QuickBooks Alternative

Looking for a QuickBooks alternative?

Built for freelancers, not accountants. A fraction of the price, with none of the complexity you do not need.

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Free plan available. No credit card required.

Why freelancers leave QuickBooks

QuickBooks is built for accountants and bookkeepers. If you just need to invoice clients and get paid, you are paying for a lot of software you will never open.

Pricing starts at $20/mo and climbs fast

QuickBooks Solopreneur is $20/mo, but full invoicing with Simple Start is $38/mo. Essentials (the plan with time tracking) is $75/mo. Prices have increased repeatedly: Simple Start went up 89% over four years, with little warning to existing subscribers.

ACH payment fees with no cap

QuickBooks Payments charges 1% per ACH bank transfer with no maximum. On a $10,000 invoice that is $100 in fees. Some users report paying over $2,000 on a single large transaction. Tidybill passes through standard Stripe rates (2.9% + 30c for cards) with no additional markup.

Built for accountants, not freelancers

Chart of accounts, journal entries, bank reconciliation, payroll add-ons. If you are a freelancer who wants to send an invoice and track who has paid, you will spend more time navigating menus than actually billing clients. Complexity that belongs to a mid-size business should not slow down a solo operator.

Support routes to chat bots first

Reaching a human at QuickBooks Support requires navigating multiple layers of automated chat. Users on forums consistently report difficulty getting account or billing issues resolved without long wait times or escalation attempts. For a subscription that costs this much, that is a frustrating experience.

Tidybill vs QuickBooks

A direct comparison of the features freelancers actually use.

Feature Tidybill QuickBooks
Free plan Yes, forever 30-day trial only
Starting paid price $7/mo (billed annually) $20/mo (Solopreneur)
Full invoicing features $7/mo (Starter) $38/mo (Simple Start)
Team members Up to 25 included 1 user at $38/mo. Add-on per extra user
Time tracking Starter ($7/mo) Essentials ($75/mo)
Client portal Starter ($7/mo) Not available
Designed for Freelancers and small teams Accountants and bookkeepers
Price stability Transparent, no surprise increases History of unannounced price increases
Online payment fees Stripe rates: 2.9% + 30c (cards) 1% ACH (no cap), 2.9% cards

Invoicing without the accounting bloat

Send professional invoices, track time, and get paid online. Everything a freelancer needs, nothing they do not.

Start for free

Free plan available. No credit card required.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need accounting software or invoicing software?
Most freelancers need invoicing software, not a full accounting suite. Invoicing covers sending invoices, tracking payments, and collecting money from clients. Accounting software adds general ledger management, bank reconciliation, payroll, and tax filing tools that most independent contractors never use. QuickBooks is an accounting platform. If you just want to send professional invoices and get paid on time, a focused invoicing tool will serve you better at a fraction of the cost.
How much cheaper is Tidybill compared to QuickBooks?
QuickBooks Solopreneur starts at $20/mo, and Simple Start (the first plan with complete invoicing features and more than 1 user) is $38/mo. Tidybill Starter is $7/mo billed annually, or $9/mo on a monthly plan. That is roughly 80% less than QuickBooks Simple Start for the invoicing features most freelancers actually use day to day.
Can I import my data from QuickBooks?
Yes. You can import clients and invoice history via CSV. Export your client list and invoice data from QuickBooks, match it to Tidybill's import format, and upload. Detailed import instructions are available inside the app after you register. There is no charge for imports.
What about tax reporting and accounting?
Tidybill focuses on invoicing. For tax time, you can export your payment history and invoice data as CSV and pass it to your accountant or import it into dedicated accounting software. Many freelancers find this split workflow simpler and cheaper than paying for a full QuickBooks subscription all year just to use it a few times in tax season.
Is there a contract or long-term commitment?
No contract. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time and you will not be charged again. Annual plans are billed once per year and you retain access until the end of the paid period. There are no cancellation fees and we do not hold your data hostage.