Pricing & Costs

Bookkeeper vs software isn’t really an either-or choice for most small businesses, it’s a question of which parts of bookkeeping are worth paying a person for and which parts software handles fine on its own. Here’s what each option actually costs, and how to figure out which combination fits your business instead of assuming one … Read more

The hidden costs of switching accounting software rarely show up on the vendor’s pricing page, and they’re almost always bigger than people expect going in. A cheaper monthly subscription on the new platform can still add up to a net loss in year one once you count the real cost of the move itself. Here’s … Read more

Stripe vs PayPal fees look close at a glance, both hover around 3% per transaction, but which one actually costs less depends heavily on your volume and how customers pay. Here’s the real fee schedule for both, current standard rates, and where the cheaper option flips depending on your numbers. Last verified: September 2026. Stripe … Read more

Xero vs QuickBooks pricing looks close on the surface, both offer a low tier under $30 and a higher tier past $100, but the plans don’t line up feature for feature, so the cheaper sticker price isn’t always the cheaper real cost. Here’s what each platform actually charges right now, standard rates with no introductory … Read more

QuickBooks Online vs Desktop isn’t the close call it used to be, because Desktop itself has changed. Intuit no longer sells QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier to new customers, so for anyone starting fresh today, “Desktop” effectively means QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, a different price bracket entirely from the Pro plans older comparisons still reference. Here’s … Read more

Square’s advertised rate is one number, but what actually lands on your statement depends on how the card was accepted, online, in person, typed in manually, and which Square plan you’re on. This is Square fees explained with the real numbers, straight from Square’s own pricing page, and what actually moves that total for a … Read more

QuickBooks pricing is sold across four tiers, and the price on the plan comparison page is only the starting point. Payroll, payment processing, extra users past the plan limit, and the gap between the promotional rate and the standard rate all add to what you actually pay. Here is what each plan really covers, where … Read more

Small business software costs rarely stop at the number on the pricing page. Between per-user fees, payment processing, payroll add-ons, and the tools you bolt on later, most businesses end up paying two to three times the advertised starting price within the first year. This page breaks down where that gap actually comes from, category … Read more