Found vs QuickBooks: Which Is Right for Your Small Business?

TL;DR: Found vs QuickBooks

Found is the better choice if you’re a freelancer, sole proprietor, LLC, or growing business that wants banking, bookkeeping, and tax tools in one place — with no required monthly fees^³. Found replaces the need for separate bank accounts, accounting software, and tax estimation tools by combining them into a single platform. With Found Pro^³, established businesses get 2.5% APY on all balances (uncapped), a dedicated account manager, and a metal business card^¹⁹ — along with team card sharing, accountant access, and multi-business management for up to five entities under one login. QuickBooks is the better choice if your accountant requires it, you need multi-state sales tax tracking, or your business has grown to require accrual accounting or inventory management.

Here’s the key difference: QuickBooks is accounting software that connects to your bank. Found is a business banking solution with accounting and tax tools built in. That means your transactions are tracked, categorized, and ready for tax time — no syncing, no imports, no reconciliation. And whether you’re a solo freelancer or a multi-member LLC with a growing team, Found scales with you.

Found vs QuickBooks: Feature comparison

Data compiled March 2026. Features, pricing, and availability may vary. Always confirm current details directly with each provider.

¹Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. The funds in your account are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category. FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured depository institution.

²The Found Mastercard Business debit card is issued by Lead Bank pursuant to a license by Mastercard International.

⁴Optional subscriptions to Found Plus for $35/month or $315/year or Found Pro for $80/month or $720/year. Discount rates may apply. There are no monthly account maintenance fees, but other fees such as transactional fees for wires, instant transfers, and ATM apply. Read Found Fee Schedule.

¹⁰Tax payments are available for Found Plus subscribers (for $35/month or $315/year) and Found Pro subscribers (for $80/month or $720/year) who file a Schedule C.

¹²Payments can be sent for free between Found users or by bank transfer via text, email, or direct deposit. Domestic wire transfers are available for a fee. Read Found Fee Schedule.

¹⁴Found Plus subscribers (for $35/month or $315/year) earn 1.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $20K. Found Pro subscribers (for $80/month or $720/year) earn 2.50% APY on all balances, with no cap.

¹⁵Priority customer support is available to Found Plus (for $35/month or $315/year) and Found Pro subscribers (for $80/month or $720/year). A dedicated account manager is available to Found Pro subscribers only.

¹⁹The metal card is an exclusive Found Pro benefit and is limited to one card per account. Users become eligible to order a metal card after completing the 30-day free trial and successfully being billed for a subscription of $80/month or $720/year.

How Found and QuickBooks compare on cost

For most freelancers and small business owners, Found’s $0 per month plan includes features that would cost $35 or more per month with QuickBooks once you add contractor payments and 1099 filing.

Here’s how the math works. QuickBooks Solopreneur costs $20 per month for accounting software alone. You still need a separate business bank account (which may charge its own monthly fee), and adding contractor management costs another $15 per month. That puts you at $35 per month minimum — before you’ve added Schedule C generation or automatic tax savings, which QuickBooks doesn’t offer.

Found offers three tiers that scale with your business. The $0 per month plan includes a business checking account, automated bookkeeping, tax form generation (Schedule C and Form 1120-S), contractor payments, 1099 filing, invoicing, and team card sharing. Found Plus at $35 per month adds 1.5% APY on balances up to $20,000 (up to 2.0% APY on balances up to $20,000 with $5,000+ monthly qualifying debit card transactions - please note this is for new customers only¹⁶), in-app quarterly tax payments, and priority support. Found Pro at $80 per month is built for more established businesses — it includes 2.5% APY on all balances with no cap, a metal Mastercard business debit card¹⁹, and a dedicated account manager for personalized support.

Cost comparison for a small business owner who pays three contractors:

¹Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC.

⁴Optional subscriptions to Found Plus for $35/month or $315/year or Found Pro for $80/month or $720/year. Discount rates may apply. There are no monthly account maintenance fees, but other fees such as transactional fees for wires, instant transfers, and ATM apply. Read Found Fee Schedule.

¹⁴Found Plus subscribers (for $35/month or $315/year) earn 1.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $20K. Found Pro subscribers (for $80/month or $720/year) earn 2.50% APY on all balances, with no cap.

¹⁵Priority customer support is available to Found Plus and Found Pro subscribers. A dedicated account manager is available to Found Pro subscribers only.

