QuickBooks Online alternatives for freelancers and one-person businesses
QuickBooks Online has no free plan, and Simple Start lists at $38 a month for one user once the introductory discount ends. That's a lot for a freelancer who mostly sends invoices.
Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.
The short answer
If you mainly send invoices, Zoho Invoice (free, 500 invoices a year) or Wave's free Starter plan will cover you. FreshBooks is the friendliest paid option for service businesses with a few clients. Xero makes sense if your accountant works in it. Ask your accountant which software they support before you switch; this isn't tax advice.
- Wave: From $19/mo, free plan
- Zoho Invoice: Free, free plan
- FreshBooks: From $23/mo
- Xero: From $27/mo
QuickBooks Online and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | No (free trial) | From $38/mo | Businesses whose accountant works in QuickBooks, or that will need payroll and inventory later. |
| Wave | Yes | From $19/mo | Freelancers who want free invoicing and simple books. |
| Zoho Invoice | Yes | Free | Freelancers who need invoices, quotes and payment reminders but not full accounting. |
| FreshBooks | No (free trial) | From $23/mo | Freelancers and consultants who bill a small number of clients. |
| Xero | No | From $27/mo | Businesses whose accountant uses Xero, or outside the US. |
QuickBooks Online: what you get
Intuit's cloud accounting software, the default choice of many US accountants.
- Price
- Simple Start $38 a month for 1 user; Essentials $85 (3 users); Plus $140 (5 users). A 50%-off-for-3-months offer was showing when we checked.
- Free plan
- No free plan. 30-day free trial.
- Best for
- Businesses whose accountant works in QuickBooks, or that will need payroll and inventory later.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Most US accountants already know it
- Grows with you into payroll and inventory
Cons
- No free plan
- Expensive for a one-person business once the discount ends
Key features
- Invoicing and online payments
- Bank feeds and categorisation
- Reports and tax-time exports
- Accountant access on every plan
The alternatives
1. Wave
Why switch: Free invoicing and bookkeeping; Pro adds bank imports for $19 a month.
Free invoicing and bookkeeping, paid for mainly through card-processing fees.
- Price
- Pro $19 a month or $190 a year: automatic bank imports, receipt capture and late-payment reminders.
- Free plan
- Starter is $0: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, plus mobile invoicing. Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60).
- Best for
- Freelancers who want free invoicing and simple books.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Genuinely free invoicing and bookkeeping
- Pro is cheap compared with QuickBooks
Cons
- Bank imports need Pro
- Card fee of 2.9% + $0.60 is higher than Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢
Key features
- Unlimited invoices and estimates free
- Bookkeeping records
- Automatic bank import (Pro)
- Late-payment reminders (Pro)
2. Zoho Invoice
Why switch: Completely free invoicing, quotes and reminders, up to 500 invoices a year.
A completely free invoicing app from Zoho, with no paid tier to upsell.
- Price
- Free. (Zoho's full accounting product, Zoho Books, is sold separately.)
- Free plan
- Forever free: up to 500 invoices a year, 2 users, 3 projects and up to 2 organizations.
- Best for
- Freelancers who need invoices, quotes and payment reminders but not full accounting.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Free with no paid tier
- 500 invoices a year is plenty for most solo businesses
Cons
- Invoicing only, not full bookkeeping
- Only 3 projects for time tracking
Key features
- Invoices and quotes
- Payment reminders
- Projects with time tracking (up to 3)
3. FreshBooks
Why switch: Invoicing-first and easy to use, from $23 a month for up to 5 billable clients.
Invoicing-first accounting software built around service businesses and their clients.
- Price
- Lite $23 a month (5 billable clients); Plus $43 (50 clients); Premium $70 (unlimited). An 80%-off-for-4-months offer was showing when we checked.
- Free plan
- No free plan. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
- Best for
- Freelancers and consultants who bill a small number of clients.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Very easy invoicing for service work
- Client-friendly invoices and payment pages
Cons
- Lite plan limits you to 5 billable clients
- Extra team members cost $11 a month each
Key features
- Invoices, estimates and online payments
- Expense tracking
- Proposals and retainers (Plus)
- Project profitability (Premium)
FreshBooks alternatives · QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks, in detail
4. Xero
Why switch: From $27 a month in the US; popular with accountants, especially outside the US.
Cloud accounting software that's especially common with accountants in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
- Price
- US: Early $27 a month (20 invoices and quotes, 5 bills); Growing $59; Established $97. A 90%-off-for-6-months offer for new US customers ends November 2, 2026.
- Free plan
- No free plan.
- Best for
- Businesses whose accountant uses Xero, or outside the US.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Widely used by accountants outside the US
- Unlimited invoices from the Growing plan
Cons
- Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills
- No free plan
Key features
- Invoices and quotes
- Bank reconciliation
- Bill entry
- Large app marketplace
Sources
Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:
- QuickBooks Online: quickbooks.intuit.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Wave: www.waveapps.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Zoho Invoice: www.zoho.com, checked October 26, 2026
- FreshBooks: www.freshbooks.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Xero: www.xero.com, checked October 26, 2026