QuickBooks Online alternatives: what it costs to switch
For 15 users on annual billing, QuickBooks Online Essentials comes to $1,020 a year. The cheapest published alternative that fits is Wave Starter at $0 (−$1,020 a year). Lower list price is not the same as an equal product: compare features first.
Prices checked 2026-11-10. Source: quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing.
Now: QuickBooks Online Essentials ≈ $1,020 a year for 15 users. Cheapest plan of each alternative that fits; check feature parity before deciding.
| Alternative | Cheapest plan that fits | Per year | vs now | Days (range) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Starter | $0 | −$1,020 | not scored | |
| Xero | Simple | $120 | −$900 | 4–10 | |
| FreshBooks | Lite | $276 | −$744 | not scored | |
| Zoho Books | Ultimate | $2,880 | +$1,860 | not scored |
Wave Free bookkeeping with paid Pro and per-transaction card fees.
Starter: flat $0 × 12 months = $0
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: waveapps.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Wave alternatives
Xero Cloud ledger with a free QuickBooks conversion for eligible new customers.
Simple: flat $10 × 12 months = $120
Effort scores (1 easy, 5 hard): export 2 · import 1 · permissions 2 · integrations 3 · training 3. Total 11 → 4–10 days at 15 seats. Rubric.
Source: xero.com/us/pricing-plans · checked 2026-11-10 · Full QuickBooks Online → Xero page
FreshBooks Invoicing-first accounting for service businesses.
Lite: flat $23 × 12 months = $276
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: freshbooks.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · FreshBooks alternatives
Zoho Books Plan-tier accounting with included users and a free plan.
Ultimate: flat $240 × 12 months = $2,880
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: zoho.com/us/books/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Zoho Books alternatives
Documented moves away from QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Online → Xero effort 11/25 · 4–10 days (up to 15 seats)
QuickBooks Online plans and what they cost
| Plan | Per seat / mo (annual) | Monthly billing | 5 seats / yr | 15 seats / yr | 50 seats / yr | SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Start | $38 flat | not recorded | — | — | — | not on pricing page |
| Essentials | $85 flat | not recorded | — | — | — | not on pricing page |
| Plus | $140 flat | not recorded | $1,680 | — | — | not on pricing page |
| Advanced | $340 flat | not recorded | $4,080 | $4,080 | — | not on pricing page |
Seat columns use the annual-billing price; "—" means the plan's recorded seat limit is lower than that count.
Check before you leave QuickBooks Online
- Pricing page: the monthly list prices are $38, $85, $140 and $340; the page also shows 50%-off promotional prices for new subscribers, which we do not use. User limits: 1, 3, 5 and 25.
- Help center: lists and reports can be exported to Excel from Settings > Export data.
Questions
How much does QuickBooks Online cost?
QuickBooks Online lists Simple Start at $38 per month, Essentials at $85 per month, Plus at $140 per month, Advanced at $340 per month on quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/ (checked 2026-11-10).
What are the cheapest QuickBooks Online alternatives?
Wave Starter ($0 a year for 15 users); Xero Simple ($120 a year for 15 users); FreshBooks Lite ($276 a year for 15 users).
How long does it take to switch from QuickBooks Online?
Our self-scored range for the 1 documented moves is 4–10 days for up to 15 seats. It is a judgment from public docs, not a measurement.
Sponsored station: none yet. Advertise on this page (waitlist). We do not sell any product that competes with these tools.