QuickBooks Online is an accounting system. PocketBoss is a contractor-operations system for Jobs, Projects, scheduling, time, estimates, invoices, and field records from $19.99/month.
Credit card required. Cancel anytime. No accounting degree needed.
QuickBooks Online's standard US prices currently span $38 to $275 per month before promotions. Payroll and other products have separate pricing, so compare the exact accounting stack you need.
QuickBooks uses traditional accounting terminology: debits, credits, chart of accounts, journal entries. Contractors looking for simpler job-focused tools may find the accounting approach less intuitive.
The QuickBooks mobile app offers a subset of desktop features. Contractors who need full functionality in the field may find mobile capabilities limited for job site work.
QuickBooks uses a modular pricing model where features like payroll, advanced reporting, and additional users are add-ons. The base price reflects core accounting features only.
QuickBooks offers extensive accounting capabilities designed for various business types. Contractors seeking streamlined, trade-specific tools may find the broad feature set more than they need.
QuickBooks is designed around accounting. It offers Projects in eligible plans, but it is not centered on multi-visit Jobs, a contractor dispatch board, field milestones, or recurring service workflows.
PocketBoss focuses on the field and office workflow around the books. Keep QuickBooks Online for accounting if you need it, and use QuickBooks Online sync on Essentials or above to connect paid invoices, customers, and payments.
PocketBoss plans start at $19.99 per month (Solo) and run to $99.99 per month (Boss) with seats from one user (Solo) to 25 (Boss). Stripe processing and optional services have their own disclosed fees; compare those with the QuickBooks plan and add-ons your business uses.
PocketBoss does not require a chart of accounts because it is not a general-ledger accounting system. Add your business and workflow settings, then create customers, Jobs, estimates, and invoices.
Create estimates on a roof. Invoice from your truck. Schedule jobs between appointments. Full functionality on any device with a connection, built mobile-first for the field.
We speak your language: jobs, estimates, invoices, schedules. No accounting terms, no confusing menus, no financial jargon. Just straightforward tools named what they actually do.
Calendar scheduling, automatic reminders, crew assignments, and a separate multi-stop route planner keep field operations alongside your customer records.
Export your data anytime. Sync with QuickBooks Online if you keep it for taxes. Month-to-month billing with no contract. Your business, your choices.
| Feature | PocketBoss | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Monthly Price | From $19.99/month (Solo) to $99.99/month (Boss) | $38-$275 before promotions |
| Primary Purpose | Contractor operations | Business accounting |
| Setup | Business and workflow settings | Accounting and business settings |
| Mobile Access | Native iOS and Android apps plus web | Web and mobile app |
| Contractor Workflow | Jobs, Projects, schedule, dispatch | Accounting-led workflow |
| Customer Access | Customer portal | Varies by product and plan |
| Support | Email support | Varies by plan |
| User Access | Seats from one user (Solo) to 25 (Boss) | Limits vary by plan |
| Field Scheduling | Included | Not a core QBO field-service calendar |
| Estimates | Convert to invoice | Included capabilities vary by plan |
| Payment Processing | Stripe | QuickBooks Payments |
| Work Tracking | Jobs and Projects | Projects in eligible plans |
| Time Tracking | Included | Varies by plan or product |
| Inventory | Simple stock controls | Available in eligible plans |
| Reports | Operations and project reports | Accounting reports |
| Data Export | CSV and PDF options | Export options included |
From $19.99/month
One user, with core invoicing, CRM, appointments, and Jobs. Higher plans add features; usage and payment-processing fees are separate.
Solo subscription at monthly billing: $239.88/year
Simple Start: $38/month standard price
Essentials: $75/month standard price
Plus: $115/month standard price
Advanced: $275/month standard price
$38-$275/month
Before temporary promotions or separate products
PocketBoss Solo is $239.88/year at its monthly price; this is not a total for every plan or service. QuickBooks pricing was checked against Intuit's US product page in August 2026; verify the current plan before buying.
Create professional invoices in seconds. Convert estimates with one click. Automatic payment reminders. No accounting knowledge needed.
Visual calendar for all jobs. Drag to reschedule. Automatic customer reminders. Crew assignments. QuickBooks doesn't even attempt this.
Complete service history. Contact details. Notes and preferences. Job locations. Everything organized by customer, not by transaction.
Accept cards and ACH bank payments through built-in Stripe processing, and record cash and checks. Confirmed online payments update the related invoice.
Track materials, labor, expenses by job. See profit per project. Monitor job progress. QuickBooks requires complex workarounds for this.
