# Denali Business Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Denali Business the right Accounting solution for you? Explore 61 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/20020/Denali-Accounting-Software/reviews --- Denali Business 3.9 (61) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Denali Business Ease of use 3.8 Customer Service 3.9 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 61 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use SS Sharon S. Owner/ Office Mgr. Used the software for: ### "I am currently using the Denali software, having transitioned over from Cougar Mt Pro" February 15, 2016 5.0 I am 66 years old, and do not possess all the technical skills of todays youth. Having said that, I learned Cougar Mt Software 25+ years ago. (when DOS based was the norm)! Cougar Mt Pro was easy to learn and work with. The Program writers did a great job with the transitioning into Denali. The Software is easy to access, understand and maneuver though..The Modules were well thought out and set up. It gives me what I need for our Accountant and more so. I'm an extremely cautious person that doesn't go outside the box of what is comfortable for me. For that reason, I "always" purchase and rely on the Support Contract package offered. Its worth every penny! From the girls that take your Support Request, to the Installers of new Updates, the specialist dealing with customized report needs and I can not forget or say enough good about the Technical personnel! With 25 years of working with Cougar Mt., I can honestly say the Customer Service Representatives are outstanding! Everyone is courteous, knowledgeable and focused. In the fast pace world we are in and everyone needing help "now", the turn around time from call to help is minimal. Everyone at Cougar Mt is so dedicated to helping you solve your issue! I am ever so grateful for their support team! Review Source EB Ernest B. Owner Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Being a user of this software for more than twenty years over all I it" January 18, 2016 4.0 Pros It is a very stable platform and the service we get from computer team is first class Cons they use a genuis credit card capturing device and we feel that the device should capture the signature of our customers that have an open account. we have to have the customer sign twice or copy the A/R invoice! Review Source KK Karen K. Vice President/IT Used the software for: ### "Single service user" May 19, 2016 2.0 We are using only the PO module of the software. Before purchasing the software, we shared specific requirements for our PO system, and we either did a poor job of communicating those requirements, or the sales team made promises that the installers couldn't match. Because we are charged for all support calls, we hesitate to continue to complain, so we're making it work as is. If I had it all to do over again, I would probably look elsewhere. Review Source Response from Cougar Mountain Software June 2, 2016 Thank you for taking the time to post a review and provide your honest assessment. We have reviewed your support logs and believe the corrections to your reported problems were provided to you. If you have yet to implement the latest version of the PO module, please do so. If you still encounter problems, we encourage you to contact us. Regarding the use of support: we do bill customers based on their usage of support. We find this to be a fair method of cost as you literally "pay for what you use" as opposed to a fixed fee pricing structure where you pay for support you might or might not use. We are constantly working to improve Denali as well as our customer relationships; we appreciate your input to the process. DS David S. Owner Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best value in accounting software I have ever seen." November 3, 2015 4.5 Pros It can be tailored to fit nearly any need. With CMS I can get the Custom Modifications I need for some of my special needs. Right out of the box it has so many customizable options you can not imagine what all it can do. If you can not fid a way, just call CMS. They can and will find a way to fit everything you need. Cons It is not a pop-the-top and pour software. It can be a little complex for the beginner. But with time and use you can usually make it perform however you need. Review Source SH Sandy H. Bookkeeper Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "We learn something new everyday, their customer service is exceptional" March 31, 2016 4.5 Pros The integration of all of the packages and the easy customization to your needs. I like that you can get as much detail or as little detail as you require on your reports. The financial statements, trial balances, and audit trails work to assist you in finding any posting errors. Cons The payroll package. I do not like the payroll reports. I am used to easier payroll reports for my payroll taxes and I do not like that I have to use an outside Payroll company to be able to easily see what I owe. Yes I can figure it out but without the use of the outside Payroll company but with it, it is 1000 times faster. But for the extra cost of the outside company, I doubt my employer would even consider it. The customer service of Cougar