Guide
What software price increases cost an accounting firm
The documented increases, worked out per unit, per year and for firms of different sizes.
A $10 monthly increase sounds small. Across many client companies or staff it is not: 50 companies at $10 a month is $6,000 a year. This guide works out what the documented list-price increases cost per year, per unit and for firms of different sizes, using increases where a source states both the old and the new price of a plan and the new price is what the vendor’s own page lists today (October 11, 2026). The cumulative table further down starts from the earliest documented price instead, which can be a reading rather than a stated “before” price.
The latest documented increase, per year
Per year = (new price − old price) × 12 × the number of units. A unit is a company for QuickBooks Online, an organization for Xero and a user for SmartVault.
| Tool and plan | Before | After | Extra per month, per unit | Extra per year, per unit | 10 units | 25 units | 50 units | 100 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start Jul 1, 2025 (per company per month) | $35 | $38 | +$3 | +$36 | +$360 | +$900 | +$1,800 | +$3,600 |
| QuickBooks Online Essentials Aug 1, 2026 (per company per month) | $75 | $85 | +$10 | +$120 | +$1,200 | +$3,000 | +$6,000 | +$12,000 |
| QuickBooks Online Plus Aug 1, 2026 (per company per month) | $115 | $140 | +$25 | +$300 | +$3,000 | +$7,500 | +$15,000 | +$30,000 |
| QuickBooks Online Advanced Aug 1, 2026 (per company per month) | $275 | $340 | +$65 | +$780 | +$7,800 | +$19,500 | +$39,000 | +$78,000 |
| SmartVault Business Pro (billed annually) first seen Oct 2, 2026 (per user per month) | $55 | $65 | +$10 | +$120 | +$1,200 | +$3,000 | +$6,000 | +$12,000 |
| SmartVault Business Pro (billed monthly) first seen Oct 2, 2026 (per user per month) | $75 | $85 | +$10 | +$120 | +$1,200 | +$3,000 | +$6,000 | +$12,000 |
| Xero (US) Early Oct 1, 2026 (per organization per month) | $25 | $27 | +$2 | +$24 | +$240 | +$600 | +$1,200 | +$2,400 |
| Xero (US) Growing Oct 1, 2026 (per organization per month) | $55 | $59 | +$4 | +$48 | +$480 | +$1,200 | +$2,400 | +$4,800 |
| Xero (US) Established Oct 1, 2026 (per organization per month) | $90 | $97 | +$7 | +$84 | +$840 | +$2,100 | +$4,200 | +$8,400 |
An example firm
The numbers below are illustrative: a firm with 40 client companies on QuickBooks Online Plus, 20 organizations on Xero Growing and 8 SmartVault Business Pro users billed monthly. They are chosen to show the arithmetic, not to describe a typical firm.
| Tool and plan | Units | Before, per year | After, per year | Extra per year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online Plus | 40 companies | $55,200 | $67,200 | +$12,000 | +21.7% |
| Xero (US) Growing | 20 organizations | $13,200 | $14,160 | +$960 | +7.3% |
| SmartVault Business Pro (billed monthly) | 8 users | $7,200 | $8,160 | +$960 | +13.3% |
| Total | $75,600 | $89,520 | +$13,920 | +18.4% |
QuickBooks Online Plus accounts for $12,000 of the $13,920 extra, because its increase is the largest in dollars and the firm has the most units on it. Moving a client to a cheaper tier changes the arithmetic, but the plans differ in more than price, so compare what each includes first.
