QuickBooks Online Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
QuickBooks Online costs Free to $275 per month as of September 2026, with 6 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Solopreneur at $20/month, Simple Start at $38/month, Essentials at $75/month, Plus at $115/month, and Advanced at $275/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
QuickBooks Online offers 6 pricing tiers: Free, Solopreneur, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, Advanced. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Solopreneur at $20/month, Simple Start at $38/month, Essentials at $75/month. The Solopreneur plan is one-person businesses and gig workers.
Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a forever free plan as of September 2026. The free tier includes 6 features with limits on users and invoices. Paid plans start at $20/month (Solopreneur). Pricing verified from 6 sources by CostBench.
QuickBooks Online's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 1 user
- Send up to 2 invoices per month
- Upload 2 receipts per month
- Track up to 5 mileage trips per month
- Basic income and expense tracking
- No mobile app access or third-party integrations
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 1 user included
- Separate business and personal expenses
- Track mileage
- Send invoices and estimates
- Capture receipts
- Basic reports
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| users | 1 | Unlimited/Higher |
| invoices | 2 per month | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 1 user included or Separate business and personal expenses
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Trial ends after 30 days
- Alternatively: 90% off first 3 months promo (as of August 2026)
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Solopreneur Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Solopreneur $20/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 6+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | QuickBooks Online branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Very small or side businesses that only send a couple of invoices a month | One-person businesses and gig workers |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is QuickBooks Online free?
Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a forever free plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on users, invoices that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in QuickBooks Online's free plan?
QuickBooks Online's free plan includes: 1 user, Send up to 2 invoices per month, Upload 2 receipts per month, Track up to 5 mileage trips per month, Basic income and expense tracking, and 1 more features. Key limits include users: 1, invoices: 2 per month.
03 What's NOT included in QuickBooks Online's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 1 user included, Separate business and personal expenses, Track mileage, Send invoices and estimates, Capture receipts. You'll also have QuickBooks Online branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from QuickBooks Online's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like 1 user included or Separate business and personal expenses, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $20/month.
05 Is QuickBooks Online's free plan really free forever?
Yes, QuickBooks Online's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
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