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Accounting · head to head

QuickBooks vs Quicken

QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Accounting

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quicken logo

Quicken

Personal Finance

Take control of your finances

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count; Quicken promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing
  • They diverge on capability: QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Quicken covers Budget creation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and Quicken actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and Quicken differ
AttributeQuickBooksQuicken
Starting price$30/month$3.99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (1983).

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 QuickBooks

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

Only in Quicken

  • Budget creation
  • Investment tracking
  • Tax planning
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

Both cover

  • Bill management

What people use each for

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

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot Quicken
  • Invoicingnot Quicken
  • Expense trackingnot Quicken
  • Financial reportingnot Quicken
  • Tax preparationnot Quicken

Quicken

  • Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot QuickBooks
  • Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot QuickBooks
  • Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot QuickBooks

Where each one falls short

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

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

Quicken

  • Promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing
  • Subscriptions auto-renew at current rates unless manually cancelled

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Quicken

$3.99/month
  • Quicken Simplifi$3.99/month
    • Billed annually at promotional rate
    • Regular price $6.99/month
    • Mobile and web access
  • Quicken Business & Personal$4.99/month
    • Billed annually at promotional rate
    • Regular price $8.99/month
    • Mobile and web access

Which should you pick?

Choose QuickBooks if

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

Choose Quicken if

  • You need budget creation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want investment tracking.
Quicken review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or Quicken better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and Quicken at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or Quicken?
QuickBooks starts at $30/month and Quicken at $3.99/month.
Does QuickBooks or Quicken run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
What is QuickBooks best used for?
QuickBooks is most often used for bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping and invoicing are not what Quicken is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that Quicken cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting. Quicken covers Budget creation, Investment tracking, Tax planning, Bank accounts. Both handle Bill management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quicken: How much does Quicken cost?

Quicken Simplifi starts at $3.99/month (billed annually) or $6.99/month (monthly billing). Quicken Business & Personal costs $4.99/month (annual) or $8.99/month (monthly). Annual billing offers savings versus monthly subscriptions.

Source
Quicken: What is the difference between Quicken Simplifi and Quicken Business & Personal?

Quicken Business & Personal includes the ability to run up to 10 businesses at no extra cost, making it suitable for freelancers and small business owners. Quicken Simplifi is designed for personal finance and couples. Both are available on mobile and web.

Source
Quicken: Can I cancel my Quicken subscription anytime?

Subscriptions auto-renew at then-current rates unless cancelled. The page indicates cancellation is possible but does not specify the cancellation process or any early termination fees.

Source
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