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QuickBooks vs TurboTax

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QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
T

TurboTax

Software

File yourself with clear, step-by-step tools, or hand it to an expert

From
On request
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; TurboTax do It Yourself federal filing ranges $0 to $149 with state returns billed separately at up to $139, so price rises sharply once a return needs more than the free simple-return tier

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and TurboTax actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and TurboTax differ
AttributeQuickBooksTurboTax
Starting price$30/monthOn request
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded1983Unknown

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

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
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

Only in TurboTax

Nothing recorded that QuickBooks does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

QuickBooks

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

TurboTax

No use cases recorded yet. See the TurboTax review.

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

TurboTax

  • Do It Yourself federal filing ranges $0 to $149 with state returns billed separately at up to $139, so price rises sharply once a return needs more than the free simple-return tier
  • Expert Assist and Full Service tiers add $89 to $209 or more on top of the DIY price for human review or full preparation

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

TurboTax

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the TurboTax review.

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 TurboTax if

Nothing in the data separates TurboTax from QuickBooks on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

TurboTax review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or TurboTax better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and TurboTax at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or TurboTax?
QuickBooks starts at $30/month and TurboTax at On request.
Does QuickBooks or TurboTax run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. TurboTax runs on Web.
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 TurboTax is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that TurboTax cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.
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