Software price guides Accounting QuickBooks
Last updated
QuickBooks pricing in the US
QuickBooks Online sells six US plans, from Free (US$0) to Advanced (US$340 a month), each a flat price before sales tax with a hard user cap. Payroll, card payments and faster bill payments cost extra.
Country
- Starting price
- Free plan
- Paid from US$20/month (Lite)
- Pricing model
- Flat monthly plans capped by users
- Payroll per employee and payment fees extra
- Billing
- Monthly or annual
- Annual is 10% off
- Tax
- Sales tax extra
- Prices in USD
- YOY change
- ↑ 14%
- Average yearly rise, 4 plans
- Last updated
- 12 Oct 2026
How much does QuickBooks cost in the US?
Plans
Six plans, sales tax excluded, each with a hard user cap.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual, per month | Who it is for | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 | Not offered | Start organizing your business finances for free. | Key limits
|
| Lite | US$20 | US$18 | Automate solopreneur finances and save on taxes with expert help. | Key limits
|
| Simple Start | US$38 | US$34 | See profit & loss in real time | Key limits
|
| Essentials | US$85 | US$77 | Track custom performance metrics | Key limits
|
| Plus | US$140 | US$126 | Scale with personalized insights | Key limits
|
| Advanced | US$340 | US$306 | All-in-one financial solution | Key limits
|
Additional costs
Costs on top of the plan price.
| Cost | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Workforce Payroll | US$50 a month + US$7 each; Premium US$88 + US$13; Elite US$134 + US$17Base fee plus per employee or contractor | |
| Workforce state tax filing fees | Not publicly listed; not in the 50% offerPer filing | |
| Users past the cap | 4th user: Essentials (US$85) to Plus (US$140); 6th: Plus to Advanced (US$340)Hard cap; no extra seats sold | |
| Classes and locations | Plus up to 40; Advanced unlimitedPlan feature | |
| Enhanced inventory on Simple Start or Essentials | US$40 a month; included in Plus and AdvancedMonthly add-on | |
| Bill Pay Premium | US$15 a monthMonthly add-on | |
| Bill Pay Elite | US$45 a monthMonthly add-on; included with Advanced | |
| Bill payments by check | US$1.50 eachPer bill paid | |
| Faster bill payments | Faster ACH US$10; instant 1% (max US$100, US$10 minimum payment)Per bill paid | |
| Standard ACH bill payments | Free per the Bill Pay page; the pricing page says US$0.50 each over a monthly allotment (5 on Simple Start)Per bill paid | |
| Card payments on invoices | 2.99%, including PayPal, Venmo and Apple PayPer transaction | |
| ACH bank payments on invoices | 1%Per transaction | |
| In-person card payments | 2.5%Per transaction | |
| Keyed-in card payments | 3.5%Per transaction | |
| Buy now, pay later on invoices | 2.99%Per transaction | |
| Instant deposit | 1.75%; free into QuickBooks CheckingPer deposit, on top of the standard rate | |
| Payment dispute protection | From 0.99%Per transaction, optional | |
| 1099 e-file service | Not publicly listed; unlimited with Bill Pay Premium, Elite and AdvancedPer form | |
| Sales tax on the subscription | Varies by locationAdded at checkout | |
| Price rises after the offer | Full list price from month 4; recent subscribers keep their price for 6 invoices when list prices riseAfter the 3-month offer |
QuickBooks cost calculator
Enter your numbers to price every plan. Estimates in USD, excluding sales tax.
Your numbers
Plan
Estimated cost, Lite
US$20a month
- Per year, billed monthly
- US$240
- Per year, billed annually
- US$216Saves US$24
- First 3 months, 50% off
- US$10 a month
- First year with the offer
- US$210
Line items, monthly
- Lite subscription
- US$20
- Estimated monthly total
- US$20
Estimated, USD, excluding sales tax. Offer: 50% off for 3 months for new customers.
What QuickBooks costs by company size
Estimated cost by number of employees, using the cheapest plan that fits each end of the band.
| Employees | Plans | Monthly cost | Annual cost | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | Simple Start to Essentials | US$95 to US$205 | US$95 | to | US$205 | US$1,140 to US$2,460 | US$1,140 | to | US$2,460 | |||
| 11 to 50 | Essentials to Advanced | US$212 to US$740 | US$212 | to | US$740 | US$2,544 to US$8,880 | US$2,544 | to | US$8,880 | |||
| 51 to 200 | Advanced | US$747 to US$1,790 | US$747 | to | US$1,790 | US$8,964 to US$21,480 | US$8,964 | to | US$21,480 | |||
| 201 to 500 | Advanced | US$1,797 to No plan | US$1,797 | to | No plan | US$21,564 to No plan | US$21,564 | to | No plan | |||
QuickBooks discount codes and offers
Current QuickBooks offers in the US, checked 12 October 2026.
