QuickBooks Online
Intuit's cloud accounting software for small businesses, sold in Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced plans from $38 a month after an August 2026 price rise.
- Free trial
- Monthly subscription
- Cloud
- AI features
- Independent sources
- Verified 10 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this profile
- 3 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- Independent third-party sourcesHow this profile was compiled
- Not an endorsementStack18 has not tested this product
What is QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online is cloud accounting software from Intuit for small and mid-size businesses, sold in four monthly plans (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced) with payroll and time tracking as add-ons.
- Best forUS small businesses that want the most widely used cloud accounting tool
- Team size fitSmall teams, Mid-size teams
- PricingNo full free plan; plans reported from $38 per month (Simple Start, 1 user).
- Main limitationPrices rose on 1 August 2026, by up to $65 a month on Advanced.
- AlternativesXero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Wave · compare all
QuickBooks Online overview: who it is for and what it does.
QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud accounting product and one of the most widely used small-business accounting tools in the US. It covers invoicing, bank feeds, expense tracking, bills, reporting and, on higher plans, inventory, projects and workflow automation.
Intuit raised prices from 1 August 2026. Guides report Simple Start unchanged at $38 a month, Essentials up from $75 to $85, Plus from $115 to $140 and Advanced from $275 to $340. Advanced now includes Bill Pay Elite.
Payroll, payments and time tracking are separately priced add-ons. New customers usually choose between a 30-day free trial and 50% off for three months, which cannot be combined.
Main problem it solves
Keeps small-business books, invoices, bills and reports in one cloud system that accountants already know.
Typical customer segment
Sole owners on Simple Start through growing businesses with up to 25 users on Advanced.
Target users
- Small businesses that want invoicing, bank feeds and reports
- Growing businesses that need inventory and project profitability on Plus
- Finance teams that need custom permissions and automation on Advanced
Primary use cases
- Invoicing and payments
- Bank feeds and reconciliation
- Bills and expense tracking
- Inventory and project profitability (Plus)
- Payroll (add-on)
What makes it distinct
- A large accountant and app ecosystem in the US.
- Inventory, classes, locations and budgets from Plus.
- AI features such as Payments AI and, on Advanced, Finance AI and Project Management AI.
QuickBooks Online features explained.
Core bookkeeping
- Bank feeds and reconciliation
- Included from Simple Start.
- Invoicing and bill paying
- Simple Start includes invoicing, bill paying and 5 ACH payments a month.
- Multi-currency
- Listed from Essentials in one guide.
Growth features
- Inventory management
- Plus and Advanced.
- Project profitability
- Plus and Advanced.
- Classes, locations and budgets
- Plus and Advanced.
Advanced and AI
- Custom user permissions
- Advanced, with 25 users and 3 accountants.
- Workflow automation and batch invoicing
- Advanced.
- AI features
- Payments AI from Essentials; Project Management AI and Finance AI on Advanced.
QuickBooks Online pricing and plans.
Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 10 Nov 2026 against Tech.co · NerdWallet · Audit Friendly.
Pricing model
Monthly subscription by plan, with payroll, payments and time tracking as add-ons.
Free plan
No (limited free tier reported)
Free trial
Yes (30 days, or 50% off for 3 months)
QuickBooks Online plans and prices (USD)
Simple Start
$38 per month
Monthly
1 user and 2 accountants.
Essentials
$85 per month (was $75)
Monthly
3 users; multi-currency, appointment scheduling.
Plus
$140 per month (was $115)
Monthly
5 users; inventory, projects, classes, budgets.
Advanced
$340 per month (was $275)
Monthly
25 users; custom permissions, automation, Bill Pay Elite.
Payroll is reported from $50 a month plus $7 per employee; time tracking from $20 a month plus $10 per user. ACH payments cost 1% (capped at $10) and cards 2.99%. Intuit's own pricing page was not reviewed directly.
Prices change. Confirm current plans and terms on the vendor's site before you decide.
Visit official website (external) ↗See alternativesQuickBooks Online integrations, API and platforms.
Important integrations
- Payroll add-on (Workforce Payroll)
- Time tracking add-on
- QuickBooks Payments
- Third-party app integrations (billed separately)
Supported platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
API
Not reviewed for this profile.
Data import and export
Not reviewed for this profile.
Integration coverage was not assessed in full. Check QuickBooks Online's integrations directory and documentation for your tools.
QuickBooks Online pros and cons.
Strengths, limitations and best fit. Each point cites a source; editorial summaries are not customer reviews.
Strengths
Limitations
Best for
- US small businesses that want the most widely used cloud accounting tool
- Businesses whose accountant already works in QuickBooks
- Growing firms that need inventory and project costing on Plus
May be less suited to
- Price-sensitive micro-businesses after the 2026 increase
- Businesses that need multi-entity consolidation
Top QuickBooks Online alternatives and competitors.