The cumulative cost since 2021
Compared with the earliest price documented from 2021 onward, today’s list prices cost more per unit per year as shown. “Before” is the earliest documented price, which in some rows is the price before the first documented 2021 increase.
| Tool and plan | Earliest documented price | Today | Extra per year, per unit | 50 units | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BILL Essentials Mar 2, 2022 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $39 | $49 | +$120 | +$6,000 | +26% |
| BILL Team Mar 2, 2022 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $49 | $65 | +$192 | +$9,600 | +33% |
| BILL Corporate Mar 2, 2022 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $69 | $89 | +$240 | +$12,000 | +29% |
| OnPay Base plan May 13, 2024 to Oct 11, 2026 (per account per month) | $40 | $49 | +$108 | +$5,400 | +23% |
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start Jun 9, 2021† to Oct 11, 2026 (per company per month) | $25 | $38 | +$156 | +$7,800 | +52% |
| QuickBooks Online Essentials before Jul 15, 2021† to Oct 11, 2026 (per company per month) | $40 | $85 | +$540 | +$27,000 | +113% |
| QuickBooks Online Plus before Jul 15, 2021† to Oct 11, 2026 (per company per month) | $70 | $140 | +$840 | +$42,000 | +100% |
| QuickBooks Online Advanced before Jul 15, 2021† to Oct 11, 2026 (per company per month) | $150 | $340 | +$2,280 | +$114,000 | +127% |
| SmartVault Accounting Pro (billed annually) Mar 3, 2024 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $45 | $65 | +$240 | +$12,000 | +44% |
| SmartVault Business Pro (billed annually) Nov 17, 2025 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $55 | $65 | +$120 | +$6,000 | +18% |
| SmartVault Accounting Pro (billed monthly) 2024 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $65 | $85 | +$240 | +$12,000 | +31% |
| SmartVault Accounting Unlimited (billed annually) Jan 10, 2024 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $65 | $85 | +$240 | +$12,000 | +31% |
| SmartVault Business Pro (billed monthly) Nov 17, 2025 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $75 | $85 | +$120 | +$6,000 | +13% |
| SmartVault Accounting Unlimited (billed monthly) 2024 to Oct 11, 2026 (per user per month) | $90 | $110 | +$240 | +$12,000 | +22% |
| Xero (US) Early May 24, 2021§ to Oct 11, 2026 (per organization per month) | $11 | $27 | +$192 | +$9,600 | +145% |
| Xero (US) Growing May 24, 2021§ to Oct 11, 2026 (per organization per month) | $32 | $59 | +$324 | +$16,200 | +84% |
| Xero (US) Established May 24, 2021§ to Oct 11, 2026 (per organization per month) | $62 | $97 | +$420 | +$21,000 | +56% |
How to estimate your own number
- Pick the plan and the billing basis you pay (monthly or annual).
- Subtract the old price from the new price, per unit per month.
- Multiply by 12, then by the number of units (companies, organizations, users or seats).
- Adjust for timing. An increase that takes effect on August 1 adds five months of the higher price (August to December) to that calendar year, so the first-year effect is five twelfths of the annual figure. Vendors can apply an increase at renewal: Intuit applied its August 2026 QuickBooks Online increase to direct subscriptions renewing on or after August 1, 2026.
The cost calculator does steps 1 to 3 for you.
What the figures leave out
The figures use list prices before tax. They leave out promotions, add-ons, per-transaction fees, discounts for resellers or partner programs, and changes to what a plan includes. They cover only increases that are documented: vendors rarely publish old prices, so the history is a floor, not a complete record. The method page explains how each price is checked.
Want an email when a price changes?
Pick the tools your firm or your clients use, and we will email you when one of their US list prices changes. It is free.
Get free price alertsCommon questions
How much did QuickBooks Online increase in 2026?
List prices rose from August 1, 2026 for renewing subscriptions: Essentials from $75 to $85, Plus from $115 to $140 and Advanced from $275 to $340 per company per month. Simple Start stayed at $38.
How much did Xero increase in 2026?
From October 1, 2026 Xero’s US list prices are $27 for Early (from $25), $59 for Growing (from $55) and $97 for Established (from $90) per month.
How do I calculate what a software price increase costs my firm?
Subtract the old price from the new price per unit per month, multiply by 12 and multiply by the number of units (companies, users or seats). For example, a $25 monthly increase across 50 client companies costs 50 × $25 × 12 = $15,000 a year.
Do these figures include promotions or taxes?
No. They use list prices before tax and leave out promotions, add-ons and per-transaction fees.