-
New customer discount
50% off the base price for 3 months
New monthly customers; not on per-employee fees, state filing fees or add-ons; not with the trial
-
30-day free trial
30 days of the base price free
New monthly customers, instead of the 50% offer
-
Payroll new customer discount
50% off the Workforce base fee for 3 months (Workforce Payroll US$25 a month)
New Workforce customers; per-employee and filing fees at full price
-
Annual billing
10% off; the Solopreneur page shows 13% off the first year on annual Lite and Simple Start
Paid a year upfront
-
QuickBooks Free
US$0 plan for 1 user
2 invoices, 2 receipts and 5 mileage trips a month; may be time-limited
-
ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing
30% off ongoing; Workforce 30% off the base fee, 15% off per employee
Code Through your accountant
Billed to your accountant's firm, which sets your price
-
ProAdvisor Direct pricing
30% off for 12 months
Code Through your accountant
Billed to you directly; set up by a ProAdvisor
-
Multi-company discount
Up to 10 extra Plus companies at US$45 each a month for 2 years
Code Through a ProAdvisor
One Plus subscription at ProAdvisor price; one order, activated within 30 days; US only
-
Nonprofits via TechSoup
Donated Plus for a US$80 yearly admin fee, or Advanced for US$170
Code Via TechSoup
Eligible nonprofits; one per organisation, ever; fee renews yearly
-
QuickBooks Payments volume discount
Up to 25% off standard transaction rates
Code By phone
Qualifying businesses processing over US$2,500 a month
-
Lite tax filing discount
20% off federal filing with Expert Assisted Tax
Lite customers; 2025 federal return filed 11 February to 30 November 2026
How to negotiate QuickBooks's price
Ways to lower the bill, most reliable first.
| Rank | Lever | How it works | What it can save |
|---|---|---|---|
| [01] | Take the 50% offer, not the trial | The trial saves one month; the discount saves half of three. On Plus: US$210 against US$140; on Essentials: US$128 against US$85. | Up to US$510 on Advanced over 3 months |
| [02] | Stay inside a user cap | A 4th user moves Essentials (US$85) to Plus (US$140); a 6th moves Plus to Advanced (US$340). Invited accountants (2, or 3 on Advanced) are free, so do not give your bookkeeper a paid seat. | US$55 to US$200 a month |
| [03] | Buy through a ProAdvisor | 30% off ongoing when your accountant's firm is billed, or for 12 months billed direct. Plus becomes US$42 a month; ask what your accountant adds. | 30% of the base price |
| [04] | Pick the cheapest payroll tier that does the job | Workforce Payroll is US$50 + US$7 per employee; Premium US$88 + US$13. At 10 employees: US$120 against US$218 a month. | US$98 a month at 10 employees |
| [05] | Pay annually | 10% off for paying a year upfront: US$168 a year on Plus, US$408 on Advanced. | 10% of the base price |
| [06] | Add inventory instead of upgrading | Enhanced inventory is US$40 on Simple Start and Essentials. Essentials plus inventory is US$125 against Plus at US$140, if 3 users and no classes or projects will do. | US$15 a month or more |
| [07] | Time renewals around the summer increase | Prices rose from 1 July 2025 and for renewals from 1 August 2026. An annual term bought before a rise defers it to renewal. | Depends on the increase; leverage only |
| [08] | Steer payments to standard ACH | Invoice cards cost 2.99% against 1% for ACH. Checks cost US$1.50 each and faster ACH US$10; standard ACH is free. | About 2% of card-paid revenue |
| [09] | Nonprofits: use TechSoup | Donated Plus costs US$80 a year against US$1,680 at list; Advanced US$170 against US$4,080. | Most of the subscription |
QuickBooks price history
Monthly list prices over the last two years, excluding sales tax. Pick a plan, or hover for each change.
Show
Key points
- Advanced moved most: +45%, US$235 to US$340.
- Average across 4 plans: +39% since Oct 2024.
- Last change: 1 Aug 2026.
What people say about QuickBooks pricing
What Americans said in public about QuickBooks's pricing in the last six months.
84%
Mostly negative
- Positive 3 of 43
- Neutral 4 of 43
- Negative 36 of 43
36 of 43 public comments from US QuickBooks customers and accountants in the last six months are negative, 4 neutral and 3 positive. Most object to the August 2026 rises, Plus from US$115 to US$140 and Advanced to US$340 and to paying more while seeing more upsell prompts in the product.
