
Streamline your business with seamless accounting integration with Salesforce. Learn how to connect systems for real-time data and improved financial insights.
Running your sales and finance teams on separate systems is a recipe for friction. Your sales reps celebrate a closed deal in Salesforce, but your accounting team is left waiting for a manual hand-off to create an invoice. This gap isn't just inefficient; it's a breeding ground for data entry errors, delayed payments, and a foggy view of your company's actual financial health. You're constantly looking in the rearview mirror instead of seeing the road ahead. A proper accounting integration with Salesforce bridges this divide, creating a single, reliable source of truth. It automates the flow of information, ensuring that when a deal is won, your books reflect it instantly, giving you the real-time clarity needed to make smarter, faster business decisions.
Juggling Salesforce and your accounting software separately is like trying to run a relay race with your team in two different stadiums. Your sales team closes a deal, but the finance team doesn't hear about it until days later. This gap creates manual work, opens the door for errors, and keeps you from seeing a clear, up-to-the-minute picture of your business.
Connecting the two systems bridges that gap. It creates a single source of truth where data flows automatically from your CRM to your financial ledger. This sync-up doesn't just make life easier for your teams; it transforms how you operate, report, and grow. Let’s look at the key reasons why this integration is a game-changer.
When your systems aren't connected, your financial data is always a few steps behind reality. You're left waiting for manual updates to understand your cash flow, revenue, and profitability. Integrating your accounting software directly with Salesforce changes that. When a sales rep marks a deal as "Closed-Won," the information can instantly create a corresponding sales order or invoice in your accounting system. This means you get a live look at your company's financial health without delays or data entry errors. This immediate visibility allows you to make faster, more informed decisions based on what’s happening right now, not last week.
Think about all the time your team spends manually transferring customer information, sales orders, and payment details from Salesforce to your accounting platform. It’s tedious, repetitive, and a prime opportunity for costly mistakes. An integration automates this entire process. With a connected system, customer records, product details, and transaction data sync automatically between platforms. This eliminates the need for double data entry, freeing up your team from mind-numbing copy-paste tasks. Instead, they can focus on higher-value work, like analyzing financial trends or improving customer relationships. HubiFi offers seamless integrations that handle this heavy lifting for you.
Great business decisions are built on great data. When your sales and financial data live in separate silos, generating a comprehensive report is a major headache. You have to export data from both systems, merge spreadsheets, and hope everything lines up correctly. Integrating Salesforce with your accounting software brings all that crucial information together. You can easily track the entire customer lifecycle, from the initial lead in Salesforce to the final payment in your accounting ledger. This unified view allows you to generate powerful reports that show exactly how sales activities impact revenue, helping you make strategic decisions with confidence.
Meeting accounting standards and preparing for audits can be stressful, especially when your data is scattered across multiple systems. An integrated system provides a solid foundation for compliance by creating a single, streamlined workflow. Because data moves automatically and consistently, you establish a clear and reliable audit trail for every transaction. This makes it much easier to ensure ASC 606 compliance and other industry regulations. Instead of manually reconciling disparate records, you have a comprehensive and accurate overview of your financial health, giving you and your auditors peace of mind.
Every minute your team spends on manual data entry is a minute they aren't spending on growing the business. By automating workflows and eliminating redundant tasks, an integration directly increases productivity. Fewer manual errors mean less time spent finding and fixing costly mistakes. Over time, these efficiencies add up to significant savings in both time and operational costs. The improved data accuracy also leads to better forecasting, allowing you to plan for the future with greater certainty. Ultimately, connecting Salesforce to your accounting software is an investment that pays for itself through streamlined operations and smarter growth.
Choosing the right accounting software to pair with Salesforce is a big decision. The best fit depends entirely on your business size, industry, and how deeply you want the two systems to connect. Some solutions are built directly on the Salesforce platform for a flawless connection, while others rely on third-party apps to bridge the gap. Let's walk through some of the top contenders so you can find the one that aligns with your financial workflow and growth goals.
