Software Price Increases 2026: Tracker of Major Vendor Hikes (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Adobe, Atlassian, QuickBooks, Salesforce)

The smallest plans took the biggest percentage jumps. F1 rose 33.3% and F3 rose 25%, while Business Premium and Office 365 E1 did not change at all, which makes Premium look better value than it did a year ago.

QuickBooks Online Plus leads at 21.7%, with Google Workspace and Adobe tied at 16.7%. The Google and Adobe hikes came bundled with new AI features, so the price went up whether or not you use them.

Plus has gone up every year on this chart, from $85 in Sep 2022 to $140 in Sep 2026. That is a 64.7% rise in four years, and the latest step was the biggest one.

The 2026 change hit the upper plans hardest. Advanced rose 23.6% and Plus 21.7%, Essentials 13.3%, and Simple Start stayed at $38.

Business Basic has now gone from $5 to $6 to $7. Each step looks small per seat, but it applies to every person on the account.

Software price increase tracker: major vendor list price changes, 2025-2026 (US list prices)

Source: Microsoft, Advancing Microsoft 365: New capabilities and pricing update (Updated pricing table); Microsoft Partner Center (Microsoft Learn), December 2025 announcements: Pricing and packaging updates for commercial Microsoft 365 suites coming in 2026; Google (Google Workspace Blog), Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every business; Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot); Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot); Adobe (Adobe Help Center), archived by the Internet Archive, Changes to Creative Cloud for individuals plans including students and teachers plans (archived snapshot); Adobe, archived by the Internet Archive, Adobe Creative Cloud Resubscribe Promo page (archived snapshot); Adobe (Adobe Help Center), archived by the Internet Archive, Changes to Creative Cloud for teams plans (archived snapshot); Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot); Atlassian Investor Relations, Notice of FY26 Cloud Pricing Changes from Atlassian; Atlassian, Cloud list price changes FAQ (future pricing); Salesforce, Salesforce simplifies editions (Core, Advanced and Max); Salesforce, Salesforce pricing update; Salesforce, Salesforce Sales pricing; Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Zoom Communications, Zoom plans and pricing. Download as image

Microsoft 365 commercial list prices before and after July 1, 2026 (USD per user per month)

Source: Microsoft, Advancing Microsoft 365: New capabilities and pricing update (Updated pricing table). Download as image

QuickBooks Online monthly list prices on Intuit's US pricing page, 2022-2026

Source: Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot); Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot). Download as image

Which software vendors raised prices in 2026?

Four names stand out. Microsoft raised most Microsoft 365 commercial plans from July 1, 2026. Business Standard went from $12.50 to $14, Business Basic from $6 to $7, and Microsoft 365 E3 from $36 to $39. Existing customers pay the new rate at their first renewal after that date.

Intuit moved QuickBooks Online prices between July 31 and September 1, 2026. Plus went from $115 to $140 and Advanced from $275 to $340. Advanced listed at $200 in September 2022, so it is up 70% in four years.

Atlassian set new cloud list prices for Jira, Confluence, Jira Service Management, Guard, Bitbucket Premium and others from October 13, 2026 PT. It did not publish the percentage. Its previous round, on October 15, 2025, ran from 5% to 10%.

Salesforce announced new Core, Advanced and Max editions on September 3, 2026, listed at $195, $395 and $550 per user per month. It frames Max as no change against Agentforce 1 and does not give a percentage against the old Enterprise and Unlimited editions. Its last straight increase was a 6% average on August 1, 2025.

Why are software prices going up so much?

The vendors mostly give one reason: more features. Google said its $14 Business Standard price was $2 more than Workspace without Gemini, and folded the AI tools into its Business and Enterprise plans. Adobe renamed All Apps to Creative Cloud Pro, added generative credits, and moved the price from $59.99 to $69.99 for North American renewals on or after June 17, 2025.

That is the pattern to watch. A plan gets a new name or a bundled feature, and the old, cheaper option quietly goes away. Salesforce no longer shows an Enterprise or Unlimited edition on its Sales pricing page. If you liked the old plan, the question is not whether it costs more but whether you can still buy it at all.

There is also a simpler reason. Moving off accounting, email or a ticketing system is painful, and vendors know it. Once your books, files and workflows live in one tool, a hike of 12% or even 21.7% is usually cheaper than switching, so most customers pay it.

None of this means every hike is fair or final. List prices are a starting point, and larger accounts regularly get discounts off them. Smaller buyers have less pull, but they still control timing, plan choice and seat counts, which is often enough to absorb most of an increase.

When will my price actually change?

Almost never on the announcement date. Read the effective-date rules for your plan, because they differ by vendor and by how you pay.

