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Compare QuickBooks Alternatives

While very popular, QuickBooks isn’t the only accounting software out there.

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Bethany Hickey

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Holly Jennings

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Accounting software can be essential for managing a business. Intuit QuickBooks is easily one of the most well-known options, offering a cloud-based option and a desktop version, tools for invoicing, expense tracking, payroll, tax preparation and financial reporting. However, QuickBooks isn’t free, ranging from $38 to $340 per month, depending on your plan in the US.

If it’s missing a specific feature or the price point is simply too high, compare these popular QuickBooks competitors.

4 alternatives to QuickBooks

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Xero

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Xero is a cloud-based accounting software and a QuickBooks competitor. Xero offers over 1,000 software integrations , invoicing and billing , multi-currency support, expense tracking, inventory management , project management , receipt capture and so much more. Users say that Xero is slightly more user-friendly than QuickBooks, reporting the learning curve wasn't as steep for inexperienced accountants or new business owners. The cost is also notably less than QuickBooks, starting at $27 per month for the Early, $59 per month for Growing or $97 per month for Established. Xero also offers new customer deals, like the current deal of 90% off for the first six months, ending November 2, 2026. Additionally, if you're switching from Quickbooks to Xero, Xero offers a free conversion tool. Once the data has converted, you'll have access to current and prior year transactions. But if you prefer a traditional desktop accounting software, that's something QuickBooks has over Xero.
Fee From $10 per month

Wave Money

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QuickBooks is typically best for large businesses with room for scaling, while Wave is designed more for small businesses and freelancers. Wave offers the Starter $0 plan, which can be thought of as a pay-as-you-go option. With the Starter plan, accept credit card payments starting at 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. You can create unlimited estimates, track bills and invoices and create unlimited bookkeeping records. There are optional add-ons, too, such as receipt capture for $11 per month or $96 per year. However, Wave is likely best if you're running your business on your own and don't have employees, since extra features like payroll and payment processing aren't automatically included with the Starter plan.
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Fee From $0 per year

Fresh Books

Similar to Wave, FreshBooks is designed more for freelancers and small businesses, with four plans to choose from. The most basic Lite Plan starts at $23 per month, a lower starting price than QuickBooks. With the most basic plan, you can send invoices to up to five clients, use real-time expense reporting, be paid via credit card and ACH and generate tax-time reports. More costly plans can offer receipt capture, open up access to your personal accountant, project management and much more. FreshBooks occasionally offers new customer discounts for a limited time, such as getting 80% off Lite for your first four months. But if you need more advanced accounting and automation or prefer a desktop application, QuickBooks might still be the better choice.
Fee From $21 per month

Zoho Books

With a lower starting price than QuickBooks, Zoho Books has six plans to choose from, including a Free option. The free plan lets you have one user and one accountant, manage customers, send quotes, create up to 1,000 invoices per year, give customers a portal, track expenses and bills, receive payment reminders, auto-scan receipts, receive online payments and so much more. It's an affordable, feature-rich option that can be great for freelancers, small businesses or those just looking to get started with accounting software. And similar to QuickBooks, Zoho offers a desktop version of Zoho Books and various other apps for its services, including Zoho Billing and Zoho Inventory. However, Zoho's free plan is only for businesses with revenue under $50K a year.
Fee From $0 per month

How QuickBooks compares

One of the biggest advantages QuickBooks has over the competition is it’s simply one of the most popular options. If you bring in other accountants or work with clients, there’s a good chance they’ll be familiar with the platform, which can make your life easier.

QuickBooks is also regarded as a scalable platform with extensive third-party integrations, payroll services, tax preparation and industry-specific features. It offers cloud-based and desktop applications, and there’s also a free signup for accountants.

However, the pricing in the US is more expensive than some competitors. The Simple Start plan starts at $38 per month, with occasional new customer discounts for a limited time. The plan with all the trimmings is called Advanced and costs $340 per month. Adding payroll management costs extra, starting at an additional $50 per month.

Pros

  • Well-known platform
  • Banking with 3.00% APY
  • Income and expenses
  • Desktop and cloud-based options
  • Three plans to choose from

Cons

  • Payroll costs extra
  • Higher starting price than some competitors
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
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Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

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Bethany has written 471 Finder guides across topics including:
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