QuickBooks Online plans range from QuickBooks Solopreneur to Advanced, with paid pricing from $20 to $275 per month before discounts. I recommend choosing based on whether you need full double-entry accounting, multiple users, bill and time tracking, inventory, project profitability, or advanced controls. Solopreneur works best for one-person businesses that only need simple income, expense, mileage, and tax tracking.
Simple Start is the lowest QuickBooks Online plan I would choose for full small business accounting. Essentials is best for small service teams, Plus is best for inventory and project tracking, and Advanced is best for larger or more complex businesses.
I evaluated each QuickBooks Online plan based on pricing, accounting features, reporting, scalability, automation, usability, and operational fit for different business types. I focused on the real differences that affect day-to-day accounting workflows, including inventory tracking, project profitability, multicurrency support, user limits, reporting depth, workflow automation, and upgrade flexibility.
Instead of repeating vendor marketing copy, I compared how each QuickBooks Online plan fits different business stages and operational needs. I also evaluated where businesses are likely to outgrow a plan and when upgrading to a higher tier makes practical sense.
Because QuickBooks Online pricing, AI features, and promotions can change frequently, I also reviewed the current live QuickBooks pricing and plan information available at the time of writing.
Accounting and Bookkeeping Expert at Fit Small Business
I compared the QuickBooks Online plans by looking at the features that most often affect small business accounting decisions: monthly pricing, number of users, core bookkeeping tools, invoicing, bill management, time tracking, inventory, project profitability, reporting, automation, and scalability.
I also considered which businesses each plan fits best. For example, I looked at whether a plan is better suited for a solo contractor, a small service business, a product-based business, a project-based company, or a more established business with multiple users and more complex workflows.
Finally, I reviewed plan limitations and upgrade triggers, such as when a business needs inventory tracking, more users, class and location tracking, batch workflows, advanced reporting, or stronger access controls. My recommendations are based on practical fit rather than a formal scoring rubric.
QuickBooks Online plans comparison chart: Pricing & features
The QuickBooks Online comparison chart below highlights some of the key features of the five plans. We include in-depth, side-by-side comparisons of each plan against its next-level tier in the sections that follow.
How should I choose a QuickBooks Online plan?
Each QuickBooks Online plan is designed for a different stage of business growth and operational complexity. I recommend choosing based on the workflows you need today and the reporting, inventory, automation, or user controls you expect to need over the next one to two years. The sections below explain where each plan fits best, where it starts to fall short, and when upgrading makes practical sense.
Solopreneur Lite
QuickBooks Solopreneur, currently presented by Intuit as a Solopreneur plan family that includes a paid Lite tier, is best for one-person businesses that want simple income and expense tracking without managing a full accounting system. I would use it for freelancers, consultants, side businesses, and Schedule C taxpayers who need invoicing, mileage tracking, receipt capture, estimated tax support, and basic cash flow visibility.
Solopreneur is not the right plan if you pay employees, manage contractors, need payroll, require full financial statements, or want customizable double-entry accounting. If your business is moving beyond solo work, I would skip Solopreneur and start with Simple Start.
Simple Start
QuickBooks Online Simple Start is the lowest-priced QuickBooks Online plan I recommend for full small business accounting. It supports one user and adds double-entry accounting, customizable chart of accounts, sales tax tracking, payroll integration, 1099 contractor workflows, check printing, and bill management.
I would choose Simple Start for a new or small business that needs reliable accounting but does not need multiple users, time tracking, inventory, projects, budgets, classes, or locations. It is a better long-term starting point than Solopreneur if the business expects to grow.
Essentials
QuickBooks Online Essentials is best for small service businesses and teams that need multiple users and more operational tracking. It supports up to three users and adds recurring transactions, time tracking, billable time, billable expenses, multicurrency, user access controls, and more reports.
I recommend Essentials when a business has staff, contractors, or service billing workflows that are too complex for Simple Start. It is not enough if you need inventory, project profitability, budgets, or class and location tracking.
Plus
QuickBooks Online Plus is the best fit for growing businesses that need inventory, project tracking, purchase orders, budgets, and class or location tracking. It supports up to five users and is often the most practical plan for retailers, wholesalers, ecommerce sellers, contractors, and project-based businesses.
I recommend Plus when you need accounting to connect more directly with operations. Inventory tracking, project profitability, and class/location reporting help you understand where money is coming from and where costs are building up.
Advanced
QuickBooks Online Advanced is best for established small and midsize businesses with more users, higher transaction volume, complex reporting needs, and stronger control requirements. It supports up to 25 users and adds advanced reporting, custom user roles, batch invoices and expenses, fixed asset accounting, workflow automation, data restoration, Excel data sync, training, and enhanced support.
I recommend Advanced when Plus no longer gives the business enough visibility, control, or workflow efficiency. The higher price is easier to justify when the business needs batch processing, more permissions, advanced analytics, or dedicated support.
What does Intuit Assist add to QuickBooks Online?
Intuit Assist is QuickBooks’ AI-powered assistant for helping business owners reduce manual bookkeeping and make sense of financial activity. The live page notes that AI capability increases by plan: Simple Start includes core Intuit Assist functionality, Essentials and Plus add more AI support around payments and customer follow-up, and Advanced adds higher-level agents for finance and project workflows.
Because AI features can change by plan, region, and product rollout, I would treat Intuit Assist as a useful added capability rather than the only reason to choose a tier. The plan’s core accounting features should still drive the buying decision.
