21 Best QuickBooks Alternatives in 2026

By Elena Kowalski, Security & Enterprise EditorยทUpdated March 16, 2026ยท17 min read

The top 10 QuickBooks alternatives in 2026 include Stripe (score 76/100, from 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), Gusto (score 74/100, from $40/mo + $6/user), Toggl Track (score 82/100, from $9/user/mo), and 18 more accounting & finance tools. QuickBooks is a accounting & finance platform used by 7M+ teams. Teams switching from QuickBooks typically look for better pricing, specific accounting & finance features, or different integration options. hiltonsoftware.co evaluates each QuickBooks alternative using a weighted scoring system that measures user ratings (40%), feature depth (25%), value for money (20%), market presence (10%), and growth trajectory (5%). 12 of the 21 QuickBooks alternatives offer free plans. The highest-rated QuickBooks alternative is Stripe with a hiltonsoftware.co score of 76/100 and pricing starting at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

QuickBooks (87/100 on hiltonsoftware.co) is a accounting & finance tool used by 7M+ users, with plans starting at $30/mo and a free tier available. Below are 21 alternatives ranked by our proprietary score โ€” 12 of them offer free plans. The top-rated alternative is Stripe with a score of 76/100.

What are the best alternatives to QuickBooks in 2026?

#1
๐Ÿ’ณ
StripeTOP PICK

Developer-first payments infrastructure for online businesses and SaaS companies.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.7
From 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction1M+ users
#2
๐Ÿ’ผ
Gusto

Full-service payroll, benefits, and HR platform for small and medium businesses.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.6
From $40/mo + $6/user300K+ orgs users
#3
โฑ๏ธ
Toggl TrackFREE PLAN

Simple time tracking tool for teams with powerful reporting and integrations.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.6
From $9/user/mo5M+ users
#4
๐ŸŒฟ
FreshBooks

Simple invoicing and accounting for freelancers and small service businesses.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From $17/mo30M+ users
#5
๐Ÿ“š
Zoho BooksFREE PLAN

Affordable online accounting with GST, invoicing, and workflow automation.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From $15/mo5M+ users
#6
๐Ÿ’Ž
BrexFREE PLAN

Corporate card and spend management platform built for startups and enterprises.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From $12/user/mo30K+ orgs users
#7
๐ŸŒณ
Bonsai

All-in-one freelancer toolkit with invoicing, contracts, proposals, and accounting.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From $21/mo500K+ users
#8
๐ŸŒพ
HarvestFREE PLAN

Time tracking and invoicing software for teams and freelancers billing by the hour.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From $10.80/user/mo70K+ orgs users
#9
๐Ÿ“’
Manager.ioFREE PLAN

Free accounting software for small businesses. Available as desktop, cloud, and server editions with invoicing, inventory management, payroll, and multi-currency support.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.5
From Free500K+ users
#10
๐Ÿ’š
QuickBooks Online

Leading small business accounting software with invoicing and payroll.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $30/mo7M+ users
#11
๐Ÿ”ต
Xero

Cloud accounting software for small businesses with bank reconciliation.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $15/mo3.5M+ orgs users
#12
๐ŸŒŠ
WaveFREE PLAN

Free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning for small businesses.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $8/mo (payroll)2M+ users
#13
๐Ÿงพ
ExpensifyFREE PLAN

Expense management and receipt scanning with automatic approvals and reimbursements.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $5/user/mo12M+ users
#14
๐Ÿ“˜
ZipBooksFREE PLAN

Free accounting and bookkeeping software with intelligent tagging and insights.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $15/mo100K+ users
#15
๐Ÿƒ
HurdlrFREE PLAN

Real-time expense tracking and tax calculation app for freelancers and gig workers.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.4
From $8.34/mo100K+ users
#16
๐ŸŸข
Sage Intacct

Enterprise cloud ERP and financial management for growing mid-market companies.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.3
From Custom pricing21K+ orgs users
#17
๐Ÿ“—
Kashoo

Simple cloud accounting for small business owners who are not accountants.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.3
From $27/mo30K+ users
#18
๐Ÿข
Manager.ioFREE PLAN

Free desktop accounting software with cloud and server editions available.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.3
From $49/yr (cloud)200K+ users
#19
๐Ÿ“Š
AkauntingFREE PLAN

Free open-source online accounting software for small businesses and freelancers.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.2
From Free500K+ users
#20
๐Ÿƒ
GnuCashFREE PLAN

Free open-source financial accounting software for personal and small business use.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4.1
From Free2M+ users
#21
๐Ÿ”ด
NetSuite

Enterprise ERP and financial management for mid-market and enterprise companies.

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…4
From Custom pricing37K+ orgs users

Frequently asked questions about QuickBooks alternatives

What is the best alternative to QuickBooks?
The top-rated QuickBooks alternative is Stripe with a hiltonsoftware.co score of 76/100. Stripe developer-first payments infrastructure for online businesses and saas companies. Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Other strong QuickBooks alternatives include Gusto (74/100, from $40/mo + $6/user) and Toggl Track (82/100, from $9/user/mo).
Are there free alternatives to QuickBooks?
Yes, 12 of the 21 QuickBooks alternatives offer free plans. The highest-rated free QuickBooks alternatives are Toggl Track (82/100), Zoho Books (80/100), Brex (72/100). QuickBooks itself also offers a free plan with paid tiers starting at $30/mo. Teams comparing QuickBooks free alternatives should evaluate feature limits and user caps before switching.
How does QuickBooks compare to Stripe?
QuickBooks scores 87/100 while Stripe scores 76/100 on hiltonsoftware.co. QuickBooks strengths include "largest accountant ecosystem worldwide", while QuickBooks limitations include "subscription cost increases annually". Stripe starts at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, compared to QuickBooks pricing from $30/mo (free plan available).
Last updated: March 2026ยทPricing verifiedยทMethodology

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