QuickBooks: Free plan added + Essentials price hike ($75→$85/mo)
What happened
Between the Aug 3, 2026 and Aug 10, 2026 captures of QuickBooks' pricing page, Pulse recorded one change: New Free plan added at $0/mo; Essentials list price increased $75→$85/mo; promotional discount widened from 50% to 90% off for 3 months (Simple Start paid price $19→$3.80/mo). Pulse files it as a pricing change (price increase) with an upward direction. Pulse's latest capture (Nov 9, 2026) lists Simple Start at $38, Essentials at $85, Plus at $140 and Advanced at $340.
It lands the same day as QuickBooks' previous change, "QuickBooks Payroll: Summer promo jumps to 90% off (was 50%)" (Aug 10, 2026). Before that Pulse recorded "QuickBooks Payroll: per-employee fee cut on all 3 plans" (Jul 27, 2026) and "QuickBooks Payroll hikes per-employee fees up to 30% across all plans" (Jul 6, 2026). QuickBooks has been tracked since 2023-11-14.
In the same window Sage, Zoho, Xero, Microsoft and Freshbooks also changed their Finance & Accounting pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- +40 percentage pointsAll plansDiscount50%90%
- +13%EssentialsPrice$75$85
- PromoSimple Start$19$3.80
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All plans | Discount | 50% | 90% | +40 percentage points |
| Essentials | Price | $75 | $85 | +13% |
| Simple Start | Promo | $19 | $3.80 | −80% |
Values as written on QuickBooks' public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of QuickBooks' pricing page (quickbooks.com) from Aug 3, 2026 and Aug 10, 2026; the change is marked near the top of the page, where the discount goes from 50% to 90%, Essentials from $75 to $85 and Simple Start from $19 to $3.80.
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The two full-page captures with this change marked up are free with an account.
QuickBooks, the last 90 days
Full history- Oct 19, 2026PackagingQuickBooks: new $0/mo Free plan promo added during plan selection
- Sep 14, 2026Price increaseQuickBooks Payroll: Workforce bundle prices increase ($125→$135, $203→$228)
- Sep 14, 2026Price increaseQuickBooks: Essentials, Plus & Advanced plan prices increased
- Aug 10, 2026Price increaseQuickBooks: Free plan added + Essentials price hike ($75→$85/mo) This change
- Aug 10, 2026PackagingQuickBooks Payroll: Summer promo jumps to 90% off (was 50%)
- Jul 27, 2026Price decreaseQuickBooks Payroll: per-employee fee cut on all 3 plans
- Jul 6, 2026Price increaseQuickBooks Payroll hikes per-employee fees up to 30% across all plans
Across Finance & Accounting in the same window
All Finance & Accounting changes- SageAug 11Sage Payroll: free-trial promo cut from 2 months to 1 month
- ZohoAug 11Zoho Recruitstaffing Recruit: pricing table prices became visible ($0/$25/$50/$75)
- XeroAug 11Xero: Intro promo deepened to 90% off, extended to 6 months
- MicrosoftAug 10Microsoft Copilot 365 Copilot: 1-month free trial added to Business plans
- FreshbooksAug 3FreshBooks: 90% off promo shortened from 6 to 3 months
Questions about this change
Did QuickBooks raise prices in August 2026?
Yes. Pulse captured QuickBooks' pricing page on Aug 3, 2026 and again on Aug 10, 2026 and recorded 3 price increases: All plans: 50% → 90% (+40 pts); Essentials: $75 → $85 (+13%); Simple Start: $19 → $3.80.
What changed on QuickBooks' pricing page between Aug 3, 2026 and Aug 10, 2026?
Discount (all plans): 50% → 90% (+40 pts); Essentials price: $75 → $85 (+13%); Simple Start promo: $19 → $3.80. Pulse compared the captures it took on Aug 3, 2026 and Aug 10, 2026; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does QuickBooks change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 3 other pricing-page changes for QuickBooks in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "QuickBooks Payroll: Summer promo jumps to 90% off (was 50%)" on Aug 10, 2026; QuickBooks has been tracked since 2023-11-14.