QuickBooks Solopreneur vs Simple Start (2026): Which?
QuickBooks Solopreneur is $20/mo, Simple Start is $38/mo. What the extra buys, and why Self-Employed became Solopreneur.
Short answer: QuickBooks Solopreneur is $20/month and QuickBooks Simple Start is $38/month. Solopreneur is built for one-person Schedule C businesses that need income, expense, mileage and estimated-tax tracking. Simple Start is real small-business accounting — balance sheet, bank reconciliation, sales tax and 1099 prep. And to answer the other question people arrive with: QuickBooks Self-Employed was renamed Solopreneur. It wasn't discontinued; it's the same tier under a new name.
Solopreneur vs Simple Start at a glance
| Solopreneur | Simple Start | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20/month | $38/month |
| Built for | One-person Schedule C business | Small business with real books |
| Invoicing | Yes | Yes |
| Expense tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Estimated quarterly taxes | Yes | Not the focus |
| Bank reconciliation | Limited | Yes |
| Profit & loss statement | Basic | Yes |
| Balance sheet | No | Yes |
| Sales tax tracking | No | Yes |
| 1099 contractor prep | No | Yes |
| Users | 1 | 1 |
Prices are regular US rates as at August 2026. QuickBooks discounts heavily for introductory periods — often 50% or more for the first several months. Compare at the regular price, because that's what you'll be paying in month seven.
Is QuickBooks Self-Employed discontinued?
No. It was rebranded as QuickBooks Solopreneur. If you're searching for Self-Employed and finding Solopreneur, you've found the right product — Intuit renamed the tier and reworked it rather than retiring it.
Existing Self-Employed subscribers were migrated. If you're comparing an old review of Self-Employed against current Solopreneur pricing, you're comparing the same lineage of product across a rename.
Which one should you buy?
Choose Solopreneur if: you're a freelancer, contractor or gig worker filing a Schedule C; you have no employees or contractors to issue 1099s to; you don't collect sales tax; and your main pain is knowing what you owe in quarterly estimated taxes. At $20/month it's the cheaper, simpler, correct answer for genuinely solo work.
Choose Simple Start if: you need a balance sheet (any lender or serious accountant will ask); you collect sales tax; you pay contractors and must issue 1099s; you want proper bank reconciliation; or you expect to add people. The extra $18/month buys actual accounting rather than tax-time tidiness.
The migration question matters. Moving from Solopreneur to Simple Start later is not always a clean upgrade — historically, moving between QuickBooks' self-employed and small-business products has meant starting a fresh company file rather than carrying full history across. If you're reasonably confident you'll need Simple Start within a year, starting there avoids the mess. Check Intuit's current migration path before you commit.
The case for neither
$20–38/month is $240–456 a year. That's worth it if you're using the accounting.
It isn't if what you actually need is to send professional invoices and know what's been paid. A lot of people arrive at QuickBooks because it's the name they know, then use it as an expensive invoice generator.
Honest test: if you can't name three reports you'd actually open in a given quarter, you're buying invoicing at accounting prices.
Alternatives worth knowing about before you subscribe:
- Wave — free, unlimited invoices, basic bookkeeping. Genuinely free in the US and Canada. Bank auto-import is $19/month.
- FreshBooks Lite — $23/month, better invoicing than QuickBooks, but capped at 5 billable clients.
- InvoiceSonic — we build this. Create and download a professional invoice with no account; A$19/month (about US$13) for unlimited saved invoices. It does no bookkeeping at all — no bank feeds, no reports, no tax estimates. If you need those, buy QuickBooks.
Frequently asked questions
How much is QuickBooks Solopreneur?
$20/month at the regular US rate, frequently discounted for an introductory period.
How much is QuickBooks Simple Start?
$38/month at the regular US rate.
What's the main difference between Solopreneur and Simple Start?
Simple Start includes a balance sheet, bank reconciliation, sales tax tracking and 1099 prep. Solopreneur doesn't — it's focused on Schedule C income, expenses, mileage and quarterly estimated taxes.
Is QuickBooks Solopreneur the same as Self-Employed?
Effectively yes — Self-Employed was renamed Solopreneur. It's the same tier of product, reworked and rebranded rather than discontinued.
Can I upgrade from Solopreneur to Simple Start?
You can move up, but historically it hasn't always carried your full history cleanly across QuickBooks' solo and small-business products. Check Intuit's current migration path first.
Does Solopreneur include a balance sheet?
No. If you need a balance sheet — and most lenders and accountants will ask for one — you need Simple Start.
Do I need QuickBooks at all as a freelancer?
Only if you'll use the accounting. If your need is invoicing and getting paid, free and cheaper tools cover it.
US prices are regular advertised monthly rates as at August 2026 and change often — check Intuit's pricing page, and note introductory discounts expire. General information only, not tax advice. We build InvoiceSonic, which is mentioned above.
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