You're Switching from QuickBooks. Here's Why Handymen 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 handyman, former QuickBooks customer
The Bottom Line
Handymen 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 handyman earns $42,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.6% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$42,000
Median handyman income
2%
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 Handymen 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've got a toilet repair at 9, a ceiling fan install at 11, drywall patch at 1, and a door hanging at 3. Each customer wants an invoice. You quoted the drywall patch at $150 but it's way worse than they described on the phone. You're at Home Depot for the third time today buying supplies you forgot to bill for last week. By Friday you have no idea what you made this week.
Handymen face unique challenges: Juggling 4-6 small jobs per day across town. Giving accurate estimates for wildly different tasks. Getting paid on the spot — cash and Venmo don't track themselves. Tracking expenses for tax time when you buy supplies at Home Depot daily. Customers who think 'while you're here...' is free. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median handyman earns $42,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Cordless drill / impact driver set 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."
— Handyman 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 handymen 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 handymen actually deal with
Juggling 4-6 small jobs per day across town
Giving accurate estimates for wildly different tasks
Getting paid on the spot — cash and Venmo don't track themselves
Tracking expenses for tax time when you buy supplies at Home Depot daily
Customers who think 'while you're here...' is free
A day in the life of a handyman
You've got a toilet repair at 9, a ceiling fan install at 11, drywall patch at 1, and a door hanging at 3. Each customer wants an invoice. You quoted the drywall patch at $150 but it's way worse than they described on the phone. You're at Home Depot for the third time today buying supplies you forgot to bill for last week. By Friday you have no idea what you made this week.
The tools a working handyman actually owns
Cordless drill / impact driver set
Multi-tool (oscillating)
Circular saw
Reciprocating saw
Stud finder
Level set
Full socket and wrench set
Their truck or van loaded with everything
Why handymen leave the big platforms
jobber: I don't need 'route optimization' and 'automated follow-ups.' I need to send a receipt. $69/month for that?
quickbooks: It takes 15 minutes to create one invoice in QuickBooks. I do 5 jobs a day — that's over an hour of paperwork.
square: Square takes 2.6% + $0.10 per swipe. On a $200 job that's $5.30. Multiply that by 20 jobs a week.
Where handymen actually talk shop
r/handyman (Reddit)
r/sweatystartup (Reddit)
r/HomeImprovement (Reddit)
r/Construction (Reddit)
ContractorTalk.com (Forum)
DIYChatroom.com (Forum)
Handyman Startup (YouTube)
The Honest Carpenter (YouTube)
Local handymen on Nexa
Real handymen near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a handyman? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every handyman on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for handymen?
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.
Handymen in Jersey City
The average solo operator there spends about $3,120/year on software — and handyman face their own version of that math. NJ state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Jersey City metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Handymen 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.
Handyman Startup, The Honest Carpenter, See Jane Drill, Home Mender
Podcasts
Handyman Startup Podcast, The Sweaty Startup Podcast
"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."
— Handyman, switched from QuickBooks
Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks
$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.