Mountain is exceptional. No complaints here. Review Source KO Kelly O. Executive Director Used the software for: ### "Amazing" September 18, 2015 5.0 Cougar Mountain has excellent customer service and support. They are incredibly responsive and always ready to help and answer any questions. They follow up with you to ensure you are satisfied and don't have any questions. They go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. Their software is also incredibly straightforward and easy to use. I work for a non-profit so I purchase Denali with GL, Payroll, AP, Bank Rec and Donor Express management. The different modules correlate incredibly well together allowing the accounting to be super efficient. It was easy to learn and just makes sense. My sales representative went above and beyond to ensure I had everything I needed and was progressing with my installations and training appointments. He checked in with me regularly and truly cared that this software was meeting my needs. The installation techs were very friendly and ensured the software was up and running quickly. My trainer was incredibly helpful and walked me through how to use the program and different modules. He was thorough, responsive and very friendly. I highly recommend Cougar Mountain! Review Source RC Russell C. President Accounting Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Rough start" June 3, 2016 2.0 Pros It seems as though it could be a valuable software. Was probably a large step up from the DOS days. Cons You can't go back an look at transactions. They have an internal coding that you must first learn to get anywhere around the software. Review Source Response from Cougar Mountain Software June 8, 2016 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It seems your experience was out of the ordinary, but none-the-less very valuable to our team. Over the last 34 years we’ve invested in qualified staff that understand accounting, some of whom hold master’s degrees in accounting, CPA certification, and a who all have well rounded exposure to best practices in accounting. Cougar Mountain Software customers consistently report 94.78 satisfaction with our solution and our ongoing commitment supporting our customers as business partners. We hope that we can earn the chance to help you serve your clients in the future. Please reach out with any additional suggestions, or if we can help in anyway call a member of our leadership team at (208) 375-4455 Ext. 165. We would be happy to help. TG Tom G. Accountant Philanthropy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for the price, Mostly got it right..." August 31, 2016 4.0 Pros From an audit standpoint, batch processing, locked transactions and audit trail, easy G/L, full module integration. From an ease of use, straight forward accounting product. Cons From an ease of use, graphics and click area make for some clunky functionality. Payroll reporting should provide more detail to make sure quarterly reports can be completed in case Aatrix is unavailable. Review Source BR Betty R. Bookkeeper Used the software for: ### "Not user friendly" November 30, 2015 2.0 I know that we have an outdated version of your software, but find it to be not user friendly and when you call for help, you are initially put on hold for as much as 45 minutes and then it takes the whole day to get a call back. When I need help, I need it at the time... No need to contact us, we are changing software and are about to go live. Review Source Response from Cougar Mountain Software December 10, 2015 Betty, thank you for posting your feedback. We certainly can understand the frustration of waiting for support. We released Denali, our latest and flagship product, many years ago and have concentrated our support staff on meeting the needs of the growing volume of Denali users. The result has been that the number of staff trained and available to service customers that remain on our heritage product (CMS Pro) has dwindled. Because there are fewer available staff that know this aging product the result is longer response times for customers that remain on that product. We are sad to hear that you will be converting to another accounting product but wish you well and good business in the coming years. RI Ronald I. Accountant Primary/Secondary Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "FAYETTE COUNTY HEAD START" July 15, 2016 5.0 Pros The Support Staff is outstanding. Every time I have needed them they have solved the problem or answered my question successfully. Cons Some of the reports need improvement. The payroll reports should be keyed more to the information needed for quarterly reporting. They need to allow for more than one accounting year to be open at at time. Review Source SC Shivakshi C. Software Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Cougar Mountain DENALI" November 9, 2016 4.0 Cougar Mountain DENALI is ideal for small to mid-size companies. Very cost-effective yet plenty of features. Easy to learn and use. The software is very stable and secure. I do like it a lot and need to learn a lot of things right now. Pros Manages an unlimited amount of inventory and concurrent users. Amazing customer support. Cons Many features costs extra money, even after purchasing the