¹⁶Customers who have signed up for an account after November 1, 2025 will earn a bonus equal to 2.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on the portion of their account balance up to $20,000 for a given month only if they spend $5,000 in qualifying debit card transactions during the month and satisfy other eligibility requirements as described in the Card Spend Bonus Terms. No bonus will be earned on the portion of account balances over $20,000. This 2.00% APY bonus is a standalone promotional offer and cannot be combined with or added to the base APY provided by a Found Plus or Found Pro subscription.

Where Found wins

Banking and bookkeeping in one place

Found’s business checking account is the foundation of the platform. When you spend with your Found debit card or receive a deposit, that transaction is automatically logged, categorized, and reflected in your bookkeeping — in real time. There’s no waiting for bank imports, no manual reconciliation, and no syncing delays.

QuickBooks requires you to open a separate business bank account and connect it. That connection can lag, break, or miscategorize transactions. With Found, your banking data and your bookkeeping data are the same data.

Found also offers Pockets — subaccounts with their own virtual account numbers that help you set aside money for taxes, operating expenses, or specific projects. You can automate allocations so a percentage of every deposit goes directly into your tax savings.

Tax prep without add-ons or extra fees

Found provides real-time tax estimates that update automatically as you earn income and log expenses. For Schedule C filers — including freelancers, sole proprietors, and single-member LLCs taxed as sole proprietorships — Found auto-generates your Schedule C form based on your categorized transactions. Found also supports S-corp tax filing by generating Form 1120-S for LLCs and corporations taxed as S-corps. C-corps can open Found accounts and use the banking and bookkeeping tools, though Found does not generate C-corp tax forms.

QuickBooks Solopreneur organizes your data into Schedule C categories, but it doesn’t generate the form itself. You still need to manually enter the numbers into your tax return or pay for a separate filing service.

With Found Plus^³, eligible filers can also make quarterly federal tax payments directly from the app — turning tax compliance from a quarterly scramble into a built-in part of your workflow.

Contractor payments and 1099 filing at no extra cost

Found includes end-to-end contractor management in every plan. You can onboard contractors, collect and store W-9 forms, pay them through multiple methods (including free instant Found-to-Found payments), and at tax time, Found automatically generates and e-files 1099-NEC forms for any contractor you’ve paid $600 or more.

QuickBooks charges a separate add-on for contractor payments — $15 per month as a base, plus $2 per month for each additional contractor beyond the first 20. That adds up quickly if you work with freelancers and subcontractors regularly.

Built for one person or a growing team

Found was designed for business owners who manage their own finances — but it doesn’t stop there. Solo freelancers get a platform that automates expense categorization, tracks mileage, captures receipts, sends invoices, and prepares for taxes, all without requiring accounting knowledge. Everything lives in one app, and the mobile experience is rated 4.8 stars on the App Store.

As your business grows, Found grows with you. Multi-member LLCs and corporations can add co-owners during account setup. You can share virtual debit cards with team members so their spending is automatically tracked and categorized as deductions. Found’s accountant access feature lets your CPA or bookkeeper view your activity, review reports, and access your auto-generated tax forms directly within the platform — no exports or screen shares required.

If you run more than one business, Found lets you manage up to five separate entities under a single login. Each business gets its own account number, tax tools, and financial reporting, and transfers between your businesses are free and instant.

Found Pro³: Premium tools for established businesses

For business owners who want more from their banking relationship, Found Pro^³ offers benefits that go beyond what traditional accounting software can provide. Found Pro^³ subscribers earn 2.5% APY on all balances with no cap — turning your operating cash into a revenue stream. You also get a metal Mastercard business debit card^¹⁹, a dedicated account manager for personalized support, and all the features of Found Plus^³ including in-app quarterly tax payments and priority support.

At $80 per month, Found Pro is priced above QuickBooks Simple Start ($39/month) — but it replaces both your accounting software and your business bank account while adding premium banking benefits. For a business maintaining even a modest operating balance, the uncapped 2.5% APY alone can offset a significant portion of the monthly cost.

Where QuickBooks wins

Your accountant already uses QuickBooks

If you have an established relationship with a CPA or bookkeeper who has built your financial workflows in QuickBooks, switching platforms could create friction. QuickBooks is the most widely used small business accounting tool, and many accountants have deep expertise with it. Found does offer accountant access, letting your CPA view and update your bookkeeping activity within the platform, but if your accountant explicitly requires QuickBooks, staying on it may be the path of least resistance.

