EXIT GUIDE
You can export your QuickBooks Online reports and lists to Excel at any time. After you cancel a paid plan, you keep read only access for one year. Bank rules and the audit log stay behind. This guide covers what moves, what staying costs, and 11 alternatives priced for your team.
QuickBooks exit card
What to know before you cancel
Export
Self serveSettings, then Export data, saves Excel files in one zip.
Plans with export
No limit statedIntuit's export article names no plan restriction.
Formats
Excel in a zipAttachments export as a separate zip.
Access after cancel
1 year read onlyA trial keeps data for 90 days. A declined card gets 14 days.
Stays behind
Bank rules, audit logBank rules export only for another QuickBooks company. The audit log has no export stated.
Contract
Auto renewsMonthly or annual. The pricing page says no annual contract.
Early exit terms
60 days on annualAnnual plans bought directly can be refunded within 60 days. Monthly plans cannot.
Alternatives
11 compared4 have an official QuickBooks route. 4 have a free plan.
Stay if
You run payroll in QuickBooks or rely on its audit trail. Payroll tax forms cannot be recreated after you cancel, and the audit log has no stated export.
Leave if
The price is the problem and you can start fresh with balances and open items. Everything exports to Excel today, and the read only year keeps your old books in reach.
On this page
01Export data saves your books as Excel files in one zip
QuickBooks Online has one bulk export tool, under Settings, then Export data. You pick a reason, switch reports and lists on or off, and set a date range. A few records sit outside that tool and need their own export.
| Data | Where | Format | Moves? | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Posting transactions | Settings, Export data | Excel files in a zip | Moves | Invoices, receipts, bills and anything else that changes an account balance. |
| Reports and lists | Settings, Export data | Excel files in a zip | Moves | Switch each one on or off, and pick a date range for reports. |
| Estimates and purchase orders | Sales or Expense transactions | Excel | Moves | Filter by type, then Export to Excel. |
| Chart of accounts | Account List report | Excel | Moves | Run the report, then Export to Excel. |
| Products and services | Products and services page | Excel | Moves | Export from the reports on that page. |
| Recurring templates | Recurring Template List report | Excel | Partly | You get the list. The schedules themselves get rebuilt. |
| Customer statements | Each customer, Statements tab | Print or download | Partly | One customer at a time. |
| Attachments | Settings, Attachments, Batch actions | Zip | Moves | Select the files, then Export. |
Source: Intuit help article on exporting reports, lists and data, updated 3 Aug 2026, read 31 Oct 2026. The article names Excel and zip only, and states no size limit.
02Bank rules, the audit log and 3 more that stay put
Five things do not travel with your Excel files. Each card names its Intuit source and date.
Bank rules
They export to an Excel workbook, but Intuit only covers importing that file into another QuickBooks Online company.
Intuit help, updated 5 Aug 2026
Audit log
It keeps two years of events and cannot be turned off. The article names no export.
Intuit help, dated 4 Aug 2026
Payroll tax forms
Tax forms cannot be recreated after you cancel payroll, so save every one first.
Intuit help, read 31 Oct 2026
Recurring schedules
Only the Recurring Template List report exports. Each schedule gets set up again.
Intuit help, updated 3 Aug 2026
Editing
After you cancel, your books turn read only for one year. Then you must subscribe again to reach them.
Intuit help, updated 30 Oct 2026
Keep one other QuickBooks Online subscription under the same login, and read only access lasts with no end date. The US articles give no deletion date after the read only year, so that is Checking.
039 things accounting conversions skip, by Intuit's own list
Intuit publishes what does not convert when a business moves from Xero into QuickBooks Online. The same records are the ones to plan for when you move out.
On that route, imported bank transactions arrive unreconciled. Foreign transactions convert to the home currency. Up to 2 fiscal years convert at no charge, and older years roll into an opening balance.
Source: Intuit help article on converting from Xero to QuickBooks Online, updated 4 Aug 2026, read 31 Oct 2026.
