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Alternatives · Accounting

QuickBooks Online alternatives

QuickBooks Online compared with 12 alternatives: Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Wave, Akaunting and 7 more.

QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Paid plans start at $38 per month, billed monthly. 6 of the 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 6 more offer a free trial.

12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
QuickBooks OnlineThis toolFree plan · from $38/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
XeroFree trial · from $27/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
FreshBooksFree trial · from $23/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
Zoho BooksFree plan · from $15/moYesWeb, Windows, iOS, Android
WaveFree plan · from $19/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
AkauntingFree plan · from $72/yrYesWeb
BonsaiFree trial · from $9/moTrial onlyWeb, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension
FoundFree plan · from $35/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
FreeAgentFree trial · from $27/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
KashooFree trial · from $30/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
Manager.ioFree plan · from $59/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
OdooFree plan · from $31.10/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
Patriot AccountingFree trial · from $20/moTrial onlyWeb

Price against what you get

QuickBooks Online starts at $38 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 4 of the 12 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books and Found.

Wave, Akaunting, Bonsai, FreeAgent, Kashoo, Odoo and 1 more start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$2$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessQuickBooks OnlineXeroFreshBooksZoho BooksWaveAkauntingBonsaiFoundFreeAgentKashooManager.ioOdooPatriot Accounting

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of accounting and invoicing tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from QuickBooks Online

  1. Xero

    Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users

    • Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.

    Suits: Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost

    Xero vs QuickBooks OnlineXero pricing and details

  2. FreshBooks

    Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses

    • FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
    • FreshBooks also covers time tracking.

    Suits: Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time

    FreshBooks vs QuickBooks OnlineFreshBooks pricing and details

  3. Zoho Books

    Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers

    • Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books

    Zoho Books vs QuickBooks OnlineZoho Books pricing and details

  4. Wave

    Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses

    • Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.

    Suits: Sole proprietors in the US or Canada who mainly need to send invoices

    Wave vs QuickBooks OnlineWave pricing and details

  5. Akaunting

    Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud

    • Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data

    Akaunting vs QuickBooks OnlineAkaunting pricing and details

  6. Bonsai

    Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers

    • Bonsai starts at $9 per user / month, billed annually. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Bonsai does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Bonsai lists a macOS app.
    • Only Bonsai lists a browser extension.
    • Bonsai also covers time tracking and forms.

    Suits: Freelancers and small agencies that bill clients by the hour or by retainer

    Bonsai vs QuickBooks OnlineBonsai pricing and details

  7. Found

    Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in

    • Found starts at $35 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: US sole proprietors who want banking and books in one app

    Found vs QuickBooks OnlineFound pricing and details

  8. FreeAgent

    Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK

    • FreeAgent starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. FreeAgent does not, though it has a free trial.
    • FreeAgent also covers time tracking.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan

    FreeAgent vs QuickBooks OnlineFreeAgent pricing and details

  9. Kashoo

    One-plan online accounting with unlimited users and bank feeds

    • Kashoo starts at $30 per business / month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Kashoo does not, though it has a free trial.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Sole proprietors who want one flat price with every feature included

    Kashoo vs QuickBooks OnlineKashoo pricing and details

  10. Manager.io

    Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud

    • Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • Only Manager.io lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
    • Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Manager.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Sole traders who want full double-entry books without a subscription

    Manager.io vs QuickBooks OnlineManager.io pricing and details

  11. Odoo

    Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own

    • Odoo starts at $31.10 per user / month, billed annually, after $24.90 for the first 12 months. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • Odoo is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.

    Suits: Businesses that want full double-entry accounting free for any number of users

    Odoo vs QuickBooks OnlineOdoo pricing and details

  12. Patriot Accounting

    Low-cost US small business accounting that pairs with Patriot Payroll

    • Patriot Accounting starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, after $10 a month for the first 3 months. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
    • QuickBooks Online has a free plan. Patriot Accounting does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.

    Suits: US small businesses that want low-cost books with phone support

    Patriot Accounting vs QuickBooks OnlinePatriot Accounting pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in QuickBooks Online

  • The advertised prices are a 50% discount for the first 3 months; the plan then renews at $38, $85, $140 or $340 a month.
  • Each plan caps users: 1 on Simple Start, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Plus and 25 on Advanced.
  • Payroll costs extra: Workforce Payroll alone is $50 a month plus $7 per employee, and Premium is $88 plus $13 per employee.
  • These are US prices and plans; Intuit runs separate country sites for Canada, the UK, Australia, India and others.
QuickBooks Online pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to QuickBooks Online?

The alternatives to QuickBooks Online in this directory are Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Wave, Akaunting, Bonsai, Found, FreeAgent, Kashoo, Manager.io, Odoo and Patriot Accounting. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with QuickBooks Online.

Is there a free alternative to QuickBooks Online?

Yes. Zoho Books, Wave, Akaunting, Found, Manager.io and Odoo have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which QuickBooks Online alternatives work on Windows?

The QuickBooks Online listing does not include a Windows app. Zoho Books and Manager.io list one.

Which QuickBooks Online alternatives work on macOS?

The QuickBooks Online listing does not include a macOS app. Bonsai and Manager.io list one.

Is there an open-source alternative to QuickBooks Online?

Akaunting and Odoo are described as open source on their own sites.

When were these prices checked?

Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 17, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.