You're Switching from QuickBooks. Here's Why Translators 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 translator, former QuickBooks customer
The Bottom Line
Translators 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 translator earns $52,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.3% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$52,000
Median translator income
2.5%
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 Translators 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're translating a legal document at $0.12/word, a marketing brochure at $0.15/word, and a technical manual billed hourly. Each project has different pricing, different word counts, and different deadlines. You switch between projects three times today. One agency payment is 75 days overdue. You need to invoice the direct client for the brochure but your word count tool says 2,400 words and the client counted 2,200. FreshBooks charges per client and you're on the edge of needing the next tier.
Translators face unique challenges: Billing per word vs per hour vs per page depending on the client. Tracking time across multiple simultaneous translation projects. Translation agencies paying net-60 or net-90. Managing terminology consistency across long-term client projects. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median translator earns $52,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your CAT tools (SDL Trados, MemoQ, Smartcat) 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."
— Translator 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 translators 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 translators actually deal with
Billing per word vs per hour vs per page depending on the client
Tracking time across multiple simultaneous translation projects
Translation agencies paying net-60 or net-90
Managing terminology consistency across long-term client projects
A day in the life of a translator
You're translating a legal document at $0.12/word, a marketing brochure at $0.15/word, and a technical manual billed hourly. Each project has different pricing, different word counts, and different deadlines. You switch between projects three times today. One agency payment is 75 days overdue. You need to invoice the direct client for the brochure but your word count tool says 2,400 words and the client counted 2,200. FreshBooks charges per client and you're on the edge of needing the next tier.
The tools a working translator actually owns
CAT tools (SDL Trados, MemoQ, Smartcat)
Dictionaries and glossary databases
Ergonomic keyboard and desk setup
Reference materials and style guides
Why translators leave the big platforms
freshbooks: Client-count pricing tiers punish translators who work with many agencies. $17/month for 5 clients, $30/month for 50.
toggl: Per-word billing doesn't care about hours. But per-hour clients do. I need both billing models in one app.
wave: Free but the invoicing can't handle per-word billing or multi-currency invoicing for international clients.
Where translators actually talk shop
r/TranslationStudies (Reddit)
r/translator (Reddit)
r/freelance (Reddit)
ProZ.com Forums (Forum)
TranslatorsCafe.com (Forum)
Translation Tips (YouTube)
Lingo Mastery (YouTube)
Local translators on Nexa
Real translators near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a translator? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every translator on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for translators?
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.
Translators in San Diego
The average solo operator there spends about $2,700/year on software — and translator face their own version of that math. California's high state income tax applies. Military spouse solopreneurs may benefit from SCRA protections on state taxes. California CSLB license for contractors. San Diego requires a Business Tax Certificate. Short-term rental permits tightly regulated.
Large military population means frequent client turnover as families rotate out
Cross-border dynamics with Tijuana create unique competitive pressures on pricing
Tourism-driven demand peaks in summer but slows significantly in winter months
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the San Diego metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Translators 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 translators are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
Reddit
r/TranslationStudies, r/translator, r/freelance
Forums
ProZ.com Forums, TranslatorsCafe.com
YouTube
Translation Tips, Lingo Mastery
Podcasts
Speaking of Translation, The Troublesome Terps 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."
— Translator, switched from QuickBooks
Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks
$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.