QuickBooks Online Pricing: Plan Overviews + Alternatives

Choosing the right accounting software can significantly impact businesses looking to scale operations. With accounting software, businesses gain better oversight of key financial metrics like cash flow, expenses, payroll, and more.

Solutions like QuickBooks are designed for small, medium, and enterprise businesses, and they have various features for financial management.

We’ll look at QuickBooks in more detail, including how much QuickBooks online and QuickBooks online pricing comparisons against other solutions to see if it’s the right choice for you. We'll also talk about how Wise Business is a great option for managing your global business needs.

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How much is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks online subscriptions have several different options depending on the size of the business and its needs. When it comes to QuickBooks costs for small businesses, options range from basic accounting functions to more complex features.¹

Simple Start

The Simple Start QuickBooks cost for small businesses is $17 per month when paid annually and includes various features. The Simple Start subscription comprises income and expense management, bookkeeping automation, banking features, invoices and payments, tax deductions, receipt captures, and cash flow management. This subscription also includes features such as estimates, general reports, bill management, and the ability to connect one sales channel to integrate operations.

Essentials

Moving on to other QuickBooks online subscriptions, the Essentials subscription is a step up from the Simple Start option. Essentials starts at $32.50 per month when paid annually and includes features similar to Simple Start, plus additional capabilities. Essentials is best for smaller teams since it consists of the option to add up to 3 more users to the subscription.

With the Essentials, businesses can access cash flow management, income and expenses monitoring, invoices and payments, and everything else included in Simple Start. Plus, the Essentials program offers the ability to connect to up to 3 different sales channels, multiple currencies, and time management.

Plus

The Plus plan goes one step further than the Simple Start and Essentials subscription plan and offers more granularity in financial management for businesses. The QuickBooks cost for small businesses for the Plus plan is $49.50 per month when paid annually and includes all of the features from Simple Start and Essentials. The Plus plan works well for small to medium-sized teams since it allows up to 5 users on the same plan.

The Plus plan also offers more comprehensive reporting, giving businesses deeper insight into financial performance. With the Plus plan, all sales channels can be connected, so there’s a higher level of automation and integration with current operations. The Plus plan also includes monitoring tools like inventory project profitability, and QuickBooks also recently added financial planning to this plan.

Advanced

For larger businesses looking for a full-service financial management solution, the Advanced is the best option within the QuickBooks plan. The Advanced plan includes everything from the Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus plan and integration and automation options. QuickBooks online Advanced pricing starts at $117.50 per month when paid annually and is a good option for larger businesses with a finance team as it can accommodate up to 25 users.

With the advanced plan, businesses have a complete set of financial management tools from the earlier plans, plus a host of more in-depth features. The Advanced Plan includes the capabilities of auto-tracking fixed assets, including predictive insights, Excel data syncs, batch invoices, and expenses, custom access control, workflow automation, and data restoration. With the Advanced plan, businesses also have access to 24/7 support and training to get the most out of their QuickBooks online subscriptions, adding significant value to the plan.

QuickBooks Online Payroll Pricing

It might be worth exploring a QuickBooks online pricing comparison for businesses looking for payroll solutions to see if this could be the right option alongside their accounting plans. QuickBooks offers bundled solutions for payroll and bookkeeping, with various options available for businesses.

The Payroll Core + Simple Start offers full-service, auto payroll, next-day direct deposit, and 1099 E-File and Pay features. It also includes employee relations features such as dedicated portals, health benefits, 401(k) plans, and workers comp administration. It integrates the Simple Start plan for bookkeeping, making it a comprehensive solution. The QuickBooks cost for small businesses is $42.50 a month when paid annually, plus an additional $6 per month for each employee added.

The Payroll Core + Essentials combines the Essential subscription with the same Payroll features. However, there’s the extra granularity with this combination since there’s the ability to track time and manage bills. The Payroll Core + Essentials bundles cost $57.50 a month when paid annually, with an additional $6 per employee added.

The QuickBooks Payroll Premium Plan is bundled together with the Plus plan for a holistic payroll and accounting solution. The Payroll Premium plan includes all the Core features, as well as expert review options, 24/7 product support, and the ability to track time on the go. The Payroll Premium and Plus bundle costs $92 a month when paid annually, with an additional $9 per employee added.²

Alternatives to QuickBooks Online

While QuickBooks is a popular choice for many businesses, many alternatives offer similar features and subscription options worth exploring as you undertake a QuickBooks online pricing comparison.

Wave

Wave is a full-service financial management solution for small, medium, and large businesses. Wave has a tiered pricing structure, offering both a free and paid version, the PRO plan for $16 per month. Wave features include invoicing, both automated and manual options, invoice tracking, and payment integration, including credit card, Apple Pay, and bank transfer.

