You're Switching from QuickBooks. Here's Why DJs Choose Nexa.
QuickBooks
$55/mo
$660/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 5.1 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from QuickBooks after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified DJ, former QuickBooks customer
The Bottom Line
DJs on QuickBooks pay $55/month — $660/year. Over three years, that's $2,214. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 5.1 months. The median DJ earns $35,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.9% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$35,000
Median DJ income
2.8%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
5.1 mo
Break-even vs QuickBooks
$1,935
3-year savings switching to Nexa
What QuickBooks Is Costing You
The Damage
QuickBooks monthly$55/mo
Annual drain$660/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation)$735
Year 3$819
3-year total$2,214
That's $2,214 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
Your QuickBooks subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.
Why DJs Leave QuickBooks
✗Annual price increases of 10-15%
✗User caps force expensive tier jumps
✗Complex interface overwhelms small operators
✗Desktop version being sunset - forced to Online
✗Payment processing fees add up fast
✗No offline capability
✗QB controls 85% of this market. It's technically a monopoly. The FTC has a long issue with Intuit over pricing.
✗400% increase since 2023. We used to update every 2 years for $250. Now subscription is $689.
✗An almost 70% price increase for your most used product and all you guys are adding is a bunch of AI slop.
You have a wedding reception Saturday night. The couple changed the first dance song for the third time. The venue coordinator just emailed the revised timeline and your set needs to shift by 30 minutes. You need to load your van at 2pm, set up at 4pm, and perform from 6pm to midnight. Sunday morning you need to send a contract to a corporate holiday party client and follow up on a 45-day-overdue deposit. HoneyBook charges $39/month to manage a business that only books 40-50 events a year.
DJs face unique challenges: Managing contracts and music request lists for multiple events. Collecting deposits months in advance for weddings. Equipment setup and teardown time not reflected in the quote. Clients changing timeline and requests the week of the event. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median DJ earns $35,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Controller/mixer (Pioneer DDJ, Numark) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Your Full Stack Cost
QuickBooks is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
Want this breakdown emailed to you?
Your exact QuickBooks cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
"I was paying QuickBooks $55/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $2,214 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— DJ business owner
What You Get Instead
Feature
QuickBooks
Nexa
Invoicing
✓
✓
Scheduling
✗
✓
CRM
✗
✓
Time Tracking
✗
✓
Full Accounting
✗
✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management
✗
✓
Price
$55/mo forever
$279 once or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost
$2,214
$279
Stop paying?
Lose everything
Keep everything forever
Switching Takes 1-2 Days
Most djs are fully switched before the weekend.
1
Export your data
Go to Reports → export to CSV. Download clients, invoices, expenses.
2
Set up Nexa
15-minute setup. Import your clients and expense categories.
3
Parallel run
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify everything transferred.
4
Cancel QuickBooks
Cancel subscription. Download final backup. You're done.
✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel QuickBooks when you're confident. Zero risk.
What djs actually deal with
Managing contracts and music request lists for multiple events
Collecting deposits months in advance for weddings
Equipment setup and teardown time not reflected in the quote
Clients changing timeline and requests the week of the event
A day in the life of a dj
You have a wedding reception Saturday night. The couple changed the first dance song for the third time. The venue coordinator just emailed the revised timeline and your set needs to shift by 30 minutes. You need to load your van at 2pm, set up at 4pm, and perform from 6pm to midnight. Sunday morning you need to send a contract to a corporate holiday party client and follow up on a 45-day-overdue deposit. HoneyBook charges $39/month to manage a business that only books 40-50 events a year.
The tools a working dj actually owns
Controller/mixer (Pioneer DDJ, Numark)
Speakers and subwoofers (QSC, JBL)
Lighting rig (moving heads, uplights)
Microphones and PA system
Why djs leave the big platforms
honeybook: $39/month for managing maybe 4 events per month. That's $10 per event just in software cost. Plus payment processing fees.
dubsado: Too complex for what DJs need. I need contracts, deposits, and a timeline — not a 15-step automation workflow.
square: Can collect payment but can't manage event details, contracts, or client communication. Too basic.
Where djs actually talk shop
r/DJs (Reddit)
r/mobileDJ (Reddit)
r/Beatmatch (Reddit)
DJForums.com (Forum)
DJTT (DJ TechTools) Forum (Forum)
DJ TechTools (YouTube)
Crossfader (YouTube)
Club Ready DJ School (YouTube)
Local djs on Nexa
Real djs near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a dj? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every dj on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for djs?
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. QuickBooks may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
$279 seems like a lot.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. QuickBooks is $55/month — that's $2,214 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
What if I don't like it?
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Can I import my QuickBooks data?
Export your data from QuickBooks as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
DJs in Dayton
The average solo operator there spends about $1,968/year on software — and DJ face their own version of that math. OH state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Dayton metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps DJs run into with QuickBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
✗
QuickBooks gapNo scheduling/booking
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
QuickBooks gapNo CRM functionality
✓
NexaFull CRM module included in $279.
✗
QuickBooks gapNo project management for services
✓
NexaJob and project management in the same $279 — no upgrade needed.
What QuickBooks Users Are Saying Lately
Recent threads from Reddit and Hacker News mentioning QuickBooks. Sentiment scored automatically — click through to read the full thread.
"I refused to pay $50/mo for a CSV to quickbooks converter, so I built it"
If you want to compare notes or see how other djs are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
Reddit
r/DJs, r/mobileDJ, r/Beatmatch
Forums
DJForums.com, DJTT (DJ TechTools) Forum
YouTube
DJ TechTools, Crossfader, Club Ready DJ School, DJ Carlo Atendido
Podcasts
The Mobile DJ MBA Podcast, DJ Podcast - The Social DJ
"QuickBooks raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— DJ, switched from QuickBooks
Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks
$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.