QuickBooks Online: Which Plan Is Right for Your Business?

QuickBooks Online: Which Plan Is Right for Your Business?

QuickBooks Online isn't one-size-fits-all. Intuit offers five plans under the QBO family, each designed for a different type or stage of business. Here's a plain-English breakdown to help you find your fit — plus an important update if you're still on QuickBooks Desktop.

The QuickBooks Online Family

Ledger Best for holdings and management companies. Ledger is only available through wholesale billing (via your accountant) and does not include accounts receivable or accounts payable. It's a streamlined option for entities that simply need a clean general ledger without full bookkeeping features.

Easy Start Best for new service-based businesses just starting out. If you need accounts receivable, payroll, sales tax tracking, and basic financial reporting, Easy Start gives you the essentials without the overwhelm.

Essentials Best for service-based businesses that invoice for time. Essentials includes both A/R and A/P, payroll, sales taxes, and financial reporting — everything a growing service business needs to stay on top of its books.

Plus Best for product-based businesses with inventory to track. Plus is also ideal if you need advanced reporting and profitability tracking by project, class, or location. This is the most popular plan for established small businesses.

Advanced Best for mid-market companies with higher transaction volumes. Advanced unlocks custom workflows, automated transaction processing, batch invoicing, robust reporting, and online backup and restore. If your business has outgrown the other tiers, this is where you land.

Attention Desktop Users: QuickBooks Desktop Is Being Retired

Intuit has announced it is discontinuing QuickBooks Desktop for most small business users. Products like Desktop Pro, Premier, and Mac are no longer sold to new customers, and support is being phased out. If your business is still running on Desktop, now is the time to plan your migration — waiting too long risks losing payroll functionality, security updates, and technical support.

The good news: QuickBooks Online offers real-time cloud access, automatic updates, and makes it easy to collaborate directly with your CPA.

Not Sure Which Plan Fits? Let's Talk.

At Fab Tax CPA, we help clients select the right QuickBooks Online plan, get set up correctly from the start, and stay compliant year-round. Whether you're migrating from Desktop or starting fresh, we're here to make it simple. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.