Why Now Is a Great Time for Small Businesses to Move to QuickBooks Online

For small business owners, keeping accurate financial records is essential—but bookkeeping can easily become one more task competing for your time.

If you’ve been thinking about moving your accounting to QuickBooks Online, this summer may be one of the better opportunities to make the switch. QuickBooks is currently offering 90% off for the first three months for new customers, and the promotion is scheduled to end August 27, 2026. (QuickBooks)

At the same time, QuickBooks has announced pricing changes for several of its Online plans, making the current promotion especially worth considering.

The Summer Savings Are Significant

Under the current promotion, new QuickBooks Online customers can receive 90% off for three months when purchasing a subscription rather than choosing the 30-day free trial. (QuickBooks)

Current promotional pricing includes:

• Simple Start: $3.80/month for the first 3 months, normally $38/month
• Essentials: $8.50/month for the first 3 months, normally $85/month
• Plus: $14/month for the first 3 months, normally $140/month
• Advanced: $34/month for the first 3 months, normally $340/month

That can provide meaningful savings while giving a business time to get its accounts established, connect bank and credit-card accounts, organize customers and vendors, and become familiar with the system. (QuickBooks)

Important: The 90% discount is currently advertised for new QuickBooks customers, and customers who select the free trial are not eligible for the promotional discount. (QuickBooks)

QuickBooks Pricing Is Changing

There’s another reason business owners should pay attention to QuickBooks pricing right now.

Intuit announced that subscription prices for QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus and Advanced are changing for renewals on or after August 1, 2026. Simple Start is among the plans that Intuit says is not affected by this particular increase. (QuickBooks)

For new subscribers, QuickBooks says the subscription price established when they sign up will remain the same for their first six months. After that introductory period, the applicable pricing changes take effect. (QuickBooks)

That combination—a substantial introductory discount and changing regular subscription prices—makes this a good time for businesses that were already considering QuickBooks Online to evaluate their options.

Why QuickBooks Online Can Make Sense for a Small Business

The value of accounting software isn’t simply producing a tax return at the end of the year. A good accounting system should help you understand what’s happening in your business throughout the year.

QuickBooks Online can help businesses:

• Track income and expenses
• Connect and categorize bank transactions
• Create and send invoices
• Monitor accounts receivable
• Organize vendor expenses and bills
• Produce Profit & Loss and other financial reports
• Share information with an accountant or bookkeeper
• Maintain better financial records for tax preparation
• Track projects, budgets and profitability with qualifying plans

QuickBooks has also been expanding its automation and AI-powered features through Intuit Intelligence, including tools designed to automate routine bookkeeping work, identify discrepancies and provide financial insights. (QuickBooks)

Contractors Should Pay Particular Attention to Job Profitability

For builders, remodelers and contractors, knowing whether you’re making money overall isn’t enough.

You also need to know:

Did we actually make money on that job?

QuickBooks Online Plus includes project profitability features that can help businesses track project income, labor and expenses. This can make it easier to compare what a project was expected to cost with what it actually cost. (QuickBooks)

Good job-costing information can help contractors identify estimating problems, material-cost increases, labor overruns and change-order issues before those problems become habits.

Don’t Choose a Plan Based Only on the Discount

A 90% introductory discount is attractive, but businesses shouldn’t automatically select the most expensive plan simply because it’s temporarily inexpensive.

Instead, consider what your business actually needs.

A very small operation primarily tracking income and expenses may be comfortable with Simple Start. A business that needs multiple users, bills and more detailed reporting may need Essentials. Contractors and growing businesses interested in budgets, inventory or project profitability may find Plus more appropriate.

The goal isn’t to buy the most QuickBooks you can get. It’s to choose the plan that provides the tools your business will actually use—particularly once the promotional period ends.

A Good Time to Get Your Books Organized

Waiting until tax season to organize an entire year’s worth of financial records can create unnecessary work for both business owners and their accountants.

Starting QuickBooks Online now gives businesses several months to establish better bookkeeping habits before year-end. Bank accounts can be connected, customers and vendors organized, accounts categorized and reporting procedures established while there’s still time to correct problems.

And with QuickBooks currently advertising 90% off for the first three months through August 27, businesses that have already been considering the switch have an additional reason not to put it off. (QuickBooks)

Before You Sign Up

Take a few minutes to determine which QuickBooks Online plan fits your business, understand what the regular subscription price will be after promotional pricing ends, and consider talking with your accountant or bookkeeper about how your accounts should be set up.

The biggest benefit isn’t simply saving money on software. It’s starting with an accounting system that can give you better information about where your business is making—and losing—money.

Pricing and promotional offers are subject to change. The 90% promotional offer referenced in this article was available through QuickBooks as of August 24, 2026 and was advertised to end August 27, 2026. Businesses should verify current pricing, eligibility and terms directly with QuickBooks before purchasing.