Key takeaways
- A subscription is a rate. Multiply it by the years you plan to stay in business.
- Entry plans from QuickBooks, Xero and Wave pass $299 between month 8 and month 16.
- Xero Early rose to $27 a month on October 1, 2026. A one-time license has no rate to raise.
Why $20 never feels like a decision
Monthly pricing is built to sit below the point where people stop and deliberate. A $20 charge clears the statement without a second look, and it does the same thing next month and the month after that. The decision you made once keeps executing on its own, which is the whole design of the model.
That is why the monthly figure is the wrong number to compare. A price is paid once and then it is finished, while a rate is paid for as long as the business exists. The only fair comparison multiplies the rate by the time you plan to stay open.
60 months, 4 vendors, 1 table
Here is that multiplication for the entry plans small businesses compare most often. Every figure uses the vendor's standard list price and leaves out introductory promotions, payment processing, payroll and add-ons. Each row assumes one plan held for all 60 months, which flatters the subscriptions, because rates rarely hold still for 5 years.
| Plan | Monthly | 12 months | 36 months | 60 months | Passes $299 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Solopreneur Lite | $20 | $240 | $720 | $1,200 | Month 15 |
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start | $38 | $456 | $1,368 | $2,280 | Month 8 |
| Xero Early (from Oct 1, 2026) | $27 | $324 | $972 | $1,620 | Month 12 |
| Wave Pro, billed monthly | $19 | $228 | $684 | $1,140 | Month 16 |
| EasyLedger, one-time license | None | $299 | $299 | $299 | Never |
The last column is the one worth reading twice. It marks the month where a subscription has cost exactly what owning the software costs, and every month after it is money spent on continued permission. Against QuickBooks Solopreneur Lite that point arrives in month 15, and against Xero Early it arrives in month 12.
Check the table against your own renewal notice. Download EasyLedger and use every feature free for 30 days, no credit card required.
Rates move, and they rarely move down
The table assumes each price holds for 5 years, and that assumption is generous. Xero raised its US Early plan from $25 to $27 a month effective October 1, 2026, and the new price applies to existing subscribers from their first bill after that date. A $2 increase sounds trivial, which is exactly how a rate increase is meant to land.
Small increases stack onto a total that was already the largest line in the comparison. A business that stays on one plan for 5 years absorbs every adjustment made along the way, with no say in the timing or the size. A one-time purchase has no rate to raise, so the figure you pay on the first day is the figure you have paid on the last.
A subscription is not a price. It is a rate.
What stopping payment actually means
Cost is only half of the comparison, because the other half is what happens on the day the charges stop. Depending on the vendor, full access can end at once or the account can drop into a limited or read-only state for a period the vendor sets. In every case the vendor controls the access window, the export tools and the retention terms for records that belong to your business.
A perpetual license removes the payment condition from that arrangement. You keep using the licensed version without further charges, subject to the license terms, a supported operating system and periodic license validation. It is not immunity from every future change, but it is a different relationship with the tool that holds your books.
What the $299 covers
The EasyLedger license includes every feature, bug-fix and security updates, email support, and 1 machine activation that moves to a new computer when you upgrade. Major version upgrades and priority email support are an optional add-on at $50 a year, and the software keeps working whether or not you add it. That is the complete price list.
Run your own number before the next renewal
Find the renewal notice for the software that runs your books and note the monthly or annual figure. Multiply it by the number of years you expect to keep the business open, then add a modest allowance for price increases. Put that total beside $299 and compare the two lines directly.
About EasyLedger
EasyLedger is desktop accounting software for small businesses, freelancers and 1099 contractors. You buy it once for $299, your books stay encrypted on your own computer, and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Try every feature free for 30 days, with no credit card required.
Run your 5-year total, then try every EasyLedger feature free for 30 days with no credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
How much does QuickBooks Solopreneur cost over 5 years?
At the standard list price of $20 a month for the Lite plan, 60 months comes to $1,200 before promotions, payment processing or add-ons. QuickBooks Online Simple Start at $38 a month reaches $2,280 over the same period. List prices change, so confirm the current figure on the vendor's pricing page before deciding.
How much is Xero Early after the October 2026 increase?
Xero's US Early plan moved from $25 to $27 a month on October 1, 2026. At $27, 5 years comes to $1,620. Xero's pricing update page lists the change for every US plan.
Is a one-time accounting license cheaper than a subscription?
Against the entry plans in this article, a $299 license costs less than every subscription by month 16 at the latest. The comparison shifts if a subscription includes something you would otherwise buy separately, such as payroll. Weigh the features you actually use.
Does EasyLedger charge for updates?
Bug-fix and security updates are included with the $299 license. Major version upgrades and priority email support are an optional $50 a year. You can keep using your licensed version without that add-on.
Related reading
Source: Xero US pricing