Stairkey vs QuickBooks
They start from opposite ends: QuickBooks Online is the accounting standard that leaves job management to other tools; Stairkey is a job tool (estimates, takeoff, scheduling, portals) with real double-entry accounting built in. Small contractors usually end up pairing QBO with a field app — Stairkey's case is replacing that pair with one subscription.
Almost every small contractor asks this question backwards at first. QuickBooks Online is not job-management software: it will keep a clean ledger, invoice, and satisfy your accountant, but it won't do measured takeoffs, schedule crews, run a client portal, or turn a site photo into tasks. So the real-world comparison is rarely 'Stairkey or QuickBooks' — it's 'Stairkey' versus 'QuickBooks plus a field tool like Jobber or Buildertrend', which is two subscriptions and a sync between them.
Bias declared up front: this page is written by the Stairkey team. QuickBooks is the industry default for a reason, and there are cases below where we'll tell you plainly to keep it. Every price here matches Intuit's published US tiers as of our last verification.
At a glance
- QuickBooks Online
- $38/mo (Simple Start)
- Stairkey
- $20/mo, capped at $100
- QuickBooks Online
- General-purpose accounting
- Stairkey
- Contractor workspace with accounting built in
- QuickBooks Online
- Yes — the industry standard
- Stairkey
- Yes — native GL, trial balance, bank rec (+$20/mo)
- QuickBooks Online
- Plus tier ($115/mo) and up
- Stairkey
- Built into projects and estimates
- QuickBooks Online
- Basic estimates, no takeoff
- Stairkey
- Line items OR measured takeoff + approvals
- QuickBooks Online
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes — calendar, tasks, phone-first crew portal
- QuickBooks Online
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes
- QuickBooks Online
- Yes — paid add-on
- Stairkey
- No — contractor tax slips & year-end only
- QuickBooks Online
- Universal
- Stairkey
- Newer — exportable reports/statements
- QuickBooks Online
- No
- Stairkey
- Yes — buying, listing, deal P&L
- QuickBooks Online
- Businesses whose accountant runs the show
- Stairkey
- Small contractors wanting one tool, books included
Who each one is for
your accountant or bookkeeper drives your finances and expects QBO, you need integrated payroll, or your business is complex enough (inventory, multiple entities, heavy app-stack) that the accounting ecosystem matters more than job workflow.
you're a small contractor currently paying for QuickBooks PLUS a field-service or construction app (or juggling spreadsheets), and you'd rather have estimates, scheduling, portals, and a real double-entry ledger with native HST/GST in one capped-price tool.
Pricing
Prices verified July 2, 2026. Quote-gated vendors change pricing without notice — confirm before you buy.
Essentials $75/mo, Plus $115/mo (job costing lives here), Advanced $275/mo. Payroll is extra — and it still does no scheduling, takeoff, or portals, so most contractors add a field app on top.
Accounting add-on +$20/mo (=$40/mo) for the full double-entry ledger with HST/GST and year-end. Usage capped at $100/mo; first month free, no credit card.
Where the others win
QuickBooks wins big in places Stairkey doesn't try to compete. It is the accounting lingua franca — virtually every accountant and bookkeeper in North America works in it daily, and handing over a QBO file at year-end is frictionless in a way no newer ledger can match. It runs real payroll; Stairkey doesn't (we handle contractor tax slips, year-end packages, and mileage — not pay runs). Its app ecosystem is enormous, its bank-feed coverage is deeper, and for US sales-tax complexity across many states it has more machinery than our HST/GST-strongest engine. If your accountant insists on QuickBooks, that alone can be a good enough reason to keep it — Stairkey's reports and statements export cleanly, but we're honest that 'my accountant already knows it' is QuickBooks' strongest feature.
Common questions
Is Stairkey a real accounting system or just invoicing?
Real double-entry: general ledger, chart of accounts, trial balance, bank reconciliation, HST/GST handling, and financial reports, as a +$20/mo add-on on the $20/mo core. Invoices and expenses post from your job records into the ledger, so there's no sync step. It is not, however, a payroll system.
Can my accountant work with Stairkey at year-end?
Stairkey produces the standard exports — trial balance, general ledger, financial statements, and a year-end package — that an accountant needs to file. What we can't give you is the universal familiarity of QuickBooks; if your accountant will only accept a QBO file, that's a genuine reason to stay.
I already pay for QuickBooks and Jobber. What would switching save?
That pair typically runs $87/mo and up ($38 Simple Start + $49 Jobber Core, both monthly, before seats or payroll). Stairkey with accounting is a flat $40/mo, capped at $100/mo — and one login instead of a sync. The trade: you give up QuickBooks' ecosystem and payroll, and Jobber's marketplace and built-in payments.