Blog / ShopBooks
ShopBooks vs. QuickBooks Online: Local, Private Accounting Compared
QuickBooks Online is the default for small-business accounting — and for a one-person maker or contractor business, it's often more software, and more subscription, than you need. ShopBooks takes the opposite approach: local, private, and yours. Here's an honest comparison to help you decide.
QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online are trademarks of Intuit Inc. ShopBooks is an independent, unaffiliated project.
At a glance
| ShopBooks | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / open source (build from source); paid one-click install | Monthly subscription, priced per plan |
| Where data lives | On your computer (a local SQLite file) | Intuit's cloud |
| Ongoing cost | None required | Recurring, subject to price increases |
| Privacy | No cloud, no telemetry | Cloud-hosted; data governed by vendor terms |
| If you stop paying | Nothing changes — you keep everything | Access to your books is restricted |
| Bookkeeping | Proper double-entry, simple UI | Full double-entry |
| Best for | Solo makers, freelancers, contractors | Growing businesses, teams, payroll |
Cost over time
The headline difference is the subscription. QuickBooks Online is a recurring cost that tends to rise year over year, and for a solo business you're often paying for capacity (multiple users, payroll, inventory) you don't use. ShopBooks is open source — free to build from source, with a one-time paid installer for people who want a signed, double-click app. There's no meter running.
Data ownership and privacy
With QuickBooks, your financial records live in Intuit's cloud and are subject to their terms, pricing, and continued access. With ShopBooks, your entire ledger is a single file on your machine and your receipts sit in a normal folder. Nothing is uploaded, there's no telemetry, and cancelling isn't a concept — there's nothing to cancel. For people who value privacy or simply want to own their history, this is the core reason to switch.
Features: where QuickBooks is bigger
Let's be fair. QuickBooks Online does more: multi-user access, integrated payroll, deep third-party integrations, built-in payment processing, and automatic bank feeds from nearly every institution. If you have employees, need payroll, or run inventory-heavy operations, QuickBooks earns its price.
Features: where ShopBooks wins for a solo shop
For a one-person business, ShopBooks covers the essentials without the bloat: import PDF/CSV statements, categorize with memory-forming rules, match receipt photos automatically, and export a clean, tax-ready package at year-end. It runs as a fast local app, backs up by copying a folder, and will still open years from now. No jargon, no upsells, no subscription.
Who should choose which
- Choose QuickBooks Online if you have (or expect) employees, need payroll, or want the widest integration ecosystem.
- Choose ShopBooks if you're a solo maker, freelancer, or contractor who wants simple, correct books that you own outright — with no monthly fee and no cloud.
ShopBooks is in private beta. Join the waitlist to try it early.
ShopBooks is local, subscription-free bookkeeping for makers, freelancers, and one-person shops that would rather own their books than rent them.
Join the early-access waitlist