Free tool · QuickBooks Online
Which QuickBooks Online plan actually fits your business?
Answer five questions about how you work — users, inventory, projects, class tracking — and see which QuickBooks Online plan has the features you need, from Simple Start to Advanced. We recommend on fit, not price: Intuit sets and changes plan pricing, so we point you to the right tier and you confirm the current cost with Intuit.
This tool matches you to a QuickBooks Online tier on features, not price. The deciding factors are how many users you need and whether you require inventory, project profitability, or class/location tracking — the capabilities that separate Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced. We don’t quote Intuit’s prices because Intuit sets and changes them; check current pricing at Intuit. TechBrot is an independent ProAdvisor firm — not Intuit — and we can set up whichever plan fits, correctly.
TechBrot Inc. · independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm — not affiliated with Intuit Inc. Plan names and features are Intuit’s and can change.
Choosing a QuickBooks Online plan, in five questions.
Which QuickBooks Online plan do I need?
It comes down to features, not price. Inventory tracking, project profitability, or class/location tracking require Plus. More than five users requires Advanced (up to 25 users). Multiple users without those features fit Essentials (up to 3); a single user with simple books fits Simple Start. This selector applies exactly that logic to your answers.
What’s the difference between Essentials and Plus?
Plus adds inventory, project profitability, and class/location tracking, and raises the user limit to five (Essentials is three). If you need to track product quantities, see profit by job, or report by department or location, you need Plus — Essentials doesn’t include those. If you don’t, Essentials covers multi-user bookkeeping and bill management.
When do I need QuickBooks Online Advanced?
Mainly when you need more than five users (Advanced supports up to 25), or when you want custom user roles, batch transactions, deeper reporting, and workflow automation. For most small businesses Plus is enough; Advanced suits larger or more complex operations. Above 25 users, QuickBooks Enterprise or a custom plan may fit better.
How much do the plans cost?
Intuit sets and frequently changes QuickBooks pricing, and runs limited-time promotions, so we deliberately don’t republish prices that could be out of date — check current pricing directly at Intuit. This tool focuses on the durable question: which tier has the features your business actually needs.
Can TechBrot help me choose and set it up?
Yes. As Certified ProAdvisors we confirm the right tier for how you work and set the file up correctly — chart of accounts, bank connections, opening balances, and any inventory or class structure. We’re independent (not Intuit), so the recommendation is about fit, not a sales quota.
Find the plan that fits.
Pick the option that fits in each row. The recommendation updates as you go — and it’s based on features, never on price.
Recommended plan
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Answer the questions above to see which plan fits.
A fit-based starting point, not a price comparison. Intuit sets and changes QuickBooks pricing — check current prices at Intuit. Plan features can change; a Certified ProAdvisor can confirm the right tier for your business.
Book the discovery callWhat separates the QuickBooks Online plans.
Features, not price — the capabilities that actually determine which tier you need. Pricing is set by Intuit; confirm current costs there.
| Capability | Simple Start | Essentials | Plus | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users (billed seats) | 1 | Up to 3 | Up to 5 | Up to 25 |
| Bill management & time tracking | – | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory tracking | – | – | Yes | Yes |
| Project / job profitability | – | – | Yes | Yes |
| Class & location tracking | – | – | Yes | Yes |
| Custom roles, deeper reporting, automation | – | – | – | Yes |
The logic is simple once you see it. Inventory, project profitability, or class/location tracking all require Plus — Simple Start and Essentials don’t include them, so if you need any one of them, Plus is your floor. More than five users requires Advanced, which raises the seat limit to 25 and adds custom roles, batch tools, and deeper reporting. If you don’t need those features, the smaller (and less expensive) plans are the honest choice — there’s no benefit to paying for capabilities you won’t use.
Plan names, feature sets, and user limits are Intuit’s and can change; this reflects the current QuickBooks Online lineup at a feature level. For exact, current pricing and any limited-time offers, go to Intuit directly — we deliberately don’t republish Intuit’s prices here. For a side-by-side capability matrix, see our QuickBooks Online plan comparison; to talk it through, our which-plan guide goes deeper.
Where to go next.
Questions about choosing a plan.
Why doesn’t this tool show prices?
How does the selector decide?
What if I’m between two plans?
Do plan features ever change?
Is QuickBooks Online the only option you recommend?
Is TechBrot affiliated with Intuit?
Right plan, set up right
Get the plan picked and set up correctly.
Picking the tier is the easy part — setting it up so your books are right from day one is the work. A free 30-minute discovery call confirms the plan for your business and scopes a clean QuickBooks setup. No hourly billing, no obligation. Independent firm — not Intuit.