Choosing the best accounting software for your business in Egypt is a decision you will live with for years. Between the mandatory ETA requirements and hundreds of options on the market, it is genuinely hard to get right. This guide breaks the whole thing down.
Why your business needs accounting software
- ETA compliance: electronic invoicing is mandatory for every VAT-registered company
- Faster decisions: live reporting instead of waiting for month-end
- Accuracy: no manual errors creeping into the books
- Financial control: audit logs and proper permissions
- Tax reporting: full automation of your returns
The three types of accounting software
1. Cloud (SaaS)
Hunt-lite ERP and Daftra sit here. Monthly pricing, hosted by the vendor, nothing to install on your machines. Right for: around 90% of small and mid-sized businesses.
2. On-premise
Huntivia Enterprise and SAP sit here. Installed on your own server, full control of your data, a higher upfront cost but no monthly fees. Right for: larger companies and anyone with strict security requirements.
3. Desktop
QuickBooks Desktop and similar. Dated architecture, painful to update, hard to reach from outside the office. Not recommended in 2026.
The criteria that actually matter in Egypt
ETA compliance
The single most important one. The system has to integrate directly with Egypt's electronic invoicing platform. Hunt ERP, Daftra and the major ERPs all support it.
Arabic and RTL, properly
Not a translation layer. The system has to be designed in Arabic from the ground up. Hunt ERP is 100% Arabic-native.
Egyptian accounting standards
A chart of accounts built to Egyptian standards, tax obligations, monthly returns, VAT and withholding.
Support
In Arabic, around the clock, included. SAP and Odoo are none of those three.
Price comparison — Egypt 2026
| Software | Monthly cost | Free trial | Arabic | ETA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunt-lite ERP | EGP 1,000 | 5 days | Native | Included |
| Daftra | EGP 500-2,000 | 14 days | Native | Included |
| QuickBooks Online | EGP 800-1,500 | 30 days | Limited | No |
| Zoho Books | EGP 400-1,200 | 14 days | Limited | No |
| Odoo Accounting | ~EGP 3,500 | 5 days | Translated | Add-on |
| SAP Business One | EGP 10,000+ | Limited | Translated | Custom build |
The modules a serious accounting system must have
- A customisable chart of accounts
- Manual and automated journal entries
- ETA tax invoices and non-tax invoices
- Sales and purchasing
- Multi-branch inventory
- Banks, cheques and reconciliations
- Customer and supplier management
- Financial statements (trial balance, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow)
- Tax management (VAT, withholding and additions)
- Cost centres
- Fixed assets and depreciation
- Accounting periods and fiscal years
- Maker-checker permissions
- Audit logs
Advice from an accountant
If you are a small company (under 50 staff) on a tight budget, start with Hunt-lite ERP or Daftra on a SaaS subscription. If you are large and need deep customisation, look at Huntivia or SAP. But for the Egyptian market specifically, Hunt ERP gives you the best value for money and the best Arabic support.
The recommendation
For businesses operating in Egypt in 2026:
- Under 5 employees: Hunt-lite ERP or Daftra (affordable cloud)
- 5-50 employees: Hunt-lite ERP (EGP 1,000/month)
- 50-500 employees: Huntivia (custom)
- Medical practices: Hunt Clinic (5-day trial)
Book a free live demo of Hunt ERP and our team will map your requirements to the right solution.
Ready to see your company reports done right? Request a custom quote or start with a free trial .