How much does QuickBooks Online cost?
The Essentials plan is USD 85 per month for the whole plan official list price.
Intuit · Small-business accounting. The licence is only part of the bill: the three worked examples below add implementation, integrations, internal time and support over 3 and 5 years. Prices verified 2026-10-11.
Calculate your own QuickBooks Online TCO
Licence prices
| Plan / licence | Price | Unit | Basis | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Start Full users, up to 1 users | USD 38 | per month (plan) | official | 1 user plus 2 accountants. List price after the introductory offer. Source (2026-10-11) |
| Essentials Full users, up to 3 users | USD 85 | per month (plan) | official | Up to 3 users. List price after the introductory offer. Source (2026-10-11) |
| Plus Full users, up to 5 users | USD 140 | per month (plan) | official | Up to 5 users; adds projects, inventory, budgets. List price after the introductory offer. Source (2026-10-11) |
| Advanced Full users, up to 25 users | USD 340 | per month (plan) | official | Up to 25 users plus 3 accountants. List price after the introductory offer. Source (2026-10-11) |
Monthly subscription, no annual contract, cancel anytime. Introductory discounts (e.g. 50% off for 3 months) are ignored. User limits are hard caps per plan; above 25 users QuickBooks Online does not fit and Intuit points to Intuit Enterprise Suite or QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. Intuit's pricing page also mentions a QuickBooks Free plan (no mobile app access or third-party integrations); it is not modelled here.
Typical total cost of ownership (USD)
Partner rate $150/hour, internal cost $60/hour, list prices, no discounts. Implementation, training, integrations and support are labelled assumptions; the low–high range comes from their ranges.
| Scenario | Year 1 | 3-year TCO | 5-year TCO | Largest cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-run business 1 user, simple setup, no integrations. Plan: Essentials. Open in calculator | $4,155 | $6,353 $4,740–$8,160 | $8,551 $6,780–$10,710 | Licences / subscriptions (60%) |
| Small team 3 users, standard setup, 1 connector integration. Plan: Essentials. Open in calculator | $13,545 | $18,637 $10,020–$27,720 | $23,729 $12,540–$35,850 | Integrations (38%) |
| Growing company 5 users, standard setup, 2 connector integrations. Plan: Plus. Open in calculator | $21,795 | $30,863 $16,680–$45,540 | $39,931 $21,000–$59,850 | Integrations (45%) |
Notes on these examples
- 5 users exceed the Essentials plan limit of 3; using Plus.
What the price does not include
- Payroll (sold as QuickBooks Workforce bundles)
- Payment processing fees
- Third-party apps
- Intuit Enterprise Suite for multi-entity groups
Cost comparisons
Further reading
- ERP licence types explained: per user, flat, platform and resource-based
- ERP price transparency: which vendors publish list prices
- Methodology: every price, source and assumption
FAQ
How much does QuickBooks Online cost per user?
The default plan in our data, Essentials, is USD 85 per month for the whole plan (official list price, checked 2026-10-11). Monthly subscription, no annual contract, cancel anytime. Introductory discounts (e.g. 50% off for 3 months) are ignored. User limits are hard caps per plan; above 25 users QuickBooks Online does not fit and Intuit points to Intuit Enterprise Suite or QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. Intuit's pricing page also mentions a QuickBooks Free plan (no mobile app access or third-party integrations); it is not modelled here.
What is the total cost of QuickBooks Online over 5 years?
For our "Small team" example (3 users, standard setup, 1 connector integration) the estimated 5-year total is $23,729 (range $12,540–$35,850), of which licences are $5,100. It is an estimate based on labelled assumptions, not a quote.
What is not included in the QuickBooks Online price?
Payroll (sold as QuickBooks Workforce bundles); Payment processing fees; Third-party apps; Intuit Enterprise Suite for multi-entity groups.
Sources: quickbooks.intuit.com. Verified 2026-10-11. Full method and assumptions: methodology. Estimates, not quotes.