Xero
Cloud accounting software for small businesses, sold in the US as Early, Growing and Established plans…
Explore →Related productFreshBooks
Invoicing-led accounting software for freelancers and service businesses, with Lite, Plus, Premium and…
Explore →Related productZoho Books
Online accounting software from Zoho with a free plan and five paid plans from $15 a month billed…
Explore →Related productWave
Free accounting and invoicing software for US and Canadian micro-businesses, with a paid Pro plan that…
Explore →QuickBooks Online compared with similar accounting software.
Summaries come from each profile. This is a side-by-side aid, not a ranking.
| Product | Pricing model | Free plan | Users included | Inventory | Multi-currency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | Monthly by plan; add-ons extra | Limited free tier only | 1, 3, 5 or 25 by plan | From Plus | From Essentials (reported) |
| FreshBooks | Monthly by plan; limited by billable clients | No; 30-day trial | Owner; $11 per extra member | Not offered | Not reviewed |
| Odoo Accounting | Per user per month, or free for one app | Yes (one app, unlimited users) | Unlimited on One App Free; paid per user | Yes (Inventory app) | Not reviewed |
| Oracle NetSuite | Annual quote: base, users, modules | No | By licence; Standard edition caps at 30 | Yes (modules) | Yes (OneWorld) |
| Sage Accounting | Monthly by plan (GBP), no contract | Sole Trader Free only | 1, 3 or unlimited | Plus only | Plus only |
| Sage Intacct | Annual quote; modules extra | No | By licence | Optional module | Yes, with multi-entity |
QuickBooks Online vs competitors: head-to-head comparisons.
Each comparison has a feature table, pricing side by side, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios.
Sage 50 vs QuickBooks Online
Sage 50 and QuickBooks Online are two of the best-known accounting products for small businesses. Sage 50 is…
Explore →ComparisonQuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks
QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks (2026): pricing, free plans, features and best fit compared from dated…
Compare →ComparisonQuickBooks Online vs Xero
QuickBooks Online vs Xero in 2026: pricing, free plans, features, strengths and best fit compared from dated…
Compare →Compare QuickBooks Online with all its alternatives in one table →
QuickBooks Online discussions and buying questions.
No published discussions mention this product yet.
QuickBooks Online questions and answers
What is QuickBooks Online used for?
QuickBooks Online is cloud accounting software from Intuit for small and mid-size businesses, sold in four monthly plans (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced) with payroll and time tracking as add-ons. Typical uses include invoicing and payments, bank feeds and reconciliation, bills and expense tracking, inventory and project profitability (Plus).
How much does QuickBooks Online cost in 2026?
From 1 August 2026, guides report Simple Start at $38, Essentials at $85, Plus at $140 and Advanced at $340 a month.
Did QuickBooks Online raise prices in 2026?
Yes. Essentials rose from $75 to $85, Plus from $115 to $140 and Advanced from $275 to $340 a month on 1 August 2026; Simple Start stayed at $38.
Which QuickBooks Online plan includes inventory?
Inventory management starts on the Plus plan.
How does QuickBooks Online compare with its competitors?
Stack18 publishes head-to-head comparisons of QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online vs Xero, each with a feature table, pricing and best-fit scenarios.
What are the main alternatives to QuickBooks Online?
The main alternatives to QuickBooks Online covered on Stack18 are Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books and Wave. Xero may suit small businesses and accountants that want clean, collaborative cloud books. FreshBooks may suit freelancers and service businesses that bill clients by invoice. Zoho Books may suit small businesses that want low-cost accounting inside the Zoho ecosystem. See the QuickBooks Online alternatives guide for a side-by-side table.
What are the pros and cons of QuickBooks Online?
Strengths: Four plans scale from a single user to 25 users with custom permissions. Plus adds inventory, project profitability, classes and budgets. Limitations: Prices rose on 1 August 2026, by up to $65 a month on Advanced. Payroll, payments and time tracking cost extra.
Who is QuickBooks Online best for?
QuickBooks Online may suit US small businesses that want the most widely used cloud accounting tool; businesses whose accountant already works in QuickBooks; growing firms that need inventory and project costing on Plus. It may be less suited to price-sensitive micro-businesses after the 2026 increase; businesses that need multi-entity consolidation.
What integrations does QuickBooks Online support?
Documented integrations and ecosystem items include Payroll add-on (Workforce Payroll), Time tracking add-on, QuickBooks Payments, Third-party app integrations (billed separately). API: Not reviewed for this profile.
When was the QuickBooks Online profile last verified?
Sources for this profile were last reviewed on 10 Nov 2026. 3 sources are listed under Sources, and prices and plans can change, so confirm with the vendor.
Where this information comes from.
- QuickBooks Online Pricing Tech.co Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- QuickBooks Pricing 2026: How Much Does Each Version Cost? NerdWallet Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- How much does QuickBooks Online cost after the August 2026 price increase? Audit Friendly Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
Secondary-source profile. Vendor pages were not reviewed directly for this profile. Facts and prices are taken from independent third-party sources and may differ from the vendor's current pages. Confirm with the vendor before buying.
Prices come from independent guides updated September and October 2026. Capabilities were not tested.
Stack18 has not tested this product or received anything from the vendor for this profile. Editorial summaries of vendor information are not endorsements. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.
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