Which QuickBooks Online Plan Should You Buy in 2026?
Last updated: October 2026
Choosing the right QuickBooks Online plan can save you time and money. But with four main plans to choose from, how do you know which one is right for your business?
In this guide, we'll compare Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced, including their latest US pricing, key features, and differences, so you can choose the best plan without paying for tools you don't need.
Prefer to watch? Check out my QuickBooks Online Plans comparison video:
Watch my QuickBooks Online plans comparison to learn the key differences between Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced.
Note: QuickBooks Online prices have changed since this video was recorded. See the updated October 2026 pricing comparison below.
What is QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online is one of the most popular cloud-based accounting software platforms for small businesses in the U.S. It helps you manage your bookkeeping in one place, from tracking income and expenses to sending invoices, reconciling bank transactions, and generating financial reports.
Because it's cloud-based, you can access your accounting records from anywhere with an internet connection. Your data is automatically backed up, software updates are handled for you, and you can give your accountant or bookkeeper access to help manage your finances.
QuickBooks Online also offers a range of automation and AI-powered features designed to save time on everyday bookkeeping tasks, such as categorizing transactions, managing invoices, and identifying potential errors.
There are four main QuickBooks Online plans: Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced. Each offers different features, user limits, and reporting capabilities, so choosing the right one depends on your business needs and how much you're willing to spend.
QuickBooks Online Plans Explained (2026 Overview)
QuickBooks Online plans compared: features and monthly pricing for Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced (October 2026).
QuickBooks Online offers four main plans, each designed for different business needs and budgets:
Simple Start: $38/month
Essentials: $85/month
Plus: $140/month
Advanced: $340/month
These are the standard US monthly subscription prices before any promotional discounts. Each plan builds on the previous one, offering additional features, users, and reporting capabilities.
The main differences between QuickBooks Online plans come down to four things:
Number of users: How many people need access to your account
Business operations: Whether you need features like inventory tracking, project profitability, or multicurrency support
Financial reporting: How detailed your reports, dashboards, and financial insights need to be
Automation and AI: Which tools are available to help streamline everyday bookkeeping tasks
If you're a sole proprietor or very small business, Simple Start may be all you need. As your business grows, you might benefit from additional features like inventory management, project tracking, or custom user permissions.
Below, we'll compare each QuickBooks Online plan individually, covering who it's best for, what features it includes, and when it's worth upgrading.
QuickBooks Online Simple Start
Who is Simple Start best for?
QuickBooks Online Simple Start is ideal for sole proprietors, freelancers, and very small businesses that need essential bookkeeping tools without paying for more advanced features.
It's a good starting point if you want to track income and expenses, send invoices, reconcile bank transactions, and generate basic financial reports.
The QuickBooks Online dashboard provides an overview of your business finances, including invoices, expenses and bank balances.
How much does QuickBooks Online Simple Start cost?
At $38 per month, Simple Start is the most affordable paid QuickBooks Online plan, making it an entry-level option for businesses with straightforward bookkeeping needs.
Key features included
Automated bank feeds and bank reconciliation
Income and expense tracking with smart categorization
Invoicing and online payment options
Financial reports, including Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet
Receipt capture and expense management
Intuit Intelligence, including AI-powered expense categorization and limited AI chat capabilities
QuickBooks Online mobile app
Limitations to be aware of
Limited to one business user (plus access for up to two accountants)
No multicurrency support
No built-in employee time tracking
No inventory tracking
No project profitability tracking
No budgeting tools
Is Simple Start right for you?
If you run a small service-based business, work independently, or simply need to keep your bookkeeping organized, Simple Start could be all you need.
However, if you need to manage bills, track employee time, or give multiple team members access, Essentials may be a better fit.
QuickBooks Online Essentials
Who is Essentials best for?
QuickBooks Online Essentials is ideal for small service-based businesses that need more than one user or have outgrown the basic features of Simple Start.
It's a good fit if you need to manage supplier bills, track billable hours, work with multiple currencies, or give other team members access to your accounting records.
QuickBooks Online Essentials includes time tracking tools to record billable hours and add them to customer invoices.
How much does QuickBooks Online Essentials cost?
At $85 per month, Essentials sits one step above Simple Start and includes up to three business users, plus access for up to two accountants.
Key features included
All features included in Simple Start
Up to three business users (plus two accountants)
Bill management and Accounts Payable tracking
Time tracking and billable hours by customer
Multicurrency support with automatic exchange rate updates
Recurring transactions and invoices
Enhanced financial reports, including Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable aging summaries
Intuit Intelligence, including AI-powered bookkeeping assistance and automated invoice creation (beta)
Limitations to be aware of
Limited to three business users
No inventory tracking
No project profitability tracking
No built-in budgeting tools
Limited customization compared with higher-tier plans
Is Essentials right for you?
