Compare
steepl vs QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks is a great general-purpose SMB ledger. It's not a nonprofit fund-accounting system. With QBOA sunsetting Dec 31, 2026, this comparison matters more for church bookkeeping firms than at any time in the last decade.
Capability comparison
| Capability | steepl | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
True fund accounting | Yes — fund tag required on every line; net-asset class enforced | No — Classes + Locations approximate funds; restriction-class is manual |
Net-asset reporting (ASU 2016-14) | Statement of Activities with proper restricted columns, automatic reclassifications | Manual columnar reporting; restriction tracking is operator discipline |
Donor management | Built-in donor + household + restriction at intake | Customers list (no donor concept); 3rd-party giving platforms needed |
Pub 1771 statements | Built-in; fail-closed compliance check; quid-pro-quo automated | Via 3rd party (e.g., Tithely, Planning Center) — not native |
Multi-client firm console | Firm operator console with cross-client status, batch ops | QuickBooks Online Accountant — sunsetting Dec 31, 2026 |
Posted-entry immutability + verifiable audit trail | Hash-chained ledger + KMS-signed period anchors | Audit Log (Advanced tier) — soft immutability |
Approval workflows | Configurable amount × fund × department + dual approval + anti-BEC bank-info changes | Bill approval in Advanced tier; limited fund-aware policy |
Clergy-aware payroll | Housing allowance designation + SECA + Form 4361 status; partner files taxes | QuickBooks Payroll (separate product); clergy handling external |
Tenant data isolation | Database per accounting entity | Shared infrastructure |
SAML / OIDC + SCIM | Yes (Firm tier) | SAML in Advanced; SCIM not offered |
SOC 2 posture | On the path — Type II within 12 months of GA | Intuit corporate SOC 2 (multi-product) |
Pricing for a 50-client firm | ~$16,188/year (firm base + active books) | ~$33,600/year wholesale (50 × Simple Start) + login switching |
Future-proof against QBOA sunset | Built for the firm-tier ICP from day one | QBOA retires Dec 31, 2026; Intuit Accountant Suite repositions away from this segment |
QuickBooks® is a registered trademark of Intuit. We are not affiliated with Intuit. Comparison sourced from QuickBooks Online published pricing and feature pages accessed 2026-05-20. QBO Advanced features cited.
QBOA sunset is December 31, 2026
If you're running a firm on QBOA, the runway is shorter than it feels. We'll do a free migration assessment and tell you what's straightforward vs what needs attention.