Incacent

Guide

How much does QuickBooks Online cost? (2026)

Most US freelancers need Simple Start or Essentials. Plus is classes and inventory. Advanced is how you rent a controller you do not have.

By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure

The list as of September 21, 2026

QuickBooks Online US list: Simple Start $38/month, Essentials $85, Plus $140, Advanced $340. New-customer 50% off for three months is commonly advertised. Confirm quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/. List prices stepped in 2026. Your renewal may disagree with a 2025 invoice. We are not your accountant.

This is a cost guide. Is QuickBooks Online worth it is the skip-if. QuickBooks Online vs Desktop is the family fork. QuickBooks vs Xero and QuickBooks vs Wave are the competitors.

Which plan

  • Simple Start $38: invoice, expense, bank feed, one user-class file. Year-one freelancer default if a CPA asked for QBO.
  • Essentials $85: bills, more seats. The usual buy when a bookkeeper plus you need logins.
  • Plus $140: classes, locations, projects, inventory. Restaurants, ecommerce, contractors — see those rankings.
  • Advanced $340: custom roles, deeper reporting, a controller-shaped shop. Do not buy it to look funded.

Seats climb with the plan. Unlimited users are a Xero talking point, not a QBO one. If three humans need the file and the bookkeeper is already on Xero, price Growing ($55, with a US list step announced for October 1, 2026) before you climb to Essentials out of habit. See Xero vs QuickBooks Online.

Extras

  • Workforce payroll: $50 + $7 and up plus the QBO bill. See Gusto vs QuickBooks payroll. Gusto Simple is $49 + $6.
  • QuickBooks Time: Premium $20 + $10/user; Elite $40 + $12 on cards we reviewed. See time clocks.
  • Payments: processing, not a ledger fee. Compare to Stripe and Wave.
  • Desktop: a different subscription family. See how to switch from Desktop to Online.

A year

Simple Start $38 × 12 = $456 before intros. Essentials $1,020. Plus $1,680. Advanced $4,080. Add Gusto or Workforce if you hire. Add A2X or Synder if marketplace payouts lie. The CPA’s monthly fee is often larger than Simple Start — which is why people stay in Intuit when the advisor already lives there.

Alternatives

  • Wave $0 / Pro $19: year-one if you will reconcile. See Is Wave worth it.
  • FreshBooks $23 / $43 / $70: AR-first. See Is FreshBooks worth it.
  • Xero Early $25 / Growing $55 / Established $90.
  • Bench from $199: a human, not a $38 app. See Is Bench worth it.

Frequently asked questions