How much does QuickBooks cost?

QuickBooks costs between £10 and £123 per month (plus VAT) across five pricing plans, with a current 90% discount available for the first 12 months.

In our most recent round of testing, QuickBooks emerged as one of our top recommendations for the best accounting software for small businesses, thanks to its great value for money across its feature-packed plans.

The new tax year is now upon us, so now’s the best time to switch accounting software – or upgrade your plan. Read on to find out everything you need to know about QuickBooks’ pricing options, and which is best for you.

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	Plan	Cost	Best suited for:	Features
		BEST VALUE
Sole Trader Plus	Simple Start	Essentials	Plus	Advanced
Paid monthly: £10/month (+ VAT) You can currently get 90% off for the first 12 months	Paid monthly: £16/month (+ VAT) You can currently get 90% off for the first 12 months	Paid monthly: £38/month (+ VAT) You can currently get 90% off for the first 12 months	Paid monthly: £56/month (+ VAT) You can currently get 90% off for the first 12 months	Paid monthly: £123/month (+ VAT) You can currently get 90% off for the first 12 months
Sole traders not registered for VAT, single property landlords, and those who want to be MTD for Income Tax ready	Sole traders and small business owners who are managing income tax and VAT	Small, growing limited companies	Small businesses that are managing projects and inventories of stock	Businesses that need more sophisticated support like custom permissions and tailored insights
AI-powered bank feeds Receive income tax estimates  Send out invoices	AI-powered bank feeds for quick categorisation Checks your VAT return for errors Gives you VAT deadline reminders	Bill management Multi-currency support (over 145 currencies) Employee time tracking so you can invoice your clients accurately	Track your products, and see what’s selling the most See the profitability of each of your projects Smart budgeting	Version control Automate workflows Custom charts and customised dashboards

How much does QuickBooks cost?

QuickBooks’s pricing covers five tiers, and starts from £10 per month + VAT for the Sole Trader Plus plan and goes all the way up to £123 per month + VAT for the Advanced plan.

The good thing about QuickBooks’s pricing is that it’s transparent, affordable, and covers a broad spectrum so you should be able to find something to fit your needs.

The only thing QuickBooks is missing is a free accounting software plan. That said, free plans tend to miss out on the richer, more advanced features available on paid plans like QuickBooks’s.

Our research also showed us that if you need to switch out of your current accounting software contract, QuickBooks can provide assistance or resources to ensure a smooth transition. 

How much does the QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus plan cost?

QuickBooks Sole Trader: from £10 + VAT per month Special offer: Currently £1 per month, for your first six months

• Number of users: One billable user

• Prepare your self-assessment tax return
• Provides estimates for Income Tax
• Extracts data from photos of your receipts

Summary This plan is for sole traders, single property landlords, and small business owners who need to prepare a self-assessment tax return, including managing VAT and Income Tax.

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The QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus plan costs £10 per month + VAT and is designed for self-employed individuals needing basic accountancy, MTD compliance, and self-assessment filing.

The Sole Trader Plus plan supports MTD for Income Tax, and your monthly £10 + VAT will unlock  the following features:

• Get income tax estimates
• Connect to your bank
• Manage income and expenses
• Separate personal and business transactions using AI
• Track mileage travelled on business trips
• Phone support (phone support is available 8am to 7pm from Monday to Friday)
• QuickBooks provides messaging support for 14 hours a day on weekdays and 10 hours a day on weekends.

You can find out more detailed information about the Sole Trader Plus plan in our detailed breakdown of QuickBooks for the self-employed.

What features are included in the QuickBooks mobile app?

The mobile app is one of QuickBooks’s standout features, and is one of the strongest examples on the market. It’s available on all plan levels.

You can use it to create invoices, manage your cash flow, and scan and read receipts, but it most impressively also includes an automatic mileage tracking feature.

With the new, fluid demands of MTD on sole traders, a good mobile app isn’t just about convenience, it’s about real-time compliance. 

How much does the QuickBooks Simple Start plan cost?

QuickBooks Simple Start: from £16 + VAT per month, or £172 + VAT per year Special offer: Currently £1.60 per month for your first six months, or £17.20 for your first year

• Number of users: One billable user

• Submit VAT directly to HMRC
• VAT error checker
• VAT deadline reminders

Summary This plan is for sole traders and small business owners who are managing VAT and Income Tax, and who need to prepare a Self Assessment.

