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Switching from QuickBooks Online: a year of read-only access to export from
Updated Oct 1, 2026
You can cancel QuickBooks Online any time; the cancellation takes effect after the current billing period and Intuit gives no refunds for part of a period. After cancelling a paid plan you keep read-only access for one year and can export to Excel in that time. Xero's partner Jet Convert moves two years of QuickBooks data free, Zoho Books offers free migration, and ZipBooks imports CSV files on paid plans.
The steps
- Step 1 · not stated on its pages · No fee stated
Tidy the books before you export
Xero's conversion guide says to reconcile bank and card accounts, review receivables and payables and check sales tax balances while the data is still in QuickBooks.
source - Step 2 · not stated on its pages · No fee stated
Run Export data
Settings, then Export data, saves reports and lists as Excel files in one .zip.
source - Step 3 · not stated on its pages · No fee stated
Export attachments and non-posting items
Attachments export as a zip from the Attachments list. Estimates, purchase orders, statements, recurring templates and products export from their own screens.
source - Step 4 · Between 20 minutes and five business days · Free for two fiscal years; more may cost extra
Convert to Xero with Jet Convert
Xero's conversion partner moves your current and prior fiscal year of financial records. Payroll doesn't migrate, and the page says "QuickBooks" without naming Online, so check your version is supported.
source - Step 5 · not stated on its pages · Free migration support
Or migrate to Zoho Books
Zoho Books has a QuickBooks Online guide and offers free migration help. Its importer takes CSV, TSV and XLS files.
source - Step 6 · not stated on its pages · Needs a paid ZipBooks plan
Or import into ZipBooks
Import your exports with ZipBooks' CSV templates. Accountants can migrate a client's data from QuickBooks Online through ZipBooks Accountant.
source - Step 7 · Takes effect after the current billing period · No refund for the rest of the period
Cancel QuickBooks Online
Sign in to the Intuit Account Manager, find the product and select Cancel. Advanced customers go through their account manager.
source - Step 8 · One year · No fee stated
Keep exporting during the read-only year
After cancelling a paid plan you can view and export to Excel or QuickBooks Desktop for a year.
source
Carries over
- Reports and lists export to Excel in one step
- Attachments export in a zip file
- Read-only access and exports for a year after cancelling
- Xero's Jet Convert and Zoho Books' migration help are free
What you lose
- No refunds or credits for part of a billing period
- Non-posting items like estimates export one type at a time
- Jet Convert moves two fiscal years free; payroll data doesn't migrate
- ZipBooks' CSV import works only on paid plans
Where to switch to
| Destination | Price from | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| ZipBooks No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit ZipBooksOn zipbooks.com |
| Zoho Books No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit Zoho BooksOn zoho.com |
| Xero No affiliate relationship | $27 per month | Visit XeroOn xero.com |
QuickBooks Online is easy to leave on paper. You can cancel at any time, and you keep read-only access to your books for a year. The catch is money already paid: Intuit gives no refund for the rest of a billing period. Everything here comes from the companies' own pages, read Sep 25-30, 2026.
What Intuit's terms say
- Cancelling: its pricing FAQ says "you're free to switch QuickBooks Online plans or cancel at any time." The Terms of Service add that "Subscription cancellations will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period."
- Refunds: "We do not provide refunds or credits for any cancellations or partial subscription period." No early termination fee is stated. Advanced customers cancel their "contract" through their account manager, per the cancellation article.
- After you cancel: "you have read-only access to your QuickBooks Online data for one year," says the data article. You can export to Excel or QuickBooks Desktop during that year. Intuit still recommends exporting before you cancel.
What to export
Export data, under Settings, saves "reports and lists as Excel files in one .zip file." Non-posting transactions and other items export on their own:
- Attachments, from the Attachments list, as a zip file
- Estimates and purchase orders
- Customer statements, one customer at a time
- Recurring templates, the chart of accounts, and products and services
Before exporting, Xero's conversion guide suggests reconciling bank and card accounts, reviewing receivables and payables and checking your sales tax balances. Zoho Books' migration guide sets the migration date to the date of a Trial Balance from your old system, so run one before you leave.
Where to move
These three companies from our accounting software ranking publish a way in. Each is listed in rank order.
ZipBooks imports CSV templates for transactions, invoices, contacts and the chart of accounts, but "Importing using the CSV templates is a feature of paid plans only" (ZipBooks help). Accountants "can either migrate all data from QBO" through ZipBooks Accountant. Smarter, its cheapest paid plan, is $15 a month on its pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026. No duration is stated.
Zoho Books has a QuickBooks Online migration guide, which also offers help by email. Its migration page offers a free consultation, and the importer takes CSV, TSV and XLS. Standard is $20 a month on its pricing page, read Sep 25, 2026.
Xero uses Jet Convert, its conversion partner, and "it's free to transfer your current and prior fiscal year of financial records" (Xero). Migration "takes between 20 minutes and five business days." More than two years may cost extra, and payroll doesn't migrate. The page says "QuickBooks" without naming Online, so check that Jet Convert supports your version. New customers can also get onboarding support from a Xero Coach within their first 90 days. Early is $27 a month on Xero's pricing page, read Oct 1, 2026, and new US customers get 80% off the base plan for the first 3 months ($5.40 a month), then the regular price; Xero can change or cancel the offer at any time.
Who should switch
Switching suits a business ready to close a period cleanly and move its current and prior year. If you need QuickBooks history for longer than the read-only year, export it all first. If you run payroll inside QuickBooks, plan that move separately: Xero says payroll doesn't migrate, and the other two don't mention it. See how we score accounting software.