Why QuickBooks Costs Small Trades £1,200/Year More
Your accountant recommended QuickBooks. You're paying £360/year for the software. But the real cost is the time you're wasting on features you don't need while missing the ones you do.
Annual hidden cost of QuickBooks for field service
£360 software + £888 wasted time
⚠️ Independent Comparison - Not Endorsed by Competitors
This comparison is based on publicly available information and Toolfy's independent analysis as of the publication date. Competitor pricing, features, and terms may have changed since publication.
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Cost calculations: Pricing comparisons include estimated costs based on publicly listed rates, typical usage scenarios, and industry-standard implementations. Your actual costs may vary significantly based on business size, location, negotiated rates, and specific requirements.
Verify independently: Always verify current pricing, features, and terms directly with providers before making purchasing decisions. We recommend requesting quotes and demos from multiple vendors to compare based on your specific needs.
The Problem with QuickBooks for Trades
QuickBooks is brilliant accounting software. If you're an accountant.
Compare every tool on your shortlist with Jobber vs Housecall Pro vs Toolfy, Toolfy vs ServiceM8 UK, and Stop Using Excel for Scheduling.
But you're not an accountant. You're a plumber, electrician, HVAC tech, or cleaner who needs to:
- Schedule jobs
- Send quotes
- Create invoices on-site
- Collect payments same day
- Track who owes what
QuickBooks makes all of this harder than it should be.
The Reality: You're using £360/year accounting software to do £39/month field service work. That's like buying a combine harvester to mow your lawn.
What QuickBooks Gives You (That You Don't Need)
Chart of Accounts Complexity
200+ account categories. You need maybe 10. The rest is accountant theater that slows you down.
Multi-Currency Support
Great if you're trading internationally. Useless if you're fixing boilers in Birmingham.
Inventory Tracking
Built for retail. You need "what's in the van" not "warehouse management system."
Payroll Integration
Costs extra. Requires payroll subscription. Your 2-person team doesn't need enterprise HR software.
Tax Form Generation
Your accountant does this anyway. You're paying twice.
What QuickBooks Doesn't Give You (That You Actually Need)
Mobile-First Invoicing
QuickBooks mobile app is clunky. Takes 8 taps to create an invoice. No photo uploads from site.
Scheduling Calendar
QuickBooks has no scheduling. You need a separate tool. More software, more cost, more headache.
Customer Job History
See previous jobs, notes, photos in one place. QuickBooks shows transactions. That's not the same thing.
Quote-to-Invoice Conversion
Send quote, customer approves, one click to invoice. In QuickBooks, you're rebuilding it from scratch.
Same-Day Payment Collection
Stripe or card terminal integration that actually works on mobile. QuickBooks payments are desktop-first.
The Real Cost Breakdown
Annual QuickBooks Cost for 1-5 Person Trade Business
The QuickBooks Workflow Reality
How a Simple Job Works in QuickBooks:
Total time: 45 minutes per job. For something that should take 2 minutes.
When QuickBooks Actually Makes Sense
To be fair, QuickBooks isn't wrong for everyone. Use it if you:
Have a dedicated bookkeeper
Someone whose job is accounting. They'll use 80% of QuickBooks features.
Do complex project accounting
Multiple cost centers, job costing, progress billing, retainage tracking.
Run a hybrid business
Field service + retail + wholesale. Need true multi-faceted accounting.
Your accountant requires it
They do your books in QuickBooks. Export from field service software, import to QB. Best of both.
The Rule: If you're spending more than 1 hour per week in QuickBooks and you don't have "bookkeeper" in your job title, you're using the wrong tool.
The Alternative: Field Service Software That Includes Accounting
Modern field service software does the accounting you actually need, plus the job management QuickBooks doesn't do.
What You Get Instead:
Scheduling
Calendar, job assignments, team availability
Mobile Invoicing
Create invoice on-site in 30 seconds
Payment Collection
Card payments while still on-site
Customer History
All jobs, notes, photos in one timeline
Quote Conversion
One click from approved quote to invoice
Basic Accounting
Revenue, expenses, profit. Simple reports.
Cost Comparison: QuickBooks vs Toolfy
| Feature | QuickBooks Online Plus | Toolfy |
|---|---|---|
| Software Cost | £360/year | £468/year |
| Scheduling | Need separate tool | ✓ Included |
| Mobile Invoicing | Limited | ✓ Full featured |
| Quote to Invoice | Manual rebuild | ✓ One click |
| Customer Job History | Transaction list | ✓ Full timeline |
| Payment Collection | Via email | ✓ On-site cards |
| Learning Curve | 2-3 weeks | 1 hour |
| Time Saved Weekly | - | 3 hours |
| True Annual Cost | £2,000+ | £468 |
The Bottom Line
QuickBooks is brilliant accounting software. For accountants.
If you're running a field service business with 1-5 people, you don't need enterprise accounting. You need:
- Fast mobile invoicing
- Job scheduling
- Same-day payment collection
- Customer history in one place
- Simple revenue reporting
QuickBooks gives you none of this natively. Field service software gives you all of it, plus the basic accounting QuickBooks does, for less total cost.
Save £1,200+ per year by using software built for field service instead of trying to force accounting software to do field service work.
Built for Field Service, Not Accountants
Schedule jobs, create invoices on-site, collect payments immediately. The accounting you need without the complexity you don't.
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