separate module. Review Source AP Aaron P. Retail Used the software for: ### "Denali is the best!" December 2, 2014 4.5 Pros I like the inventory control the best. I also like the fact that Cougar Mountain has regular updates and that they are always striving to improve their product. Cons I'd like to be able to better customize what and how a screen looks and acts. As far as the vendor, the thing I like the least about them is sometimes it's hard to get through to support. Review Source BY Brian Y. CFO Used the software for: ### "20+ years of solid performance" January 20, 2016 5.0 Pro's - Easy data entry, batch processing, data integrity. Con's - Not easily customizable (lots of extra data fields to enter thru in data entry), sub-ledgers have to be balanced to control accounts manually (a/p and a/r ledgers versus balances in General ledger) - doesn't not flag when they are out of balance. Financial reports are very basic. No cash-flow reports. Overall, I am very pleased with this accounting package. Review Source MW Melissa W. Office Manager/Bookkeeper Used the software for: ### "Easy to use" December 11, 2015 4.0 Only downfall I have found is I can not search by any word in the description. Example: 3/4" carbide drill bit - you have to put 3/4" in before it pulls up, you can not search carbide and it show up. Would prefer any word in the description allow the item to show up (If that makes any sense) :) Other than that, great customer service and its an easy to use program. Review Source MA Margaret A. Comptroller Used the software for: ### "Partial usage of software" February 19, 2016 4.0 We only use Cougar Mountain to post information from our hand written invoices. We post invoice #, total due and customer po# only. This gives us an ability to mail a statement with payments posted against it. It does give us a report to use for Sales Tax. We do not have inventory or A/P on this system. Review Source CC Christine C. VP Used the software for: ### "Reports" April 7, 2011 5.0 I have used this software since 1990. Need I say more? Pros Variety of viewing Personal options Download to spreadsheets Design your own Cons Too many options in Report Writer and no time to learn them all. Review Source MB Mary B. Office Manager Used the software for: ### "Easy to use. Great reports. " September 10, 2015 5.0 We converted to Denali about 9 months ago and I have nothing but good things to say about the experience. The trainer was awesome and the few times we have needed tech support I have been pleased with their responsiveness. Review Source MC Mary C. Financial Administrator Used the software for: ### "I'm a new user and continue to discover great features" January 17, 2016 4.0 Pros - ease of use, customer service, exports, choices of report output Cons - can't view posted batches or journals Review Source GF Gregory F. Owner Used the software for: ### "Used for about 30 yrs. Mostly satisfied." December 2, 2015 4.0 Easy to customize to different business types. Support and updates have been somewhat expensive. Review Source SH SANDRA H. SECRETARY Used the software for: ### "still learning, but so far it is good" January 14, 2016 5.0 I still have a lot to learn Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not as good as CMS Pro but heading in excellent direction" June 2, 2017 4.0 Pros For the money, the features are excellent and I challenge you to find a better product in the price range. We have been using CMS since 1992. In fact, I still have one business doing in same revenue still using the DOS version. We also use Pro for some businesses and one business is now on Denali. The product is excellent. We didn't want to change from CMS PRO but had to. Denali is strong. Not yet better than PRO but most users won't know the difference. Bottom line: solid accounting foundation, well organized, more than capable for wholesale distributor. We are heavily customized which was not possible with Denali. Thankfully, they have partners that are very capable. I have always considered CMS one of the best business decisions I ever made. Cons Somewhat slower to use. Screens are not colored well so can be hard to use/ see what you're doing. I wish they would at least acknowledge the strengths of CMS Pro and work harder to identify and incorporate them into Denali. Oh, the new software programming doesn't allow you to easily move the data and run it from another location. That was a huge advantage when hard drives failed or we needed to move systems. It will be much harder now. These are not big issues but they are cons from my perspective. I'd still buy the product any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Review Source MB Mark B. President Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Many features not right. My CPA hates the software." September 5, 2017 2.0 Anything that is wrong with the software, they make you feel it's your fault, or they designed it that way. Customer service feels like it's run by a your worst nightmare of a Cable Company. Pros History. I love history for my customer's past purchase. Multi Level Pricing for inventory. 