You're Switching from QuickBooks. Here's Why Welders 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 welder, former QuickBooks customer
The Bottom Line
Welders 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 welder earns $47,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.4% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$47,000
Median welder 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 Welders 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 in the shop fabricating a custom gate when a rancher calls about a broken cattle guard. That's a mobile job 45 minutes away. You need to quote it sight-unseen, load the truck with the right rods and gas, and figure out how to invoice both jobs today. The gate client wants progress photos and an itemized bill. You're juggling fabrication time, material costs, and drive time, and none of it is being tracked anywhere except your head.
Welders face unique challenges: Quoting fabrication jobs without knowing exact material costs upfront. Tracking consumables — wire, gas, rods — across multiple jobs. Getting paid on custom fab work before material costs eat your cash flow. No software understands shop + mobile welding workflows. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median welder earns $47,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your MIG, TIG, and stick welders 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."
— Welder 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 welders 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 welders actually deal with
Quoting fabrication jobs without knowing exact material costs upfront
Tracking consumables — wire, gas, rods — across multiple jobs
Getting paid on custom fab work before material costs eat your cash flow
No software understands shop + mobile welding workflows
A day in the life of a welder
You're in the shop fabricating a custom gate when a rancher calls about a broken cattle guard. That's a mobile job 45 minutes away. You need to quote it sight-unseen, load the truck with the right rods and gas, and figure out how to invoice both jobs today. The gate client wants progress photos and an itemized bill. You're juggling fabrication time, material costs, and drive time, and none of it is being tracked anywhere except your head.
The tools a working welder actually owns
MIG, TIG, and stick welders
Plasma cutter
Angle grinders and cut-off wheels
Welding helmets and safety gear
Why welders leave the big platforms
jobber: It's designed for service calls to houses, not fabrication shops. Doesn't handle material-heavy project quoting.
quickbooks: I don't need double-entry accounting. I need to quote, track materials, and invoice. $55/month for features I'll never use.
square: Fine for collecting payment in the field, but it can't track a multi-day fab project or material costs.
Where welders actually talk shop
r/Welding (Reddit)
r/WeldingPorn (Reddit)
r/metalworking (Reddit)
WeldingWeb.com (Forum)
MillerWelds Forum (Forum)
Weld.com (YouTube)
ChuckE2009 (YouTube)
Fireball Tool (YouTube)
Local welders on Nexa
Real welders near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a welder? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every welder on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for welders?
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.
Welders in Kalamazoo
The average solo operator there spends about $2,112/year on software — and welder face their own version of that math. MI state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Kalamazoo metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Welders 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.
If you want to compare notes or see how other welders are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
Reddit
r/Welding, r/WeldingPorn, r/metalworking
Forums
WeldingWeb.com, MillerWelds Forum
YouTube
Weld.com, ChuckE2009, Fireball Tool, This Old Tony
Podcasts
Welding Tips and Tricks Podcast, Arc Junkies
"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."
— Welder, switched from QuickBooks
Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks
$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.