QuickBooks prices went up again as of July 1, 2025. Yep, that Plus plan? Now $16 more than, say, July of the year before. Insane, right? I mean, you’d think they’d cut us small business folks a break. But hey, QuickBooks is the big cheese in small-business accounting, so what can you do? Still, it’s not like every business needs it. Maybe it’s time to think about alternatives.
### 1. QuickBooks Is Getting Too Pricey
This part’s a no-brainer. People online grumble about QuickBooks rising prices all the time. You there in the same predicament? Feeling the pinch from those price hikes? Yeah, me too. It’s like they’re always upselling or something. Anyway, maybe it’s time to crunch the numbers and see what you’d save ditching them for something cheaper, like Zoho Books. Imagine starting at zero bucks a month versus, what, $38? Makes you think, huh?
Sure, the free Zoho plan is bare bones compared to QuickBooks’ basic stuff. But leap to Zoho’s Standard tier and you’ve got goodies like automatic bank feeds, still $18 cheaper than QuickBooks’ cheapest gig. Savings could justify a move—no guarantees these guys won’t jack up prices down the line. Just not as quick as QuickBooks, given Zoho hasn’t budged since 2021. Funky, right?
### 2. Running a Tiny Business, No Employees?
If you’re running a solo show, QuickBooks might be overkill. Like, do you need all those fancy features if you’re just doing basic reports or invoicing? Smaller biz setups or freelancers don’t usually need the heavy-hitter features that QuickBooks flaunts.
Many solo entrepreneurs just roll business finances into their personal tax reports. Keeps it simple—less reason for a detailed book. But yeah, don’t forget to split those personal and business expenses. Otherwise, it’s a mess come tax time.
### 3. Don’t Bother with Custom Fields?
QuickBooks flaunts these transaction tags, now called custom fields. They sound fancy, right? If you don’t use them—there’s money to save. You might try FreshBooks or Wave. They keep things straightforward, categorizing by account without extra bells and whistles. FreshBooks kicks off at $21 a month, and Wave? It’s free. That’s a comforting word.
### 4. Check with Your Accountant
Before tossing QuickBooks out the window or trying something new, chat with your accountant. Spill the beans about what you hate about QuickBooks and ask if they’re familiar with other software, like Xero. It’s pretty much toe-to-toe with QuickBooks in functionality—maybe worth a dive if your accountant’s cool with it. Plans range from $20 to $80 monthly, which might mean big savings for what it offers.
