⚡ Quick Verdict
QuickBooks Online offers a 30-day free trial on every plan with no credit card required, full access to your chosen plan for 30 days. Payroll, Payments, and Live Expert Services are not included. The May 1, 2026 price increase (15-25%) is now in effect, so the “start before May 1 to lock in” advice is dead, the live lever today is the trial plus Intuit’s 50%-off-first-3-months promo, or testing Xero in parallel before you commit at post-hike rates.
The QuickBooks Online free trial gives you 30 days of full access to real accounting software, not a demo. You can connect real bank accounts, send real invoices, and run real reports. This guide covers what the QBO trial includes, how to start one in five minutes, and post-hike plan costs.
It also covers the separate QuickBooks Online Accountant, Desktop Enterprise, and Payroll trials, which all work differently from the standard consumer trial, and a timing play to soften the May 2026 price increase.
Last researched: May 2026 | By the BuyerSprint Editorial Team | How we research
Affiliate Disclosure: BuyerSprint earns a commission from partner links on this page. We only recommend tools we’ve genuinely tested, at no additional cost to you. View our disclosure policy.
Comparing QuickBooks to Alternatives?
Xero is the most direct QuickBooks competitor, similar accounting depth, cleaner interface, unlimited users, and a 30-day free trial at a lower starting price. Worth testing in parallel before you commit to a post-hike QB plan.
What the QuickBooks Online Free Trial Includes
The QBO free trial is a live, fully functional account, not a restricted demo. Here is what you get and what you do not.
What’s included in the QBO trial
- Full plan features, every feature on your chosen plan (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced) is active for 30 days. Pick Plus and you get inventory tracking, project profitability, and up to 5 users.
- Bank connection, connect real business bank accounts and credit cards to import transactions.
- Invoicing setup, create and send professional invoices to real clients. Payment acceptance needs a separate QuickBooks Payments account.
- Reporting, run P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and other reports on your real data.
- Phone and chat support, included free during the trial on Simple Start and above.
- Mobile app access, the QuickBooks Online iOS and Android apps work with the trial account.
What’s not included in the QBO trial
- QuickBooks Payroll, a separate paid add-on, not in the standard QBO trial (a separate Payroll trial may be available, see below).
- Live Expert Services (QuickBooks Live), the human bookkeeper add-on is not included.
- Bill Pay, requires a paid subscription after the trial.
- QuickBooks Payments, card processing requires separate signup, though it can be configured during the trial.
💡 The May 2026 increase has already landed
Intuit raised QuickBooks Online prices 15-25% on May 1, 2026, the largest single increase in QBO history. The old “subscribe before May 1 to lock in” advice no longer applies, those rates are gone. Anyone subscribing now pays post-hike pricing. A Plus + Payroll setup now runs near $215/month. The remaining levers are the 50%-off-first-3-months promo and evaluating Xero in parallel during the trial.
How to Start a QuickBooks Online Free Trial
Starting a QBO free trial takes under five minutes with no credit card at any point.
- Go to the QuickBooks free trial page. Visit quickbooks.intuit.com/free-trial/ in your browser, Intuit’s official trial entry point. Avoid third-party links that may redirect to outdated offers.
- Select your plan. Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced. Most small businesses test Essentials or Plus for multi-user access and bill management. You can change plans later.
- Create your Intuit account. Name, email, password. If you already have an Intuit account (TurboTax, Mint), reuse those credentials.
- Enter your business information. Business name, industry, and how long you have operated. This pre-configures your chart of accounts; all settings are adjustable later.
- Start exploring, no credit card required. Your 30-day trial begins immediately. QuickBooks emails reminders before it expires.
At the end of the trial, QuickBooks prompts you to pick a paid plan. If you do not subscribe, your account is locked (data preserved, you do not start over) and you can resume by subscribing any time.
