Patriot Accounting vs QuickBooks Online
We give Patriot Accounting a 2.0 GPA and QuickBooks Online a 2.4, out of 4.0. QuickBooks Online grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Patriot Accounting
Low-cost US small business accounting that pairs with Patriot Payroll
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPatriot AccountingFair | 2.4GPAQuickBooks OnlineFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $20 a month once the 3 months at $10 are over, between the cheaper quarter of accounting tools at $15 and the middle at $23. Users and invoices are unlimited, but estimates and recurring invoices take you to Premium at $30. | CSimple Start is $38 a month for 1 user, above the dearer quarter of accounting tools at $31.10 but short of the dearest tenth at $49. Three users is $85, and inventory and budgets need Plus at $140. The 50% off lasts only 3 months. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial, and the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. There's no free plan, and the 3 months at half price after it is a discount, not more free time. | CThere's a free plan, but it's 2 invoices a month, 3 reports and 1 bank account, with no accountant access or mobile app. You'll hit that fast. Paid plans have a 30-day trial instead of the discount. |
| Features | CInvoices paid by card, Apple Pay or ACH, bank imports and reconciliation, cash and accrual views side by side, checks, 1099s and payroll that posts itself. But estimates and repeat invoices need Premium, and the listing shows no time tracking, projects or inventory. | BBank feeds that learn your categories, invoices and payments, bill pay by ACH, reports, budgets, project profit, inventory, classes, AI that reconciles and flags oddities, and payroll as an add-on. That's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and no app. There are bank and card accounts to connect and statements to reconcile each month before the books look after themselves. | CNo store rating on record. Its bank feeds learn how you categorize and copy you, which helps, but there are accounts to connect and reports to learn before it runs itself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only: Patriot says its site is built to work in a phone browser instead of an app. Stripe is the only outside connection on the listing, beside bank imports and its own payroll. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with PayPal, Square, Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Gusto and QuickBooks Time. No desktop app is listed, and the free plan gets no mobile app or third-party apps. |
| Best for | low-cost US books with payroll from the same company | US businesses that share the books with an accountant |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Patriot Accounting and QuickBooks Online. How we grade
Price against what you get
Patriot Accounting starts at $10 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 a month and scores 2.7.
QuickBooks Online scores higher, and starts $28 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Patriot Accounting for less, and 5 score higher than QuickBooks Online for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
- 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.
At a glance
| Patriot Accounting | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed monthly, after $10 a month for the first 3 months | $38 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | 1 user, income and expense tracking, 2 invoices a month, 3 reports and 1 connected bank. No accountant access, mobile app or third-party apps. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | 30-day free trial on paid plans, taken instead of the 3-month discount |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Patriot Software | Intuit Inc. |
| Price read from | patriotsoftware.com | quickbooks.intuit.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Patriot Accounting
- US small businesses that want low-cost books with phone support
- Owners who pay contractors and need 1099s
- Businesses that want accounting and payroll from one company
QuickBooks Online
- US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Businesses that expect to add payroll, inventory or project tracking later
- Sole traders who only need to track income and send a few invoices
Worth knowing
Patriot Accounting
- The advertised prices are 50% off for 3 months after the trial; plans then renew at $20 or $30 a month.
- Payroll costs extra: Basic Payroll is $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, Full Service $37 plus $5, with $12 a month per added state.
- There is no mobile app: Patriot says the site is built to work in a phone browser instead.
- Its tax features are US ones, from 1099s to payroll filing; a bookkeeping service is sold apart from $100 a month plus an onboarding fee.
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.
Key features
Patriot Accounting
- Invoices and online payments
- Unlimited invoices to unlimited customers. Through Stripe, customers pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or ACH.
- Bank imports and reconciliation
- Connect bank and card accounts so activity flows in, or upload a file instead, then reconcile against monthly statements.
- Cash and accrual side by side
- A dual ledger lets you and your accountant switch between cash and accrual views without converting the books.
- Vendors, contractors and 1099s
- Unlimited vendor payments, printed checks, Forms 1099 and 1096, optional 1099 e-filing and a free portal for contractors.
- Unlimited users
- Invite your team and accountant at no extra cost. User-based permissions need Accounting Premium.
- Patriot Payroll
- Payroll from the same company records its journal entries in the books automatically, sold as a separate subscription.
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.
Plans
Patriot Accounting
Accounting Basic$20
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $10 a month for the first 3 months. Unlimited customers, invoices and vendors, bank imports, reconciliation, reports and card payments.
Accounting Premium$30
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $15 a month for the first 3 months. Adds estimates, recurring invoices, payment reminders, user permissions, subaccounts and receipts.
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.
Ways to pay less
Patriot Accounting
- Other savings
30 days free, then 50% off for 3 months
New accounts get a 30-day free trial and then pay half price for 3 months: $10 a month for Basic and $15 for Premium. The bookkeeping service is excluded.
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.
