QuickBooks has been raising prices aggressively - from $350 to $1250/year in some cases. Reddit r/Accounting and r/smallbusiness are full of contractors asking for alternatives. The catch: bookkeeping software is complex to build correctly - tax compliance, bank reconciliation, reporting. Wave offers free but lacks features; FreshBooks and Xero still feel like overkill for a plumber who just needs to invoice and track expenses. High demand but hard build.
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
Invoicing, expense tracking, basic reports
Job costing, bank sync, contractor payments
Multi-user, payroll prep, accountant access
📊 Market Evidence
The Market Gap
QuickBooks price hikes from $350 to $1250/year have trades people furious. They need basic invoicing, expense tracking, and job costing at $15-25/mo without enterprise complexity.
Revenue Examples
H&R Block acquisition
Long-established player
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
| Competitor | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks | $30-200/mo | Market leader but price hikes causing exodus |
| Wave | Free + payment fees | Free tier popular but limited features |
| FreshBooks | $15-50/mo | Clean UI but still complex for trades |
| Xero | $13-70/mo | Strong internationally, complex setup |
Market leader but price hikes causing exodus
Free tier popular but limited features
Clean UI but still complex for trades
Strong internationally, complex setup
Launch Strategy
Target trades subreddits and contractor Facebook groups. Content comparing QuickBooks alternatives. SEO on QuickBooks alternative keywords.
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Why this stack: Bank integrations and compliance add complexity
Score Breakdown
Early-stage opportunity worth watching
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
9 - QuickBooks dominance proves huge WTP
7 - Wave/FreshBooks prove indie alternatives work
7 - Anti-QuickBooks sentiment rising
4 - Crowded market with strong players
4 - Tax compliance and bank sync = complex
8 - Clear gap at $15-25/mo
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Simple Bookkeeping for Trades". ## Product Overview QuickBooks alternative at $15-25/mo for contractors and small service businesses ## Problem QuickBooks alternative at $15-25/mo for contractors and small service businesses ## Solution Build Simple Bookkeeping for Trades ## Target Audience indie hackers, small businesses, and solopreneurs ## Tech Stack - Next.js 15 (App Router) with TypeScript - Tailwind CSS v4 for styling - Supabase for auth, database, and storage - Vercel for deployment - shadcn/ui for UI components - Framer Motion for animations ## MVP Features to Build 1. Landing page with clear value proposition 2. User authentication (sign up, sign in, forgot password) 3. Core product functionality based on the solution above 4. Dashboard for users to manage their data 5. Pricing page with at least 2 tiers (free + paid) 6. Basic settings/profile page ## Known Competitors QuickBooks, Wave, FreshBooks, Xero ## Key Risks to Address Standard market entry risks ## Deployment 1. Set up Supabase project and configure environment variables 2. Deploy to Vercel with `npx vercel --prod` 3. Set up custom domain 4. Configure Supabase RLS policies for security ## Instructions Start by creating the project structure, then build the landing page first. Use server components where possible. Make it mobile-responsive from the start. Focus on getting the core value loop working before adding polish.