkeeping experience, as it can prove that you keep up with best practices and the latest technology.
Certifications on a resume can help demonstrate your expertise and boost your confidence when looking for a job.
Additionally, free courses and certifications are a great place to get started, as your ultimate goal is to earn some of the more recognized certifications. One of the most recognized certifications includes the Bookkeeping Certification from the American Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers to become a certified bookkeeper. However, to obtain the certification from the American Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers, you need at least two years of experience.
Summary
Free online bookkeeping courses that provide certificates upon completion are a great way to start a bookkeeping career, gain confidence, and improve your resume and expertise.