Updated November 6, 2026. Quick answer: At list prices read on November 6, 2026, the receipt caps decide the price more than the plan names do. SparkReceipt Pro ($69.00 billed annually) and Shoeboxed Starter ($97 a year) each stop at 50 receipts a month; QuickBooks Solopreneur Free stops at 2 and Zoho Expense Free at 20. At 200 a month the paid routes that cover it run from $36 a year per user (Zoho Expense Standard, computed) to $516 a year (FreshBooks Plus, computed). A phone camera and a dated folder cost nothing at any volume.
How the costs on this page were worked out
Every price is the list price printed on the vendor page on November 6, 2026, for one user and one business. A plan billed monthly is counted as 12 months at the list price, which is labelled computed each time; an introductory promotion (for example a half-price first three months) is not counted, and sales tax is not added. Where a page prints an annual price, that printed price is used instead of a multiplication.
The number of receipts a month is yours to supply: the three volumes below are 20, 50 and 200. A cap is read as the vendor prints it. Clear Money Guide has not used these products, so the page says nothing about how long any of them takes to use or how accurate their reading of a receipt is. Plan names, prices and limits are as printed on each vendor page on November 6, 2026, and vendors change them.
Plans, list prices and the caps they print
| Product and plan | Annual cost at list price | Receipt or scan cap as printed |
|---|---|---|
| SparkReceipt Pro | $69.00 billed annually (shown as $5.75 a month); one user | 50 documents a month for the whole account, shared by all its users; bank statements count toward the 50 |
| SparkReceipt Elite | $129.00 billed annually; one user | Unlimited documents, subject to fair use |
| Dext Business | $302.50 billed annually, for the base plan | 250 documents a month and 5 users in the base plan; each additional user adds 50 documents |
| Shoeboxed Starter | $97 a year, or $9 a month (12 months at $9 is $108 (computed)) | 50 digital scans a month; the pricing page lists $0.19 a digital scan beyond that |
| Shoeboxed Pro | $297 a year, or $29 a month (12 months at $29 is $348 (computed)) | 250 digital scans a month |
| Wave Receipts plan (add-on) | $72 a year, or $8 a month (12 months at $8 is $96 (computed)) | Unlimited receipt scanning, with bulk import of up to 10 at once |
| Wave Pro | $190 a year; the pages differ on month-to-month billing ($16 a month on the receipts page, US$19 a month on the fees page) | The receipts page says mobile receipt scanning needs an active Pro or Receipts plan; Starter is $0 and is not listed for mobile scanning |
| QuickBooks Solopreneur Free | $0 | 2 receipts a month |
| QuickBooks Solopreneur Lite | $20 a month list; 12 months at $20 is $240 (computed). The page shows a $10 a month introduction for 3 months, not counted, and no annual dollar price | Unlimited receipts and mileage |
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start | $38 a month list; 12 months at $38 is $456 (computed) | The pages read do not state a receipt cap or which plans include receipt capture |
| Xero Early | $27 a month list; 12 months at $27 is $324 (computed). Xero says subscriptions are billed monthly | Smart Document Capture is free on every plan; no caps are stated on the pages read |
| FreshBooks Plus | $43 a month list; 12 months at $43 is $516 (computed). Lite is $23 a month list and is not among the plans listed for receipt scanning | Unlimited receipt scanning |
| Zoho Expense Free | $0; maximum 3 users | 20 receipt scans per user a month; past the limit you can still create expenses manually or upload receipts for recordkeeping |
| Zoho Expense Standard | $3 per user a month billed annually; 12 months at $3 is $36 (computed) per user | 200 receipt scans per user a month |
| Expensify (individual use) | Free for individuals; the Collect plan is $5 per member a month (12 months at $5 is $60 (computed) per member) | Unlimited SmartScans for individuals; extra functionality such as expense categorization requires a paid plan |
| Smart Receipts Pro | $99.99 a year, or $12.99 a month | No scan cap is stated on the pages read; receipt scanning begins at Pro, not on the Free plan |
| Camera, folder and spreadsheet | $0. Phone camera, one folder, one spreadsheet. The baseline described on Bookkeeping for a One-Person Business | No cap: the limit is your own filing discipline. |
What a year costs at 20, 50 and 200 receipts a month
This table takes the plan from the table above that covers each volume. A plan whose cap is exactly the volume is marked as using the whole cap, because a few extra receipts, or a bank statement counted toward the same limit, would push you past it. A figure followed by (computed) is a monthly list price multiplied by 12; the rest are printed on the vendor page.
