Pennylane vs QuickBooks
Pennylane
Freelancers and very small businesses, SMEs and mid-sized companies, and accounting firms
2020; Paris, France
QuickBooks
All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant)
Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published
Pennylane and QuickBooks both sell accounting software to small businesses and the accountants who work with them.
Pennylane, founded in Paris in 2020, combines e-invoicing, invoicing, purchases, cash tracking and accounting with a business account and card for companies in France and Germany; QuickBooks, part of Intuit, is used by 10 million businesses worldwide, with local editions in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and other countries.
Pennylane vs QuickBooks: side by side
“Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
| Pennylane | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | All-in-one financial management and accounting: e-invoicing, invoicing, purchases, real-time cash tracking, full accounting and a business account and card | Cloud-based accounting software covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting, with a desktop edition (QuickBooks Desktop) |
| Best for | Freelancers and very small businesses, SMEs and mid-sized companies, and accounting firms | All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant) |
| Founded and HQ | 2020; Paris, France | Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published |
| Ownership and funding | Founders hold the majority of voting rights; nine venture capital funds invest; €359m raised in six rounds, the latest €175m in January 2026 | Part of Intuit Inc. (INTU); Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi |
| Customers or users | 1.5 million+ business owners, freelancers and finance directors; 6,500+ accounting firms; customers include Yuka and happn | 10 million businesses worldwide |
| Pricing | France, one user, excluding VAT: Free €0, Starter €7, Basique €14, Essentiel €24 a month | US list prices: free plan; Simple Start US$38 a month, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340 |
| Deployment and markets | Cloud software with a mobile app, data hosted in the EU; sold in France and Germany, with a Spanish company being set up | Cloud (QuickBooks Online) and desktop (QuickBooks Desktop); local sites for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions |
Main differences
QuickBooks has local sites for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions; Pennylane is sold in France and Germany, with a Spanish company being set up.
Pennylane's French plans run from free to €24 a month for one user, excluding VAT; QuickBooks' US plans run from free to US$340 a month on Advanced.
Pennylane includes a business account and card alongside the accounting; QuickBooks covers bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting.
QuickBooks offers QuickBooks Desktop alongside the cloud product; Pennylane is cloud software with a mobile app and data hosted in the EU.
Pennylane works with 6,500+ accounting firms; QuickBooks has QuickBooks Online Accountant for accountants.
Which to choose
Choose Pennylane if
- Your business is in France or Germany, or you want e-invoicing through a French approved platform
Choose QuickBooks if
- You operate in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or another country with a local QuickBooks edition, or want a desktop option
Compare further
Common questions
Is Pennylane available outside France?+
Pennylane is sold in France and Germany, with a Spanish company being set up, and hosts its data in the EU. QuickBooks has local sites for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions.
How much do Pennylane and QuickBooks cost?+
Pennylane's French plans for one user cost €0 (Free), €7 (Starter), €14 (Basique) and €24 (Essentiel) a month, excluding VAT. QuickBooks' US plans run from a free plan to US$38 (Simple Start), US$85 (Essentials), US$140 (Plus) and US$340 (Advanced) a month.
Who owns Pennylane and QuickBooks?+
QuickBooks is part of Intuit, listed under the ticker INTU and led by Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi. Pennylane's founders hold the majority of voting rights, and it has raised €359m in six rounds, most recently €175m in January 2026.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