While not a standalone accounting platform, HubiFi acts as a powerful data automation layer between Salesforce and your financial systems. Think of it as the expert translator ensuring your sales and accounting teams are speaking the same language, especially when it comes to complex revenue. If your business handles high volumes of transactions or subscriptions, HubiFi automates revenue recognition to keep you compliant with standards like ASC 606. It pulls data from Salesforce and other sources, cleans it up, and prepares it for your accounting software, giving you real-time financial insights without the manual work. You can explore HubiFi's integrations to see how it connects your tech stack.
QuickBooks is a household name for a reason, especially among small and medium-sized businesses. Integrating it with Salesforce helps you create a unified view of your business operations. When your sales team closes a deal in Salesforce, that information—like customer details, sales orders, and invoices—can automatically flow into QuickBooks. This connection eliminates redundant data entry and gives both your sales and accounting teams a clear, shared picture of your company’s financial health. The Salesforce and QuickBooks integration is a popular choice for getting a complete look at your customer lifecycle, from lead to final payment.
Sage Intacct is a robust accounting solution, but its connection with Salesforce can be a bit more hands-on. While an integration is certainly possible, it’s not always as straightforward as with other platforms. Community feedback suggests the out-of-the-box options are somewhat limited. This means you might need to rely on a third-party connector or a custom solution to get the deep, seamless sync you’re looking for. Sage Intacct is a powerful tool on its own, so if its core accounting features are the perfect fit for your business, just be prepared to put a little extra thought and resources into making the Salesforce connection work exactly how you need it to.
As a comprehensive ERP system, Oracle NetSuite is a go-to for many large and scaling businesses. When it comes to integrating with Salesforce, NetSuite often uses a specialized third-party connector from providers like Celigo to make it happen. This isn't a drawback; it's a common approach for enterprise-level software. These middleware solutions offer pre-built templates that can handle the complex data mapping between a powerful ERP like NetSuite and your Salesforce CRM. This method ensures that even though they are two separate, robust systems, you can still create a reliable and automated flow of information between your sales and finance departments.
If your business lives and breathes Salesforce, Accounting Seed is an option you’ll want to look at closely. It’s a native accounting application, which means it was built directly on the Salesforce platform. There’s no integration to manage because your accounting and CRM data exist in the same system from the start. This provides an incredibly seamless experience, with real-time data sharing across your entire organization. Because it’s a native solution, you can create financial reports and dashboards right inside Salesforce, using the same tools your team is already familiar with.
Similar to Accounting Seed, FinancialForce is another accounting and ERP solution built natively on the Salesforce platform. This again means you can skip the hassle of managing a separate integration tool. FinancialForce is designed to handle the needs of complex, service-based businesses and offers a suite of tools that go beyond core accounting, including professional services automation (PSA) and subscription billing. For companies that are deeply invested in the Salesforce ecosystem and need a powerful, all-in-one solution, FinancialForce provides a unified platform where sales, services, and finance can all operate from a single source of truth.
Xero is another excellent accounting platform that’s especially popular with small businesses and startups for its user-friendly interface. While Xero doesn’t offer a direct, built-in integration with Salesforce, connecting the two is simple. You can achieve a seamless sync by using one of the many third-party connector apps available on the Salesforce AppExchange. These tools act as a bridge, allowing you to automatically sync invoices, payments, and customer data between Xero and Salesforce. This approach gives you the flexibility to choose an integration tool that has the specific features and pricing that work best for your business.
Connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 with Salesforce can be challenging. Because Dynamics is a direct competitor to Salesforce—offering its own CRM solution—the two systems aren't designed to work together easily. While a custom integration is technically possible, it’s often complex, costly, and difficult to maintain. Most businesses that use Dynamics for accounting also use it for their CRM to keep everything within the same Microsoft ecosystem. If your company is already committed to Salesforce for its CRM, you’ll likely find a smoother and more cost-effective integration experience with a different accounting software.
Connecting your accounting software to Salesforce isn't a one-size-fits-all project. The best path for your business depends on your specific needs, your budget, and the technical resources you have on hand. Think of it like building a bridge between two islands—you could use a pre-fabricated walkway, a custom-engineered suspension bridge, or something in between. Each method has its own set of pros and cons. Understanding these options is the first step toward creating a seamless flow of financial data that empowers your team instead of creating more manual work.
