How much does QuickBooks cost? QuickBooks is one of our top picks for accounting software, and offers various pricing plans. But which one will suit your business, and what are you getting for your money? Alec Hawley December 22, 2021 3 min read Our experts We are a team of writers, experimenters and researchers providing you with the best advice with zero bias or partiality. This article was authored by: Alec Hawley Our independent reviews and recommendations are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. There are two main reasons we’re big fans of QuickBooks here at Startups. One is that they genuinely understand what small businesses need, and fill their plans with useful features and powerful tools that make it easy to stay on top of your business finances.The other is their pricing – it’s transparent, affordable and starts at just £8 per month with (unlike some of its competitors) no usage limits. What’s more, there are regular deals and discounts that bring the cost even lower.There are four plans to choose from in total, with the top tier Plus plan coming in at £30 a month.But what exactly are you getting for your hard-earned cash with each of these plans, and how do you pick the right one for your business?To find out, just read on. How much does QuickBooks cost? Is there a free version of QuickBooks? Is QuickBooks worth the money? Can I buy QuickBooks without a subscription? 0 out of 0 backward forward Plan Cost Features BEST VALUE Self EmployedSimple StartEssentialsPlus£8 per month (excl. VAT)£12 per month (excl. VAT)£22 per month (excl. VAT)£32 per month (excl. VAT)Prepare self-assessment tax returnGet income tax estimatesAutomatically import bank transactionsPrepare and submit VAT returns directly to HMRCSend pay-enabled invoicesCreate estimates and quotesManage billsAccept and make payments in over 145 currencies3 usersManage stockTrack employee time5 usersQuickBooks Self Employed cost Plan – QuickBooks Self EmployedCost – £8 per month (excl. VAT)Key feature – Prepare your self-assessment tax returnBest for – Freelancers and very small businesses QuickBooks Self Employed is, as you might expect, designed for the self-employed. As well as the ability to prepare your self-assessment tax return, your £8 a month gets you the following features:Get income tax estimatesAutomatically import bank transactionsManage income and expensesSeparate personal and business transactionsTrack mileage travelled on business tripsChat messaging supportIt’s an impressive list for a basic, low-cost plan. There are also no usage limits but two key restrictions are that you don’t get MTD VAT filing or phone support.For either of those, you’ll need to have a Simple Start, Essentials or Plus plan.QuickBooks Simple Start cost Plan – QuickBooks Simple StartCost – £12 per month (excl. VAT)Key feature – Prepare and submit your VAT return directly to HMRCBest for – Small businesses that are VAT registered QuickBooks Simple Start is a great fit for many small businesses. While you pay a bit more per month than the Self Employed plan, you get a powerful VAT submission tool (including an error checker) plus the following:Send “pay-enabled” invoices that can be paid with one clickUK phone support (from 8am to 7pm Monday – Friday)Create estimates and quotes that can then be turned into invoicesCalculate and submit Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) returnsIt’s a list that should fulfil the needs of lots of small businesses, but if you want bill management tools or multi-currency support, then you should choose an Essentials or Plus plan.QuickBooks Essentials cost Plan – QuickBooks EssentialsCost – £20 per month (excl. VAT)Key feature – Bill managementBest for – Businesses that have a lot of outgoings The Essentials plan is ideal for larger small businesses and businesses that do business with overseas suppliers or clients. One of the most important additions on this tier is bill management – you’ll be able to import bills from suppliers to see when they’re due, pay multiple vendors/invoices at the same time, record payments, and create recurring expenses. Essentials also includes the following benefits.Do business in over 145 currencies (and invoice easily with automatic exchange rates)Have up to three usersThis is a great plan for larger SMEs that do business overseas as it includes multi-currency support and bill management tools.QuickBooks Plus cost Plan – QuickBooks PlusCost – £30 per month (excl. VAT)Key feature – Inventory managementBest for – Retail businesses QuickBooks’ most advanced plan, Plus has a lot to offer for larger SMEs and retail businesses. The most notable feature on this tier is inventory management – which lets you quickly and easily track stock levels, see what is (and isn’t) selling well, create purchase orders, manage vendors, and get low stock notifications. This plan also includes:Employee time trackingTrack project profitabilityBudgeting tools that let you track spending against monthly, quarterly, or annual budgetsAdd up to five users Is there a free version of QuickBooks?No, there’s no free version of QuickBooks. However, you can get a 30-day free trial so you can see exactly what QuickBooks has to offer, and how it can help your business. Is QuickBooks worth the money?In short, yes. For a full breakdown of where it excels, check out our in-depth QuickBooks review or just trust us when we say each QuickBooks plan comes loaded with great features at an affordable price. It also came out on top in our overall best small business accounting software and best self-employed accounting software rankings, so it’s definitely got the Startups seal of approval. 4.7 out of 5 Bookkeeping 5 Advanced Features 4.5 Financial Reporting 5 Try Quickbooks Can I buy QuickBooks without a subscription?While QuickBooks is only available with a subscription, there’s no minimum term or contract to sign so you’re free to stop using it whenever you want. Not having to pay a significant amount up front should also help your cash flow, something that’s hugely important for small businesses. Startups.co.uk is reader-supported. If you make a purchase through the links on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailers of the products we have reviewed. This helps Startups.co.uk to provide free advice and reviews for our readers. It has no additional cost to you, and never affects the editorial independence of our reviews. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Alec Hawley Alec is Startups’ resident expert on politics and finance. He’s provided live updates on the budget, written guides on investing and property development, and demystified topics like corporation tax, accounting software, and invoice discounting. Before joining, he worked in the media for over a decade, conducting media analysis at Kantar Media and YouGov, and writing a wide variety of freelance pieces.