Home / quickbooks replacement software
Replacing QuickBooks: what to check before you switch
Moving off QuickBooks Online takes a checklist more than a weekend plan. This page lists what to export first and which alternatives cost less at your plan level.
Top matches for this setup
US, 2 users, works with an accountant, wants to stay under $30 a month. QuickBooks is left out of this ranking.
1. Xero
- Widely used by accountants
- Handles several users well
Paid plans from $27/mo.
2. Zoho Books
- Free or low-cost entry
Free plan available. Paid plans from $20/mo.
3. FreshBooks
- Strong invoicing
- Easy to learn
Paid plans from $23/mo.
Price against QuickBooks Essentials
QuickBooks Essentials is $85 a month since August 1, 2026. Annual difference for every plan below.
| Plan | Price | Per year vs Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Books Free | Free | $1,020 less |
| Wave Starter | Free | $1,020 less |
| Wave Pro | $19/mo | $792 less |
| Zoho Books Standard | $20/mo | $780 less |
| FreshBooks Lite | $23/mo | $744 less |
| Xero Early | $27/mo | $696 less |
| FreshBooks Plus | $43/mo | $504 less |
| Zoho Books Professional | $50/mo | $420 less |
| Xero Growing | $59/mo | $312 less |
| FreshBooks Premium | $70/mo | $180 less |
| Zoho Books Premium | $70/mo | $180 less |
| Xero Established | $97/mo | $144 more |
Export checklist
- Chart of accounts and your customer and vendor lists.
- Open invoices and open bills, with due dates.
- Reports for the current and last tax year, saved as files.
- Bank feed connections to re-link, and any recurring transactions.
- Your accountant's access: ask what they need before you pick.
- Keep your QuickBooks login until the first month closes in the new tool.
Check each vendor's own import options before you commit. We have not tested imports.
Fit ratings
| Our fit rating | QuickBooks Online | Xero | FreshBooks | Zoho Books | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Strong | Good | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Inventory | Strong | Good | Minimal or none | Strong | Minimal or none |
| Invoicing | Good | Good | Strong | Good | Strong |
| Accountant access | Strong | Strong | Good | Good | Limited |
| Several users | Strong | Strong | Limited | Good | Limited |
| Ease of learning | Good | Good | Strong | Good | Strong |
| Free plan | Minimal or none | Minimal or none | Minimal or none | Good | Strong |
Ratings are our editorial judgments, published on How we score. They are not vendor claims.
Take the 90-second quiz The quiz needs no email or phone number.
How we are paid. Vendor links on this site go straight to each vendor's own pricing page. They are not referral links today, so we earn no commission from them. We plan to join vendor referral programs. When those links go live they will earn us a commission, this notice will say so, and results will still ignore commissions. This is software matching, not accounting or tax advice. Read the details.