You're Switching from QuickBooks. Here's Why Videographers 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 videographer, former QuickBooks customer
The Bottom Line
Videographers 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 videographer earns $48,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.4% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$48,000
Median videographer income
3.8%
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 Videographers 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 filmed a wedding Saturday — 10 hours on your feet. Now it's Monday and you need to start editing 6 hours of footage into a 5-minute highlight reel and a 30-minute full film. The couple wants a first-look teaser by Friday. You also need to send a contract to next month's corporate client and collect a deposit from a bat mitzvah family. HoneyBook charges $39/month and takes 2.9% of the $5,000 wedding payment you just processed.
Videographers face unique challenges: Managing contracts, deposits, and payment schedules for $3-10K packages. HoneyBook taking payment processing fees on large invoices. Scope creep — clients wanting 'one more edit' after final delivery. Tracking hours across filming, editing, and revision rounds. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median videographer earns $48,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Camera bodies (Sony FX3/FX6, Canon C70, Blackmagic) 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."
— Videographer 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 videographers 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 videographers actually deal with
Managing contracts, deposits, and payment schedules for $3-10K packages
HoneyBook taking payment processing fees on large invoices
Scope creep — clients wanting 'one more edit' after final delivery
Tracking hours across filming, editing, and revision rounds
A day in the life of a videographer
You filmed a wedding Saturday — 10 hours on your feet. Now it's Monday and you need to start editing 6 hours of footage into a 5-minute highlight reel and a 30-minute full film. The couple wants a first-look teaser by Friday. You also need to send a contract to next month's corporate client and collect a deposit from a bat mitzvah family. HoneyBook charges $39/month and takes 2.9% of the $5,000 wedding payment you just processed.
The tools a working videographer actually owns
Camera bodies (Sony FX3/FX6, Canon C70, Blackmagic)
Gimbal stabilizer (DJI RS series)
Audio recorder and lavalier mics
Editing workstation with high-spec GPU
Why videographers leave the big platforms
honeybook: $39/month plus 2.9% payment processing. On a $5,000 wedding package, that's $145 in processing fees alone. Plus the monthly subscription. Nearly $700/year.
dubsado: The setup took 30+ hours. Powerful workflows but the interface is confusing. Every other update introduces new bugs.
freshbooks: Good for invoicing but no contract management. Videographers need proposals, contracts, and invoicing in one place.
Where videographers actually talk shop
r/videography (Reddit)
r/VideoEditing (Reddit)
r/WeddingVideography (Reddit)
r/Filmmakers (Reddit)
DVXUser.com (Forum)
Creative COW Forums (Forum)
Parker Walbeck (YouTube)
Kraig Adams (YouTube)
Local videographers on Nexa
Real videographers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a videographer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every videographer on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for videographers?
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.
Videographers in San Francisco
The average solo operator there spends about $3,800/year on software — and videographer face their own version of that math. California 13.3% top rate plus SF Gross Receipts Tax. Among the highest total tax burdens for self-employed in the US. San Francisco requires a Business Registration Certificate and may require additional permits. Oakland has separate business tax requirements.
Astronomical operating costs mean every subscription dollar is scrutinized
Tech-savvy clients expect polished digital booking and invoicing experiences
Bridge tolls and parking costs add significant overhead to mobile service businesses
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the San Francisco metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Videographers 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"
Parker Walbeck, Kraig Adams, Peter McKinnon, DSLR Video Shooter
Podcasts
How to Film Weddings Podcast, The Business of Film
"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."
— Videographer, switched from QuickBooks
Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks
$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.