Comparison
eddies vs QuickBooks Self-Employed
If all you need is to send invoices, eddies is free forever — no account, no card, no catch. Need Schedule C, mileage, and quarterly estimates? Keep QuickBooks. Here's how they actually stack up.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | eddies | QuickBooks Self-Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes, unlimited invoices | No free tier |
| Starting price | $0 forever | From about $20/month at list price (Intuit runs frequent promos) |
| iPhone-native | Yes, built for iPhone | Web-first with iOS/Android apps |
| Time to first invoice | Under 1 minute | 15+ minutes (account setup, bank linking) |
| Account required | No — open the app, start | Yes — Intuit account required |
| Data storage | Your iPhone, synced via your own iCloud | Intuit servers |
| Unlimited invoices | Yes | Yes |
| Currencies | 150+ built in | Limited multi-currency support |
| Custom branding on invoices | Logo, signature, five templates (eddies Pro, $7.99/mo) | Logo, limited templates |
| Tax categorization (Schedule C) | No | Yes |
| Mileage tracking | No | Yes (automatic GPS) |
| Quarterly tax estimates | No | Yes |
| TurboTax integration | No | Yes |
| Bank/card connection | No — invoicing only, no bookkeeping | Yes |
| Offline use | Full functionality offline | Requires internet for most features |
Price, over a year
QuickBooks Self-Employed's list price is around $20/month — roughly $240 per year at that tier, just for the invoicing plus tax features. Intuit discounts it often, so what you actually pay depends on the current promo. The tier that bundles TurboTax filing runs around $25/month.
eddies is $0/year for the invoicing part. Optional eddies Pro (custom logo, signature, extra templates, no footer) is $49.99/year — still less than three months of QuickBooks Self-Employed at list.
If tax filing isn't your problem, the price gap is the whole story: hundreds of dollars a year back in your pocket for using the right tool instead of the biggest one.
When eddies wins
- You bill from your phone — coffee shops, client meetings, from bed. Open. Invoice. Close. No dashboard tour, no onboarding wizard, no Intuit account you'll forget the password to.
- You want zero setup friction — no account creation, no bank linking, no onboarding flow. Under a minute from install to first invoice sent.
- You value privacy — your clients and invoices live on your iPhone, synced through your iCloud. We never see them. Nobody sells them. That's the whole system.
- You bill internationally — 150+ currencies built in, bank details on every invoice. QuickBooks is basically a US tax product with an invoice screen taped on.
- You use a separate tax tool (or an accountant) — no reason to pay QuickBooks for features you already have covered.
When QuickBooks Self-Employed wins
- You file Schedule C yourself and want expenses auto-categorized as you go.
- You drive for work and want mileage tracked automatically via GPS.
- You pay quarterly estimated taxes and want the calculation done for you.
- You want one dashboard that shows income, expenses, taxes owed, and a hand-off to TurboTax at year end.
- You are US-based and specifically need self-employment tax tooling — this is QuickBooks Self-Employed's entire product focus.
How to switch to eddies
Honestly, it's not really a migration — eddies doesn't do accounting, so there's nothing to move. Here's the whole thing:
- Export your invoice history from QuickBooks Self-Employed as PDF or CSV (Reports section) for your records.
- Note your client list — the ones you invoice regularly. In eddies you re-add them in a few seconds each.
- Install eddies from the App Store, enter your business name and bank details, and send your next invoice — usually within a minute.
- Decide about QuickBooks — keep it if you still need it for taxes, or cancel from your subscription settings (on the web: Gear icon → Billing Info). Cancellation usually takes effect at the end of your billing period; Intuit's current terms will show the exact date at cancellation.
- Use a dedicated tax tool for filing if you cancel — FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax Self-Employed, or a CPA. Combined with eddies, this often costs less annually than QuickBooks Self-Employed alone.
FAQ
Is eddies really a free QuickBooks Self-Employed alternative?
For invoicing, yes — eddies has a free tier with unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, and 150+ currencies. QuickBooks Self-Employed starts at $15/month with no free tier. eddies does not replace QuickBooks for tax filing; it focuses exclusively on invoicing from your iPhone.
Can I import my QuickBooks Self-Employed data into eddies?
eddies does not import from QuickBooks directly. Since eddies is invoicing-focused, most freelancers switching over only need to move client contacts. You can add clients manually in eddies in seconds, or export your client list from QuickBooks as CSV for reference.
Does eddies handle tax reporting or Schedule C?
No. eddies is invoicing only. If you need Schedule C categorization, mileage tracking, or quarterly tax estimates, keep QuickBooks Self-Employed or use a dedicated tax tool. Many freelancers use eddies for invoicing plus a separate tax service that costs less annually than QuickBooks Self-Employed.
How do I cancel QuickBooks Self-Employed?
Sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed on the web, go to the gear icon, choose Billing Info, then Cancel Subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your billing period. Export any data you want to keep before canceling — your account becomes read-only after the billing period ends.
What if I only need to send invoices, not do accounting?
That is the exact case eddies is built for. Most solo freelancers use less than 10 percent of QuickBooks Self-Employed features but pay $180 per year for the full suite. eddies gives you the invoicing part for free and stays out of the rest of your financial workflow.
Invoice like you mean business.
Free forever. No account. No card. First invoice in under a minute.
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