QuickBooks Online Plans: What You’re Trialing (Post-Hike)
The trial gives you 30 days on your chosen plan. Here is what each costs at the post-May-1-2026 rates, so you test the right one from day one.
| Plan | Was | Now (post-hike) | Users | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solopreneur | $20 | $20/mo | 1 | Self-employed tracking income/expenses only |
| Simple Start | $30 | $35/mo | 1 | Solo owners needing invoicing and basic reporting |
| Essentials | $60 | $70/mo | 3 | Small teams needing bill management, multiple users |
| Plus | $90 | $110/mo | 5 | Inventory and project profitability |
| Advanced | $200 | $250/mo | 25 | Custom reporting, automation, dedicated support |
Simple Start, $35/month
One user, covering income and expense tracking, invoicing, receipt capture, sales tax, cash flow, and basic reporting. The entry-level trial option for solo owners who mostly need to stay organized for tax time. No bill management or time tracking, those need Essentials.
Essentials, $70/month
Adds bill management, recurring transactions, time tracking, and 3 users, the most common starting point for a business with a small team or a bookkeeper who needs their own login. Trialing Essentials is the best way to test the accounts-payable workflow before committing.
Plus, $110/month
The most popular plan for established small businesses: inventory tracking, project profitability, budgeting, 5 users, and 1099 contractor management. The recommended test plan for product businesses or service businesses billing by project. This is the tier the May 2026 hike hit hardest.
Advanced, $250/month
Up to 25 users plus custom reporting, batch invoicing, workflow automation, revenue recognition, and a dedicated account manager (24/7 support, versus business-hours on lower plans). Worth trialing if you have outgrown Plus, the reporting depth is the main reason Advanced businesses do not switch to Xero.
Which Plan Should You Trial? By Business Type
Test the plan that matches how you actually operate, switching plans mid-trial resets your feel for it.
Best for a solo freelancer or Schedule C filer
Trial Solopreneur ($20) or Simple Start ($35). If you only track income, expenses, and mileage for taxes, Solopreneur is enough; Simple Start adds real reports and bank reconciliation.
Best for a small team that pays vendors
Trial Essentials ($70). It is the first tier with bill management, time tracking, and multi-user, the realistic floor for a 2-5 person service business.
Best for a product or project business
Trial Plus ($110). Inventory and project profitability live here. Test these specific modules during the 30 days, they are the features people most often find thinner than expected.
Best for a business that outgrew Plus
Trial Advanced ($250). Push the custom reporting and batch workflows hard during the trial, that depth is the only thing justifying the gap over Xero Established at $90.
Best for an accountant or bookkeeper
Do not use the consumer trial at all, use QuickBooks Online Accountant (free, never expires). Details in the dedicated section below.
Best for a cost-sensitive business post-hike
Trial QBO and Xero in parallel during the same 30 days. Post-hike, the price gap is the decision for many businesses, run both on real data before committing.
The Trial-to-Subscribe Timing Play (BuyerSprint Exclusive)
The trial is not just a test, it is a timing tool. Used deliberately, the 30 days plus Intuit’s standing promo materially lower your real first-year cost even at post-hike rates. This is the sequence we recommend.
| Step | Action | Why it pays |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Days 1-7 | Set up real data on QBO and Xero in parallel | Decides the platform on evidence, not marketing |
| 2. Days 8-25 | Run a full close + payroll dry run on the chosen tool | Surfaces the workflow gaps that cause switch regret |
| 3. Before day 30 | If staying on QBO, subscribe with the 50%-off-3-months promo | ~$165 saved on Plus over the promo window post-hike |
| 4. Month 4 reminder | Re-confirm the all-in number once full price kicks in | Stops the silent jump from promo to post-hike full rate |
The point of the play: the hike is fixed, but the 50%-off-first-3-months promo is not, and stacking it onto a deliberately-used trial recovers a meaningful slice of the increase in year one. Subscribing early also does not waste trial days, billing starts from your subscription date, so the optimal move is to decide by day 25 and subscribe with the promo before day 30.
QuickBooks Online Accountant Free Trial
QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) works differently from the standard trial. Accountants, bookkeepers, and CPAs sign up for QBOA at no cost, it is free as a firm-management tool and never expires. QBOA gives a central dashboard to manage all client files, switch between client accounts, and run cross-business reports without separate logins.
