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

Pick Keeper if

• Fits if you are a US freelancer or contractor who wants someone else to file
• Works for people who would rather be told what they can deduct than learn it

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want it free, as there is no free plan and the trial needs a card
• Skip it if you track mileage, because that feature is marked coming soon
• Tight if you file in 3 or more states, since Standard covers federal plus 2 and more needs Premium
• Watch out: Bookkeeping Only is $20 a month, $240 a year, which costs more than the yearly Standard plan
• Watch out: S-Corp and partnership filing is only on the $1,199 Business plan

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

Keeper

• Bookkeeping Only does not include tax filing; the yearly Standard plan at $199 costs less than 12 months of it at $240.
• Mileage tracking and an LLC formation service are marked coming soon.
• Standard covers federal plus 2 state returns; 3 or more states, audit protection and quarterly taxes need Premium.
• S-Corp and partnership filing is only on the $1,199 Business plan.

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.

Keeper

Automatic expense tracking

Connects unlimited bank and card accounts and tracks expenses and income, with AI that finds and categorizes deductions.

Receipt scanning

Snap a receipt to add an expense or match it to a transaction, and split mixed retail orders into business and personal items.

Rules for merchants

Tell Keeper once how to treat a merchant and it applies the rule to future expenses.

Tax filing with a pro

Federal and up to 2 state returns are included on yearly plans, and a tax pro checks and signs each return.

Quarterly taxes and consultations

Premium and Business schedule estimated payments and include one-on-one consultations with a tax pro.

Business filings

The Business plan files S-Corp (Form 1120-S) and partnership (Form 1065) returns and closes the books at year end.

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.

Keeper

• Standard$199

  per year, billed yearly ($16.58 a month equivalent)

  Year-round bookkeeping plus federal and up to 2 state returns, reviewed and signed by a tax pro.

• Bookkeeping Only$20

  per month, billed monthly

  Expense tracking and deduction finding with unlimited connected accounts. Tax filing is not included.

• Premium$399

  per year, billed yearly ($33.25 a month equivalent)

  Adds audit protection, returns for 3 or more states, rentals and K-1s, quarterly taxes, tax pro consultations, amended and late returns.

• Business$1,199

  per year, billed yearly ($99.92 a month equivalent)

  Premium plus S-Corp and partnership tax filing and a year-end book review and close.

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.

Keeper

No public discounts listed.

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.