Home / Accounting Software / QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks
Head-to-head
QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks pricing
QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks are two of the most-searched accounting tools for small businesses. This page compares their entry prices and user limits using StackScope's accounting report, last verified October 2026.
FreshBooks has the cheaper entry tier: Lite is $23 per month against $38 for QuickBooks Simple Start. QuickBooks Simple Start covers 1 user plus 2 accountant accesses, while FreshBooks includes 1 user and charges $11 per month for each additional Team Member, which StackScope estimates at $67 per month for 5 users on Lite. QuickBooks Essentials is $85 per month for 3 users plus 2 accountants. Both carry promotion conflicts: Intuit advertises 50% off for 3 months, which would put Simple Start at $19, while its other pages show stale figures, and FreshBooks' page still shows 90% off despite offer terms saying it ended August 18, 2026. Neither has an ongoing free plan, only a 30-day trial.
| Tool | Free plan | Entry tier | Mid tier | Highest public price | Aggregated sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | 30-day free trial; no ongoing free plan. [VENDOR]Simple Start allows 1 user + 2 accountant accesses. [VENDOR] | $38/mo standardSimple Start · MONTHLY: $38 standard. Intuit's current dedicated discount page explicitly advertises 50% off for 3 months for new customers (Simple Start $19/mo during the promo; free trials not eligible) [VENDOR]. Other current Intuit pages still show stale/conflicting older figures and 90%-off text — use $38 standard and flag those pages as stale. ANNUAL: $456/year — derived, straight 12× standard monthly, not a published vendor annual-billing rate [DERIVED — VENDOR]. 5 users: N/A — entry tier supports 1 user; moving up tiers is required. [VENDOR] | $85/moEssentials · 3 users + 2 accountants [VENDOR]. Named mid tier, not used for the fixed 5-user breakpoint since this tier itself only supports 3. New tier confirmed between Essentials and Advanced: Plus, $140/mo, 5 users + 2 accountants — adds inventory, project profitability and budgeting. [VENDOR] Other current Intuit pages still show stale Essentials $75/Plus $115/Advanced $275 figures — do not use those; $85/$140/$340 are the current standard list prices. | $340/moAdvanced · 25 users + 3 accountants [VENDOR]. Publicly priced list price, not Contact Sales. Adds custom roles, automated workflows, advanced/custom reporting, unlimited classes/locations, backup/restore and Priority Circle support. | Catch: pricing increases and support inconsistency recur in reviews. [3P — G2] Praise centers on ease of use, broad accounting workflows, bank connections, and integrations. G2's review summary also flags expense tracking, missing features, and support as recurring negatives. G2/Capterra currently still list the stale Essentials $75/Plus $115/Advanced $275 figures, which conflict with Intuit's current $85/$140/$340 — flagged, not used. [3P — G2/Capterra] Users: 1 on Simple Start, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Plus, 25 on Advanced. Invoices/bills/clients: no numeric cap found beyond user limits. Upgrade trigger: needing more than 1 user, or inventory/project profitability (Plus). AI: no separate AI add-on price found; Intuit Intelligence (25 prompts/month) plus tier-dependent Accounting AI, Payments AI, Sales Tax AI, Customer AI, Finance AI and Project Management AI are bundled into the relevant tiers, not sold separately. [VENDOR] |
| FreshBooks | 30-day free trial; no ongoing free version. [VENDOR / 3P — Capterra] | $23/mo standardLite · MONTHLY: $23 standard. FreshBooks' current pricing page still displays 90% off for 3 months ($2.30/mo), while FreshBooks' own formal offer terms previously stated that version of the promotion ended August 18, 2026 — this conflict has not been cleanly resolved; the current page keeps showing 90% off despite that stated expiration, so don't treat the promo as definitely verified. [VENDOR — source conflict] ANNUAL: $248.40/year — now vendor-published in FreshBooks' 2026 price-change FAQ (includes a stated 10% discount vs. monthly), not a derived figure. [VENDOR] 1 included user; additional Team Members are $11/mo each. Other published add-ons: Advanced Payments $20/mo, FreshBooks Payroll $40/mo + $6/mo per user. 5-user equivalent: $67/mo, assuming 1 included user + 4 paid Team Members [DERIVED — VENDOR: $23 + 4×$11]. Lite supports 5 billable clients. | $43/moPlus · [VENDOR] 50 billable clients; adds receipt scanning and accounting reports. ANNUAL: $464.40/year, vendor-published (10% discount vs. monthly). [VENDOR] | $70/moPremium · [VENDOR] unlimited clients. ANNUAL: $756.00/year, vendor-published (10% discount vs. monthly). [VENDOR] Select tier above this is Contact Sales/custom, not publicly priced. | Catch: client caps and paid team-member add-ons can raise the real cost as a business grows. [3P — G2; 3P — Capterra] Praise is dominated by ease of use, invoicing, quick setup, and customer support. Reporting limitations and per-client pricing recur as complaints. Capterra currently lists Lite $21/Plus $38/Premium $65, and G2 shows the promotional $2.30/$4.30/$7.00 figures plus a separate G2 Deals 90%-off-for-4-months offer — none of these match FreshBooks' current $23/$43/$70 standard prices; flagged, not used. [3P — G2/Capterra] Users: 1 included, additional Team Members $11/mo each. Invoices/bills/clients: Lite 5 billable clients; Plus 50; Premium and Select unlimited. Upgrade trigger: exceeding 5 clients, or needing more than 1 user without paying per-seat. AI: no separate AI add-on price found; recurring invoices and automated bank import are bundled into the tier, with receipt scanning bundled starting on Plus. [VENDOR] |
Figures are aggregated from vendor pricing pages and independent third-party pricing research as of October 2026 and reflect published list prices. This page shows two of the four tools in the full Accounting Software report, which carries the complete footnotes and every source conflict we flagged. Confirm current pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing. This is not a recommendation to buy any specific product.
FAQ
Common questions
Is FreshBooks cheaper than QuickBooks?
At the entry tier, yes: FreshBooks Lite is $23 per month versus $38 for QuickBooks Simple Start. With extra Team Members at $11 each, StackScope estimates FreshBooks at $67 per month for 5 users.
Do QuickBooks and FreshBooks have free plans?
Neither has an ongoing free plan. Both offer a 30-day free trial.
Can I rely on the promotional prices?
Not without checking. Intuit advertises 50% off for 3 months, which would put Simple Start at $19, but other Intuit pages show stale figures. FreshBooks' 90% off conflicts with its own offer terms, and StackScope has not resolved that.
More
Keep comparing
See all four tools in the full Accounting Software report →
Vendor pricing: QuickBooks Online pricing · FreshBooks pricing