From simple, out-of-the-box solutions to fully customized connections, the goal is to get your data working for you, not against you. This means automating processes, eliminating data entry errors, and gaining a clear, accurate financial picture that you can trust. HubiFi specializes in creating these connections, ensuring your data from various sources is integrated smoothly for compliance and real-time analytics. Our integrations are designed to handle high-volume transactions and complex revenue streams. Let's explore the different ways you can link your systems and what to expect from each approach so you can make the best choice for your business.
Native integrations are the most straightforward option. These are connections built directly into the software by the developers. For example, an accounting application like Accounting Seed is designed specifically to work on the Salesforce platform. This approach creates a truly seamless experience, as the two systems are designed to speak the same language from the start. You get a real-time view of your financial data right within Salesforce, which helps automate tasks and prevents information from getting siloed in separate systems. It’s often the quickest and most reliable way to get up and running with minimal fuss.
Think of third-party connectors as pre-built bridges you can find in a marketplace, like the Salesforce AppExchange. These apps are created by other companies to link popular software that doesn't have a native integration. They offer a great middle ground, but it's important to do your research. Just because a connector says it "integrates with Salesforce" doesn't guarantee it will be a perfect fit for your unique setup. You'll want to read recent reviews, check that the developer provides regular updates, and confirm it can handle your specific data mapping needs before you commit to a subscription.
If you have highly specific needs that off-the-shelf solutions can't meet, a custom API solution might be your answer. An API (Application Programming Interface) is essentially a set of rules that allows developers to build a custom bridge between your software. If your accounting system has an accessible API, a skilled developer can almost certainly integrate it with Salesforce. This method offers maximum flexibility, allowing you to tailor the data flow precisely to your business processes. It’s the go-to choice for complex workflows or when you need to connect a niche or legacy system. If this sounds like your situation, you can schedule a demo to discuss your unique data challenges with us.
Middleware platforms act as a central hub or translator between multiple applications. Instead of building individual point-to-point connections, you connect each system to the middleware platform, which then manages the data flow between them. Salesforce's own MuleSoft is a powerful example of middleware used to connect systems like QuickBooks. These platforms are ideal for larger businesses that need to integrate several different tools—not just accounting and Salesforce—and want a scalable way to manage all those connections from one place. They provide robust tools for transforming and routing data, making them a powerful long-term solution for complex tech stacks.
No matter which path you choose, be prepared for some level of customization. Most accounting integrations need adjustments to fit a company's specific processes. The costs and timelines can vary widely. Native integrations are often the fastest to implement, while custom API solutions can take weeks or even months, depending on complexity. Your budget should account for potential expenses like monthly subscription fees for connectors, development costs for custom work, and fees for an implementation partner. If you don't have an expert in-house, hiring a partner is a wise investment to ensure the project is done right. You can review our pricing information to get an idea of how we structure our solutions.
When you’re ready to connect your accounting software with Salesforce, it’s not just about picking a tool and flipping a switch. The right integration solution should feel like a natural extension of your existing workflow, equipped with features that make your life easier, not more complicated. A great integration doesn’t just move data around; it transforms it into a reliable, secure, and insightful asset for your entire team. As you evaluate your options, focus on solutions that offer a core set of powerful features. These are the non-negotiables that separate a clunky, time-consuming setup from a truly seamless system that supports your business growth.
The whole point of an integration is to eliminate manual data entry, so automatic, real-time syncing is the most critical feature to look for. When your sales team closes a deal in Salesforce, that information should instantly and accurately appear in your accounting software without anyone having to lift a finger. This two-way street ensures that both your sales and finance teams are working from the same playbook. Look for a tool that can handle data uploads, updates, and analysis automatically. This continuous flow of information prevents costly errors, gives you an up-to-the-minute view of your finances, and frees up your team to focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets.
Your accounting software and Salesforce likely have different names for similar data fields—what one calls a "Client ID," the other might call a "Customer Number." Flexible field mapping allows you to connect these corresponding fields so data transfers correctly. The best integration tools make this process intuitive, allowing you to define the relationships between fields without needing to write code. Some solutions are even "native" to Salesforce, meaning they are built directly on the platform. This shared foundation ensures all your tools can share information instantly, which minimizes manual work and the risk of human error.