If you run a service-based business, manage supplier bills, or need multiple people working in QuickBooks, Essentials offers a useful upgrade over Simple Start.
However, if your business sells physical products and needs to track inventory, or you want to monitor profitability by project, Plus may be a better fit.
QuickBooks Online Plus
Who is Plus best for?
QuickBooks Online Plus is ideal for growing small to mid-sized businesses that need more advanced bookkeeping features, particularly those that sell physical products or manage multiple jobs and projects.
It's a good fit if you need to track inventory, monitor project profitability, manage budgets, or give more team members access to your accounting records.
QuickBooks Online Plus helps businesses manage inventory, track stock levels, and monitor product costs and sales prices.
How much does QuickBooks Online Plus cost?
At $140 per month, Plus sits above Essentials and includes up to five business users, plus access for up to two accountants.
Key features included
All features included in Essentials
Up to five business users (plus two accountants)
Inventory tracking, including stock levels and automatic Cost of Goods Sold calculations
Purchase orders for managing inventory purchases
Project profitability tracking, including income, expenses, and labor costs
Budgeting tools to compare actual performance against budgets
Class and location tracking for analyzing different areas of your business
Enhanced financial reports, including inventory, sales, and profitability reports
Intuit Intelligence, including AI-powered bookkeeping assistance and tools to identify potential errors
Limitations to be aware of
Limited to five business users
No advanced workflow automation or fully customizable user roles
No advanced custom report builder
May be more expensive than necessary for businesses with straightforward bookkeeping needs
Is Plus right for you?
If your business manages inventory, tracks profitability across multiple projects, or needs more detailed financial reporting, Plus offers a significant upgrade over Essentials.
However, if you only need invoicing, expense tracking, bill management, and basic reporting, Essentials may be sufficient.
For larger businesses that need advanced automation, custom user permissions, or more than five users, Advanced may be a better fit.
QuickBooks Online Advanced
Who is Advanced best for?
QuickBooks Online Advanced is ideal for growing businesses with larger teams, more complex accounting needs, and a greater need for automation and financial reporting.
It's a good fit if you need to manage multiple users with different permissions, automate approval workflows, or gain deeper insights into your business performance.
The QuickBooks Online Business Feed brings together financial insights, suggested actions, and AI-powered tools to help manage your business finances.
How much does QuickBooks Online Advanced cost?
At $340 per month, Advanced is the highest-tier QuickBooks Online plan and supports up to 25 business users, plus access for your accountant or bookkeeper.
Key features included
All features included in Plus
Up to 25 business users with customizable roles and permissions
Automated workflows for approvals, reminders, and repetitive tasks
Custom financial reports and dashboards to track key performance indicators
Unlimited class and location tracking for detailed financial analysis
Data syncing with Excel for advanced reporting and analysis
Cash flow and profitability forecasting tools
Batch invoicing and expense management
Advanced AI-powered tools, including Finance AI for tailored financial insights and Project Management AI (beta)
Automatic data backup and restore functionality
Priority support and training through QuickBooks Priority Circle
Limitations to be aware of
Significantly more expensive than other QuickBooks Online plans
Advanced features may be unnecessary for smaller businesses with straightforward bookkeeping needs
More time and configuration may be required to get the most value from its automation and reporting tools
Is Advanced right for you?
If your business has a growing team, complex approval processes, or needs more control over financial reporting and user access, Advanced could be worth the investment.
However, if you mainly need inventory management, project profitability tracking, and budgeting, Plus may provide everything you need at a considerably lower cost.
Advanced makes the most sense when its additional automation, reporting, and collaboration features can save your business enough time to justify the higher subscription price.
Which QuickBooks Online Plan Is Right for You?
The best QuickBooks Online plan depends on your business size, bookkeeping needs, and budget. Rather than paying for features you might never use, it's usually smarter to choose the most affordable plan that meets your requirements.
Here's a quick guide to help you decide:
Simple Start ($38/month): Best for freelancers, sole proprietors, and very small businesses that need essential bookkeeping tools like invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting.
Essentials ($85/month): Ideal for small service-based businesses that need to manage supplier bills, track billable hours, work with multiple currencies, or give additional team members access.
Plus ($140/month): A good fit for growing businesses that need inventory management, project profitability tracking, or budgeting tools. Particularly useful for businesses selling physical products or managing multiple jobs.
Advanced ($340/month): Designed for larger or more complex businesses that need advanced reporting, automated workflows, customizable user permissions, and access for up to 25 users.
