What it's for
Our bookkeeping note uses it as the ledger many US small clients use.
- Small-business books
- Invoicing
- Bank reconciliation
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Free | $0 | Basic invoicing; no mobile app or third-party integrations |
| Simple Start | $38/mo ($19/mo for 3 months) | 1 user |
| Essentials | $85/mo ($42.50/mo for 3 months) | 3 users; bill pay with free ACH |
| Plus | $140/mo ($70/mo for 3 months) | 5 users; classes and locations; budgets |
| Advanced | $340/mo ($170/mo for 3 months) | 25 users |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
QuickBooks Free costs $0 but excludes mobile app access and third-party integrations. Paid plans showed 50% off for 3 months or a 30-day free trial.
- Simple Start at $38/mo after the intro period is the realistic floor for a client with bank feeds.
- Bookkeepers often get accountant access on the client's subscription (2 accountants included on most plans), so the client pays.
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Simple Start | $19 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Simple Start | $38 |
Break-even: Usually billed to the client; for your own books, Simple Start is covered by one bookkeeping hour.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. Accounting software; your books stay yours.
Your data and AI training: Not checked.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Get accountant access from the client.
- Connect bank feeds.
- Set up the chart of accounts.
- Create bank rules for recurring transactions.
- Reconcile monthly.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | Paid plans only | Trial only | $0 · then $38/mo ($19/mo for 3 months) | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Books your accountant already knows |
| Xero | Paid plans only | Trial only | $27/mo ($5.40/mo for the first 3 months) | 3/5 | Not a content generator | Accounting outside the US or with many bank feeds |
| FreshBooks | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Freelancers billing clients |
| Wave | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Free bookkeeping for a solo business |
Head to head: QuickBooks Online vs Xero
Learning difficulty
3/5: Accounting concepts.
When not to use it
If the client is outside the US or prefers unlimited users, Xero is worth comparing.
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Xero: Accounting outside the US or with many bank feeds (trial only free plan)
- FreshBooks: Freelancers billing clients (trial only free plan)
- Wave: Free bookkeeping for a solo business (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- Bookkeeping with AI tools: The ledger many US small clients use
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
Sources
- QuickBooks pricing (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".