04A free plan, then paid plans shown from $38 a month
Intuit’s pricing page shows each paid plan at two prices with “50% off for 3 months*”. It does not label the higher figure as the regular price, and the footnote text is not in the page. This guide uses the higher figure.
| Plan | Prices shown, a month | Users | Accountants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card needed | 1 | None |
| Simple Start | $38 and $19 | 1 | 2 |
| Essentials | $85 and $42.50 | 3 | 2 |
| Plus | $140 and $70 | 5 | 2 |
| Advanced | $340 and $170 | 25 | 3 |
Renewal
Plans renew on their own at the end of each period. Annual customers get a reminder 30 to 60 days before the term ends. Intuit can change prices with notice, from the next period.
Refunds
The terms give no refund for a cancellation or a part period. A separate Intuit article allows a refund within 60 days on annual plans bought directly. It does not apply to monthly plans.
Payroll bundles
Workforce Payroll with Simple Start shows $88, or $44 a month plus $6.50 for each employee, at 50% off for 3 months. Its footnote is not in the page text.
Some alternatives pages, updated as late as April 2026, still say QuickBooks has no free plan and that Plus costs $115. Intuit’s page on 31 Oct 2026 shows a Free plan and Plus at $140.
05What another stretch on QuickBooks costs
A cancellation takes effect the day after the current period ends, so you keep the service you paid for. Pick your plan and how many months you would stay. Your team size sets the comparison in part 07.
Your QuickBooks plan
Users
Months you would stay
- QuickBooks Plus costs $140 a month.
- $140 a month for 12 months is $1,680.
The calculator uses the higher price on Intuit’s page. New customers see half of it for the first 3 months. If your team outgrows the plan you pick, the calculator moves you to the first plan with room.
06QuickBooks prices since July 2025
- 31 Oct 2026, first record. Free is $0. Simple Start shows $38, Essentials $85, Plus $140 and Advanced $340, each beside a half price figure for 3 months.
- 1 Aug 2026, another change. Insightful Accountant reported new prices for Essentials, Plus and Advanced. Its figures sit in an image, so the exact amounts are Checking.
- 1 Jul 2025, price rise. Intuit raised plan prices for new subscriptions. The Woodard Report gave Simple Start $35 to $38, Essentials $65 to $75, Plus $99 to $115 and Advanced $235 to $275.
- Free plan. The page now shows a Free plan for 1 user. Its launch date is Checking.
0711 QuickBooks alternatives, priced for a team of 5
Prices are the monthly figures each vendor’s page showed on 31 Oct 2026. Most accounting tools charge for the business, not for each user, so user limits decide the plan. Each row also shows how much of your QuickBooks history can come with you.
The table runs from lowest to highest monthly cost for 5 users.
| Alternative | Best for | From, a month | Free plan | QuickBooks import | History moves? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Businesses that may add more Odoo apps later | Free for one app, unlimited users | Yes. One app, unlimited users | Checking | Checking | |
| Owners who want free bookkeeping | Free Starter, then $19 Pro | Yes. Starter | Official import | No | |
| US businesses that also want payroll from the same company | $20 and $10 shown for Basic | No. 30 day trial | Checking | Partly | |
| One person and small businesses on a budget | $8 Standard, paid yearly | Cloud: no. Self hosted: Checking | Checking | Partly | |
| Small businesses that want no fee for each user | $27 Early, after the intro offer | No. One month free button | Partner tool | Yes | |
| Teams that want one plan with unlimited users | $30, one plan | No. 14 day trial | Official import | No | |
| Micro businesses that want a free plan with room to grow | Free plan, then $15 Standard paid yearly | Yes. 1 user and 1 accountant | Official import | Partly | |
| Freelancers and service businesses that bill clients | $23 Lite, after the intro offer | No. 30 day trial | Partner tool | Checking | |
| Startups that want a done for you move off QuickBooks | $30 Starter, paid monthly | No | Official import | Partly | |
| Fast growing companies ready for an annual license | Annual license, no public price | No | Checking | Partly | |
| Small businesses starting on a free plan | Free Starter, then 15 shown for Smarter | Yes. Starter | Checking | Partly |
Find your fit
Filter, sort and compare the 11 for your team
Showing 11 of 11
No tool matches every filter. Turn one off to see options again.
