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QuickBooks Online vs ZipBooks: $38 for one user against $15 for five
Updated Oct 15, 2026
ZipBooks Smarter costs $15 a month and includes unlimited invoices, bank connections, time tracking, projects, a balance sheet and 5 team members, but reconciliation needs Sophisticated ($35). QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $38 a month for 1 billable user, with bank feeds, phone receipt capture, reconciliation, mileage tracking and 1099 filing. Both have free plans: ZipBooks with unlimited invoices, QuickBooks with 2 invoices a month.
At a glance, by our score
- Top scoreLowest price
#1 ZipBooks
Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing
8.7/10Very goodOur scoreVisit ZipBooksOn zipbooks.com - Lowest price
#6 QuickBooks Online
Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan
7.0/10GoodOur scoreVisit QuickBooks OnlineOn quickbooks.intuit.com
Side by side
| Criterion | QuickBooks Online | ZipBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.0/10GoodOur score #6 of 10 | 8.7/10Very goodOur score #1 of 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (30%) | 10.0 / 10 | 8.0 / 10 |
| Regular price (30%) | 3.7 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
| Leaving (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Free plan or trial (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price after the introductory offer (10%) | 5.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Users (10%) | 4.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $0 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan | Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing |
| Visit | Visit QuickBooks OnlineOn quickbooks.intuit.com | Visit ZipBooksOn zipbooks.com |
Who should pick which
- QuickBooks Online: Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan
- ZipBooks: Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing
At a glance
| QuickBooks Online | ZipBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Simple Start | Smarter |
| Regular price | $38 a month | $15 a month |
| Billing | Monthly only | Monthly (no annual price published) |
| Introductory offer | 50% off for 3 months ($19) or a 30-day trial, not both | None |
| Unlimited invoices | No cap published (the Free plan's is 2 a month) | Yes |
| Bank feeds | Yes | Yes (multiple bank accounts) |
| Receipt capture | Yes (phone photos) | Store and track receipts (no mobile app) |
| Bank reconciliation | Yes | No (Sophisticated, $35) |
| Reports | Profit and loss and balance sheet | Income statement and balance sheet |
| Users | 1 billable user + 2 accounting firms | 5 team members |
| Leaving | Cancel any time; read-only for one year | Cancel any time; back to the free plan, records kept |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan and a 30-day trial | Free Starter plan; 30-day trial of paid features |
Prices from QuickBooks' Simple Start page, read Sep 25, 2026, and ZipBooks's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
ZipBooks Smarter is $15 a month and QuickBooks Simple Start is $38 a month, $23 apart. Neither publishes an annual price, so a year costs $180 on ZipBooks and $456 on QuickBooks. QuickBooks offers new customers 50% off for 3 months ($19 a month) or a 30-day trial; ZipBooks shows no offer, but its paid features come with a 30-day trial.
For a team the gap grows. Smarter includes 5 team members (its page doesn't say whether the owner counts). QuickBooks' 5-user plan is Plus at $140 a month on its pricing page. ZipBooks' Sophisticated plan, at $35, invites unlimited users.
Both have free plans. ZipBooks Starter sends unlimited invoices with 1 bank account and basic reports. QuickBooks' free plan sends 2 invoices a month (unlimited with QuickBooks Payments) and connects 1 bank.
Where they differ
- Reconciliation. QuickBooks Simple Start includes it. ZipBooks lists "Reconcile every account quickly" on Sophisticated ($35), not Smarter; its help article names no plan, so we use the pricing page.
- Receipts and mileage. QuickBooks Simple Start matches receipt photos from your phone to expenses and tracks miles by GPS. ZipBooks stores receipts you upload; its mobile app has been discontinued, and its pages don't mention mileage tracking.
- Time and projects. ZipBooks Smarter tracks time, and its project article offers billing by project, staff or flat rate. On QuickBooks, entering time starts at Essentials ($85) and project profitability at Plus.
- 1099s and payroll. QuickBooks lets you prepare and file 1099s from Simple Start; e-filing has additional fees. ZipBooks gives a 1099 summary and says you file the forms yourself. ZipBooks sells no payroll and points to Gusto; QuickBooks sells payroll as QuickBooks Workforce.
- Leaving. Cancelling ZipBooks' paid plan returns you to the free plan with your records kept. QuickBooks gives read-only access for one year.
Who should pick which
Pick ZipBooks if you bill time by project, want a small team on one plan for $15, and can reconcile outside the software or pay $35 for Sophisticated.
Pick QuickBooks Online if you work alone and want reconciliation, phone receipt capture, mileage tracking and 1099 filing on one plan.
Both appear in our accounting software ranking, our list for freelancers and our list for construction and trades. How we score is on the methodology page.