- X.com negative This US QuickBooks customer reacts sarcastically to Advanced rising from US$200 to US$340 a month, a 70% increase, and asks followers which platform to switch to. williamsba (opens the original on X.com)
- X.com negative This US QuickBooks customer says they went from a US$199 desktop licence to a forced US$123 a month online plan that also shows them ads and upsells. dailydirtnap (opens the original on X.com)
- X.com negative This US QuickBooks customer of more than ten years complains of yet another price increase with nothing new added, and asks for payroll or Mailchimp to be bundled. Lady_Meansie (opens the original on X.com)
- X.com negative This US QuickBooks customer, a CPA firm, says another 25% rise for Desktop Accountant from October means it can no longer justify the subscription. CornerstoneCPA_ (opens the original on X.com)
- X.com negative This US QuickBooks customer of decades calls Intuit rent-seeking and says a recent tenfold price increase has them looking for an alternative. SJFriedl (opens the original on X.com)
- Reddit.com negative This US QuickBooks customer is angry at being charged US$140 a month for a plan that was US$115 sees no matching value, and is looking at other options. mattyrzew (opens the original on Reddit.com)
- Reddit.com negative This US QuickBooks customer says Essentials went from US$75 to US$85 a month, and they responded by dropping to the US$38 Simple Start plan. spaceradiowave (opens the original on Reddit.com)
- X.com neutral This US QuickBooks customer says they hold so much customer data in QuickBooks that they would not switch even if the price rose tenfold. TraderNate (opens the original on X.com)
QuickBooks alternatives
Other tools in our price guides for the US, largest first by market share.
| Vendor | Starting price | Pricing model | Key difference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | US$27 a month (Early) | Flat monthly plans, plus add-ons and payment fees | No user caps; Early limits invoices and bills; payroll through Gusto US$36 a month plus US$6 per person | Price guides |
| FreshBooks | US$23 a month (Lite) | Tiers capped by billable clients, plus US$11 per team member and add-ons | Team members US$11 each a month; payroll US$40 a month plus US$6 per person | Price guides |
| Zoho Books | Free plan; paid from US$20 a month (Standard) | Free plan plus flat plans per organisation, extra users and add-ons per month | Extra users US$3 each a month | Price guides |
| Sage | US$73 a month (Sage 50 Desktop Pro) | One-year subscriptions by user band, cloud and Desktop editions priced separately, plus payroll and add-ons | Sage 50 only; Sage Accounting closed in the US | Price guides |
| FreeAgent | US$27 a month (US Businesses) | One flat plan for every US business type, plus optional add-ons | One flat price for every US business type, unlimited users | Price guides |
QuickBooks pricing questions
Simple Start US$38, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340 a month, before sales tax. Free (US$0) and Lite (US$20) plans cover one user; payroll is extra.
Yes. QuickBooks Free is US$0 for 1 user, limited to 2 invoices, 2 receipt uploads and 5 mileage trips a month, with no mobile app. It may be time-limited.
Yes. For renewals from 1 August 2026, Essentials went from US$75 to US$85, Plus from US$115 to US$140 and Advanced from US$275 to US$340. Simple Start, Free and Lite were unchanged.
Free, Lite and Simple Start 1, Essentials 3, Plus 5, Advanced 25. Accountants are free on top: 2, or 3 on Advanced. No extra seats are sold.
Workforce Payroll is US$50 a month plus US$7 per employee, Premium US$88 plus US$13, Elite US$134 plus US$17. New customers get 50% off the base fee for 3 months.
Yes, 10%. Simple Start billed yearly is US$410 instead of US$456.
No. Sales tax is added at checkout based on your location.
No. New customers choose 50% off for 3 months or a 30-day free trial.
QuickBooks pricing sources and methodology
From QuickBooks's US pricing pages on 12 October 2026. Where sources disagree, Intuit's own page wins.
Estimates from list prices, excluding sales tax, before payment fees.
Archived copies of QuickBooks's pricing pages from October 2024 to October 2026, plus Intuit's announcements. Standard prices, no promotions.
Drawn from how QuickBooks charges, not from records of negotiated deals.
Ordered by Ensurva's estimate of each vendor's share of business customers in this country, from surveys, vendor customer counts, government software registers and review volume. Only tools with their own Ensurva price guide are listed.
Public comments from April to October 2026 by identifiably US authors, marked positive, negative or neutral. Cards show confirmed customers only.
Checked monthly. The date at the top is the last check.
- QuickBooks Online US pricing 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Solopreneur, Free and Lite plans 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks add payroll pricing (Workforce) 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks payroll bundle pricing 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Bill Pay plans and fees 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks bill management page 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Payments rates 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Online August 2026 pricing changes 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks billing support: monthly or annual 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks multi-company offer terms 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Community: July 2025 price increase (QuickBooks Team reply) 12 Oct 2026
- QuickBooks Community: payroll pricing from July 2025 (QuickBooks Team reply) 12 Oct 2026
- TechSoup: QuickBooks Online for nonprofits 12 Oct 2026
- Wayback Machine snapshots of quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Wayback Machine snapshots of quickbooks.intuit.com/solopreneur 12 Oct 2026
- Xero US pricing plans 12 Oct 2026
- FreshBooks pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Wave pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Zoho Books US pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Sage 50 US pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Patriot Software pricing 12 Oct 2026
- Small Business Majority accounting software survey 12 Oct 2026
Estimates from published list prices on 12 October 2026. Check QuickBooks's own pricing page before buying. Ensurva is not affiliated with Intuit.