You need multi-state sales tax tracking

If your business sells physical products or taxable services across multiple states, QuickBooks Simple Start offers built-in sales tax calculation, jurisdiction-specific rate setup, and tracking for what you’ve collected and owe. This is essential for businesses with multi-state tax obligations. Found doesn’t currently offer dedicated sales tax features.

You need accrual accounting or inventory management

QuickBooks supports accrual-based accounting — recognizing revenue when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of when cash changes hands. This matters for businesses with significant accounts receivable or payable, those required to use accrual methods for tax purposes, or companies seeking investment where accrual accounting provides a clearer financial picture. QuickBooks Online Plus also offers integrated inventory tracking with purchase orders, cost of goods sold calculations, and stock level alerts. Found is designed for cash-basis financial management, which is the standard for most freelancers and service-based businesses.

Which should you choose?

Choose Found if you:

• Want a business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in — at no required monthly cost^³

• Are a freelancer, sole proprietor, LLC, or small business owner who wants everything in one platform

• Run a multi-member LLC or have team members who need their own cards for tracked spending

• Work with contractors and want 1099 payments and filing included at no extra charge

• Want your expenses tracked and categorized automatically as you spend

• File a Schedule C or Form 1120-S and want tax estimates updated in real time and your tax forms auto-generated

• Manage multiple businesses and want them all under one login with separate accounts and reporting

• Value having one app instead of juggling separate banking, bookkeeping, and tax tools

Choose Found Pro^³ if you:

• Want premium APY (2.5% on all balances, uncapped) to earn more on your operating cash

• Need a dedicated account manager for personalized support

• Have team members who need physical cards with tracked, auto-categorized spending

• Want all the benefits of Found Plus^³ plus premium banking features

Choose QuickBooks if you:

• Work with an accountant or bookkeeper who requires QuickBooks for your financial workflows

• Need to calculate and track sales tax across multiple states

• Are required to use accrual-based accounting for tax or investment purposes

• Need inventory management with purchase orders and COGS tracking

• Need a fully customizable Chart of Accounts for industry-specific or regulatory requirements

Bottom line: For freelancers, sole proprietors, LLCs, and service-based small businesses alike, Found gives you more — banking, bookkeeping, contractor payments, invoicing, and tax tools — for less. Found Pro^³ takes it further with premium banking benefits for established businesses. QuickBooks is the better fit if your business has outgrown cash-basis accounting or your accountant requires it.

Switching from QuickBooks to Found

If you’re currently using QuickBooks and considering Found, here’s what the transition looks like:

• Open your Found account. Sign up in as little as 5 minutes. You’ll get a business checking account, debit card, and access to our core bookkeeping and tax tools immediately. If you have a multi-member LLC or corporation, you can add co-owners during the setup process.

• Move your banking. Redirect deposits and update payment methods to your new Found account. Found supports ACH transfers, wire transfers, mobile check deposit, and direct deposit.

• Set up your bookkeeping. Found automatically categorizes transactions going forward. You can customize categories to match your business and adjust any auto-categorizations.

• Share access with your team. Set up virtual cards for co-owners or team members, and grant accountant access to your CPA or bookkeeper so they can view your activity and reports.

• Invite your contractors. If you pay 1099 contractors, onboard them in Found to collect W-9s and start paying them directly from the platform.

• Keep QuickBooks for historical records. You don’t need to delete your QuickBooks account. Many business owners keep it for reference while using Found going forward.

You don’t need to migrate historical data to get value from Found. The platform starts working the moment your first transaction hits.

Frequently asked questions

Is Found or QuickBooks cheaper for small businesses?

Found’s free plan includes a business checking account, automated bookkeeping, tax form generation (Schedule C and Form 1120-S), contractor payments, 1099 filing, and invoicing — all at no monthly cost. QuickBooks Solopreneur costs $20 per month for accounting software alone, doesn’t include a bank account, and charges additional fees for contractor payments and 1099 filing. For most freelancers and small businesses, Found provides more features for a slightly higher price. Found Plus at $35 per month adds quarterly tax payments, 1.5% APY on balances up to $20,000, and priority support — roughly the same price as QuickBooks alone, but with a bank account and contractor tools included. Even Found Pro at $80 per month can be more cost-effective than QuickBooks when you factor in the included business bank account, contractor tools, and 2.5% uncapped APY on your operating balance.

Can Found replace QuickBooks for my small business?