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QuickBooks’s Simple Start plan (£16 + VAT per month) is a great fit for many small businesses, as you’ll be able to submit VAT directly to HMRC, and you’ll also get a helpful error checker.

On this plan, you can also:

• Send “pay-enabled” invoices that can be paid with one click
• Get VAT deadline reminders
• Create estimates and quotes that can then be turned into invoices
• Calculate and submit Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) returns

From this tier upwards, you also have the option of adding payroll functionality for an extra fee (starting from £5 per month).

It’s also worth mentioning that, unlike some competitors, QuickBooks has no ledger or invoice caps to worry about at this level.

QuickBooks also comes embedded with Intuit Intelligence, its AI-powered financial assistant. The amount of AI-features you get access to depend on your plan level. On Simple Start, you’ll be able to use:

• AI-powered bank feeds: quick transaction organisation for review
• VAT AI Agent: helps flag differences between P&L and VAT reports and recommends corrections

One big thing to note about the Simple Start plan is that you can’t enter unpaid bills.

So, while it does technically handle VAT returns, if you manage your VAT on ‘accruals’ (the ‘standard’ VAT scheme) then this tier most likely won’t be viable for you. There are work arounds for this, like creating a ‘journal entry’ to manually record the expense and the VAT, but they’re far from ideal.

This is why the Essentials plan will be the better option for VAT registered businesses (especially limited companies). If you want bill management tools or multi-currency support, you’ll need to bump up to the Essentials or Plus plan.

How much does the QuickBooks Essentials plan cost?

QuickBooks Essentials: from £38 + VAT per month Special offer: Currently £3.80 per month, for your first six months

• Number of users: Three billable users

• Manage your bills, including paying multiple invoices at once
• Multi-currency support
• Track employee time

Summary This plan is aimed at small businesses that have a lot of outgoings and are working with suppliers.

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At £38 + VAT per month, the Essentials plan is aimed at small businesses that have multiple employees, work with suppliers, and in multiple currencies. That’s because you’ll get access to key features that you don’t get on the lower tiers like:

• Bill management – import bills from suppliers to see when they’re due, pay multiple vendors/invoices at the same time, record payments, and create recurring expenses (which will be essential for limited companies)
• Do business in over 145 currencies – invoice easily with automatic exchange rates, and keep your overseas customers happy by providing billing in the local currency
• Employee time tracking – manage chargeable hours and expenses for clients or employees, which can be automatically added to an invoice

One of the key points on the Essentials plan is being able to see a list of who you owe what to, at any time.

You’ll also get the AI tools in the Simple Start plan, as well as AI-powered collaboration. This tool can spot transactions that need addressing, and then will prompt you to start a chat with your advisor.

Essentials offers the best value for money when it comes to cost vs. features. Just so long as you’re willing to put the time into learning QuickBooks’s complexities, it provides excellent value for business owners.

How much does the QuickBooks Plus plan cost?

QuickBooks Plus: from £56 + VAT per month Special offer: Currently £5.60 per month, for your first six months

• Number of users: Five billable users

• Stock tracking
• Smart budgeting
• Project overview

Summary This plan is primarily for businesses who need to manage projects and inventories.

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QuickBooks’s Plus plan, priced at £56 + VAT per month, is the best plan for SMEs that are managing projects and stock, because the big feature on this tier is inventory management.

The inventory management 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 project-friendly tools, including:

• The ability to track project profitability
• Budgeting tools that let you track spending against monthly, quarterly, or annual budgets
• The ability to track data by both classification and location

In addition to all the AI tools that are included in Essentials, you’ll also get access to:

• Anomaly detection: which identifies potential errors in P&L reports and balance sheets
• Customer Agent: this is an AI-agent that can prioritise leads from your inbox and personalise follow-ups

Managing financial stability is a priority for SMEs in the unstable economic landscape of 2026, so the budgeting and project profitability tools in the Plus plan might end up being essential.

How much does the QuickBooks Advanced plan cost?

QuickBooks Advanced: from £123 + VAT per month Special offer: Currently £12.30 per month, for your first six months

• Number of users: 25 billable users

• Advanced reports
• Unlimited Chart of Accounts
• Unlimited classes and locations for custom reports

Summary This plan is for larger corporate businesses who need custom reporting and insights.

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The QuickBooks Advanced plan costs £123 + VAT per month and offers unlimited Chart of Accounts, custom user permissions, and dedicated premium support.