Crew tools start with Essentials. Included users depend on the plan: Solo: 1 user; Essentials: up to 5; Pro: up to 10; Boss: up to 25. Contact us about more than 25 users or a custom arrangement.
Revenue by period. Outstanding invoices. Job profitability. Tax summaries. Reports that make sense without an accounting degree.
Export everything for your accountant. Many contractors keep QuickBooks just for taxes but run operations through PocketBoss.
Export your customer list from QuickBooks. Don't worry about historical transactions - keep QuickBooks for old records if needed.
Add the active customers and business settings you need for operations. PocketBoss does not require a chart of accounts because it is not a general-ledger system.
Begin creating invoices, scheduling jobs, and running your business immediately. Choose the plan that fits your users and workflows.
Use PocketBoss for contractor operations with a separate bookkeeping approach. PocketBoss does not replace a general ledger, tax preparation, payroll, or every accounting control.
Keep QuickBooks Online or another accounting system for the books and use PocketBoss for daily operations. Choose the accounting plan with your accountant based on the controls and history you need.
Start new field work in PocketBoss while preserving existing accounting records. Move or sync only the data your documented bookkeeping process requires.
Begin a new operating workflow at a period boundary while retaining required historical books and records. PocketBoss still needs a separate accounting process when you require a general ledger, reconciliation, payroll, or tax preparation.
Service Plans, recurring Visits, and equipment records alongside the accounting system you choose.
Scheduling and dispatch, price book rates, material tracking. Built for plumbing businesses, not generic accounting.
Job costing, work orders, tiered estimates. Everyday electrical contractor tools QuickBooks was never built around.
Subcontractor bids, project budgets, change orders, and field documentation in an operations-first workflow.
Photo documentation, tiered estimates, e-signatures. The job-site tools roofers reach for that QuickBooks does not have.
Multiple service types, reusable pricing, and field estimates in an operations-first workflow.
Seasonal scheduling, recurring visits, crew management. Landscaping tools beyond QuickBooks' capabilities.
Fast estimates, material costs on every job, before and after photos. Painting contractor tools missing from QuickBooks.
Job scheduling, crew assignments, per-job costs and margins. The concrete contractor's day, organized in one app.
Not as a full accounting replacement. PocketBoss covers contractor operations, estimates, invoices, payments, customers, Jobs, Projects, schedules, and basic financial views. Keep QuickBooks or another bookkeeping system when you need a general ledger, reconciliation, payroll, tax workflows, or accountant access.
You can use PocketBoss for daily operations and retain QuickBooks for accounting. PocketBoss includes a QuickBooks Online sync for supported customers, paid invoices, and payments. Test mappings, permissions, duplicates, failures, and reconciliation with your accountant before relying on the sync.
PocketBoss uses contractor terms and does not require a chart of accounts for its operational workflow. Setup time still depends on your team, customer data, services, permissions, and integrations.
Keep QuickBooks as the historical accounting record unless your accountant advises otherwise. Add the active operational data you need in PocketBoss and retain required books and records under your existing accounting process.
Start using PocketBoss for new work while your QuickBooks subscription runs out. You can run both temporarily and switch fully when the renewal comes due. Check with Intuit about their refund policy for unused time.
Yes. PocketBoss includes a QuickBooks Online sync: connect once and paid invoices, customers, and payments flow into your books automatically. You can also export data anytime. Use PocketBoss for operations and keep QuickBooks for accounting only if you still need it.
PocketBoss tracks entered time and can export payroll-related data, but it does not process payroll, file payroll taxes, or replace a payroll provider. Choose a payroll process with qualified accounting and employment guidance.
PocketBoss supports its own invoice branding, business information, terms, line items, and eligible payment options. Compare the exact template, accounting, tax, and reporting controls you use in QuickBooks before changing workflows.
Every plan is month-to-month, from $19.99 (Solo) to $99.99 (Boss). Review the current Terms, cancellation process, optional services, processing fees, and any third-party obligations before purchasing or cancelling.
Our support team can answer PocketBoss setup and integration questions. Coordinate any accounting-system change, retention requirement, or tax decision with your accountant.
Use a representative customer, Job, estimate, invoice, payment, and QuickBooks sync before deciding how the two systems should work together.
14-day free trial • From $19.99/month • No accounting degree required • Cancel anytime
Written by Blake McAmis, Founder of PocketBoss
Former contractor who got fed up with QuickBooks' complexity and cost. Built PocketBoss to be the simple, affordable alternative contractors actually want.
Connect on LinkedInCompetitor pricing information is based on publicly available data as of November 2025 and is subject to change. Please verify current pricing on official vendor websites. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.