Essentials
Three users plus free accountant access. 30 day free trial, no contract.
R508/mo
per month
- Everything in Simple Start
- Bill management and payment scheduling
- Multiple currencies
- Time entry against customers
- Accounting AI cleanup tools
QuickBooks Online Essentials vs QuickFile
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
QuickBooks Online Essentials
Three users, supplier bills and multiple currencies for growing teams
3,9(187)
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension — QuickBooks Online Essentials against QuickFile, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
0 – 5
QuickBooks Online Essentials vs QuickFile, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,3
QuickFile leads on ease of use
Verified reviews
360
187 for QuickBooks Online Essentials, 173 for QuickFile
QuickBooks Online Essentials
3,9
187 verified reviews
QuickFile
4,1
173 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- QuickBooks Online Essentials
- QuickFile
Overall
3,9
4,1
Ease of use
3,8
4,1
Value for money
3,9
4,0
Customer service
3,9
4,1
Functionality
3,9
4,0
Share of verified reviews
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
- QuickBooks Online Essentials (187)
- QuickFile (173)
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
QuickBooks Online Essentials
R508/mo
QuickFile
Free plan
QuickFile is the cheaper way in. Lower isn't automatically better — weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickFile | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 187 | 173 |
| Ease of use | 3,8 | 4,1 |
| Value for money | 3,9 | 4,0 |
| Customer service | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Functionality | 3,9 | 4,0 |
| Starting price | R508/mo | Free plan |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickFile |
|---|---|---|
| Everything in Simple Start | ||
| Bill capture and management | ||
| Payment scheduling | ||
| Multiple currencies with gain and loss tracking | ||
| Time entry | ||
| Three user seats | ||
| Free accountant access | ||
| Recurring invoices | ||
| VAT tracking at 15% | ||
| Invoicing with client portal | ||
| Estimates and recurring billing | ||
| Bank feeds and tagging rules | ||
| Purchase and receipt capture | ||
| UK VAT under Making Tax Digital | ||
| Multiple currencies | ||
| Full double entry ledger | ||
| Project tagging | ||
| API access | ||
| Document storage |
Pricing
Both price lists, in rand
Every plan from both vendors, priced as South African teams actually pay.
QuickBooks Online Essentials plans
Try it free
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Intuit for the figure you'll actually pay.
QuickFile plans
Free
Full product for accounts under 1,000 nominal entries a year.
Free
no card needed
- Invoicing with client portal
- Bank feeds
- UK VAT filing
- Full double entry ledger
Power User
About 65 pounds a year for larger files, plus extra features.
R1 550/mo
per year
- Unlimited ledger size
- Custom branding
- Additional automation
- API access
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with QuickFile for the figure you'll actually pay.
Verdict
Our verdict
QuickFile edges this comparison on verified user ratings (4,1 vs 3,9), but the right choice depends on your workflows: QuickBooks Online Essentials remains a strong pick where its strengths — Supplier bill management with due date visibility and Multiple currency invoicing and payments — match your priorities. Shortlist both, take the free trials where offered, and test against a real month of your own data.