Odoo
Your 5 users fit the Odoo free plan: $0. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $140 a month.
Plans
- One App Free: US$ 0, one app, unlimited users
- Standard: US$ 31.10 and US$ 38.90 shown, for each user a month
- Custom: US$ 46.70 and US$ 58.40 shown, for each user a month
- A footnote says the discount lasts 12 months for the first users ordered
Free plan and trial
One App Free costs US$ 0 for one app with unlimited users. A second app moves you to Standard. Trial: Not stated.
Add ons and extras
Studio and extra companies move you to Custom.
The free plan covers one app only. A second app adds a fee for each user.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Checking. No Odoo document on a QuickBooks Online import turned up. The Odoo app store lists a third party module by Pokutsoft for $107.12, and its transaction import uses the IIF format from QuickBooks Desktop.
You rebuild
Checking.
The catch
The only QuickBooks importer listed is a third party module whose transaction import expects QuickBooks Desktop files.
Wave
Wave Pro for your 5 users: $19 a month, paid monthly. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $121 a month.
Plans
- Starter: $0
- Pro: $19 a month paid monthly, or $190 a year paid yearly
- A $9.50 promo ran from 2 Dec 2025 to 6 Jan 2026 and has ended
Free plan and trial
Starter is free, with unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Admin, editor and viewer roles need Pro. Trial: Not mentioned.
Add ons and extras
Card payments cost 2.9% plus $0.60 on Starter, or 3.4% plus $0.60 for Amex. Pro drops the $0.60 on the first 10 card payments each month. Payroll runs from $25 to $40 a month, and the page does not make clear which plan gets which.
Team roles need Pro, so a team of 2 or more lands on Pro.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Wave's own Switch to Wave from QuickBooks article is a manual move. You recreate unpaid invoices and bills, enter opening balances as one journal entry, then compare trial balances.
You rebuild
Your past transactions. Wave says "Wave doesn't carry over QuickBooks transaction history, keep a copy of your QuickBooks data for your records."
The catch
Your old transactions stay in QuickBooks, so plan around the year of read only access.
Patriot Software
Patriot Software Accounting Basic for your 5 users: $20 a month, as the page shows it (higher of the two figures shown). QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $120 a month.
Plans
- Accounting Basic: $20 and $10 a month shown
- Accounting Premium: $30 and $15 a month shown. Adds estimates, user permissions and recurring invoices
- The offer is 30 days free plus 50% off for 3 months. The page does not label which figure is regular
Free plan and trial
No free plan. Trial: 30 days on all products.
Add ons and extras
Bookkeeping Service starts at $100 a month plus a one time onboarding fee. Basic Payroll shows $17 and $8.50 a month, plus $4 and $2 for each worker paid. Full Service Payroll shows $37 and $18.50 a month, plus $5 and $2.50 for each worker paid.
The team math uses the higher figure, since the lower one carries the 3 month offer.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Patriot's setup guide covers a chart of accounts upload, customer and vendor imports from a spreadsheet, a trial balance import, and bank activity by Plaid or spreadsheet. It gives no QuickBooks steps.
You rebuild
Products, services and sales tax rates, by hand. Invoice and bill history import is not stated.
The catch
Patriot documents only general spreadsheet imports, with no route written for QuickBooks.
Akaunting
Akaunting Premium for your 5 users: $24 a month, paid yearly. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $116 a month.
