QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud accounting suite and the default choice for small businesses in North America: invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, sales tax, reporting, with payroll and payments as add-ons. Its deepest advantage is the accountant ecosystem; most US bookkeepers work in it every day. The one thing to know is that Intuit raised prices again on 1 August 2026, the second increase in a short period, so the total cost of plan plus add-ons deserves a hard look.

Where does QuickBooks fit for a small business?

• Pricing: Simple Start from about $35/mo (Intuit pricing, August 2026). Introductory discounts for new customers are common, so compare the standard price, not the promotional one. There is no free tier.
• Each plan caps the number of users; growing past the cap forces a plan jump.
• Intuit Assist, the built-in AI, handles categorisation, invoice reminders and cash-flow questions.
• Payroll, time tracking and payments are separate charges that compound the monthly bill.

Our guide QuickBooks Price Increase (August 2026): Stay, Switch, or Step Up? weighs the alternatives in Finance & ERP.

Who should skip it

Businesses outside North America usually get better local tax support from Xero or a regional package. Freelancers with simple invoicing needs will find FreshBooks cheaper and easier.

Research-based listing — not hands-on tested by Digital4All; details as of September 2026.