2 Must haves for my business. Cons Software is more suited for a simple Cash drawer. Forget a mixed environment, card swipe and online terminals for Credit card processing. Even Cougar Mountain does not use integrated Card Processing themselves. Credit Cards processed though Sales do not show in Bank Reconciliation, yet Card Payments in AR do show in Bank Reconciliation. Ask why, Because you might not make the deposit from the Sale. Just a example of odd answers from Management. Many things just don't work the way they should. Warnings that an invoice is not printed before posting also include any on hold order not printed. Ship To address files have crossed variables. A Ship To Company Name is NOT used anywhere but in the UI for entering. Contact name becomes the Ship to Company name. This was "designed" this way. eDelivery for Invoices/Statements still limited to 75 pages per run after software has been around for a year. Their solution, just select less than 75. eDelivery Software then tosses out system level errors. Solution, Reboot your computer as Windows 10 Pro is at fault. Even a computer from Cougar, setup just for their software. Review Source Miguel Angel C. Diseño Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Denali Business: Un programa costoso que cumple su trabajo." May 3, 2023 4.0 Es un programa es útil para ser implementado en empresas pequeñas y medianas, pero su costo y dificultad de aprender a usarlo pueden llevar a replantarse a adquirir otro producto disponible en el mercado. Pros Es una buena herramienta para desarrollar soluciones en la contabilidad para empresas. Adaptándose a las necesidades de las mismas, mientras registra las cuentas. Cons Su costo es excesivamente alto aun mas teniendo en cuenta las empresas a las que esta dirigida la aplicación. Incluso el aprender a usarlo puede ser complejo para nuevos usuarios Alternatives considered [NetSuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/)[QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/) Review Source DG Don G. President Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "20+ Years Of Use, Sorely Disappointed" October 23, 2015 1.0 Pros The only good thing I can say about it is the searches and reports using crystal reports versus report writer is lightning fast. Cons Our company purchased our first Cougar software in the early 90’s, and have updated to every new version along the way. In July 2015 we bought the Denali version, and it has been terrible. Don’t touch it with a ten foot pole. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t find new errors in the software. Spent a lot of dollars to get everything converted and our rep, while trying to be helpful, gets the run around from support. When I talk to support they tell me our support dollars have been used and they can’t report the problem to fix, even though it’s obviously a program error. We can’t generate purchase orders, because the system ignores items on back order. We can’t do a general ledger month to month comparison. I pointed out this problem in July and they said it may be fixed by year end. Many of our month end statements have to be changed because of wrong amounts, and the payroll has bugs. I feel that we are a Beta test sight and paying them to learn of all the errors. Review Source JF John F. Accounting and Technology interface Used the software for: ### " Denali is full of Bugs, report information is inaccurate. Information cannot be trusted" November 13, 2015 1.0 Examples 1.Purchase Order generated an incorrect back order PO- the quantity on the PO was not what was in the Inventory Master Record. 2.The General Ledger impact report in Edit does not show accurate balances. 3. Interface with UPS Worldship does not work. 4. The daily backup only goes to a Local C Drive on a desktop. 5. Customer Statements have incorrect due dates. 6. Cannot print a Zero Dollar Invoice, but it does process through posting. 7. The percentages over Min and Max do not always work in PO. 8. Cannot modify existing reports as the data fields available are very restricted. Plus- Crystal reporting tool works very well and can be used to generate stand alone reports directly from underlying files. System speed is very good. Report output allows for export to excel files. Easy to publish adjusted standard reports. Reprint a posting in GL very helpful. Review Source Response from Cougar Mountain Software December 5, 2015 Thanks for your comments. Your points are acknowledged. We have received a design change request related to PO-generation. Also, you are right about the UPS Worldwide interface. That interface was in CMS Pro (our legacy product) but was never implemented in Denali. There are a couple of points that are unknown to us. These include the issue with the Impact Summary and the issue with the Customer Statement. We¿ve searched our records for reports of these problems without finding them. We welcome your help in recreating those. Some of the points align with the expected use of the product. The backup does not have to be saved only to the local C drive, it can be saved to any networked location. Also, zero dollar invoices are not printed as the default in Denali because many (most) customers do not want them to print. (You can print these invoices manually by selecting All as the invoice type to print.) We are constantly improving Denali and appreciate your input to the process. Similar Products Featured