Plans
- Standard: $8 a month paid yearly, or $12 monthly. 1 user and 1 accountant
- Premium: $24 paid yearly, or $36 monthly. 10 users
- Elite: $56 paid yearly, or $84 monthly. 30 users
- Ultimate: $145 paid yearly, or $218 monthly. Unlimited users
- Yearly billing is marked 4 months free
Free plan and trial
The cloud plans are paid. The footer calls Akaunting open source and free, and self hosted pricing sits on a separate page. Trial: Try it free button, length not stated.
Add ons and extras
The Import Pro app costs $72 a year, $9 a month, or $756 for life. It imports invoices, bills, contacts, transactions and items, up to 1,000 rows.
Standard allows 1 user, so a team of 2 or more starts on Premium at $24.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Akaunting's own import article takes XLS or XLSX files, up to 500 rows each, using sample files from the Import page. It does not mention QuickBooks.
You rebuild
Anything over the row limit goes in several files. No QuickBooks route is documented.
The catch
Each import file stops at 500 rows, or 1,000 with the paid Import Pro app.
Xero
Xero Early for your 5 users: $27 a month, paid monthly (regular price after the offer). QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $113 a month.
Plans
- Early: $2.70 a month for the first 6 months, then $27 a month. 20 invoices and 5 bills
- Growing: $5.90 a month for the first 6 months, then $59 a month. Unlimited invoices and quotes
- Established: $9.70 a month for the first 6 months, then $97 a month. Multiple currencies, projects and expense claims
- The 90% off offer is for new US customers and ends on 2 Nov 2026. Plans then renew monthly at the regular price
Free plan and trial
No free plan. Trial: A Get one month free button, with no terms in the page text.
Add ons and extras
Auto reconcile costs $5.00 a month on Early. Xero Payroll powered by Gusto costs $36 a month plus $6 for each employee or contractor. Inventory Plus shows no price.
The 90% off offer ends on 2 Nov 2026, so check the page on the day you buy.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Xero's own convert page names Jet Convert, "an official Xero migration partner". It moves the chart of accounts, contacts, and past transactions such as bills and invoices. Your current and prior fiscal year move free, and more years may cost extra. The Xero App Store also lists Migrate from QBO by MMC Convert, which says it moves attachments linked to invoices and bills.
You rebuild
Payroll. Xero says "Your payroll information will not migrate as part of these conversions." Moves of more than two years or 6,000 items need a call to Xero.
The catch
Early stops at 20 invoices and 5 bills, so a busy business starts on Growing at $59.
Kashoo
Kashoo single plan for your 5 users: $30 a month, paid monthly. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $110 a month.
Plans
- One plan: $30.00 a month, everything included
- 50% off your first 6 months, marked limited time
- Yearly: US$324 a year in the page summary, not in the page body
Free plan and trial
No free plan, and inactive accounts stay open for 90 days. Trial: 14 days, no card.
Add ons and extras
None paid. Square and PaymentEvolution payroll links come included. Each extra business needs its own plan, and more than 5 businesses needs a quote.
Kashoo charges nothing extra for users, however many you add.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Kashoo's own guide for moving from QuickBooks. You import a trial balance and your customer and vendor lists with Kashoo's templates. Then you enter uncleared checks and unpaid invoices and bills by hand.
You rebuild
Past transactions, since the guide moves balances and open items only. Subaccounts arrive as regular accounts, and jobs must become customers.
The catch
Kashoo warns "There is no undo button for reversing a botched trial balance import into Kashoo." Its guide shows screenshots from QuickBooks Accountant 2014.
Zoho Books
Zoho Books Professional for your 5 users: $40 a month, paid yearly. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $100 a month.
Plans
- Standard: $15 a month paid yearly, or $20 monthly. 3 users
- Professional: $40 paid yearly, or $50 monthly. 5 users
- Premium: $60 paid yearly, or $70 monthly. 10 users
- Elite: $120 paid yearly, or $150 monthly. 10 users
- Ultimate: $240 paid yearly, or $275 monthly. 15 users
- Prices are for each organization, before local taxes
Free plan and trial
Free for revenue up to $50K a financial year, 1,000 invoices and 1,000 expenses a year, 1 user and 1 accountant. Trial: 14 days.
