Simple Start
$38
/month
- + 1 user + accountant access
- + Income & expense tracking
- + Invoicing & payment acceptance
- + Tax deduction tracking
QuickBooks
Cloud accounting software that automates bookkeeping, invoicing, and tax prep for small businesses.
finance-accounting
Our Score
4.3
Starting at $38 /month
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4.3
RecommendedQuickBooks Score
Ease of Use
4.1
Features
4.2
Value
4.4
Support
4.0
Based on our editorial review across usability, features, value, support, and integrations.
Best For
Small businesses with 1-50 employees needing full-service accountingBusinesses that work closely with external accountants or bookkeepersE-commerce sellers needing inventory tracking and sales tax automationFreelancers and contractors who invoice clients regularlyGrowing companies that need scalable reporting and multi-user access
Best For
Small businesses with 1-50 employees needing full-service accounting
Free Trial
No
Standout Feature
Automatic bank feed connections with transaction matching and categorization
Track Record
Since 1983
What Problem It Solves
QuickBooks Online eliminates the manual bookkeeping burden that consumes hours of small business owners' time each week. Instead of juggling spreadsheets, paper receipts, and disconnected bank statements, QuickBooks automatically imports transactions, matches them to categories, and maintains a real-time view of your financial health. It solves the tax preparation headache by organizing deductible expenses throughout the year and generating tax-ready reports. For businesses that invoice clients, it eliminates the chase for payments with automated reminders and online payment acceptance. The platform bridges the gap between business owners who lack accounting expertise and the professional-grade financial records that banks, investors, and tax authorities require.
Key Features
- Automatic bank feed connections with transaction matching and categorization
- Professional invoice creation with custom branding, recurring billing, and payment tracking
- Expense tracking with receipt capture via mobile app OCR scanning
- Built-in payroll processing with tax filing and direct deposit
- Inventory tracking with cost of goods sold and low stock alerts
- Project profitability tracking with time and expense allocation
- Over 750 third-party app integrations including Shopify, PayPal, and Square
Pros
- + Largest accountant and bookkeeper network of any SMB accounting tool
- + 750+ integrations cover virtually any business workflow
- + Comprehensive reporting with customizable dashboards and P&L statements
- + Automatic bank reconciliation saves hours of manual data entry
- + Robust mobile app with invoicing, expense capture, and mileage tracking
Cons
- - Pricing has increased significantly, with many features locked behind higher tiers
- - Payroll and time tracking require paid add-ons on most plans
- - User interface can become cluttered with complex multi-entity setups
- - Customer support quality is inconsistent, with long wait times reported
Pricing
Essentials
$75
/month
- + Up to 3 users
- + Bill management
- + Time tracking
- + Multi-currency support
Plus
$115
/month
- + Up to 5 users
- + Inventory tracking
- + Project profitability
- + Budgets & purchase orders
Advanced
$275
/month
- + Up to 25 users
- + Custom user roles
- + Batch invoicing
- + Business analytics with Fathom
Starting at $38 /month
Start QuickBooks Free Trial →
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Our Verdict
QuickBooks — Recommended
QuickBooks Online remains the default choice for small business accounting in 2026, and for good reason. Its feature depth is unmatched at the SMB level: automatic bank feeds, receipt scanning with OCR, customizable invoicing, project profitability tracking, and built-in payroll all work together in a single ecosystem. The accountant portal is a genuine competitive advantage, making it easy to collaborate with your bookkeeper or CPA without sharing login credentials.
That said, QuickBooks is not without frustrations. Pricing has crept up steadily over the years, and many features that were once included now sit behind higher-tier plans or add-on fees. The Simple Start plan is deliberately limited to push users toward Plus or Advanced. Payroll, time tracking, and inventory each add cost. The interface, while improved, can feel cluttered when you start customizing reports or managing multi-currency transactions.
For most small businesses doing under $10M in annual revenue, QuickBooks Online is still the pragmatic choice. The breadth of integrations, the massive accountant network, and the sheer maturity of the product make switching costs high for competitors. If you need more advanced AP/AR automation, consider pairing it with BILL. If cost is your primary concern and your needs are simpler, Wave or FreshBooks may suffice. But for the core small business accounting workflow, QuickBooks Online delivers.
Related Tools
How much does QuickBooks Online cost per month?
QuickBooks Online offers four main plans. Simple Start costs $30/month and covers basic invoicing and expense tracking for a single user. Essentials is $60/month and adds bill management, time tracking, and up to 3 users. Plus runs $90/month with inventory tracking, project profitability, and up to 5 users. Advanced is $200/month and includes batch invoicing, custom roles, dedicated support, and up to 25 users. Intuit frequently runs promotions offering 50% off for the first 3 months. Payroll is an additional $45-$125/month plus $6/employee depending on the tier.
Can QuickBooks handle payroll and tax filing?
Yes, but payroll is a paid add-on, not included in the base accounting plans. QuickBooks Payroll comes in three tiers: Core ($45/month + $6/employee) handles basic payroll with direct deposit and tax filing. Premium ($80/month + $8/employee) adds same-day direct deposit, time tracking, and HR features. Elite ($125/month + $11/employee) includes tax penalty protection and a personal HR advisor. All tiers handle federal and state payroll tax calculations, W-2 and 1099 preparation, and direct deposit. It integrates directly with QuickBooks accounting, so payroll expenses are automatically categorized.
Is QuickBooks better than FreshBooks or Xero?
It depends on your needs. QuickBooks has the broadest feature set and the largest ecosystem of integrations and accountant support, making it the safest default for most US-based small businesses. FreshBooks is simpler and often preferred by freelancers and service-based businesses who primarily need invoicing and time tracking, with a more intuitive interface but fewer accounting features. Xero is strong internationally, especially in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, with unlimited users on all plans and a cleaner interface. If you work with a US-based accountant, QuickBooks is usually the path of least resistance since most accountants already use it.
Starting at $38 /month
Start QuickBooks Free Trial →
Affiliate link
Start QuickBooks Free Trial →
Affiliate link