Short answer: check printing software fills in and prints checks on your own printer. Desktop programs such as ezCheckPrinting cost $59 one time, online services such as Checkeeper cost $14.99 a month, and GnuCash is free. The software is only half of the job: you also need check paper, either blank check stock (from $49.50 for 500 sheets at Carousel Checks) or pre-printed laser checks with your bank details already on them. Prices checked October 20, 2026.
Shop blank check stock at Carousel Checks →
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What check printing software does
Every check has the same parts: your name and address, the bank name, the check number, the date, the payee, the amount in numbers and words, a signature line and the MICR line, the row of numbers at the bottom that carries your routing number, account number and check number. Check printing software handles some or all of those parts:
- Fill-in programs print only the payee, date, amount and memo onto pre-printed checks that already carry your bank details. Quicken, QuickBooks and GnuCash work this way.
- Full check designers print the whole check, MICR line included, onto blank check stock. ezCheckPrinting, Checkeeper and VersaCheck work this way, and one supply of blank stock covers several bank accounts.
Which kind you need depends on the paper you plan to buy, so pick the software and the check paper together.
Check printing software compared
Prices and features from each company’s own pages, checked October 20, 2026:
| Software | Price | Prints on | Notable features |
|---|---|---|---|
| ezCheckPrinting (Halfpricesoft) | $59 one time (Windows, single user); $59.99 on the Mac App Store; Network $79 plus $40 per additional user | Blank stock or pre-printed checks | MICR line, logo and signature; check on top, middle, bottom and 3 per page; no monthly fees |
| Checkeeper | $14.99 a month; 14-day free trial, no credit card | Check stock or blank paper | Online; MICR font encoding; connects QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks and Xero; mails a check for $1.50 |
| VersaCheck Online | Silver $89.88 a year; Gold $125.88; Platinum $149.88; PRO $299.88 | Blank security check paper | Silver: 1 user, 3 bank accounts, personal checks. Gold adds business checks and 3 users |
| Quicken | Part of your Quicken plan | Quicken checks only | Tools, then Write and Print Checks; Quicken says you cannot print on regular paper |
| GnuCash | Free (GNU GPL) | Pre-printed checks | File, then Print Checks; standard Quicken check formats or a custom layout |
| QuickBooks | Part of your QuickBooks plan | Pre-printed QuickBooks checks | Prints voucher and standard checks; see our QuickBooks checks guide |
ezCheckPrinting sells the ezCheckPrinting plus QuickBooks Network edition at $219 plus $60 per additional user for offices that want both. VersaCheck plans include free print credits: 50 on Silver, 80 on Gold, 100 on Platinum and 250 on PRO. Checkeeper refunds your money if you cancel within 30 days, and it says more than 115,000 companies, bookkeepers and individuals have used it.
Already using Quicken? Our Quicken checks guide compares the official Quicken check store with cheaper compatible laser checks.
Free check printing software
Three ways to print checks without paying for software:
- GnuCash is free personal and small-business accounting software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Select a transaction and choose File, then Print Checks; it prints to several standard Quicken check formats, including US Letter, or to a custom format you set up. It fills in pre-printed checks, so you still buy checks with your bank details on them.
- ezCheckPrinting has an unlimited free trial with full features. Checks printed in the trial carry a trial watermark, so it is a test drive, not a free way to pay bills.
- Checkeeper has a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
If you pay only a few bills a month, a box of pre-printed checks costs less than most software. Our guide to the cheapest checks lists boxes of personal checks for about $20.
Want your logo on the checks? Our business checks with logo guide compares printing the logo from your software with pre-printed logo checks and stock symbols.
Blank stock or pre-printed checks
Blank check stock is check paper with a safety background and stubs and nothing else. Carousel Checks states on its blank stock pages that these checks are blank and contain no imprint information; your software prints the bank name, your details and the MICR line. It suits full check designers and anyone with several accounts. Our blank check stock guide covers every format and color.
Pre-printed laser checks arrive with your name, bank and MICR line already printed, and the software adds the payee and amount. Carousel and Bank Checks Plus both state that their laser checks are compatible with QuickBooks, Quicken and Microsoft Money, and that they custom format your checks for other software at no extra charge. Our laser checks guide compares top, middle, bottom and 3 per page layouts.
