Overview
QuickBooks Live is the bookkeeping service sold by Intuit to QuickBooks Online subscribers. It has two ongoing products: Expert Assisted, a monthly subscription in which experts answer bookkeeping questions but do not work in the client’s books, and Expert Full Service Bookkeeping, which adds an initial cleanup and a dedicated bookkeeper who categorises transactions, reconciles accounts and closes the books each month[21]. A one-time Expert Cleanup is also offered.
In Full Service, the first month is a cleanup phase covering the chart of accounts, bank connections and an introduction to QuickBooks; thereafter bookkeepers close the books, prepare a trial balance and provide PDFs of key reports, and are available Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific[21]. Tax preparation is sold separately through an Expert Assisted Business Tax product powered by TurboTax.
Intuit excludes GAAP, full accrual, multi-currency and crypto accounting, and third-party app setup, and refers those needs to independent QuickBooks ProAdvisors[21]. Prices for the Live products were not displayed in the page text available when checked and are therefore not given here; a QuickBooks Online subscription is also required, with Essentials listed at US$85 a month and Plus at US$140 before promotional discounts[22][21].
QuickBooks Live features
- Free plan for one user
- Bank feeds and reconciliation
- Invoicing and bill management
- Up to 25 users on Advanced
- Built-in accountant access
- Card and bank-transfer payments via QuickBooks Payments
- Employee time on invoices (Essentials+)
- Batch invoicing (Advanced)
QuickBooks Live pricing
Free: US$0, 1 user. Simple Start: US$38/month, 1 user. Essentials: US$85/month, 3 users. Plus: US$140/month, 5 users. Advanced: US$340/month, 25 users. Promotion at review: 50% off for 3 months. 30-day free trial.
QuickBooks Live strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Largest US accountant and app ecosystem
- Free single-user plan
- Wide range of plans up to 25 users
- Invoices post straight to the general ledger
- Scales from free plan to 25 users
- Time billing on mid tiers
Limitations
- High regular prices on mid and upper tiers
- Strict user caps per plan
- Promotional pricing masks the ongoing cost
- Free plan limited without Intuit payments
- Large price rise after promotion
- More than an invoicing-only buyer needs
Appears in
- Best Bookkeeping Services in 2026 #11
- Best Payment Processors for Small Business in 2026 #6
- Best Accounting Software for Small Business in 2026 #1
- Best Tax Software for Small Business in 2026 #6
- Best Invoicing Software in 2026 #1
- Best Outsourced Accounting Services in 2026 #11
- Best Payroll Services for Small Business in 2026 #3
- Best Payroll Software in 2026 #7
QuickBooks Live alternatives and competitors
Alternatives to QuickBooks Live: companies ranked in the same lists.
Wave- Square
- Zoho Analytics
Xero
Stripe Atlas
Pilot- TurboTax Business (desktop)
Bench
FreshBooks- ADP
Paychex Flex
Rippling
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