Add ons and extras
Extra users cost $2.50 a month paid yearly, or $3 monthly. Autoscans cost $8 for each 50 a month, paid yearly. BillPay costs $59 a month, paid yearly.
The free plan stops at $50K of revenue a year.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Zoho's own help doc for QuickBooks Online. You export QuickBooks reports, then import the chart of accounts, customers, vendors, items, opening balances, and open invoices and bills. Zoho recommends importing the current financial year, and offers a historical option from your business start date.
You rebuild
Customers whose opening balances are already entered cannot bring in their open transactions. A guided QBO migration tool appears on Zoho's India help, and its US availability is Checking.
The catch
Bank feeds bring in only the last 90 days of transactions.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks Lite for your 5 users: $67 a month, paid monthly (regular price after the offer, with $11 for each extra user). QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $73 a month.
Plans
- Lite: $4.60 a month to start, then $23. 5 billable clients
- Plus: $8.60 a month to start, then $43. 50 billable clients
- Premium: $14.00 a month to start, then $70. Unlimited clients
- Select: no price, talk to a consultant
- The intro offer is 80% off for 4 months. Paying yearly adds 10% off, with no yearly figures shown
Free plan and trial
No free plan. Trial: 30 days, no card.
Add ons and extras
Extra team members cost $11 a month for each user. Advanced Payments costs $20 a month on Lite, Plus and Premium. FreshBooks Payroll costs $40 plus $6 for each user a month.
Every extra team member adds $11 a month, so 5 users on Lite pay $67.
Comes in from QuickBooks
FreshBooks has no QuickBooks importer of its own. Its Easy Switch service, run by partner MMC Convert, moves client details, expenses, invoices "and more" from QuickBooks. Some Select plans get it free, and Plus and Premium get a lower rate. A self serve CSV import covers clients, items, vendors, expenses and bank transactions.
You rebuild
The import article does not mention the chart of accounts. How many years Easy Switch moves is not stated.
The catch
Lite allows only 5 billable clients.
Puzzle
Puzzle Core for your 5 users: $72 a month, paid monthly. QuickBooks Plus for the same team: $140 a month. You save $68 a month.
Plans
- Starter: $30 a month, 1 user
- Core: $72 a month, 5 users, up to $10K a month in expenses
- Complete: $120 a month, unlimited users
- Scale: $360 a month
- A yearly toggle says Save 20%, with no yearly figures in the text
Free plan and trial
No free plan listed. Trial: Try for free buttons, length not stated.
Add ons and extras
Migration costs $149 for each system, one time, and is waived with catch up bookkeeping or Full Service. Payroll starts at $49 for each employee a month, with a 5 employee minimum. Expert Reviewed bookkeeping costs $171 a month.
Core stops at $10K a month in expenses, so a bigger business lands on Complete at $120.
Comes in from QuickBooks
Puzzle's team runs the move after you connect QuickBooks Online. You pick opening balances as one journal entry, monthly totals, or the full general ledger as past journal entries. Puzzle says "We can migrate as many years of financial history as needed."
You rebuild
Your custom chart of accounts, invoices, bills, and vendor and customer records. A second Puzzle article says it posts summary journal entries rather than detailed transactions, in 5 to 7 business days.
The catch
Puzzle handles one entity in USD only, with no foreign subsidiaries, multiple currencies or consolidated books.
Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite for your 5 users: NetSuite publishes no prices.
Plans
- An annual license fee covers the core platform, optional modules and the number of users
- A one time implementation fee comes on top
- No prices on the page
Free plan and trial
No free plan. Trial: Not stated.
Add ons and extras
Optional modules, priced inside the license.
Only NetSuite's sales team can give you a price.
