Alegra vs QuickBooks Online (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Alegra if

• Fits if you run a Spanish-speaking small business in a country Alegra covers
• Works for firms that want an accountant user included free

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you issue many invoices, because the price climbs with each invoice band
• Watch out: bank reconciliation, recurring entries and multicurrency need Pro at $95.23
• Skip it if you want a mobile app, as the Panama page lists none
• Not for you if you don't read Spanish, since site and plans are in Spanish
• Watch out: plans and prices differ by country, and these are Panama's with tax included

Pick QuickBooks Online if

• Fits if your accountant wants to work in the same books as you
• Works for US businesses that expect to add payroll, inventory or project tracking later

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you're a small team or need inventory and budgets: $85 a month for 3 users, $140 for Plus with 5
• Watch out: the advertised prices are half off for 3 months only, then $38, $85, $140 or $340 a month
• Tight if you're on the free plan: 2 invoices a month, 1 bank, and no accountant access or mobile app
• Pricey if you need payroll, at $50 a month plus $7 an employee on top
• Skip it if you're outside the US, as these are US plans and prices and other countries have their own sites

Alegra

• Prices and plans differ by country; the figures here are the Panama accounting plans, which include ITBMS tax.
• The monthly price rises with the number of sales invoices issued each month.
• Paying yearly takes 10% off the Panama monthly price.
• The site and plan pages are in Spanish, and the Panama page lists no mobile app.

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.

Alegra

Electronic invoicing

Issues electronic invoices that follow each country's rules, and every Panama accounting plan includes it.

Accounting and reports

Accounting, payments and collections, quotes, and accounting and administrative reports from the entry plan upward.

Inventory

Item catalog with price lists and mass item updates, and multiple warehouses and advanced costing from Pro.

Bank reconciliation

Connects bank accounts or loads statements in CSV or XML to reconcile movements in bulk, from the Pro plan.

API and accountant access

API integration arrives on Plus, and every plan includes one free user for the company's accountant.

QuickBooks Online

Bank feeds and automatic categorizing

Connect bank and card accounts and QuickBooks learns how you categorize transactions, then matches and records new ones the same way.

Invoices and online payments

Send invoices and estimates, take card and bank payments through QuickBooks Payments, and get status updates and reminders.

Bills and accounts payable

Organize and pay bills by ACH from paid plans. Standard ACH payments beyond the monthly allotment cost $0.50 each.

Reports, budgets and projects

Profit and loss and sales reports on every paid plan. Budgets, project profitability, inventory and class tracking start on Plus.

Intuit Intelligence

AI tools that categorize expenses, reconcile books and flag anomalies, with more of them unlocked on Plus and Advanced.

Payroll through QuickBooks Workforce

A separate subscription that runs full-service payroll, files payroll taxes and e-files 1099s, added from the same checkout.

Alegra

• EmprendedorUSD 48.15

  per month for up to 100 invoices, ITBMS included

  1 user plus 1 free accountant user, 1 warehouse, accounting and reports. Panama accounting pricing.

• PymeUSD 73.83

  per month for up to 250 invoices, ITBMS included

  2 users, online payments, due-date reminders and price lists on top of Emprendedor.

• ProUSD 95.23

  per month for up to 500 invoices, ITBMS included

  3 users and 3 warehouses, with bank reconciliation, recurring transactions, cost centers and multicurrency.

• PlusUSD 133.75

  per month for up to 1,000 invoices, ITBMS included

  5 users and 5 warehouses, with API access, custom roles and custom reports on top of Pro.

• PremiumCustom

  For businesses above 1,000 sales invoices a month, with users to suit the business.

QuickBooks Online

• Free$0

  1 user, 2 invoices a month, profit and loss, balance sheet and account quick report, and 1 connected bank account.

• Simple Start$38

  per month for 1 user, billed monthly

  Advertised at $19 a month for the first 3 months. Automated bookkeeping, invoicing with online payments, bill pay and access for 2 accountants.

• Essentials$85

  per month for up to 3 users, billed monthly

  Advertised at $42.50 a month for the first 3 months. Adds enhanced reports, employee time on invoices and web lead forms.

• Plus$140

  per month for up to 5 users, billed monthly

  Advertised at $70 a month for the first 3 months. Adds budgets, project profitability, inventory and up to 40 classes and locations.

• Advanced$340

  per month for up to 25 users, billed monthly

  Advertised at $170 a month for the first 3 months. Adds custom roles, workflow automation, Excel sync, batch invoices and priority support.

Alegra

• Annual discount

  10% off when paying yearly

  The Panama pricing page offers a pay-annually option marked 10% off against paying monthly.

QuickBooks Online

• Other savings

  50% off the first 3 months

  New customers on a monthly plan pay half the base price for the first 3 months, then the regular price. It does not apply to per-employee fees.