Billo vs QuickBooks
Invoicing-focused vs full accounting suite. Discover which approach fits your UK business needs.
Two Different Approaches to Business Finance
Billo Invoicing is a specialised invoicing platform designed for UK businesses that need to create, send, and track invoices efficiently. Starting at just £7/month with a free plan, Billo focuses exclusively on invoicing workflows, making it simple and affordable for freelancers and small businesses.
QuickBooks is a comprehensive accounting software suite that handles everything from invoicing to payroll, expense tracking, tax filing, and financial reporting. Starting at £14/month, it's a full-featured solution for businesses that need complete financial management.
The key question is: Do you need full accounting software, or just invoicing? Many UK businesses, especially freelancers and small service providers, only need invoicing but end up paying for accounting features they never use.
Focused vs Comprehensive
Billo Invoicing: Do One Thing Exceptionally Well
Billo Invoicing's philosophy is simplicity and focus. By concentrating solely on invoicing, we've created a platform that's:
- More affordable: £7/month with a free plan vs £14/month starting price - save £7/month (£84/year)
- Faster to learn: Get started in minutes, not days
- Easier to use: No overwhelming menus or complex workflows
- UK-specific: Built-in CIS support for construction businesses
- Free plan: Try before you commit
Perfect for: Freelancers, consultants, small service businesses, and anyone who primarily needs to invoice clients and track payments.
QuickBooks: Everything in One Place
QuickBooks is a powerful accounting platform that handles your entire financial workflow:
- Complete accounting: P&L statements, balance sheets, cash flow
- Expense tracking: Automatic bank feeds and categorization
- Payroll & tax: Integrated payroll and tax filing (extra cost)
- Inventory management: Track products and stock levels
Perfect for: Businesses that need full accounting, inventory management, payroll, and comprehensive financial reporting.
Key Differences for UK Businesses
Pricing & Value
Billo Invoicing: Starting at £7/month with a free plan available. You only pay for invoicing features you'll actually use.
- • Free: 10 invoices/month
- • Starter: £7/month - Unlimited invoices
- • Professional: £15/month - Unlimited invoices
QuickBooks: Starting at £14/month with no free plan. You pay for accounting features even if you only need invoicing.
- • Simple Start: £14/month
- • Essentials: £28/month
- • Plus: £42/month
Bottom line: If you only need invoicing, Billo saves you £7-35/month compared to QuickBooks. That's £84-420 per year!
UK-Specific Features
For UK businesses, especially in construction, Billo offers unique advantages:
Billo Advantages
- CIS Support: Built-in Construction Industry Scheme compliance with automatic deduction calculations (0%, 20%, 30%)
- UK-Based: Company and support team based in the UK, understanding local needs
- GDPR Compliant: Data stored in UK/EU servers
QuickBooks Limitations
- No CIS support for construction businesses
- US-based company (though UK support available)
- Good VAT support for UK businesses
Learning Curve & Setup Time
Billo Invoicing is designed for simplicity. Most users are creating invoices within 2-5 minutes of signing up.
- • Intuitive interface focused on invoicing
- • Minimal setup required
- • No accounting knowledge needed
- • Quick onboarding process
QuickBooks is comprehensive but requires time to learn and set up properly.
- • Steeper learning curve
- • More setup and configuration needed
- • May require accounting knowledge
- • Extensive training resources available
Which Solution Fits Your Business?
Choose Billo If...
- You're a freelancer or consultant
You primarily need to invoice clients and track payments. You don't need full accounting features.
- You work in UK construction
Billo is the only platform with built-in CIS support. QuickBooks doesn't offer this.
- You want simplicity and speed
Get started quickly without learning complex accounting software.
- You have an accountant
Your accountant handles the books. You just need to generate invoices and track payments.
- Budget is important
Save £9-37/month compared to QuickBooks while getting everything you need for invoicing.
Choose QuickBooks If...
- You need full accounting
You want P&L statements, balance sheets, and comprehensive financial reporting in one platform.
- You manage inventory
You sell products and need to track stock levels and cost of goods sold.
- You need payroll
You have employees and want integrated payroll management (additional cost).
- You handle your own books
You're comfortable with accounting software and want everything in one place.
- You have multiple users
You need team access with different permission levels (Billo is single-user focused).
Quick Feature Comparison
| Feature | Billo Invoicing | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ||
| Starting Price | £7/mo | £14/mo |
| UK CIS Support | ||
| Invoice Creation | ||
| Quote Management | ||
| Client CRM | ||
| Full Accounting | ||
| Expense Tracking | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Inventory Management | ||
| Ease of Use | ||
| UK-Based Support |
Need Just Invoicing? Start with Billo
If you only need invoicing, why pay for accounting features you won't use? Try Billo free and see how simple invoicing can be.
14-day free trial • Cancel anytime