The QuickBooks price history since 2021 tells one clear story: every tier has climbed steeply, most of them every single year, and another increase arrives in August 2026. Meanwhile, the people doing the actual bookkeeping barely repriced at all. This guide is for owners who want the real numbers behind their rising back-office costs.
We track this closely because we pay these bills too. Books LA manages QuickBooks Online and Xero files for dozens of Los Angeles businesses, so every increase notice lands in our inbox alongside yours.
QuickBooks price history, 2021 to 2026
Published US list prices for the main QuickBooks Online tiers over five years. Exact figures can vary a few dollars by source and promo status, but the milestones are firm.
| Plan | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 | 2025-26 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Start | $25 | $30 | $35 | $38 | +52% |
| Essentials | $40 | $55 | $65 | $75 | +88% |
| Plus | $70 | $85 | $99 | $115 | +64% |
| Advanced | $150 | $200 | $235 | $275 | +83% |
And it is not finished. Intuit has announced another increase for renewals on or after August 1, 2026, hitting Essentials, Plus, and Advanced, with the steepest jumps on the top tiers. Our August increase breakdown covers what to check before your renewal.
Xero’s price history looks the same, only steeper in places
Switching platforms does not escape the trend. Xero’s US prices over the same window, per PriceTimeline’s records:
| Plan | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025-26 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early | $11 | $13 | $15 | $25 | +127% |
| Growing | $32 | $37 | $42 | $55 | +72% |
| Established | $62 | $70 | $78 | $90 | +45% |
Xero’s entry plan more than doubled. So this is not a QuickBooks story; it is a category story. Accounting software as a whole has repriced far above inflation, year after year.
Now compare the people
Here is the part nobody puts side by side. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks was $45,560 in May 2021. By May 2025 it was $50,670. That is an increase of about 11 percent over four years, roughly $24 an hour at the median.
| Cost | Change since 2021 |
|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online Essentials | +88% |
| Xero Early | +127% |
| QuickBooks Online Plus | +64% |
| Bookkeeper median wage (BLS) | +11% |
Overall inflation across that same stretch ran well ahead of 11 percent. Read that again: in real, inflation-adjusted dollars, bookkeepers got cheaper while the software they operate nearly doubled. Service pricing in our industry has followed wages, not software; most firms we know, ours included, have held fees remarkably steady while quietly absorbing the rising cost of the tools.
Why software can do this and bookkeepers do not
- Your data is the leverage. Years of transactions live inside the platform. Migration is possible, but it costs time, money, and risk, and Intuit and Xero both know it. Economists call it switching cost; owners call it being stuck.
- The AI story funds the increases. Each hike arrives bundled with new automation and AI features. Some genuinely help. But you pay for the bundle whether you use it or not.
- Service pricing is a relationship. A bookkeeping firm quotes a person, not a faceless subscriber base. Raising a client’s fee means a conversation, so most firms simply do not, even when their own software bill climbs every August.
None of this makes the software a bad buy. QuickBooks Online and Xero are both excellent platforms, and we build our work on them daily. It does mean the line item growing fastest in your back office is the subscription, not the service.
What to do with this information
- Right-size the tier. The higher prices climb, the more an unused tier costs. Our QuickBooks plans guide gives the honest upgrade and downgrade triggers.
- Audit add-ons yearly. Payroll, Payments, Bill Pay, and idle apps stack quietly on the same invoice.
- Watch your renewal date. Increases land on your billing cycle, and existing promos hold until they expire.
- Decide platform questions with numbers. Switching to dodge one increase rarely pays. Switching because the other platform genuinely fits better sometimes does.
- Lean on the flat-priced part of your stack. Your bookkeeper sees dozens of these files and knows where the waste hides. That review usually costs nothing and saves real money.
How Books LA handles this
Subscription right-sizing is built into our monthly work. We flag unused tiers and idle add-ons at review time, because the fastest savings in most back offices now come from the software bill, not the service bill. Details on our services page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does QuickBooks Online cost in 2026?
Current list prices run $38 for Simple Start, $75 for Essentials, $115 for Plus, and $275 for Advanced per month, with an announced increase to the top three tiers at renewals from August 1, 2026. Your actual rate depends on promos and billing terms, so check Subscriptions and Billing in your account.
Is QuickBooks raising prices again?
Yes. Intuit announced new pricing for renewals on or after August 1, 2026, affecting Essentials, Plus, and Advanced. Simple Start, Free, Lite, and Ledger were not listed as changing in this round.
Is Xero cheaper than QuickBooks?
At the entry level, yes, though the gap has narrowed as Xero’s prices climbed faster in percentage terms. Comparable mid-tier plans now sit close together. Choose on workflow fit, app ecosystem, and your advisor’s tooling rather than a few dollars of list price.
Will my bookkeeping fees go up because of the QuickBooks increase?
Most likely not. Service fees track wages and scope, not software list prices, and wages moved 11 percent while software moved 50 to 127. We answer this fully, including who absorbs the increase and what to ask your firm, in our guide to bookkeeping rates vs software prices.
Have bookkeeping rates gone up too?
Far less. BLS data shows bookkeeper median wages up about 11 percent since 2021, below cumulative inflation, and service pricing broadly tracks wages. Many firms, including ours, have absorbed years of software increases without repricing the service itself.
Why does software rise faster than services?
Switching costs. Your history lives in the platform, so subscribers rarely leave over an increase, and vendors price accordingly. A service provider faces a human conversation with every client before any increase, which keeps service pricing honest.
Should I switch platforms to save money?
Rarely for price alone. Both major platforms follow the same trajectory, and migration has real costs in time, setup, and data risk. Switch when the other platform fits your operations better, and plan it properly with your bookkeeper.
What should I do before August 2026?
Check your renewal date, confirm your tier matches what you actually use, and cancel idle add-ons. Fifteen minutes in the billing screen, or one question to your bookkeeper, usually covers all three.
If you want the software line on your books reviewed before the August increase lands, book a short call with Books LA.
Prices are published list prices compiled from vendor announcements and archives as of July 2026; individual rates vary by account and promotions. Wage figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This article is general information, not tax advice. Books LA provides bookkeeping services and does not provide income tax advice; we work with our clients’ CPAs on income tax matters.