Comes in from QuickBooks
NetSuite's CSV Import Assistant takes invoices, vendor bills, payments, journal entries, checks and more. Its help does not mention QuickBooks. Celigo, an integration vendor, offers a QuickBooks Online to NetSuite template.
You rebuild
Attachments, since the CSV import FAQ does not cover them. Transactions over 5,000 lines should not go through CSV import.
The catch
An annual license plus a one time implementation fee, with no public price.
ZipBooks
ZipBooks for your 5 users: the page shows 15 with no currency or billing period.
Plans
- Starter: free
- Smarter: 15, with 5 team members
- Sophisticated: 35, with unlimited team members
- Accountant: no price
- No currency and no billing period for 15 and 35 in the page text
Free plan and trial
Starter is free, with unlimited invoices, vendors and customers, Square or PayPal payments, basic reports and 1 connected bank account. Trial: Buttons shown, length not stated.
Add ons and extras
None listed in the page text.
Ask ZipBooks for the currency and billing period before you budget.
Comes in from QuickBooks
ZipBooks' own help shows a transactions CSV template under Transactions, then Import. The article mentions a QuickBooks migration guide but gives no steps or link.
You rebuild
Categories must exist before the import, and the header line must stay unchanged.
The catch
Amounts in the CSV cannot contain commas, dollar signs or negative signs, and category names must match exactly.
Costs use a free plan when it allows your whole team. If not, they use the lowest paid plan whose user limit fits, plus any fee for extra users. When one page shows two unlabelled prices, the card picks one and says which. Attachments are Not stated for every tool here, because no vendor’s own page says they move.
For more accounting tools as their guides go live, see the accounting hub.
Before you cancel QuickBooks
- Run Export data and save the zip.
- Export attachments from Settings, then Attachments.
- Export the Account List and Recurring Template List reports.
- Save every payroll report and tax form before payroll ends.
- Cancel once you no longer need to edit, since read only access lasts one year.
0842 pages behind these numbers, 37 of them from vendors
- Vendor Intuit help: export reports, lists and data · Updated 3 Aug 2026
- Vendor QuickBooks pricing · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: import existing bank rules · Updated 5 Aug 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: use the audit log · Dated 4 Aug 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: cancel QuickBooks Payroll · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: what happens to your data when you cancel · Updated 5 Aug 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: cancel your QuickBooks Online subscription or trial · Updated 30 Oct 2026
- Vendor Intuit Terms of Service for QuickBooks Online · Section A version 02122026
- Vendor Intuit help: request a refund · Updated 25 Sep 2026
- Vendor QuickBooks payroll pricing · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Intuit help: convert from Xero to QuickBooks Online · Updated 4 Aug 2026
- Vendor Firm of the Future (Intuit): QuickBooks pricing changes FAQ · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Xero: pricing, and convert from QuickBooks page · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor FreshBooks: pricing, and help on importing data · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Wave: pricing, and help on switching from QuickBooks · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Zoho Books: pricing, QuickBooks Online migration help, and India QBO migration help · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Kashoo: pricing, and migrating from QuickBooks guide · Guide dated 18 Jan 2024
- Vendor Patriot Software: accounting pricing, and getting started help · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor ZipBooks: pricing, and help on importing transactions · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Akaunting: pricing, import article, and Import Pro app · Article modified 20 Nov 2025
- Vendor Odoo: pricing · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Oracle NetSuite: finance page, CSV Import Assistant help, and CSV import FAQ · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Vendor Puzzle: pricing, and two migration help articles · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Migration service MMC Convert listing on the Xero App Store, Pokutsoft module on the Odoo app store, and Celigo QuickBooks Online to NetSuite guide · Read 31 Oct 2026
- Trade news The Woodard Report, 27 May 2025, and Insightful Accountant, 27 Jul 2026 · Read 31 Oct 2026
Each fact comes from the page named, on the date shown. Your own subscription and the live Intuit page decide what applies to you.