As a QBOA user in the ProAdvisor program, you also get 30% off QuickBooks Online and Payroll subscriptions for clients, a meaningful discount when recommending QuickBooks to clients you bill through your firm, plus free certification training and exams via the ProAdvisor Academy. If you are a bookkeeper evaluating QuickBooks for client work, the accountant route beats the 30-day consumer trial.
QuickBooks Desktop Free Trial
The Desktop free trial refers specifically to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, not Pro or Premier, which no longer offer downloadable trials. The Enterprise trial is a 30-day full-feature download with no credit card.
To access it: visit quickbooks.intuit.com/desktop/enterprise, select the trial, and download the installer. It installs locally on Windows (no Mac). When prompted for a source or offer code, leave those blank and click Next, no codes are needed for the standard trial. The trial includes all Enterprise features: advanced inventory, manufacturing workflows, and job costing. Note Desktop 2023 loses payroll, bank feeds, and security patches May 31, 2026, so Enterprise is effectively the only forward path on Desktop.
💡 Desktop vs Online: which trial?
QuickBooks Online runs in any browser, no install, accessible anywhere. Desktop Enterprise is Windows-only, locally installed, built for manufacturing and advanced inventory. For most small businesses, QBO is the right trial. Only evaluate Desktop Enterprise for complex inventory or manufacturing that QBO Plus does not handle.
QuickBooks Online Payroll Free Trial
The Payroll free trial is separate from the standard QBO trial. QuickBooks Payroll is an add-on that attaches to any QBO plan. Intuit periodically offers a separate Payroll trial, typically 30 days, but it is not automatically bundled into a standard QBO trial.
To check current availability, visit the QuickBooks Payroll pricing page during QBO trial signup, if a Payroll trial is live it appears as an optional add-on. Payroll rose roughly 20% with the May 2026 increase, so if payroll is part of your workflow, testing the add-on against a standalone provider like Gusto during the trial is worth prioritizing.
Is QuickBooks Online Free Forever?
No, QuickBooks Online has no permanently free plan. The only free QuickBooks product is QuickBooks Online Accountant, free for accountants and bookkeepers managing client files. Solopreneur at $20/month is the lowest-cost paid option but is not free. After the 30-day trial, any QBO account needs an active paid subscription to stay accessible.
This is a common point of confusion because QuickBooks Self-Employed (now Solopreneur) was marketed as a low-cost entry point. It is not free. If cost is the priority, the genuinely free alternatives are Wave Accounting (free core invoicing and accounting, single-seat in 2026) and Zoho Books (free under $50K annual revenue). Our QuickBooks alternatives guide covers both in depth.
What Happens After the QuickBooks Trial Ends
When the 30-day trial expires, your account is locked but your data is preserved, QuickBooks does not delete it. You can return and subscribe any time to pick up where you left off. Intuit typically emails two or three reminders before expiry.
Subscribing before the trial ends does not waste remaining days, billing starts from your subscription date. Intuit frequently offers 50% off the first three months after the trial, which post-hike is the single biggest lever for softening the increase, so subscribing during the trial window with the promo is usually the financially optimal move if you are staying on QBO.
Which QuickBooks Trial Should You Start? Decision Tree
Four trials exist and they are not interchangeable. Use these rules in order.
Choose QuickBooks Online Accountant if you are a bookkeeper or CPA
Free forever, never expires, plus the 30% ProAdvisor client discount. There is no reason to use the consumer trial for client work.
Choose Desktop Enterprise trial only for heavy manufacturing or inventory
Windows-only, locally installed. If QBO Plus inventory genuinely cannot handle your SKUs or assemblies, trial Enterprise. Otherwise skip it.
Choose the standard QBO trial for everyone else, and run Xero alongside it
Most businesses: start the 30-day QBO trial on the tier matching your team, and start a Xero trial the same day. Post-hike, the parallel comparison on real data is the only honest way to judge whether QuickBooks is worth the new price for you.
Is QuickBooks Online Worth It After the Trial?