| Product | 20 receipts a month | 50 receipts a month | 200 receipts a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| SparkReceipt | $69.00 (Pro) | $69.00 (Pro, the whole cap) | Pro is past its cap; $129.00 (Elite) |
| Dext | $302.50 | $302.50 | $302.50 (inside the 250-document base) |
| Shoeboxed | $97 (Starter) | $97 (Starter, the whole cap) | Starter is past its cap; $297 (Pro) |
| Wave (Receipts plan) | $72 | $72 | $72 |
| QuickBooks Solopreneur | Free is past its cap; Lite $240 (computed) | Lite $240 (computed) | Lite $240 (computed) |
| QuickBooks Online (Simple Start) | $456 (computed) | $456 (computed) | $456 (computed) Cap not stated. |
| Xero (Early) | $324 (computed) | $324 (computed) | $324 (computed) |
| FreshBooks (Plus) | $516 (computed) | $516 (computed) | $516 (computed) |
| Zoho Expense | $0 (Free, the whole 20-scan cap) | Free is past its cap; $36 (computed) per user (Standard) | $36 (computed) per user (Standard, the whole 200-scan cap) |
| Expensify | Free for individuals | Free for individuals | Free for individuals |
| Smart Receipts (Pro) | $99.99 | $99.99 | $99.99 |
| Camera and folder | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Where each free route stops
The free routes are real, with limits you can read. QuickBooks Solopreneur Free allows 2 receipts a month, so it does not cover even the lowest volume above. Zoho Expense Free allows 20 receipt scans per user a month and a maximum of 3 users. Expensify is free for individuals with unlimited SmartScans, while categorizing expenses needs a paid plan. Smart Receipts Free covers manual entry only. Wave Starter is $0, but mobile receipt scanning needs Pro or the Receipts plan.
Past a cap, some vendors still let you keep the record: Zoho Expense says that once you reach the monthly scan limit you can still create expenses manually or upload receipts for recordkeeping. The IRS standard does not depend on the tool: “You may choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows your income and expenses.” A folder of dated images and a spreadsheet meets that sentence at no cost, as Bookkeeping for a One-Person Business describes.
Which volume fits which reader
About 20 receipts a month. Most routes in the table cover this volume. If you already pay for accounting software that states unlimited or uncapped capture, the extra cost of a separate app is the whole price of that app. If you do not, the camera-and-folder route is complete; a paid app is a convenience, not a requirement. The wider decision is laid out in Receipts and expense records for a one-person business.
About 50 receipts a month. This is the volume where the 50-a-month plans are full. SparkReceipt Pro and Shoeboxed Starter both print a cap of 50, so a month with extra receipts, or a bank statement counted toward the same limit, goes over. A plan with headroom, such as SparkReceipt Elite, Wave’s Receipts plan or Dext, is the safer fit for a business that sometimes spikes.
About 200 receipts a month. Here several plans are at or near their printed limits: Zoho Expense Standard at 200 per user, Dext inside its 250-document base, Shoeboxed Pro at 250. The plans that print no cap or an unlimited allowance are the ones the table shows covering this volume without a step up. At this volume, check whether the accountant would rather receive one file a month than a login.
Common mistakes
- Comparing a promotional price to a list price. Several vendors print a first-months discount beside a higher list price; this page counts the list price only.
- Reading a monthly price as an annual cost. Where a plan is billed monthly, the annual figure here is 12 times the printed monthly price, labelled computed.
- Ignoring what shares a cap. SparkReceipt counts bank statements and every user’s documents toward the same 50.
- Paying for volume you do not have. At 20 receipts a month the free routes and the folder method cover the record; a paid plan buys convenience.
Related: Bookkeeping for a One-Person Business, and Schedule C (Form 1040).
Sources
- SparkReceipt: pricing page
- Dext: pricing page, dext plans for businesses page
- QuickBooks Online: pricing page, mobile page
- QuickBooks Solopreneur: solopreneur page
- Xero: pricing plans page, store files page
- FreshBooks: pricing page, receipt scanner page
- Wave: Receipts and Pro Plan subscription fees page, receipts page, pricing page
- Zoho Expense: pricing page
- Expensify: pricing page
- Shoeboxed: pricing page
- Smart Receipts: home page page, subscription plan comparison page
- IRS, What kind of records should I keep
- IRS, How long should I keep records
Vendor details were read from the pages linked above on November 6, 2026; vendors change plans and prices, so confirm on the vendor’s own page before you buy. Clear Money Guide has not used these products. General information, not tax advice.