4 Best QuickBooks Alternatives for Small Business (2026)

Shortlist Software is reader-supported. If you sign up through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

Updated October 29, 2026. Prices were checked against each company’s own pricing page between October 26 and 29, 2026.

QuickBooks Online is the accounting software many accountants know best, but it’s also one of the most expensive options for a small business. Regular prices run from $38 a month for Simple Start (1 user) to $85 for Essentials and $140 for Plus.

If you mainly need to send invoices and track income and expenses, you may be paying for more than you use. Here are four alternatives worth comparing, and who each one is right for.

Why people look for QuickBooks alternatives

• Price. Regular prices start at $38 a month for 1 user and rise quickly as you add users.
• More than you need. Freelancers and service businesses often only need invoicing, payments and simple expense tracking.
• User limits. Simple Start includes just 1 user, and Essentials covers 3.

The best QuickBooks alternatives at a glance

Alternative	Best for	Free plan	Starting price*
FreshBooks	Freelancers and service businesses	No	$23/mo (Lite)
Xero	Growing teams (no per-user fees)	No	$27/mo (Early)
Wave	Free invoicing plus bookkeeping	Yes	Free; Pro $19/mo
Zoho Invoice	Free invoicing only	Yes, free	Free

*Regular monthly prices. Many of these companies run introductory discounts.

1. FreshBooks: Best for freelancers and service businesses

FreshBooks is built around billing clients for your time and services, with polished invoices, estimates, proposals and retainers. Clients can pay by card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Buy Now, Pay Later.

Pricing

Regular monthly prices are Lite at $23 (invoice up to 5 clients), Plus at $43 (50 clients) and Premium at $70 (unlimited clients). When we checked, FreshBooks was offering 80% off for the first 4 months. Team members cost $11 per user per month.

Who it’s not for

Businesses with many clients on a tight budget, since Lite only covers 5 clients. Extra users also cost $11 each.

2. Xero: Best for growing teams

Xero is full accounting software like QuickBooks, but it doesn’t charge per user, so your whole team and your accountant can log in without raising the price.

Pricing

Regular monthly prices are Early at $27, Growing at $59 and Established at $97. Early limits you to 20 invoices and 5 bills, so most active businesses will want Growing. When we checked, Xero was offering 90% off the first 6 months for new customers.

Who it’s not for

Businesses that send more than a few invoices a month on the cheapest plan: Early’s 20-invoice limit makes the realistic price $59 a month.

3. Wave: Best free invoicing plus bookkeeping

Wave offers free invoicing and basic bookkeeping, which makes it the cheapest way to replace QuickBooks for a very small business.

Pricing

Starter is free. Online card payments cost 2.9% + 60¢ per transaction (3.4% + 60¢ for Amex). Pro is $190 a year billed annually (or $19 a month) and adds automatic bank imports, transaction categorizing, unlimited receipt capture and late-payment reminders.

Who it’s not for

Businesses that take many card payments on the free plan, where the 60¢ fixed fee adds up. Automatic bank imports also require Pro.

4. Zoho Invoice: Best free invoicing only

If you only used QuickBooks to send invoices, Zoho Invoice does that for free, with professional templates, reminders and online payments.

Pricing

Free. Zoho also sells Zoho Billing and Zoho Books if you outgrow invoicing and need subscriptions or full accounting.

Who it’s not for

Businesses that need bank reconciliation and accounting reports. Zoho Invoice handles billing only.

Should you switch from QuickBooks?

Stay with QuickBooks if your accountant works in it, you run payroll through it, or you need its depth. Otherwise, most freelancers and service businesses will save money with FreshBooks, and very small businesses can run on Wave or Zoho Invoice for free. Growing teams that need full accounting without per-user fees should look at Xero.

Sticking with QuickBooks? See every plan, the intro discount and payroll costs in QuickBooks Online pricing, or see Xero vs QuickBooks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest alternative to QuickBooks?

Wave and Zoho Invoice are both free for invoicing. Wave also includes basic bookkeeping, with paid features on its $19-a-month Pro plan.

Can I move my data from QuickBooks?

Most alternatives, including Xero, FreshBooks and Wave, offer ways to import customers, invoices and transactions. Export your data from QuickBooks first and check the new tool’s import guide.

Compare all five tools in our guide to the best invoicing software, or read our FreshBooks vs QuickBooks comparison.