QuickBooks Just Raised Prices Again (Feb 2026): 5 Contractor-Friendly Alternatives That Include Payroll

QuickBooks raised prices again. February 1st, 2026. Effective immediately.

If you’re a contractor running a small HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or locksmith business, you just got hit with another price hike you didn’t ask for. Pro Plus jumped from $999 to $1,149 annually. Premier Plus went from $1,399 to $1,609. Enterprise editions? Some packages increased over 50%.

And payroll costs more too. Basic Payroll climbed from $550 to $640 per year, plus $7 per employee per month. Enhanced Payroll increased from $700 to $805 annually, with the same per-employee fee.

This isn’t the first time. It won’t be the last.

Here’s the truth: you’re paying for features you don’t use, locked into a pricing model built for enterprise accounting departments, not three-person HVAC crews.

Why QuickBooks Keeps Raising Prices (And Why Contractors Keep Paying)

QuickBooks is the default. That’s their advantage.

Your accountant uses it. Your bookkeeper knows it. You set it up five years ago and haven’t thought about switching because, frankly, migrating accounting data sounds like a nightmare.

But here’s what’s actually happening. You’re paying $1,149+ per year for invoicing, job costing, and maybe payroll. You’re not using 70% of the features. Inventory tracking? Multicurrency? Advanced reporting? You don’t need it.

You need to invoice customers. Track job costs. Pay your crew. That’s it.

The February 2026 price increase is just QuickBooks flexing. They know switching costs are high. They know you’re busy running jobs, not comparing software. So they raise prices and send you an email with 30 days’ notice.

What the February 2026 Price Hike Actually Costs You

Let’s break this down in real numbers.

Pro Plus single user: You’re now paying $1,149 per year. That’s $95.75 per month. Add one extra user seat at $230 annually, and you’re at $1,379 total, or $114.92 per month.

Want payroll? Add QuickBooks Payroll Basic at $640 per year, plus $7 per employee per month. For a three-person crew, that’s an additional $892 per year. Total annual cost: $2,271, or $189.25 per month.

Premier Plus with payroll for three employees: You’re looking at $2,501 per year, or $208.42 per month.

And you haven’t added a single third-party app for scheduling, customer communications, or mobile invoicing yet.

5 Contractor-Friendly QuickBooks Alternatives (With Payroll Included)

No enterprise bloat. No feature lists longer than your arm. Just software built for contractors who need invoicing, scheduling, and payroll in one place.

1. Valortek ($149/month, all-in)

We built Valortek because we were tired of watching contractors overpay for software they don’t use.

No tiered pricing. No per-user fees. No add-on costs for payroll.

$149 per month gets you invoicing, job scheduling, payroll for unlimited employees, and customer management. That’s it. One price, one login, one system.

We’re not trying to be QuickBooks. We’re not trying to serve every industry. We built this for trade contractors running teams of 1–10 people who need simple, reliable tools that actually work on a job site.

2. Jobber (Starting at $129/month + payroll add-on)

Jobber is popular with home service businesses. Good mobile app. Solid scheduling features. Invoicing is clean.

But payroll is an add-on through Gusto, which starts at $40 per month plus $6 per employee. So your all-in cost is closer to $200+ per month for a small crew.

Still cheaper than QuickBooks. Still complex to set up.

3. Housecall Pro (Starting at $169/month, payroll extra)

Housecall Pro has a loyal following in the HVAC and plumbing world. Strong marketing tools. Customer reviews. Text notifications.

Payroll integration costs extra. You’ll pay $49 per month base plus $5 per employee through their Gusto partnership. For three employees, that’s $218 per month total.

Good product. Expensive for what you get.

4. ServiceTitan (Custom pricing, typically $500+/month)

ServiceTitan is built for larger operations. If you’re running 15+ trucks and need advanced dispatch, revenue optimization, and call center integration, it’s worth a look.

If you’re a two-person electrical contractor, it’s overkill. Pricing starts around $500 per month and goes up from there. Payroll is extra.

5. Workiz (Starting at $115/month, payroll through third party)

Workiz is simple. Clean interface. Good for solo operators or very small teams.

But payroll isn’t included. You’ll need to connect a third-party service, which adds cost and complexity. And once you hit three or four employees, you’ve outgrown the platform.

What You’re Really Paying For (And What You’re Not)

Let’s be honest about what contractors actually need.

You need to create invoices and get paid. You need to schedule jobs and track which tech is where. You need to pay your crew on time without manual calculations. You need customer contact info in one place so you’re not digging through text messages.

You don’t need 47 different reports. You don’t need multi-entity consolidation. You don’t need foreign currency exchange rates or advanced inventory modules.

QuickBooks charges you for all of it anyway. Every tier. Every add-on. Every “feature” you’ll never click on.

The alternatives listed above are better. They’re cheaper. But most still follow the same playbook: base price, then add-ons, then per-user fees, then integration costs.

We built Valortek differently. One price. Everything included. No surprises.

Why We Charge $149/Month (And How We Keep It There)

No sales team. No venture capital pressure to 10x revenue every quarter. No enterprise features you’ll never touch.

We’re a small team building software for contractors who just want tools that work. We charge $149 per month because that covers our costs, pays our people fairly, and keeps us profitable enough to keep the lights on.

We don’t have tiered pricing because we don’t believe in it. You shouldn’t pay more just because you hired another technician. You shouldn’t lose features because you picked the “starter” plan.

You get invoicing, scheduling, payroll, and customer management. Unlimited users. Unlimited jobs. One login for your whole crew.

That’s the deal. It doesn’t change when QuickBooks raises prices again next year.

Making the Switch (Without Losing Your Mind)

Switching accounting software is annoying. We get it.

You’ve got years of customer data, job history, and financial records in QuickBooks. The thought of migrating all that makes you want to just eat the price increase and move on.

Here’s the reality: you’re going to pay the higher price every year from now on. The February 2026 increase is permanent. Next year, there’ll be another one.

If you’re paying $2,200 per year now for QuickBooks Pro Plus with payroll, you’ll save $1,412 in your first year with Valortek. That’s $1,412 you can spend on tools, marketing, or just keeping in your pocket.

Most contractors make the switch over a weekend. Export your customer list. Set up your first few jobs. Run one payroll cycle as a test.

It’s not as bad as you think.

What Happens Next

QuickBooks will raise prices again. Maybe in 2027. Maybe sooner.

You can keep paying. Or you can switch to software built for contractors, priced for real businesses, without the enterprise nonsense.

We’re not going to pressure you with a sales call or a limited-time discount. We’re just going to keep building software that works, keep our pricing at $149 per month, and keep showing up for contractors who are tired of overpaying.

If you want to see what Valortek looks like, visit valortek.com and take a look around. No demo request form. No mandatory sales call. Just information.

And if you want to stick with QuickBooks, that’s fine too. We’re not here to trash-talk competitors. We’re here to build a better option for contractors who want one.

The choice is yours.

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Questions? Contact us – we’re happy to help you decide.