Quick answer
No: QuickBooks has no free plan in Australia, only a 30-day free trial or an introductory discount, after which the regular prices are Simple Start A$33, Essentials A$60, Plus A$84 and Advanced A$125 a month including GST, with unlimited invoices on every plan. Free Invoice App is A$0 for 7 invoice sends a month and A$9 a month for Pro.
What QuickBooks costs in Australia right now
QuickBooks Online has no free plan. Its Australian pricing page, read on 1 November 2026, offers two ways in: a 30-day free trial, or an introductory discount of 70% off for 6 months. You pick one. After the trial or the discount you pay the regular price: Simple Start A$33, Essentials A$60, Plus A$84 or Advanced A$125 a month, GST included, with unlimited invoices on every plan.
Two things on QuickBooks are free in a narrower sense. The mobile apps are free to download but need a subscription or trial to sign in, and new subscribers get a free 45-minute onboarding session. There is no free download of QuickBooks that keeps working, and no plan that stays free.
If what you need is invoicing rather than accounting, Free Invoice App’s Starter plan is A$0 with 7 invoice sends a month, no card and no time limit, and Pro is A$9 a month. QuickBooks is full small-business accounting software; the rest of this article is where each tool earns its price.
Honest disclosure
We make Free Invoice App, so treat this as a comparison from an interested party. We still recommend QuickBooks for the cases where it’s the right fit - if you pick the wrong tool you’ll switch within a quarter anyway. The rest of this is a feature-by-feature look based on each product’s public 2026 Australian pricing and documentation. Always check current pricing on each provider’s site, since promotional rates change often.
Pricing (Australia, 2026)
Free Invoice App QuickBooks Online (AU) Free plan Yes (7 sends/mo) No, 30-day trial Entry plan A$9/mo (Pro) A$33/mo (Simple Start, 1 user) Mid plan A$24.50/mo (Pro+) A$60/mo (Essentials, 3 users) Next plan A$24.50/mo (Pro+) A$84/mo (Plus, 5 users) Top plan A$24.50/mo (Pro+) A$125/mo (Advanced, 25 users) Invoices Unlimited to create Unlimited Setup cost A$0 A$0
QuickBooks prices are regular prices including GST, read on 1 November 2026. The catch with QuickBooks (and most accounting suites) is the introductory discount: at the time of checking it was 70% off for 6 months, so Simple Start starts at A$9.90 a month and jumps to A$33 in month 7. Budget for the full price, not the sign-up price. Free Invoice App’s pricing is flat for new accounts: free, A$9 or A$24.50 a month, with existing accounts grandfathered; every plan is on the pricing page.
Feature comparison: what each one does
Free Invoice App QuickBooks Send invoices Yes Yes Recurring invoices Yes (Pro) Yes Quotes / estimates Yes Yes GST on invoices Yes Yes ATO-compliant tax invoices Yes Yes Pay by card (Stripe) Yes (all plans) Yes (add-on fees) Custom branding / logo Yes Yes Custom email domain Yes (Pro+) No Scheduled send Yes (Pro) Limited Per-service T&Cs Yes (Pro+) No AI receipt scanning Yes (all plans) Yes (higher tiers) Expense tracking Yes Yes P&L / revenue dashboard Yes Yes Full double-entry accounting No Yes Bank feeds No Yes Bank reconciliation No Yes Payroll (Single Touch Payroll) No Yes (add-on) Inventory tracking No Yes (Plus) Direct BAS lodgement No Yes
The pattern is the same as every accounting suite: QuickBooks does everything Free Invoice App does, plus a lot more, for a much higher price. Free Invoice App is deliberately narrower - the features 90% of sole traders actually use, at a sole-trader price.
Where QuickBooks is the right answer
- You have employees. Single Touch Payroll is mandatory for wages in Australia, and QuickBooks has a payroll add-on. Free Invoice App doesn’t do payroll.
- You hold inventory. QuickBooks Plus tracks stock and cost of goods sold. Free Invoice App treats each line item as a one-off.
- You want bank feeds and reconciliation. Once your transaction count is high, matching transactions automatically saves real time.
- Your accountant works in QuickBooks. If you’re paying a bookkeeper, use the tool they already use.
Where Free Invoice App is the right answer
- You’re a sole trader, freelancer, or tradie with no staff. You need to send invoices, get paid, and log a few expenses a week, not run a general ledger.
- You want to invoice from your phone. Free Invoice App is mobile-first, which suits tradies invoicing from the job site. See the best free invoice apps for tradies.
- You don’t want to pay for features you never touch. A large share of accounting-suite subscribers use only invoicing and expenses.
- You file BAS yourself through MyGov. Most sole traders do. The P&L view gives you the totals you need - see how to prepare for BAS.
GST and tax invoices
Both tools produce GST-compliant tax invoices. Free Invoice App calculates 10% GST per line and formats invoices to meet ATO tax invoice requirements out of the box, including ABN fields and the wording the ATO expects. If you’re under the GST threshold, it also handles invoices without GST correctly.
The export question
If you outgrow Free Invoice App, you export your invoices and expenses as CSV and your accountant imports them into QuickBooks. Nothing is locked in. Plenty of businesses run on Free Invoice App for their first few years, then graduate to a full suite when staff or inventory appear.
How to decide in 60 seconds
- Do you have employees on payroll? If yes → QuickBooks.
- Do you hold inventory? If yes → QuickBooks.
- Does your accountant insist on QuickBooks? If yes → QuickBooks.
If you answered no to all three, Free Invoice App will do everything you need at a tiny fraction of the price. Start free - 7 sends per month forever, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
Is QuickBooks free in Australia?
No. A 30-day trial or an introductory discount, then A$33 to A$125 a month. Free Invoice App’s Starter plan is A$0 with no time limit.
How much does QuickBooks cost in Australia?
A$33, A$60, A$84 and A$125 a month for Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced, GST included (1 November 2026), usually after a heavy introductory discount. Free Invoice App is free for 7 sends a month, then A$9 (Pro) or A$24.50 (Pro+) for new accounts.
How long is the QuickBooks free trial?
30 days, offered instead of the introductory discount rather than as well as it. After that you pay the regular price unless you cancel.
Can I download QuickBooks for free in Australia?
The mobile apps are free to download but need a subscription or trial to sign in. QuickBooks Online itself runs in the browser, and there is no downloadable desktop version sold in Australia.
Is Free Invoice App a QuickBooks alternative?
For invoicing, expense tracking, and a P&L view, yes. For payroll, full double-entry accounting, or direct BAS lodgement, no.
Can Free Invoice App handle GST and BAS like QuickBooks?
GST per line and a quarterly P&L, yes. Direct ATO lodgement, no - you file via MyGov with the totals.
Who should use QuickBooks instead of Free Invoice App?
Businesses with employees, inventory, bank-feed reconciliation needs, or an accountant who works in QuickBooks.
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