What is QuickBooks used for?

QuickBooks is Intuit's accounting software family for small businesses, covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and time tracking. It is a good fit for small businesses handling bookkeeping, freelancers tracking income and expenses, and accountants managing client books.

Yes. QuickBooks has a free plan, and paid plans start at $38 per month. A free trial is also available.

Is QuickBooks open source?

No. QuickBooks is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to QuickBooks include Akaunting, GnuCash and Bigcapital.

What are some alternatives to QuickBooks?

QuickBooks competes with Xero, Zoho Books and FreeAgent. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source QuickBooks alternatives.

QuickBooks: features, pricing and alternatives

About QuickBooks

QuickBooks is a commercial accounting product line from Intuit, widely used by small businesses and the accountants who serve them. It helps owners track income and expenses, send invoices, get paid, and keep records ready for tax time.

The product family includes QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Solopreneur, QuickBooks Self-Employed, a desktop edition, QuickBooks Payments, QuickBooks Time, QuickBooks Workforce and QuickBooks Money, plus the ProAdvisor program and an Intuit Accountant Suite for professionals. The vendor says an AI layer called Intuit Intelligence does work for the user, and a free trial is offered with promotional discounts on plans.

QuickBooks is proprietary software, sold mainly as a hosted subscription, with a desktop version for those who prefer it, and a plans and pricing page. It suits freelancers, small business owners and bookkeepers who want a common accounting platform that accountants already know.

Key features

Online bookkeeping and accounting
Invoicing and payment collection
Payroll and workforce tools
Time tracking for staff hours
Versions for freelancers and sole proprietors
Tools for accountants through ProAdvisor
AI assistance with Intuit Intelligence

Good fit for

→Small businesses handling bookkeeping
→Freelancers tracking income and expenses
→Accountants managing client books

Tags: accounting; bookkeeping; invoicing; payroll; small-business; intuit

QuickBooks: questions and answers

What is QuickBooks used for?: QuickBooks is Intuit's accounting software family for small businesses, covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and time tracking. It is a good fit for small businesses handling bookkeeping, freelancers tracking income and expenses, and accountants managing client books.
Is QuickBooks free?: Yes. QuickBooks has a free plan, and paid plans start at $38 per month. A free trial is also available.
Is QuickBooks open source?: No. QuickBooks is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to QuickBooks include Akaunting, GnuCash and Bigcapital.
What are some alternatives to QuickBooks?: QuickBooks competes with Xero, Zoho Books and FreeAgent. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source QuickBooks alternatives.