Kahoa
Kahoa keeps operating and reserve funds apart, tracks dues by home and prepares the 1120-H for $50 a month, less than QuickBooks Plus.
Modern HOA management software
Built for self-managed communities
QuickBooks for HOAs: does it work, what it costs, and the alternatives
QuickBooks Online can keep an HOA's books, but it isn't built around homes and owners: dues become invoices to customers, there's no owner portal, and there's no 1120-H. Separating operating and reserve funds needs classes on the $140-a-month Plus plan. The best QuickBooks alternatives for an HOA are Kahoa, PayHOA and RunHOA, which track dues by home and keep funds apart on every plan.
Kahoa makes Kahoa, one of the alternatives here. QuickBooks Online is scored with the same HSAT as every other tool, and every claim links to its source.
What is QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online is small-business accounting software from Intuit. Many self-managed HOAs start on QuickBooks because a treasurer already knows it.
QuickBooks treats each homeowner as a customer and each dues bill as an invoice. Separating operating and reserve money takes classes, which start on the Plus plan, and QuickBooks has no owner portal, violations or voting.
How much does QuickBooks Online cost?
quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing, checked Oct 20, 2026| The board pays | Price |
|---|---|
| Simple Start, 1 user | $38/mo |
| Essentials, 3 users | $85/mo |
| Plus, 5 users, with classes and budgets | $140/mo |
| Advanced, 25 users | $340/mo |
List prices; QuickBooks often discounts the first three months. Tracking funds with classes and budgets needs Plus or higher.
| Homeowners pay | Per payment |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 1%, paid by the HOA |
| Card | 2.99%, paid by the HOA |
| Card, on $250 dues | $7.48 |
Does QuickBooks Online pass the HSAT?
HOA Stewardship Accounting StandardQuickBooks Online3 of 5Passes three of the HSAT's five pass-or-fail questions on its entry plan.
- Are operating and reserve funds kept apart?No, classes on Plus only
- Is the 1120-H included?No
- Does the price stay flat as homes are added?Yes, priced by plan
- Are homeowner fees published?Yes
- Can the board leave with its books?Yes, to Excel
The HSAT is Kahoa's own five-question standard, not an official accounting standard. How the HSAT works
What do QuickBooks Online reviewers say?
G2, Oct 20264.0of 5 · 3,892 verified reviews3,276 positive · 244 neutral · 372 negativeg2.com/products/quickbooks-online/reviews
What reviewers like
- Easy to use
- Cloud access from anywhere
- Integrations with other apps
What reviewers flag
- Missing features for some industries
- Expensive as plans and fees add up
- Hard to categorize the way an HOA needs
“It could not categorize things the way I needed for an HOA”Verified user, real estate, G2, Apr 15 2026
Only one of QuickBooks Online's G2 reviews mentions an HOA; the themes above come from all small-business reviewers.
What are the best QuickBooks Online alternatives?
| Software | HSAT | Board pays | 1120-H | Homeowner bank fee | Better than QuickBooks Online at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Onlinethe one you're replacing | 3 of 5 | $38–$340/mo | Not offered | 1%, paid by the HOA | — |
| Kahoaour product | 5 of 5 | $50/mo | Included | $2.45 | Funds, dues by home, owner portal, 1120-H |
| PayHOApayhoa.com/pricing | 3 of 5 | $54–$275/mo | From $399 extra | $2.45 | Dues by home and an owner portal from $54 |
| RunHOArunhoa.com/pricing | 5 of 5 | $399/yr | Included | 0.8%, max $5 | Everything for $399 a year |
| Buildiumbuildium.com/pricing | 2 of 5 | $80/mo | Not offered | $2.35 | Bookkeeper-grade, with violations |
| Condo Controlcondocontrol.com/pricing | 1 of 5 | From $67.50/mo | Not offered | Not published | Staffed condo buildings |
HSAT: one point per question passed on the entry plan. Prices checked against each vendor's pricing page, Oct 20, 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
PayHOA
PayHOA adds an owner portal, violations and unlimited texts to fund accounting, from $54 a month.
RunHOA
RunHOA costs $399 a year, about $33 a month, with accounting, voting and the 1120-H.
Who should stay on QuickBooks Online?
When QuickBooks Online is still the right call
- Your HOA has a handful of homes and few transactions.
- Your CPA or bookkeeper insists on QuickBooks and files the 1120-H.
- The association also runs a business, like a club or marina, with its own sales.
Leaving QuickBooks Online
How do you switch from QuickBooks Online?
- Export the chart of accounts, customer balances and general ledger from QuickBooks to Excel.
- Map each customer to a home and each class to a fund in the new tool, then match opening balances to the bank.
- Cancel QuickBooks after one dues cycle, once the books agree.
What else do boards ask about QuickBooks Online?
Can an HOA use QuickBooks?
Yes. Many small HOAs use QuickBooks Online with each homeowner as a customer and classes for funds. It works, but the board also needs separate tools for an owner portal, violations, voting and the 1120-H.
Which QuickBooks plan does an HOA need?
Plus, at $140 a month, because classes and budgets, which an HOA uses to separate operating and reserve funds, start on the Plus plan.
Does QuickBooks prepare the 1120-H?
No. QuickBooks Online doesn't prepare Form 1120-H; most HOAs on QuickBooks pay a CPA to file it.
Is HOA software cheaper than QuickBooks?
Often. QuickBooks Plus costs $140 a month; Kahoa costs $50 and RunHOA about $33, both with fund accounting and the 1120-H included.
Keeping a second ledger next to QuickBooks?
Move the books to software built for HOAs
Thirty days, no card. Kahoa builds the ledger from your export and last year's bank statements.
$50a month, flat, at any size. The 1120-H is included.