For many small businesses — from solo freelancers to multi-member LLCs with team members. Found offers automatic expense tracking, categorization, receipt capture, mileage tracking, invoicing, contractor payments, 1099 filing, and comprehensive financial reports including profit and loss statements. It’s especially effective if your primary business transactions flow through your Found checking account, since your banking and bookkeeping data sync automatically. For growing businesses, Found Pro³ adds a dedicated account manager and 2.5% APY. Team card features—like virtual and physical card sharing, accountant access, and multi-business management—are available across all Found tiers.

Does Found work for LLCs and multi-member businesses?

Yes. Found supports sole proprietors, single-member LLCs, multi-member LLCs, and corporations. Single-member LLCs taxed as sole proprietorships get an auto-generated Schedule C based on categorized transactions. LLCs taxed as S-corps are supported with Form 1120-S generation. C-corps can also open Found accounts and use the banking and bookkeeping tools, though Found does not generate C-corp tax forms. Multi-member LLCs can add co-owners during account setup, share virtual debit cards with team members, and grant accountant access to their CPA or bookkeeper.

Can multiple team members use Found?

Yes. Found supports team-based workflows in several ways. You can share virtual debit cards with co-owners and team members, and their spending is automatically tracked. You can also order additional physical cards for team use. Found’s accountant access feature gives your CPA or bookkeeper a secure view of your activity, reports, and tax documents. With Found Pro³, you get a dedicated account manager who can support your team’s needs directly.

Can I manage multiple businesses on Found?

Yes. Found lets you create accounts for up to five separate business entities under a single login. Each business gets its own account number, tax tools, and financial reporting — completely separate from your other businesses. This is ideal if you operate multiple LLCs, a sole proprietorship alongside an LLC, or any combination of business structures. Transfers between your businesses on Found are free, instant, and unlimited.

What is Found Pro³?

Found Pro is Found’s premium plan at $80 per month (or $720 per year). It includes everything in Found Plus³, plus 2.5% APY on all balances with no cap, a metal Mastercard business debit card¹⁹, and a dedicated account manager. Found Pro is designed for established businesses that want premium banking benefits alongside their bookkeeping and tax tools. It comes with a 30-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime and keep the free Found plan.

Can I switch from QuickBooks to Found?

Yes. You can sign up for a Found account in as little as 5 minutes and start using it immediately. Found doesn’t require you to migrate historical data from QuickBooks — the platform begins tracking and categorizing transactions as soon as your first deposit or purchase is made. Or, you can import data from QuickBooks into Found to keep continuity across your financial history.

Is Found a real bank?

Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. The funds in your account are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category. FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured depository institution.

Does Found help with taxes?

Yes. Found provides real-time tax estimates that update as you earn and spend, helps you identify deductible expenses, and auto-generates your Schedule C or Form 1120-S based on your categorized transactions and business structure. With Found Plus, eligible filers can make quarterly federal tax payments directly from the app. Found does not file tax returns — it helps with estimates, savings, and quarterly payments. You can also grant your accountant access to view your bookkeeping and download your auto-generated tax forms.

Can I still work with my accountant if I use Found?

Yes. Found’s accountant access feature lets your tax professional securely view and update your bookkeeping activity, review financial reports, and access your auto-generated tax forms directly within the platform. You can also export your financial data to share with them.

What’s the difference between Found and QuickBooks Self-Employed?

QuickBooks Self-Employed was discontinued by Intuit and replaced with QuickBooks Solopreneur. Found is an active, fully supported platform that combines business banking with bookkeeping and tax tools. Unlike QuickBooks Solopreneur, Found includes a business checking account, debit card, automatic tax savings, contractor payments, and 1099 filing at no additional cost.

Does Found support invoicing and payment collection?

Yes. Found includes unlimited invoicing on every plan. You can create and customize invoices, send them to clients, set up recurring invoices, and send automatic payment reminders. Found also offers Tap to Pay for in-person contactless payments directly from your smartphone.

How does Found compare to QuickBooks for contractor payments?

Found includes contractor payments and 1099 filing in every plan at no extra charge. You can onboard contractors, collect W-9 forms, pay them via multiple methods, and Found auto-generates and e-files 1099-NEC forms at tax time. QuickBooks charges an additional $15 per month base fee for contractor payments, plus $2 per month per contractor beyond the first 20.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax or legal advice. Users are advised to consult with professionals for specific advice.

Data compiled March 2026 and subject to change. Features, pricing, and availability may vary. Always confirm current details with providers directly.