Wave also includes accounting features such as cash flow management and expense tracking. Additionally, Wave provides support for mobile receipts and on-the-go payments.

With Wave, businesses can also administer payroll through the solution and also have access to advisors for bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll support.³

Xero

Xero is another full-service accounting software solution for businesses. It includes features such as invoice management, bill payments, cash flow, balance monitoring, and all financial information in one place. Xero syncs to bank accounts to keep financials up-to-date and also allows for multiple team members to join for collaboration.

Like Wave, Xero accepts payments via credit card, debit card, and direct debit. It includes features for invoice management, such as automated reminders and mobile receipts. Xero also contains expense features, such as spend management and claim reimbursement.

Xero includes customization options, including integration with different financial apps to keep everything in one place. The solution also includes project tracking, payroll administration via Gusto, and advanced reporting options for financial oversight.⁴

Xero pricing plans start at $15 a month for an Early business plan. Their Gorwing plan is $42 a month for small to medium-sized businesses. For larger firms, the Established plan is $78 a month.

FreshBooks

Freshbooks is an accounting and invoice software encompassing invoicing, billing and payments, expenses, accounting, and more. Freshbooks, like Xero and Wave, also include invoice management and payment features, and it accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and bank transfers. It also includes expense management capabilities, including mobile receipt scanning, bank account sync and integration, and automated expense categorization.

Freshbooks includes accounting software with various tools, financial reports, and other financial data for finance teams. Additionally, Freshbooks offers HR features such as payroll administration and team management for complete oversight. It also includes business development tools such as estimates, proposal management, and bookkeeping.⁵

Pricing for Freshbooks varies based on the business size and whether it is a business with contractors or employees. The Lite plan starts at $5.70 monthly and includes limited invoicing options, unlimited expenses and estimated, and credit card and bank transfer payments.

The Plus Plan is $9.90 and has everything that Lite has, plus more invoicing options, receipt capture, and reporting. The Premium plan is $18 a month; the Plus plan also offers advanced invoicing options, automatic bill and receipt data capture, and trackers for project profitability.

Sage

Sage is a more advanced accounting platform than Wave and Xero, and it includes many more automation features alongside accounting tools. With Sage, businesses access a comprehensive suite of features such as invoice management, payroll, cash flow, tax, payment integrations, and more.

However, Sage also offers payroll, HR, and people management tools, making it more of a holistic solution for businesses of any size. It also includes features for complete business management, including sales, marketing, and operations. Depending on needs, Sage has many plans for businesses of different sizes, starting at $607 a year for small businesses and Premium and Quantum accounting for larger businesses needing advanced accounting software. Plans can also be bundled with payroll solutions.

NetSuite

Like Sage, Netsuite has many products available across different business functions. Netsuite’s Cloud Accounting software is a more advanced tool that offers optimization and automation tools for financial management. Netsuite cloud accounting software enables businesses to set up processes for recording transactions, managing payables and receivables, collecting taxes, and general bookkeeping.

Netsuite also includes features that are best for large businesses and corporations, such as generating statements, reports, disclosures, and other documentation needed for regulatory financial compliance.

Zoho Books

Zoho Books is a web-based accounting software used with a Google Workspace account. Zoho, like Sage and Netsuite, offers various solutions across business areas, including HR, Legal, Sales, Marketing, Project Management, and Commerce, allowing for full integration across a company. Zoho’s Finance software includes an accounting tool, inventory, end-to-end billing, invoicing, expense management, and payment integration.⁸

Zoho Books has various plans at different price points, starting from a Free plan for solopreneurs and freelancers. Their standard plan is $15 for three users and includes invoicing, quotes, estimates, credit notes, recurring invoices, online payments, and sales tools. The Professional plan is $40 and includes all the previously mentioned features and multicurrency invoicing. The Premium and Elite plans are $60 and $120, respectively, and also include tools for purchases such as vendor management, expenses, billing, and more.

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Sources:

1. QuickBooks® Online: All-in-One Business Solutions
2. Payroll Services Pricing | Intuit QuickBooks Payroll Services
3. Wave Accounting
4. All Xero Features, Pricing Plans | Xero US
5. https://www.freshbooks.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop6FQCJr6TNbCZuZv28Hb7dpHg1427ANzQOxcV5-48W35DVr2j5, FreshBooks Pricing, Lite, Plus and Premium Packages
6. Sage Accounting | Sage UK
7. NetSuite
8. Zoho Books - Accounting software for Google Workspace, Pricing | Zoho Books