The custom user permissions allow you to control access to sensitive financial information. This ensures that only authorised personnel can view or modify sensitive data.

Its advanced features and scalability make it an ideal choice for growing businesses that need a comprehensive and sophisticated financial management solution.

This advanced functionality also includes:

• Business analytics with Excel
• Batch invoices
• Automated workflows and reminders
• Employee expense management
• Premium, dedicated user support from QuickBooks
• Allows unlimited Chart of Accounts categories

The unlimited Chart of Accounts feature can be a key point for users as you’re capped at 250 on all the lower tier plans. Precise categorisation is a strong trust signal in 2026, and can act as a security feature.

In addition to all the Intuit Intelligence AI tools included on previous plans, you’ll also unlock:

• Finance Agent: this AI-agent can analyse progress towards KPIs, and provide scenario planning for your business
• Project Management Agent: this agent creates project outlines, with pre-filled key details

While the Advance plan’s £123 + VAT price tag might be large, the automated workflows and AI-powered proactive insights can help offset the cost by allowing a small team to operate like a larger one.

Are there any hidden fees?

There are no hidden fees for premium features or extra storage with Quickbooks which is a plus.

While not a hidden fee, just remember to keep in mind the cap on Chart of Accounts on all plans except for Advanced, as many users can be caught out by this.

The only additional cost outside of the base monthly price is the fee for adding Payroll functionality (this is only available from the Simple Start plan upwards):

• Payroll Core: £5 per month, plus £1.30 per paid employee, per month
• Payroll Premium: £10 per month, plus £2 per paid employee, per month
• Payroll Elite: £15 per month, plus £3 per paid employee, per month

Currently you can save 90% for your first six months of QuickBooks payroll.

Is there a free version of QuickBooks?

There’s no free version of QuickBooks. However, you can get a 30-day free trial to see exactly what QuickBooks has to offer, without a financial commitment.

Just be aware though, by selecting the free trial, you won’t be able to access the current 90% discount offer. 

If you are looking for a no-cost option, check out our ranking of the best free accounting software.

Can I buy QuickBooks as a one-time purchase?

QuickBooks is only available with a subscription – you’ll pay for it on a monthly or yearly basis – but there’s no minimum term or contract to sign, so you’re free to stop using it whenever you want.

Do also keep in mind that you can make a 10% saving if you opt to pay annually instead of monthly. However, you can’t currently opt for an annual subscription from sign-up. According to QuickBooks’s support page, you need to switch to an annual plan once your account is already set up.

Is QuickBooks worth the money?

In short, yes – QuickBooks’s reasonable pricing, powerful cash flow projections, excellent mobile app, and user-friendly interface make it a preferred choice for users who want in-depth insights and enhanced customisation.

The platform also provides a wide range of help and support options, including a 24/7 chatbot. 

Just keep in mind that it can take a time investment to really understand the complexities of QuickBooks and its nuanced workflow automations.

If you don’t have the time it takes to fully master the software, a simpler software option like FreshBooks might be more suitable. You can read more about the differences between the competitors in our full QuickBooks vs FreshBooks deep dive.

However, we would say that QuickBooks’s depth makes it worth mastering, especially given today’s complex regulatory requirements.

Our analysis concludes that QuickBooks provides high value-for-money, combining advanced automation features with connectivity to over 750 third-party apps.

Who will get the most out of QuickBooks?

We’d recommend QuickBooks to small business owners whose operations are growing, and who have the time necessary to learn all of the QuickBooks quirks. If you can unlock its complexities, it can really reduce your manual effort.

For a full breakdown of where QuickBooks truly excels, you can jump into our full QuickBooks review.

How did we test and review QuickBooks?

Our analysis of QuickBooks fell under our testing of seven top accounting software platforms.

This included 1512 areas of investigation, spread across 25 sub categories, and six main categories.

These categories were then given an appropriate weighting, most relevant to UK small business owners looking for accounting software:

1. (20%): the core accounting features
2. (17.5%): the tools for financial planning and visibility
3. (17.5%): how the software enhances your operational efficiency
4. (15%): the avenues of help and support provided
5. (15%): how much the software costs, including hidden pricing
6. (15%): how easy to use the software is

We then worked with our external accounting expert, Dan Heelan, who has 19+ years experience in accounting, to ensure our information is as helpful and relevant as possible.