QuickBooks Online for nonprofits review - donated through TechSoup

What it is

QuickBooks Online is the most widely used small-business accounting software, and eligible nonprofits can get it donated through TechSoup rather than paying retail. Every bookkeeper and accountant already knows it, and its integration ecosystem is enormous.

The honest math

Through TechSoup, a 501(c)(3) can get QuickBooks Online Plus for about $80/year or Advanced for about $170/year as an admin fee - a large saving versus the retail subscription. The catches worth knowing up front: it is one donated subscription per organization for the life of the organization (you keep it going by paying the admin fee each year, but you do not get a second brand-new donation), the program is limited to organizations with an operating budget under $10 million, and add-ons like Payroll are not part of the donation.

Who it fits

Small nonprofits with straightforward income and expenses, and anyone who wants software their accountant already knows. The important limitation: QuickBooks is general small-business accounting, not true fund accounting - it does not natively track restricted funds and grants the way nonprofit reporting requires. You can approximate it with classes and tags, but organizations juggling many restricted grants will strain it and should look at a purpose-built option like Aplos.

The honest take

For most small nonprofits with simple books, donated QuickBooks is one of the best-value accounting deals available anywhere. Green - with the honest caveat that it is general accounting, not fund accounting, so weigh it against Aplos if your funds are restricted. There is no affiliate relationship here; you claim it directly through TechSoup.