The verdict for christmas light installers: QuickBooks is solid software, but at $55/month it costs $2,214 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what QuickBooks does for $279 once. For solo christmas light installers and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $1,935. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| Feature | QuickBooks | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $55/mo | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Total | $2,214 | $279 |
| You own it? | No — stop paying, lose access | Yes — forever |
QuickBooks plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Christmas Light Installers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Extremely seasonal: install Sept-Nov, remove Jan-Feb, dead 6 months. Quoting rooflines accurately from ground-level photos. Light inventory management and storage between seasons. Client retention year-over-year requires CRM. QuickBooks charges $55/month on top of these daily realities. The median Christmas light installer earns $35,000/year — $660/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.
Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for christmas light installers. You own it like you own your Extension ladder and safety equipment.
It's October 20 and you have 35 installs booked in 6 weeks. Today: 2 installs (3 hours each). First house: 150 feet of roofline, 2 trees, and a wreath above the garage. Materials: $180 in lights and clips. You charge $850. Second house is simpler — $450 for roofline only. You need to quote 5 more houses this week from photos clients texted you. In January, you'll take them all down. Your CRM is a spreadsheet of addresses.
Real christmas light installers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a christmas light installer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every christmas light installer on Nexa →
For solo christmas light installers and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. QuickBooks may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
QuickBooks has features like Industry standard - accountants know it and 800+ app integrations that some businesses rely on. For most solo christmas light installers, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $55/month, Nexa pays for itself in 5.1 months. After that: $660 saved every year.
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.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once