Hello from Sayu CPA Office

When it comes to bookkeeping, many businesses use some form of accounting software. At our firm, we have long relied on desktop-based Yayoi Kaikei as our main tool. However, in recent years, especially among startups and small businesses, we’ve seen a growing trend toward cloud-based accounting solutions. In fact, we now sometimes recommend adopting cloud accounting software ourselves.

There are several cloud accounting options available in Japan. Among them, I’ve had the most hands-on experience with Freee, Money Forward (MF) Cloud, and Yayoi Kaikei Online. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my personal impressions and user experience with these three platforms from various angles.

For this first post, I’ll be focusing on how beginner-friendly each software is—especially for those with little to no experience using accounting tools.

Freee

The main screen used for registering transactions, called “Automatic Bookkeeping (Jidou de Keiri),” gives the impression of a stylish personal finance app rather than a traditional accounting system. Many accounting software screens have a row of bookkeeping journal entries, but each transaction is large and has margins that are stylish, so you don’t get the feeling that the software is too technical, complicated or difficult. This visual design helps reduce the mental barrier and formality often associated with accounting software.

Text boxes guide users through necessary inputs, keeping the layout simple and straightforward. The menu labels—such as “Transactions,” “Orders,” “Reports,” and “Payroll”—use everyday terminology, which helps make the system more approachable for beginners. For simple, routine transactions, it’s easy to get started and feel like you’re making progress, even without deep accounting knowledge.

However, the simplicity can be a double-edged sword. Because there are multiple paths to register transactions, it’s possible for them to be categorized inconsistently depending on which screen you use. Revisiting and correcting past entries can be a bit of a challenge.
Also, Freee does not use traditional sub-accounts. Instead, it relies on tags like item names and memos, which offer flexibility—but if you don’t set clear input rules from the beginning, things can quickly become disorganized. In this sense, using Freee effectively requires more familiarity with its system, rather than accounting concepts.

Money Forward (MF) Cloud

The main interface centers around transaction records pulled from linked bank accounts. Compared to Freee, the functionality feels simpler, and the design more conventional. While it may look less modern or friendly at first glance, there’s still more visual space than traditional software.

That said, some users may still find the layout a bit overwhelming. Text boxes are available for input fields, which is helpful, but in some cases, editable fields (like transaction dates or payee descriptions from bank statements) probably don’t need to be changed—and having them editable might cause confusion or accidental edits.

Once you understand which fields need to be filled out, the list-based layout allows for efficient work. However, this platform may feel a bit more difficult for complete beginners unless they have some prior knowledge or experience.

A feature I personally appreciate is that entered transactions are temporarily displayed at the bottom of the screen unless you refresh or navigate away. This makes it easy to review or fix recent inputs if you make a mistake.

Also, regardless of whether you register transactions through a linked account or manual entry, all data flows to the same ledger. This simplicity makes the system more manageable and consistent.

Yayoi Kaikei Online

The overall design of the interface uses larger fonts and menus, which may feel a bit outdated, but visibility is not an issue. However, the actual input area feels somewhat cramped—possibly due to layout choices or color scheme—and some interface elements behave in unique ways. For example, menu expansions and screen transitions depend on the cursor’s position, which may take some getting used to.

Unlike Freee and MF Cloud, which emphasize automated data from bank linkages, Yayoi Kaikei Online defaults to a manual-entry screen called Kantan Torihiki Nyuuryoku (Simple Transaction Input). This difference stands out.

Despite being designed for manual input, the Simple Transaction Input screen is beginner-friendly. One of its best features is that when you open the account selection dropdown, each option includes a description like “Expense for XX.” This helps users figure out which account to choose—very helpful for those unfamiliar with accounting terms.

There’s also a wide selection of pre-made transaction templates, each with detailed explanations. You can search these templates by keyword or register your frequently used entries, which allows you to customize the experience and streamline common tasks.

If, for any reason, you plan to rely primarily on manual entry—such as limited bank connectivity or preference—this software offers the most beginner support.

Final Thoughts

I hope you found this comparison helpful. Of course, these are just my personal opinions and experiences, but I believe they can serve as a reference when choosing a cloud accounting solution.

One thing I’ve learned through using these three platforms is that even though they are all “cloud accounting software,” each has its own strengths and design philosophy. The core features may be largely similar across the board, but the interface and user experience vary significantly.

Depending on the nature and volume of your company’s transactions—and the accounting knowledge of the person handling them—your ideal software choice might differ.

At our firm, we actively support businesses in adopting cloud accounting systems and other digital transformation (DX) solutions. If you’re considering introducing one of these tools, feel free to consult us. We’ll help you find the software that best fits your specific needs.