You’re dealing with your company’s most sensitive financial and customer information, so security is paramount. A trustworthy integration must have robust security measures to protect data both in transit and at rest. This includes encryption, secure authentication, and compliance with data protection regulations. Salesforce itself is built to help firms securely share information with trusted partners while protecting client privacy. Your chosen integration partner should uphold these same high standards, giving you peace of mind that your financial data is always safe from unauthorized access.
Staying compliant with accounting standards like ASC 606 can be a major headache, especially for high-volume businesses. An integration with built-in compliance logic can automate complex revenue recognition and other regulatory requirements. By streamlining separate accounting processes into a single, integrated application, you create a solid foundation for accurate financial reporting. This not only helps you close your books faster but also ensures you’re always prepared for an audit. When you schedule a consultation, ask potential partners how their solution specifically addresses the compliance standards relevant to your industry.
When your sales and financial data live in the same ecosystem, you gain the ability to generate much more powerful reports. Instead of pulling data from separate systems, you can create comprehensive dashboards that show the full customer lifecycle—from initial lead to final payment. A great integration will leverage this combined data to provide actionable insights. Some tools even use AI to analyze customer data, suggest next steps, and automate tasks. This helps your team make smarter, data-driven decisions that can improve everything from sales forecasting to customer satisfaction and overall profitability.
Not everyone on your team needs access to every piece of financial data. Clear user access controls are essential for maintaining data integrity and security. Your integration solution should allow you to set granular permissions, defining who can view, create, or edit specific information based on their role. This ensures your sales team can see the customer data they need in Salesforce without accessing sensitive accounting details, and your finance team can manage financials without altering sales records. This feature is key to a smooth rollout and helps you manage your data effectively as your team grows.
Connecting your accounting software to Salesforce is a game-changer, but let's be real—it’s not always a simple plug-and-play process. You might hit a few bumps along the way, from mismatched data fields to systems that just don’t want to talk to each other. The good news is that these challenges are completely manageable with a bit of foresight and the right strategy. Think of them less as roadblocks and more as checkpoints on your path to a streamlined financial workflow. Tackling these common hurdles head-on will ensure your integration is a success from day one. If you feel stuck, remember that data experts can help you build a clear path forward.
One of the first tasks in any integration is data mapping—basically, telling your systems how a field in Salesforce corresponds to a field in your accounting software. This can get tricky when you have complex data structures or custom fields. A simple mismatch can lead to sync errors, duplicate entries, and messy reports. The key is to plan your data map before you start. Using a native solution where your tools can share information instantly helps avoid manual entry errors and saves a ton of time. Look for integration tools that offer flexible, intuitive field mapping to make the process as painless as possible.
You’ve probably seen plenty of software that claims to “integrate with Salesforce,” but this is where you need to read the fine print. An off-the-shelf connector might not be built to handle your company’s unique processes or custom Salesforce setup. Just because an integration exists doesn't mean it will work well for your unique Salesforce setup. Before you commit, do your research. Ask for a live demo that mirrors your use case, read reviews from businesses similar to yours, and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions about how the integration handles specific workflows that are critical to your operations.
Connecting systems that handle your most sensitive financial and customer information naturally brings up security concerns. A data breach is the last thing you want to deal with. Your top priority should be ensuring that any integration you choose follows strict security protocols, including data encryption both in transit and at rest. Salesforce itself is built to help firms securely share information and protects sensitive client data, so your integration partner should meet that same high standard. Look for solutions that are transparent about their security measures and have certifications like SOC 2 to prove it.
A clunky integration can be a major drag on your team’s productivity. If syncing data slows down Salesforce or your accounting platform to a crawl, you’ve traded one problem for another. A well-designed integration should run efficiently in the background without disrupting your team’s daily work. Modern solutions often use AI to turn data into insights and automate tasks, which helps your team respond faster. Ask potential integration providers how their solution handles large data volumes and whether it performs syncs in real-time or in scheduled batches to minimize performance impact.
