This article was produced independently by our editorial team. Intuit QuickBooks provided a partnership fee to support our coverage; however, all opinions, research, and recommendations are our own.
If you’re a relatively small-scale business, you may be looking for an accounting software program to help manage your finances. But which should you get? You don’t want to overpay for something you won’t use, but you don’t want to ignore features that’ll come in handy if your business grows.
QuickBooks Solopreneur and QuickBooks Simple Start are both serious contenders for small business needs. Here’s a breakdown of each to help you decide which best suits your needs.
What is QuickBooks Solopreneur?
QuickBooks Solopreneur
Subscription cost
User access
Features
Think of QuickBooks Solopreneur as a bare-bones plan for a one-person business. There is a lower tier called QuickBooks Free (an entry-level version mainly aimed at folks just getting started with bookkeeping software), but Solopreneur is the first option with more robust functionality for those who do things like bill several clients per month, track deductible expenses, and other activities you’ll typically find with sole proprietors like freelancers and independent contractors.
All to say, QuickBooks Solopreneur is a simple but powerful version of QuickBooks Online. In our assessment, its best features include:
- Automatically sorting transactions made with your linked bank and cards
- Send unlimited invoices
- Automate bill pay
- Use of the QuickBooks mobile app
- Unlimited receipts and mileage
- Displays your profitability and estimates your Schedule C taxes
That said, there’s plenty it won’t do which can be handled by the more expensive QuickBooks Simple Start tier.
Solopreneur itself costs $20 per month as of this writing, though there are often introductory offers that reduce the cost for the first few months. You can also lower the price by paying annually instead of monthly.
QuickBooks Solopreneur pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest-priced paid QuickBooks tier
- Simple user interface without a steep learning curve
- Includes unlimited invoices and mileage tracking built-in mileage tracking (which the free version does not)
Cons
- Doesn’t run general reports
- Cannot take in-person payments or set up recurring payments
- Supports a max of three contractors
What Is QuickBooks Simple Start?
QuickBooks Simple Start
Subscription cost
User access
Features
QuickBooks Simple Start is the accounting software tier just above Solopreneur. It goes beyond basic expense tracking and introduces more advanced accounting features. Not to say it’s necessarily overkill for solo businesses—anyone who needs proper double-entry bookkeeping will love its capabilities, such as reconciling bank accounts and keeping track of what clients owe you.
Some other standout features of QuickBooks Simple Start include:
- All the capabilities of Solopreneur
- Runs general reports
- Shows your cash flow history
- Ability to connect a sales channel (such as Shopify or Amazon)
- Add QuickBooks Payroll and other optional services as your business grows
Simple Start is still relatively rudimentary in the world of accounting programs. It won’t be ideal for many with even a small team or a growing list of vendors and expenses to manage.
Simple Start costs $38 per month as of this writing—and similar to Solopreneur, it regularly offers introductory discounts and price drops for annual plans.
QuickBooks Simple Start pros and cons
Pros
- Manage unlimited contractors (instead of a max of three with Solopreneur)
- Accepts in-person-payments
- Easier for a growing business to graduate to a higher QuickBooks tier
Cons
- Nearly double the cost of Solopreneur
- Limited to one user
- Doesn’t offer advanced capabilities such as inventory tracking or time tracking
Which one should you choose?
The ideal accounting program for you depends not just on your current goals, but on your future plans for the business.
Who should choose QuickBooks Solopreneur?
QuickBooks Solopreneur is best suited for sole proprietors like freelancers, gig workers, and those with a side hustle (think Uber drivers, running errands through TaskRabbit, dog sitters on Rover, etc.). It can also be a good solution for single-member LLCs filing a Schedule C with no employees and relatively straightforward finances. Again, Solopreneur software isn’t fancy.
If your primary need is to separate business spending from personal spending, and you’d like help estimating quarterly taxes, QuickBooks Solopreneur is one of the most cost-effective options around.
Who should choose QuickBooks Simple Start?
QuickBooks Simple Start is also a great option for solo entrepreneurs, and freelancers—similar to Solopreneur. But it can also suit LLCs and other businesses that have outgrown the basic expense tracking that Solopreneur offers. If you need bank reconciliation, proper double-entry books, and detailed business reports, Simple Start is the smarter choice. It also generates the financial statements you may need when applying for financing or working with an accountant.
Importantly, QuickBooks Simple Start is a better springboard to the likes of QuickBooks Essentials or above. If your business is growing, and if you foresee a time when you’ll hire employees and find yourself with more complex bookkeeping, Simple Start may be the better near-term choice. In other words, it’s easier to graduate from Simple Start to a more advanced QuickBooks membership tier, as your learning curve will likely be smaller.
Can you switch from Solopreneur to Simple Start later?
Speaking of the ability to graduate from one accounting program to another, you can absolutely switch from Solopreneur to Simple Start. You can migrate your data over or start from scratch. Because you’re staying inside the QuickBooks ecosystem, a lot of your information should transfer automatically, from customers to invoices to bank connections—up to three years of transactions.
Just keep in mind the following before you officially make the switch:
- You can’t downgrade again. You’ll need to create a new account if you want to go back to Solopreneur.
- Not everything can be transferred during the upgrade. For example, if you set up any business Goals in your Solopreneur account, they’ll be left behind.
- You’ll need to upgrade via web browser. Not a huge deal, but worth knowing that this can’t be done through the app.
Again, these probably won’t be deal-breakers for most. The biggest reason you’ll likely opt for Solopreneur instead of Simple Start is the price.
The takeaway
QuickBooks Solopreneur and Simple Start are the two least expensive paid accounting programs offered by QuickBooks. Both target similar business owners—such as freelancers, gig workers, and single-member LLCs—but Simple Start has many more capabilities that Solopreneur doesn’t. It’s better equipped for businesses with more complex bookkeeping needs, and it’s a better option for growing businesses who think they’ll need to upgrade to a more capable QuickBooks program in the future.
Frequently asked questions
Can Solopreneur connect to an accountant or bookkeeper?
No, Solopreneur can’t connect to an accountant or bookkeeper. To give accountant access, the lowest tier you’ll need is QuickBooks Simple Start.
Does Simple Start include bank reconciliation?
Yes, QuickBooks Simple Start includes bank reconciliation. This is a notable feature that you won’t find with Solopreneur.
Is QuickBooks Solopreneur the same as QuickBooks Self-Employed?
Technically, QuickBooks Self-Employed is no longer available to new customers. QuickBooks Solopreneur has replaced it and brought along some improvements—such as easier navigation and better transaction management.
What happens to my data if I upgrade from Solopreneur to Simple Start?
If you upgrade from Solopreneur to Simple Start, most of your data will automatically migrate—customer info, invoices, years of transactions, and more.
Can I downgrade from Simple Start back to Solopreneur?
You cannot downgrade from Simple Start back to Solopreneur. If you want to revert back to Solopreneur, you’ll have to open a new subscription.