QuickBooks Online is the dominant US small-business accounting software, Intuit claims over 7 million subscribers, and that scale brings real advantages: deep bank and payment-processor integration, a huge ecosystem of accountants who know it, and a product stress-tested across every industry. For most businesses using a US CPA, QBO is the path of least resistance because the accountant already uses it.
The weakness is pricing, and the May 2026 hike sharpened it: Plus is now $110/month, and with Payroll the combined bill nears $215/month for basic needs. Based on our analysis of community discussions and Reddit threads after the increase, the all-in number, not features, is the dominant complaint. For businesses that find post-hike QBO too high, Xero offers comparable double-entry accounting, bank reconciliation, and reporting with unlimited users at a lower starting price and its own 30-day trial, which is exactly why running both trials in parallel is the move.
Related BuyerSprint Articles
- Best Accounting Software for Small Business 2026 (our cluster hub, every option compared on real all-in cost)
- QuickBooks Online Pricing 2026: Plans Explained
- QuickBooks vs Xero 2026: Which One Wins?
- QuickBooks Alternatives for Small Business 2026
- Best Invoice Software for Small Business 2026
- Best Time Tracking for Small Business 2026
Post-Hike QuickBooks Too High? Trial Xero Alongside It
Same core accounting, unlimited users on every plan, lower starting price, and its own 30-day free trial. The honest move is to test both on real data before you commit post-hike.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the QuickBooks Online free trial?
The QuickBooks Online free trial lasts 30 days and applies to all plans, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced. No credit card is required to start, and your account is locked (not deleted) if you do not subscribe after the trial ends.
Is the QuickBooks Online free trial really free with no credit card?
Yes. The QBO free trial requires no credit card at signup. You create an Intuit account with your email and password, enter basic business details, and start immediately. Intuit does not charge or request payment until you choose to subscribe after the trial.
What is a QBO free trial and how does it work?
A QBO free trial gives you 30 days of full access to your chosen QuickBooks Online plan at no cost. It is a live account, you can connect real bank accounts, send real invoices, and run real reports. At the end of 30 days you subscribe or your account pauses. Your data is preserved either way.
How do I get a QuickBooks Online Accountant free trial?
Accountants do not need a trial, QuickBooks Online Accountant is permanently free for professionals. Visit quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants to sign up. QBOA gives a free firm dashboard, ProAdvisor training and certification, and the ability to manage all client files from one login.
Is there a free trial for QuickBooks Desktop?
Yes, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise offers a 30-day downloadable free trial with no credit card. It is Windows-only and includes all Enterprise features. No download code is needed, just download and install from the Intuit website.
Is there a QuickBooks Online Payroll free trial?
QuickBooks Payroll is not included in the standard QBO trial. Intuit periodically offers a separate 30-day Payroll trial as an add-on during QBO signup. Check current availability on the QuickBooks pricing page when starting your trial. Payroll rose about 20% with the May 2026 increase.
How much does QuickBooks cost after the trial in 2026?
Post-May-1-2026: Solopreneur $20, Simple Start $35, Essentials $70, Plus $110, Advanced $250 per month, with payroll about 20% higher. Intuit’s 50%-off-first-3-months promo is the main way to soften the post-hike cost; annual billing saves roughly 30%.
What happens when my QuickBooks trial expires?
The account is locked but not deleted. All data, transactions, invoices, reports, bank connections, is preserved. QuickBooks prompts you to subscribe to continue and typically emails reminders 7 days and 3 days before expiry. Subscribing resumes exactly where you left off.
Is QuickBooks free forever for any version?
No QuickBooks product is free forever for regular business use. QuickBooks Online Accountant is free for accounting professionals managing client files but is not a standalone accounting product. The lowest-cost paid option is Solopreneur at $20/month. Wave Accounting is the genuinely free alternative for basic invoicing and expense tracking.
Should I still rush to subscribe because of the May 2026 increase?
No, the rush is over, the May 1, 2026 increase already took effect, so the “lock in old pricing” window is closed. The realistic levers now are Intuit’s 50%-off-first-3-months promo, annual billing, or using the trial to evaluate Xero in parallel before committing at post-hike rates.
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