The whole point of an integration is to create a single source of truth for your financial data. But what happens if errors start creeping in? Manual data entry is a huge source of inaccuracies, and a good integration should eliminate it almost entirely. By choosing a solution designed to streamline separate accounting processes into one application, you ensure consistency across platforms. This automation is your best defense against human error, giving you clean, reliable data you can trust for reporting and strategic decision-making. Your goal is to trust the data, no matter which system you’re looking at.
You can implement the most powerful integration in the world, but it won’t matter if your team doesn’t use it. People often stick to what they know, so a smooth transition is crucial for getting everyone on board. The reality is that most accounting applications need to be tweaked to fit your specific business. Involve your team in the selection process, provide thorough training, and choose a solution with a user-friendly interface. A system that’s intuitive and clearly makes their jobs easier is a system they’ll actually embrace.
Connecting your financial data to your CRM is a big step, and it’s one you need to take with care. When these systems talk to each other, they’re passing around some of your most sensitive business information. That’s why running a few key security and compliance checks isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential for protecting your business, your customers, and your reputation. A solid integration prioritizes security from the ground up, giving you peace of mind.
Your customer and financial data is your responsibility. A secure Salesforce integration helps you uphold that responsibility by implementing strong data protection standards from the start. The right setup ensures you can securely share information with trusted partners and protects sensitive client data, ensuring privacy and building trust. This involves encryption for data both in transit and at rest, as well as adherence to privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Before committing to an integration solution, verify that it meets these high standards to keep your information safe from unauthorized access.
When it comes to your finances, you need a clear, unchangeable record of every transaction and data modification. A reliable audit trail is non-negotiable for compliance, internal controls, and troubleshooting. Your integration should automatically log every change, showing who did what and when. This detailed history is critical for everything from asset management and account reconciliation to tax reporting. Having access to a system that allows for full accounting and portfolio analysis means you can confidently pass audits and maintain financial integrity without having to manually trace every single data point.
Not everyone on your team needs access to all your financial data. Implementing granular access controls is a fundamental security practice that limits data exposure to only what’s necessary for an employee’s role. Your integration should allow you to define user permissions, restricting who can view, create, edit, or delete sensitive information. This prevents accidental data entry errors and protects against internal threats. Look for solutions that offer robust, customizable roles and permissions, ensuring the right people have the right access, backed by a team with top-notch hands-on client service experience to help you set it up correctly.
Every industry has its own set of rules, from ASC 606 in SaaS to HIPAA in healthcare. Your accounting integration must be able to support the specific compliance standards that govern your business. This isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about operating ethically and responsibly. Working with a Certified Salesforce Product Development Organization can be a huge advantage, as they have proven expertise in building solutions that meet complex regulatory requirements. They can help ensure your integrated system is configured to handle industry-specific revenue recognition, reporting, and data handling rules correctly from day one.
Even with the best security measures, you need a plan for the unexpected. A comprehensive backup and recovery strategy is your safety net against data corruption, system failures, or cyberattacks. Your integration partner should offer automated, regular backups of your data. Just as important is a clear and tested recovery process that allows you to restore operations quickly and minimize downtime. Seeing how major companies use their own technology to run every part of our business showcases the importance of building resilient, recoverable systems. Make sure you understand the backup frequency and recovery time objectives before you finalize your integration plan.
You’ve connected your systems and streamlined your data flow—great work! But the project isn’t quite finished. The final step is to measure whether the integration is actually delivering the results you hoped for. Without clear metrics, you’re just guessing. Tracking your success helps you justify the investment, spot areas for improvement, and make sure your new, connected system is truly working for your business. It’s about moving from feeling more organized to knowing you’re operating more effectively.
Before you can measure success, you need to define what it looks like for your team. Start by setting a few Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that directly relate to the problems you wanted to solve. Were you trying to speed up your monthly close? Your KPI could be "Time to Close Financials." Frustrated with billing errors? Track "Invoice Accuracy Rate." When you combine your CRM and accounting, managing your money becomes much easier and more accurate. By establishing these benchmarks upfront, you create a clear, objective way to see just how much value your Salesforce integration is adding to your financial operations.
