How much does QuickBooks cost? QuickBooks is one of our top picks for accounting software, and offers various pricing plans. But what are you getting for your money? Written by Alec Hawley Updated on 13 December 2024 Our Research To recommend the best accounting software, our writers and researchers focused on the factors that matter most to small business owners – ease of use, features, design, scalability, and suitability for the UK taxation system. Written and reviewed by: Alec Hawley Startups.co.uk is reader supported – we may earn a commission from our recommendations, at no extra cost to you and without impacting our editorial impartiality. QuickBooks offers five plans to choose from, with their prices ranging from £10 per month to £115 per month, and right now you can get an incredible 90% off for 7 months on any plan for a limited time . But what exactly are you getting for your hard-earned cash? And which is the right one for your business?April (or accounting season) will be here much quicker than you think, and savvy entrepreneurs will already be looking to get their ducks in a row now. Especially to try and avoid the headaches of transferring and setting up records at that stressful part-way period of the year.The best time to switch is now, and it’s also the best time to find out about QuickBooks’ pricing, suite of features, and latest offers. Read on to find out everything you need to know about how much QuickBooks will cost you. 4.7 out of 5 Bookkeeping 5 Advanced Features 4.5 Financial Reporting 5 Try Quickbooks How much does QuickBooks cost? Quickbooks: pricing plans Is there a free version of QuickBooks? Can I buy QuickBooks without a subscription? Verdict: is QuickBooks worth the money? Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward BEST VALUE Plan Sole Trader Plan Simple Start Plan Essentials Plan Plus Plan Advanced Cost £10 per month (excl. VAT)90% off for 7 months Cost £16 per month (excl. VAT)90% off for 7 months Cost £33 per month (excl. VAT)90% off for 7 months Cost £47 per month (excl. VAT)90% off for 7 months Cost £115 per month (excl. VAT)90% off for 7 months Features Prepare self-assessment tax returnGet income tax estimatesAutomatically import bank transactions Features Prepare and submit VAT returns directly to HMRCSend pay-enabled invoicesCreate estimates and quotes Features Manage billsAccept and make payments in over 145 currencies3 users Features Manage stockTrack employee time5 users Features Manage employee expensesAdvanced reportsCustomisable user permissions How much does QuickBooks cost?Our expert researchers found that QuickBooks is accounting software tailored for small businesses – as each of their plans comes with useful features and powerful tools that make it easy for SMEs to stay on top of their business finances.Its pricing is transparent and affordable, unlike some of its competitors. In the current economy, it could be tempting for small business owners to try and rely solely on free accounting software, but you’ll be missing out on the richer, efficiency-boosting features of platforms like QuickBooks, that charge just a small monthly overhead.Here’s an overview of their five plans and their respective prices:QuickBooks Sole Trader: £10/monthQuickBooks Simple Start: £16/monthQuickBooks Essentials: £33/monthQuickBooks Plus: £47/monthQuickBooks Advanced: £115/monthNow, let’s dive into the details of each plan below to help you find the perfect fit.QuickBooks Sole Trader cost Plan – QuickBooks Sole TraderCost – £10 per month excl. VAT (currently £5 per month, for the first six months)Key feature – Prepare your self-assessment tax returnBest for – Sole traders and single property landlords who are not VAT registeredUsers – One billable user QuickBooks Sole Trader came top in our ranking of the best self-employed accounting software. As well as the ability to prepare your self-assessment tax return, your monthly tenner will bag you the following features:Get income tax estimatesConnect to your bankManage income and expensesSeparate personal and business transactions using AITrack mileage travelled on business tripsPhone and chat messaging support (phone support is available 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on the weekend)That’s a pretty impressive list for a basic, low-cost plan, but a big drawback is that you don’t get MTD VAT filing.To access that feature, as well as the ability to track CIS as a subcontractor, you’ll need to upgrade to any of the higher tiers.QuickBooks Simple Start cost Plan – QuickBooks Simple StartCost – £16 per month excl. VAT (currently £8 per month, for the first six months)Key feature – Prepare and submit your VAT return directly to HMRCBest for – Small businesses that are VAT registeredUsers – One billable user and two accounting firms QuickBooks Simple Start is a great fit for many small businesses. While you pay a bit more per month than the Sole Trader 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 clickVAT deadline remindersCreate estimates and quotes that can then be turned into invoicesA free onboarding sessionCalculate and submit Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) returnsIt’s a toolkit that should fulfil the needs of a lot of small businesses, and from this tier upwards you also have the option of adding payroll functionality for an extra £2.50 per month. But if you want bill management tools or multi-currency support, then you need to bump up to an Essentials or Plus plan.QuickBooks Essentials cost Plan – QuickBooks EssentialsCost – £33 per month excl. VAT (currently £16.50 per month, for the first six months)Key feature – Bill managementBest for – Businesses that have a lot of outgoings and work with suppliersUsers – Three billable users and two accounting firms The Essentials plan is ideal for larger small businesses, especially those that have 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 usersQuickBooks Plus cost Plan – QuickBooks PlusCost – £47 per month excl. VAT (currently £23.50 per month, for the first six months)Key feature – Stock trackingBest for – Retail businesses who need to manage an inventoryUsers – Five billable users and two accounting firms QuickBooks’ Plus plan has a lot to offer for larger SMEs and retail businesses. The big 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:Track project profitabilityBudgeting tools that let you track spending against monthly, quarterly, or annual budgetsAdd up to five usersQuickBooks Advanced cost Plan – QuickBooks AdvancedCost – £115 per month excl. VAT (currently £57.50 per month, for the first six months)Key feature – User permissionsBest for – Larger corporate businesses who need custom reporting and insightsUsers – 25 billable users plus two accounting firms QuickBooks’ Advanced plan has a lot to offer if your businesses needs more complex requirements. For example, one of its standout features is the custom user permissions, which allows you to control access to sensitive financial information. This makes sure that only authorised personnel can view or modify sensitive data.While QuickBooks Advanced is a powerful tool, it may not be the most compelling option for small businesses that are just starting out. However, as your business scales and demands more advanced functionalities, QuickBooks Advanced becomes an option worth considering.Its advanced features and scalability make it an ideal choice for growing businesses that require a more comprehensive and sophisticated financial management solution.Some of their advanced functionality includes:Business analytics with ExcelBatch invoicesCustom user permissionsAutomated workflows and remindersManage your employee expenses 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.You can find out more information about QuickBooks’ free trial, and what the best free accounting software is in 2025, in our expert guide. 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. Verdict: Is QuickBooks worth the money?In short, yes.Our expert research determined that QuickBooks’ reasonable pricing, extensive track record, and user-friendly interface make it a preferred choice for a broad range of users. While the support options may be somewhat limited, this should not be a significant drawback for most users, given the software’s overall reliability and ease of use.As we embrace the dawn of a new year, there’s no better time than now to kickstart your financial journey with QuickBooks. January marks the perfect moment for a fresh start, ensuring you can set solid foundations for the year ahead.Dive into QuickBooks now and you’ll gain a crucial advantage in organising your finances, streamlining your operations, and laying the groundwork for a prosperous year.For a full breakdown of where QuickBooks truly excels, you can check out our in-depth QuickBooks review. 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 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 Written by: 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.