Magicians on QuickBooks pay $38/month — $456/year. Over three years, that's $1,368. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 7.3 months. The median magician earns $42,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.1% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,368 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
See the full history of QuickBooks price changes in the SaaS Graveyard →
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Magicians face unique challenges: Booking conflicts between events. Deposit collection for private shows. Managing different act packages. No-show protection for party bookings. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $38/month ($456/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median magician earns $42,000/year. Software at $456/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Card decks 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.
QuickBooks is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
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Your exact QuickBooks cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| Feature | QuickBooks | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | — | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✓ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Works offline | — | ✓ |
| Price | $38/mo forever | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Cost | $1,368 | $279 |
| Stop paying? | Lose everything | Keep everything forever |
Most magicians are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Reports → export to CSV. Download clients, invoices, expenses.
15-minute setup. Import your clients and expenses by CSV; re-enter your main services.
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify everything transferred.
Cancel subscription. Download final backup. You're done.
My morning starts with the case for today's show: a kids' birthday party at two, forty-five minutes, for a boy turning seven. I reset every effect — linking rings, change bag, sponge balls, the coloring book, the dove pan that turns into candy, a cut-and-restored rope — and run the load list twice, because a missing gimmick at a party can't be fixed on site. The parents asked for the birthday kid's name to appear on a silk, so I rehearse that production and the patter around it, timed for little kids who shout out the secret before I get there. At the house I set up in the living room with the kids on the floor in front of me and nobody behind me, bring up a different volunteer for each routine, and save the finale for the birthday boy. After the show I twist balloon animals for every kid, pack up, and collect the balance from the parent. Tonight is different work: a strolling close-up set at a corporate dinner with cards, coins and a borrowed ring, so I change clothes, swap to the close-up case and check my card gimmicks are fresh. Between shows I answer inquiries — a school library show, a wedding cocktail hour — send quotes for the right package, chase the deposit for next Saturday's party and block the date so I don't double-book, then spend twenty minutes on a card sleight that still isn't clean enough.
Real magicians near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a magician? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every magician on Nexa →
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.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. QuickBooks is $38/month — that's $1,368 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
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.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from QuickBooks as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $1,900/year on software — and magician face their own version of that math. Virginia income tax up to 5.75%. Military spouse rules may apply. No city income tax but business license tax based on gross receipts. Virginia requires contractor licensing through DPOR for projects over $1,000. Virginia Beach requires a business license with gross receipts reporting.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Virginia Beach metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Magicians run into with QuickBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
Recent threads from Reddit and Hacker News mentioning QuickBooks. Sentiment scored automatically — click through to read the full thread.
$1,368 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once