Your integration is designed to create a single source of truth, but that only works if the data is reliable. Poor data quality can lead to flawed reports and bad business decisions, even with the best software. Keep an eye out for duplicate customer records, incomplete order information, or mismatched invoice details. A successful integration enables "hands-free" accounting where tasks are automated, but that automation depends on clean data. Make a habit of running regular data health checks to catch and fix issues early. This ensures your automated revenue recognition processes are built on a solid foundation of accurate, trustworthy information.
One of the biggest wins from an integration is getting time back. Are your teams actually working faster? Measure it. You can track the average time it takes to get from a closed-won opportunity in Salesforce to a sent invoice from your accounting software. Using AI and automation to turn client data into useful insights should help your team respond faster and work more proactively. Shaving hours or even days off your key financial workflows not only saves money but also frees up your team to focus on more strategic work instead of getting bogged down in manual tasks.
Ultimately, your integration needs to make financial sense. Calculating your return on investment (ROI) gives you a clear picture of the integration's bottom-line impact. Start by adding up the total costs, including software subscriptions, implementation fees, and any training time. Then, quantify the benefits. This includes "soft" savings, like hours saved from eliminating manual data entry, and "hard" savings, like reduced billing errors or faster collections. A well-executed integration helps you see exactly how your business is doing and where you can make improvements. This calculation proves the project's value and builds a strong case for future technology investments.
A great integration should feel invisible—it just works. To make sure it stays that way, you need to monitor its technical performance. Keep an eye on things like data sync speed, API call success rates, and system uptime. You don't want a sluggish or unreliable connection slowing down your team. A secure integration also protects sensitive client data and ensures privacy, which is a critical part of its performance. If you notice frequent sync errors or slowdowns, address them right away to maintain trust in the system. If you're unsure what to look for, you can always schedule a consultation to discuss how a robust integration should perform.
My accounting software wasn't on your list. Does that mean I can't connect it to Salesforce? Not at all. The list covers some of the most common platforms, but it's definitely not exhaustive. The most important thing to check is whether your accounting software has an open API. If it does, a skilled developer can almost certainly build a custom connection to Salesforce. This gives you complete control over how data moves between your systems, tailored exactly to your workflow.
Is this something I can set up myself, or do I really need to hire an expert? This depends on the complexity of your needs. If you're using a popular platform like QuickBooks and only need a basic sync, a third-party connector from the AppExchange might be straightforward enough to set up on your own. However, if you have custom fields, complex revenue streams, or high transaction volumes, investing in an implementation partner is a smart move. An expert ensures the integration is secure, efficient, and built correctly from the start, saving you from major headaches down the road.
What's the real difference between a native app and a third-party connector? Think of it this way: a native application is like having your accounting department built right inside your sales office. They share the same foundation, so information flows instantly and effortlessly. A third-party connector is like a reliable courier service running documents between two separate buildings. It gets the job done, but there's an extra step involved, and you're relying on the courier to be fast and accurate. Both can work, but a native solution is inherently more seamless.
My business is still small. Is an integration like this worth the investment right now? It's a great question, and the answer is usually yes. Setting up an integration early establishes good habits and scalable processes. It might feel like you can manage the manual data entry now, but that work will grow exponentially as your business does. By connecting your systems early, you build a solid foundation that prevents data silos and costly errors from ever taking root, freeing you up to focus on growth instead of future cleanup projects.
What's the most important thing to do before starting an integration project? The most critical first step is to get your sales and finance teams in the same room to map out your ideal data flow. Before you even look at a single piece of software, you need to agree on what information needs to move, when it needs to move, and what it should be called in both systems. This planning phase prevents the vast majority of common hurdles, ensures the final solution actually works for the people using it, and creates a clear blueprint for a successful project.
Former Root, EVP of Finance/Data at multiple FinTech startups
Jason Kyle Berwanger: An accomplished two-time entrepreneur, polyglot in finance, data & tech with 15 years of expertise. Builder, practitioner, leader—pioneering multiple ERP implementations and data solutions. Catalyst behind a 6% gross margin improvement with a sub-90-day IPO at Root insurance, powered by his vision & platform. Having held virtually every role from accountant to finance systems to finance exec, he brings a rare and noteworthy perspective in rethinking the finance tooling landscape.