Microsoft applies the new list price to existing customers at their next renewal after July 1, 2026. If you renewed an annual term in June, you may stay on the old price for most of the next year. Google moved new customers in January 2025, existing monthly plans on March 17, 2025, and annual plans at renewal. Atlassian bills monthly plans and renewals at the new rate from October 13, 2026 PT, but honors quotes generated before that date until they expire.

So the date that matters is in your own account, not the press release. Look up your renewal date and billing cycle now. If you are on a monthly plan, you usually get little protection. On an annual plan, you may have a window to lock in a year at the current rate.

What these hikes mean for a small business or freelancer

Per seat, the numbers look minor. The trouble is that they stack. A freelancer paying for Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Adobe Creative Cloud Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus saw all three go up in a little over a year. None of those bills is negotiable for a one-person business, so the only levers are plan choice and timing.

Start by checking whether you are on the right plan. Microsoft's Business Premium stayed at $22 while Standard rose, which narrows the gap if you were thinking about the extra security tools. In QuickBooks, Simple Start held at $38 while Essentials went from $75 to $85. If you barely use a feature tier, dropping one level can wipe out the increase.

For teams, count seats before renewal. A hike applies to every license, including ones nobody logs into. Removing inactive users before the renewal date is the fastest saving you have.

Watch the bundles, too. When Google folded Gemini into Workspace and Adobe added generative credits to Creative Cloud Pro, the price rose for everyone on those plans. If the new features do nothing for you, ask the vendor whether a lighter plan still exists, and compare it before your renewal rather than after.

If you bill clients for your tools, check your own contracts too. A fixed retainer signed two years ago does not move when your software costs do.

How do I push back on a software price increase?

• Find your renewal date and notice deadline. Many annual contracts auto-renew unless you cancel by a set date, and that is when you have the most bargaining power.
• Ask for the current rate on a longer term. Vendors often prefer a two or three year commitment at today's price to a customer who might leave.
• Ask for a written cap on future increases at renewal, tied to a fixed percentage or an index, and get it into the order form, not an email.
• Check whether the vendor can change prices or terms during your term by posting an update. If it can, ask for that to apply only at renewal.
• Get a quote before the effective date when the vendor honors pre-change quotes, as Atlassian does until the quote expires.
• Price the alternatives honestly, including the time it takes to move your data. A credible plan B is what makes a discount request work.

Sources and method

Every number on this page comes from the sources below, each opened and read on or before October 18, 2026. A second, independent review checked every figure against its source and corrected anything that did not match. Figures that could not be confirmed were left out.

1. Microsoft, Advancing Microsoft 365: New capabilities and pricing update (Updated pricing table) (December 4, 2025 (updated March 18, 2026))
2. Microsoft Partner Center (Microsoft Learn), December 2025 announcements: Pricing and packaging updates for commercial Microsoft 365 suites coming in 2026 (December 4, 2025 item (page updated December 22, 2025))
3. Microsoft, New pricing for Microsoft 365 (August 19, 2021)
4. Google (Google Workspace Blog), Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every business (January 16, 2025 (updated April 28, 2025))
5. Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of January 11, 2025)
6. Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of May 1, 2025)
7. Google, archived by the Internet Archive, Google Workspace pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of October 2, 2026)
8. Adobe (Adobe Help Center), archived by the Internet Archive, Changes to Creative Cloud for individuals plans including students and teachers plans (archived snapshot) (Last updated June 17, 2025 (snapshot of June 26, 2025))
9. Adobe (Adobe Help Center), archived by the Internet Archive, Changes to Creative Cloud for teams plans (archived snapshot) (Last updated May 23, 2025 (snapshot of June 26, 2025))
10. Adobe, archived by the Internet Archive, Adobe Creative Cloud Resubscribe Promo page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of January 19, 2025)
11. Atlassian Investor Relations, Notice of FY26 Cloud Pricing Changes from Atlassian (September 2025 (customers notified August 19, 2025))
12. Atlassian, Cloud list price changes FAQ (future pricing) (Live page, read October 19, 2026 (no publication date shown))
13. Salesforce, Salesforce pricing update (June 17, 2025)
14. Zoom Communications, Zoom plans and pricing (Live page, read October 19, 2026)
15. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of September 1, 2022)
16. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of September 1, 2023)
17. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of September 1, 2024)
18. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of September 2, 2025)
19. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of July 31, 2026)
20. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of September 1, 2026)
21. Intuit, archived by the Internet Archive, QuickBooks Online pricing page (archived snapshot) (Snapshot of October 18, 2026)
22. Salesforce, Salesforce simplifies editions (Core, Advanced and Max) (September 3, 2026)
23. Salesforce, Salesforce Sales pricing (Live page, read October 19, 2026)