Still not sure which plan to choose? Start with the lowest-tier plan that covers your current needs. You can always upgrade later as your business grows.
You can compare the latest QuickBooks Online plans and offers here.
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Does QuickBooks Online Include Payroll?
Payroll is not included with QuickBooks Online by default. Instead, you can add QuickBooks Workforce Payroll to your accounting subscription for an additional monthly fee.
This means that whether you're using Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced, you'll need to pay extra if you want to manage employee payroll directly through QuickBooks.
QuickBooks offers three main payroll plans in the US:
QuickBooks Workforce Payroll plans compared: features and monthly pricing for Payroll, Premium and Elite (October 2026).
Workforce Payroll
Workforce Payroll is the most affordable option, costing $50 per month, plus $7 per employee per month.
Key features include:
Automated payroll calculations and tax filing
Federal and state payroll tax payments
Automated payroll for eligible salaried employees
Direct deposit for employees
Employee access to pay stubs and tax forms
Payroll reports and contractor payment tracking
This plan is ideal for small businesses that need a straightforward way to pay employees and manage payroll taxes without paying for advanced HR or time tracking tools.
Workforce Premium
Workforce Premium costs $88 per month, plus $13 per employee per month.
It includes everything in Workforce Payroll, plus additional features such as:
Same-day direct deposit
Employee time tracking with QuickBooks Time
Employee scheduling and timesheet approvals
Payroll setup reviewed by a QuickBooks expert
Additional HR tools and employee management features
AI-powered payroll assistance to help identify potential errors
Premium is a good fit for businesses with hourly employees, shift schedules, or more complex payroll needs that would benefit from integrated time tracking and HR tools.
Workforce Elite
Workforce Elite is the most comprehensive payroll option, costing $134 per month, plus $17 per employee per month.
It includes everything in Workforce Premium, plus additional features such as:
Advanced time tracking and workforce management tools
Enhanced HR and employee management features
Expert assistance with payroll setup and support
Payroll tax penalty protection of up to $25,000 per year, subject to eligibility and terms
Elite is designed for growing businesses that need more advanced workforce management features, expert support, and additional protection around payroll compliance.
Which payroll plan should you choose?
If you simply need to pay employees and manage payroll taxes, Workforce Payroll may be sufficient. Premium is worth considering if you need integrated time tracking and HR tools, while Elite is better suited to businesses with more complex payroll and workforce management requirements.
All prices are in USD and reflect standard monthly subscription rates before promotional discounts. Employee fees are additional, and features may vary depending on eligibility and plan terms.
Can You Change QuickBooks Online Plans Later?
Yes! You can upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online plan as your business needs change.
If your business grows and you need additional features like inventory tracking, project profitability, or more users, you can upgrade to a higher-tier plan.
Likewise, if your bookkeeping needs become simpler, you may be able to downgrade to a more affordable plan.
However, there are a few things to consider before switching:
Feature restrictions: Some features, such as inventory tracking and multicurrency support, aren't available on lower-tier plans. Certain features may prevent you from downgrading altogether. For example, once multicurrency is enabled, it cannot be turned off.
User limits: You'll need to make sure your number of users falls within the limits of your new plan.
Promotional discounts: Changing plans may remove any existing discounts on your subscription.
You can manage your subscription through the Subscriptions and Billing section of QuickBooks Online. For detailed instructions, check out Intuit's guide to changing plans.
The good news is that you don't need to commit to the most expensive plan upfront. Many businesses start with a lower-tier option and upgrade as their needs become more complex.
Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best QuickBooks Online Plan
There's no single best QuickBooks Online plan for every business. The right choice depends on your bookkeeping needs, the features you'll actually use, and how much you're willing to spend.
For most small businesses, it makes sense to start with the most affordable plan that meets your requirements rather than paying for features you don't need.
As a quick reminder:
Simple Start: Best for freelancers and small businesses with straightforward bookkeeping needs
Essentials: Ideal for businesses that need bill management, time tracking, or multiple users
Plus: A good fit for businesses that need inventory tracking, project profitability, or budgeting
Advanced: Designed for growing businesses that need advanced automation, custom permissions, and detailed financial reporting
Before deciding, think about where your business is today and what you might need over the next 6–12 months.
Whichever plan you choose, the most important thing is keeping your accounting records accurate and up to date. That's what helps you understand your finances, monitor performance, and make better business decisions.
About the Author
James Hearle is a qualified accountant (ACA) and the creator of Accounting Stuff, an educational YouTube channel with over one million subscribers.
With professional experience in accounting and auditing, including three years at Deloitte, James creates practical tutorials, guides, and learning resources to help students, bookkeepers, and small business owners understand accounting and use accounting software with confidence.