QuickBooks Solopreneur vs QuickBooks Online Simple Start
QuickBooks Solopreneur suits one-person businesses that need straightforward income and expense tracking with invoicing, estimates, mileage tracking, and Schedule C tax filing. Simple Start, on the other hand, is built for small businesses that are beginning to grow, adding capabilities like payroll processing, automated sales tax, and 1099 contractor tracking, though it offers less of the simplicity solo operators often prefer.
Solopreneur can produce a profit and loss report, but it does not generate a balance sheet, which limits a full assessment of a business’s financial position.
Advantages of QuickBooks Online Simple Start
- Manage and pay bills directly through QuickBooks Bill Pay
- Track unpaid bills and process selected payments efficiently
- Run payroll with a QuickBooks Payroll add-on for automated taxes and direct deposits
- Track assets and liabilities through double-entry accounting
- Monitor payroll liabilities automatically when using QuickBooks Payroll
- Record and categorize payments to 1099 contractors
- Generate and print 1099 forms, with e-filing available through QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Online Simple Start vs Essentials
Simple Start works well for small businesses that need core accounting tools like invoicing, sales tax automation, bill management, and 1099 contractor tracking. Essentials adds more operational depth with features like time tracking and access for up to three users, making it a stronger fit for teams or businesses with more complex financial workflows.
Advantages of QuickBooks Online Essentials
- Track billable hours by job and assign them to specific customers
- Add billable time directly to invoices for service-based billing
- Access 20+ Simple Start reports plus 20+ additional Essentials reports
- Analyze A/P and A/R aging, expenses by vendor, and uninvoiced charges in detail
- Review outstanding invoices and unpaid bills for clearer financial insight.
Upgrading from Simple Start to Essentials, Plus, or Advanced is straightforward, with direct migration available. In contrast, moving from Solopreneur requires canceling your subscription and creating a new company file.
QuickBooks Online Essentials vs Plus
Simple Start is a strong entry point if your small business needs essential features like invoicing, sales tax automation, bill management, and 1099 contractor tracking. However, if you have employees or need more control over their finances, I recommend upgrading to Essentials, which adds time tracking and supports up to three users.
If you manage inventory, projects, or a growing team, Plus is the logical next step. It includes job costing, inventory tracking, and access for up to five users, making it a better fit for more operational complexity.
Advantages of QuickBooks Online Plus
- Track inventory with FIFO to monitor stock levels and calculate COGS
- Create and send purchase orders that convert seamlessly into bills
- Assign classes and locations to analyze P&L by division or area
- Monitor project income, expenses, and wages to assess profitability
- Manage job costs with clear visibility into labor and material spending
While Plus is ideal for retailers, wholesalers, and contractors, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise offers greater flexibility and features for managing inventory and projects.
QuickBooks Online Plus vs Advanced
QuickBooks Advanced builds on the features of Plus with tools designed for larger businesses or those managing more complex workflows. While Plus supports up to five users, I appreciate that Advanced accommodates up to 25 seats, offers custom user permissions, batch transactions, and automated workflows.
It also provides exclusive benefits I find valuable, such as a dedicated account manager, premium support, and unlimited chart of accounts and classes. If your business has multiple entities, advanced reporting needs, or larger teams, I recommend considering Advanced despite its higher monthly cost.
Advantages of QuickBooks Online Advanced
- Create multiple invoices at once using batch invoicing
- Record and categorize expenses in bulk with batch expensing
- Build customizable reports with filters, dashboards, and Spreadsheet Sync
- Access Priority Circle for dedicated support and faster assistance
- Track fixed assets with automated depreciation schedules
- Compare estimated and actual project costs to spot profitability issues
When to consider a QuickBooks Online alternative
QuickBooks Online isn’t always the perfect fit for every business. Here are some situations where an alternative might be better:
- You want free accounting software: Managing your finances on a budget is possible. Check out our top-recommended free accounting software for the best options and their features.
- You need parts inventory management: While QuickBooks Online has strong inventory management features, it can’t track parts and inventory assemblies. See our best accounting software for small manufacturing businesses for options.
- You prefer desktop-based software: If your business has limited internet connectivity, QuickBooks Desktop may be the better choice. Our QuickBooks Online vs Desktop comparison highlights the differences, including features in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, the only available desktop version.
- You need better scalability: As your business grows, QuickBooks Online may struggle with higher transaction volumes, more users, or complex operations. Explore our list of the leading small business accounting software for scalable solutions.
- You require industry-specific features: QuickBooks Online is versatile but may not meet all industry-specific needs. If you rely heavily on workarounds or third-party integrations, consider specialized software. Check out our buyer’s guides for tailored solutions:
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can. However, note that there’s no direct data migration option available from QuickBooks Solopreneur to any higher version of QuickBooks Online. This means you must first cancel your Solopreneur subscription and then sign up for the QuickBooks Online version you wish to upgrade to.
QuickBooks Online is better than QuickBooks Desktop if you prefer cloud-based accounting software to a locally installed one. QuickBooks Online’s biggest advantage is its ability to be accessed from anywhere with an internet-enabled device. Learn about all the differences in our QuickBooks Online vs Desktop comparison.
The QuickBooks Online Plus tier is the most popular plan among small to midsize businesses. It offers robust features, such as inventory tracking, project profitability tracking, budgeting, and class/location tracking, making it ideal for businesses with diverse needs. It also supports up to five users, which is perfect for growing teams.
Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a mobile app that allows you to access your account, track expenses, create and send invoices, and more, all from your smartphone or tablet.