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Personal Finance · head to head

Apple Pay vs QuickBooks

Apple Pay logo

Apple Pay

Personal Finance

The easier way to pay and send money

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Accounting

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Pay has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets; QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Pay and QuickBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Pay and QuickBooks differ
AttributeApple PayQuickBooks
Starting priceFree$30/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIOS, WatchOS, MacOSWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryPersonal FinanceAccounting
Founded20141983

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apple Pay

  • Digital wallet
  • Secure payments
  • Contactless transactions
  • P2P money transfers
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Bank accounts
  • IOS support

Only in QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple Pay

  • Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot QuickBooks
  • Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot QuickBooks
  • Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot QuickBooks

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot Apple Pay
  • Invoicingnot Apple Pay
  • Expense trackingnot Apple Pay
  • Financial reportingnot Apple Pay
  • Tax preparationnot Apple Pay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple Pay

  • Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
  • Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
  • Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
  • Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
  • A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Pay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Secure payments
    • P2P transfers
    • Transit passes

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Pay if

  • You need digital wallet.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
  • You also want secure payments.
Apple Pay review

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Pay or QuickBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Pay starts at Free and QuickBooks at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Pay or QuickBooks?
Apple Pay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Pay and $30/month for QuickBooks.
Does Apple Pay or QuickBooks run on more platforms?
Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS. QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Apple Pay for free?
Yes. Apple Pay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QuickBooks starts at $30/month.
What is Apple Pay best used for?
Apple Pay is most often used for contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch, paying in apps and on the web without entering card details, sending money between apple users with apple cash and tap to cash. Of those, contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch and paying in apps and on the web without entering card details are not what QuickBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Pay do that QuickBooks cannot?
Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Pay: Does Apple Pay charge fees?

No. Apple does not charge any fees when you pay with Apple Pay in stores, online, or in apps.

Source
Apple Pay: What are the transaction limits for Apple Cash Family?

Apple Cash Family accounts have a maximum transaction limit of $2,000 within any rolling seven-day period for sending or receiving money. The same $2,000 rolling 7-day limit applies to Tap to Cash peer-to-peer transfers.

Source
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