Tools
QuickBooks® Online plan selector
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.
§ TL;DR
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 a bookkeeping and advisory firm — not Intuit — and we can set up whichever plan fits, correctly.
§ 01 · The selector
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
—
Answer the questions above to see which plan fits.
§ 02 · The deciding features
What 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 right 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.
§ 03 · Related
Where to go next.
§ 04 · Questions
Questions about choosing a plan.
Why doesn’t this tool show prices?
Because Intuit sets QuickBooks pricing and changes it regularly, often with promotions — any price we hard-coded could be wrong by the time you read it, and a wrong price is worse than none. We recommend the right tier on features and send you to Intuit for current, accurate pricing. It’s the same sourcing standard we hold everywhere on the site.
How does the selector decide?
Pure feature logic: if you need inventory, project profitability, or class/location tracking, it recommends Plus (the lowest tier that includes them). More than five users pushes you to Advanced. Multiple users without those features fit Essentials, and a single user with simple books fits Simple Start. The full feature matrix is on this page.
What if I’m between two plans?
Pick based on the feature you actually need now, not the one you might use someday — you can upgrade in minutes as the business grows, without losing data. If you’re genuinely unsure, a QuickBooks ProAdvisor can look at how you work and confirm the tier, often saving you from over-buying.
Do plan features ever change?
Yes — Intuit periodically revises what’s included in each tier and adjusts user limits. This selector reflects the current QuickBooks Online lineup at a feature level, but always verify the specifics with Intuit, and we keep the tool updated as the lineup changes.
Is QuickBooks Online the only option you recommend?
No. QuickBooks is what we know best, but we advise on fit first — if a different platform genuinely suits your business better, we’ll say so. The discovery call is about what’s right for you, not steering you to one product.
Right plan, set up right