If you received an email from Intuit this month, you already know: QuickBooks Time is raising prices. Starting July 1, 2026, both the Premium and Elite plans are scheduled to increase by $2 per employee per month. For small teams on the most popular tier, that's a 25% increase, landing on top of whatever you are already paying for QuickBooks Payroll or QuickBooks Online. For a small business watching every line item, that math matters.
Intuit framed it as an investment in the platform, and it may well be, but a 25% increase is also a good reason to spend 10 minutes checking whether you're getting enough value at the new rate, and what your options look like if you're not.
Here is what you need to know.
What changed with QuickBooks Time's pricing in July 2026?
QuickBooks Time raised prices by $2 per employee per month across both its Premium and Elite plans, effective July 1, 2026. The base subscription cost will stay the same; the per-employee fee is what's changed. For small teams on the 0 to 50 employee tier, the Premium plan will increase from $8 to $10 per employee per month, a 25% increase. You can review QuickBooks Time's current pricing on the Intuit website and the updated pricing below.
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In addition to the per-employee fee, QuickBooks Time charges a base subscription fee of $20 per month for Premium and $40 per month for Elite. That base fee is not changing, but it's worth factoring into any total cost comparison.
The change automatically applies to all active subscribers. To review your current plan, go to Company Settings, then Account & Billing inside your QuickBooks account.
How much more will you pay after the QuickBooks Time price increase?
The $2 increase looks modest in isolation. Across a full team and year, the number explodes. For more context on what time tracking software actually costs, our breakdown covers the full pricing landscape.
10-person team on Premium: $80 per month before July 1, and $100 per month after. That is $240 more per year.
25-person team on Premium: $200 per month before July 1, and $250 per month after. That is $600 more per year.
50-person team on Premium: $400 per month before July 1, and $500 per month after. That is $1,200 more per year.
The increases are steeper at higher tiers too. The 51-100 employee tier went from $6 to $8 per employee per month, a 33% jump. The 101-plus tier went from $4 to $6, a 50% increase. The more employees you have, the harder this hurts.
For context: a 25-person team on OnTheClock's base plan pays $105 per month ($4 per employee per month plus the $5 base fee), or $1,260 per year. The same team on QuickBooks Time Premium pays $270 per month, including the $20 monthly base fee, for a total of $3,240 per year. That is a $1,980 annual difference for the same core functionality.
Is QuickBooks Time still worth the higher price?
For some businesses, yes. If QuickBooks is your accounting backbone and you rely on the native sync between QB Time and QuickBooks Online, there is real convenience in keeping everything inside one ecosystem. Paying a bit more for that simplicity makes sense for some teams.
The question worth asking is whether switching actually breaks that connection. OnTheClock integrates directly with QuickBooks Online, syncing time data without manual exports or double entry. For most teams, the transition is more straightforward than it sounds, and at less than half the price, it's likely worth spending 20 minutes to find out. You can also look at other QuickBooks Time alternatives if you want a broader comparison before deciding.
It also helps to remember that QuickBooks Time does not include payroll. You are already paying for a separate QuickBooks Payroll subscription on top of your QB Time fee. The Intuit ecosystem already involves multiple products and line items. An alternative that connects cleanly to QuickBooks Online delivers the same workflow, usually for less.
What should you look for in a QuickBooks Time alternative?
A direct replacement needs to cover four things: accurate time tracking with GPS, scheduling and PTO management in one place, a path to payroll, and a clean QuickBooks Online integration, so your accounting workflow is not disrupted.
GPS clock-ins. GPS-verified clock-ins prevent buddy punching and give field managers visibility into where employees are clocking in from. Any replacement you consider should match this. OnTheClock's GPS time clock includes geofencing on every plan.
Scheduling and PTO in one place. Managing schedules in one tool and PTO requests in another creates gaps and errors. A single-login solution removes that friction.
A payroll option or clean payroll connection. Neither QuickBooks Time nor most alternatives include payroll in the base price. The question is whether the alternative connects cleanly to a payroll product or offers its own at a reasonable cost.
A migration path that keeps your QuickBooks setup intact. For existing QuickBooks users, this is the most important factor. The alternative must integrate with QuickBooks Online. Without that, switching means rebuilding your accounting workflow from scratch.
How does OnTheClock compare to QuickBooks Time?
OnTheClock covers all four criteria. Time tracking with GPS geofencing, employee scheduling, PTO management, and a direct QuickBooks Online integration are all included in the base plan at $4 per employee per month. See our full QuickBooks Time vs. OnTheClock comparison for a deeper breakdown.
A few things worth knowing:
Payroll. OnTheClock offers its own payroll as an add-on at $40 per month plus $6 per employee per month. If you prefer to stay on QuickBooks Payroll, OnTheClock works with that too: The direct integration transfers your hours to QuickBooks Payroll in one click, so nothing about your payroll workflow has to change. Use our payroll cost calculator to see how the numbers work out for your team size.
Support. OnTheClock connects customers with real people. No chatbots or ticket queues. When you're setting up a new system and need an answer fast, that matters.
Trial. Your first 30 days are free; no credit card is required.
How do you switch from QuickBooks Time to OnTheClock?
Switching is a three-step process. and most teams are up and running within a day.
Step 1: Start your free trial. Go to www.ontheclock.com and start your free, 30-day trial. No credit card is required. Your account is ready immediately.
Step 2: Connect your QuickBooks Online account. OnTheClock integrates directly with QuickBooks Online. Connect the two accounts from your OnTheClock settings. Your employee data and accounting workflow stay intact.
Step 3: Import your employees and configure clock-in rules. Add your team, set up GPS geofencing (if you need it), and configure your clock-in rules. Most teams are fully set up in under two hours.
The Bottom Line
A 25% price increase adds up. For a 25-person team, that is $600 more per year for the same service. If you've been meaning to look at your options, now is a reasonable time.
More than 160,000 individuals use OnTheClock to track time, manage schedules, and run payroll. The product is backed by 20-plus years of workforce management experience. Try OnTheClock free; your first 30 days are free, and no credit card is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. OnTheClock connects directly with QuickBooks Online. You can sync employee time data to your QuickBooks account without manual exports or re-entry.
No. Your QuickBooks Online account and its data are independent of your time tracking tool. Switching from QuickBooks Time to OnTheClock does not affect your accounting records.
OnTheClock offers payroll as an optional add-on for $40 per month plus $6 per employee per month. It is not included in the base time tracking plan.
Most teams complete their initial setup in under two hours. Real human support is available throughout if you need help.
After your trial ends, you choose a paid plan or cancel. No credit card is required to start, and there is no automatic charge at the end of the trial.
