QuickBooks vs Sage Intacct — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
QuickBooks starts at $38/mo. Sage Intacct uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
See price history: QuickBooks · Sage Intacct
Small business accounting from Intuit, dominant in the US SMB market (~85% share). Distinctive for its accountant network — most US CPAs recommend it as the default, creating an ecosystem lock-in. QuickBooks Online priced $30-$200/mo across four tiers. Recent AI features add auto-categorization and cash flow forecasting. QuickBooks Desktop still exists for legacy users; new sign-ups pushed exclusively to Online. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Payroll, Payments, TSheets.
Cloud accounting/ERP positioned as the mid-market alternative to NetSuite for finance-heavy organizations (nonprofits, professional services, SaaS). Distinctive for its multi-entity consolidations and dimensional GL structure that SMB tools like QuickBooks lack. Owned by Sage. Pricing opaque, quote-only, typically $15K-$50K+/year plus implementation. Popular with 50-500 employee finance teams that outgrew QuickBooks but can't justify Oracle.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | QuickBooks monthly | QuickBooks annual | Sage Intacct monthly | Sage Intacct annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Simple Start / — | $38 | $30 | — | — |
| Mid tier 1 | Essentials / — | $85 | — | — | — |
| Mid tier 2 | Plus / — | $140 | — | — | — |
| Pro / power | Advanced / — | $340 | — | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
QuickBooks is worth it if… QuickBooks Online is worth it for US-based SMBs (1-50 employees) that need bookkeeping + invoicing + basic reports — the household-name accounting default with strong accountant ecosystem. Simple Start covers solo/small; Essentials adds bill pay and time tracking; Plus adds inventory and project profitability; Advanced adds custom permissions.
Sage Intacct is worth it if… mid-market companies (100-1,000 employees) that need cloud accounting + financial reporting + multi-entity consolidation — particularly if you've outgrown QuickBooks and need CFO-grade reporting. Custom-quoted per module + user count; typical mid-market implementations $30-150K/year.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose QuickBooks over Sage Intacct if…
Choose QuickBooks if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $38/mo).
- You match the profile QuickBooks is built for: QuickBooks Online is worth it for US-based SMBs (1-50 employees) that need bookkeeping + invoicing + basic reports — the household-name accounting default with strong accountant ecosystem.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Sage Intacct if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Sage Intacct is built for: mid-market companies (100-1,000 employees) that need cloud accounting + financial reporting + multi-entity consolidation — particularly if you've outgrown QuickBooks and need CFO-grade reporting.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| QuickBooks | Sage Intacct | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | — |
| Entry price | $38/mo | Custom pricing |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 27, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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