QuickBooks Pricing Explained: Plans, Costs and What You Get
QuickBooks Online costs $38 to $340 a month in the US. See every plan, the user caps that force upgrades, and the add-ons that raise your bill.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-09T16:27:13+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-09T16:27:13+00:00
QuickBooks Pricing Explained: Plans, Costs and What You Get
QuickBooks Online costs from $0 to $340 a month in the US. The free plan suits a solo operator. Simple Start costs $38 a month. Essentials costs $85. Plus costs $140. Advanced costs $340. New customers get 50% off for three months. This guide explains every plan, the user limits that force upgrades, and the add-ons that raise your bill.
QuickBooks Pricing at a Glance
| Plan | Monthly price | First 3 months | Users | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 | Solo starter |
| Simple Start | $38 | $19 | 1 | Freelancers |
| Essentials | $85 | $42.50 | 3 | Small teams |
| Plus | $140 | $70 | 5 | Growing firms |
| Advanced | $340 | $170 | 25 | Larger teams |
Prices are per company per month, before sales tax. The 50% discount applies to new customers for the first three months. After that, the full list price applies. You can also choose a 30-day free trial instead of the discount. You cannot take both.
QuickBooks Free: $0 a Month
QuickBooks Free costs nothing. It suits a solo business getting organized. It includes 1 user and no accountant access. You can track income and expenses. You can send up to 2 invoices a month. You can run the top 3 reports: profit and loss, balance sheet and account quick report. You can connect 1 bank account. Chat support is included. The limits are tight. Two invoices a month is not enough for most trading businesses. There is no mobile app and no third-party integrations. Most businesses with an accountant will need a paid plan.
Simple Start: $38 a Month
Simple Start is the cheapest paid plan. It costs $38 a month, or $19 a month for the first three months. It includes 1 user plus access for 2 accountants. It includes everything in Free. It adds automated bookkeeping and general business reports. It adds invoicing and payments. You can accept credit cards and bank transfers in the invoice. You can send unlimited invoices. It also includes automated bill pay with free ACH, within monthly allotments. Simple Start suits a freelancer or sole trader who needs one seat. A full year at list price costs $456. With the intro discount, year one costs $399.
Essentials: $85 a Month
Essentials costs $85 a month, or $42.50 for the first three months. It includes 3 users plus 2 accountants. It includes everything in Simple Start. It adds enhanced reports and custom performance metrics. It adds employee time tracking on invoices. It adds lead collection from a custom form on your website. Essentials suits a small team of up to three people. A full year at list price costs $1,020. With the intro discount, year one costs $892.50.
Plus: $140 a Month
Plus is the customer favorite. It costs $140 a month, or $70 for the first three months. It includes 5 users plus 2 accountants. It includes everything in Essentials. It adds budgets and project profitability tracking. It adds inventory tracking. It adds class and location tracking for up to 40 values. It adds comprehensive reports. Plus suits a growing business that sells products or runs projects. A full year at list price costs $1,680. With the intro discount, year one costs $1,470.
Advanced: $340 a Month
Advanced is the top plan. It costs $340 a month, or $170 for the first three months. It includes 25 users plus 3 accountants. It includes everything in Plus. It adds Bill Pay Elite at no extra cost, with approvals, an audit trail and free 1099 e-filing. It adds a construction financials solution and advanced project financials. It adds custom user permissions and automated workflows. It adds Excel sync and batch invoicing. It also adds priority support and training. Advanced suits a larger firm with complex needs. A full year at list price costs $4,080. With the intro discount, year one costs $3,570.
The August 2026 Price Increase
QuickBooks raised prices for renewals on or after August 1, 2026. Essentials rose from $75 to $85 a month. Plus rose from $115 to $140 a month. Advanced rose from $275 to $340 a month. Simple Start stayed at $38. The increase was steep. Plus rose 21.7%. Advanced rose 23.6%. Older reviews still quote the old prices. Do not trust them. The figures in this guide are the current list prices from Intuit's own pricing page.
User Caps That Force Upgrades
QuickBooks prices per company, not per user. That sounds simple until you hit a user cap. Simple Start allows 1 user. Essentials allows 3 users. Plus allows 5 users. Advanced allows 25 users. A sixth user is the expensive jump. Moving from Plus to Advanced costs $200 more a month. That is the price of one extra seat. Plan around your team size. If you expect to grow past five users soon, budget for Advanced from the start.
Add-Ons and Extra Costs
Payroll is billed separately. It starts at $50 a month plus $7 per employee. Bill Pay Elite is included on Advanced. On the three lower plans it is a $45 a month add-on. Payment processing fees apply when customers pay by card. QuickBooks also sells a Lite plan for $20 a month for solo operators. It sits below Simple Start and is listed on the Solopreneur page. Check the official pricing page before you buy. Prices and promotions change without notice.
How to Choose the Right QuickBooks Plan
Count your users first. Then match the plan to your work. A solo freelancer fits Simple Start at $38 a month. A team of two or three fits Essentials at $85 a month. A firm that tracks inventory or projects needs Plus at $140 a month. A larger team with more than five users needs Advanced at $340 a month. Try the free plan first if you are just starting out. Take the 50% discount for three months if you are ready to commit. Avoid annualizing the discount. The real cost is the list price from month four onward.
Bottom Line
QuickBooks Online is the safe default for US small businesses. Most accountants know it. The plans are clear and the features are deep. But it is no longer cheap. Plus at $140 a month and Advanced at $340 a month are serious costs. The user caps are the hidden trap. A sixth user can double your bill. For a solo operator, Simple Start at $38 a month is fair value. For a team of five, Plus at $140 a month is the sweet spot. For larger teams, compare Advanced against rivals before you commit.