Printing from QuickBooks? Our QuickBooks checks guide explains voucher and standard checks and compares pre-printed check prices.
Check paper prices
Blue Safety designs, list prices checked October 20, 2026. Shipping is added at checkout.
| Check paper | Quantity | Price | Per check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carousel blank top laser checks | 500 | $49.50 | about 10 cents |
| Carousel blank top laser checks | 1,000 | $93.50 | about 9 cents |
| Carousel blank 3 per page | 500 sheets (1,500 checks) | $27.50 | under 2 cents |
| Bank Checks Plus blank top laser checks | 500 | $87.00 | about 17 cents |
| Carousel pre-printed top laser checks | 500 | $99.00 | about 20 cents |
| Bank Checks Plus pre-printed top laser checks | 500 | $90.39 | about 18 cents |
| Carousel pre-printed 3 per page | 300 | $50.50 | about 17 cents |
| Bank Checks Plus pre-printed 3 per page | 300 | $48.58 | about 16 cents |
Checks Unlimited’s business site lists QuickBooks computer checks at 500 for as low as $99.55, and it prints computer checks for Quicken, Peachtree, Microsoft Money, Great Plains and other programs on its software list.
Shop pre-printed laser checks at Bank Checks Plus →
Affiliate link: GetBankChecks.com earns a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Buying pre-printed sheets instead? Our pre-printed computer checks guide compares formats and prices, and our Sage and Peachtree checks guide covers checks for Sage 50.
Printer, ink and the MICR line
Any laser printer handles pre-printed checks, and Carousel says its blank stock works in laser and inkjet printers. The MICR line is where the choices differ. ezCheckPrinting prints the MICR line itself, and Checkeeper offers MICR font encoding. VersaCheck tells its users to print with a MICR printer on check paper. Checkeeper goes further and says it prints valid checks on plain white printer paper that meet national banking requirements.
Banks read the MICR line by machine, so a smudged or misaligned line slows a check down. Print a test page on plain paper first, hold it behind a check sheet against the light and adjust the alignment in the software before you print on check stock. If you print on blank stock often, ask your bank whether it wants MICR toner, which contains magnetic ink.
Printing on blank stock? Our check printer guide compares MICR printers, MICR toner and ink costs, and the cost per check against pre-printed laser checks.
How to print checks at home
- Choose the software and the matching paper: blank stock for a full check designer, pre-printed checks for Quicken, QuickBooks or GnuCash.
- Enter your bank routing number and account number once in the software if you print on blank stock.
- Run a test print on plain paper and line it up with a check sheet.
- Load the check paper face up or face down as your printer manual says, then print.
- Sign each check, record the check number and store the remaining sheets in a locked drawer.
Mailing checks? Double-window envelopes show the payee address printed on the check; our check envelopes guide lists the sizes for each layout.
Value Priced Personal Checks
Browse hundreds of personal check designs and current deals, from classic and floral to scenic and photo styles, all shipped fast from a trusted printer.
Check printing software: frequently asked questions
What is the best check printing software?
It depends on your paper. For blank check stock, ezCheckPrinting ($59 one time) and Checkeeper ($14.99 a month) print the whole check, MICR line included. For pre-printed checks, Quicken, QuickBooks or the free GnuCash fill in the payee and amount (prices October 20, 2026).
Is there free check printing software?
Yes. GnuCash is free accounting software that prints onto pre-printed checks. ezCheckPrinting has an unlimited free trial that prints a trial watermark, and Checkeeper has a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Can I print my own checks at home?
Yes. You need check printing software, a printer and check paper: blank check stock (Carousel Checks sells 500 blank top laser checks for $49.50) or pre-printed laser checks with your bank details already on them (October 20, 2026).
Can I print checks on regular paper?
Checkeeper says it prints valid checks on plain white paper. Quicken says you cannot print checks on regular paper. Most people use blank check stock, which adds a safety background and stubs.
Do I need MICR ink to print checks?
Software such as ezCheckPrinting and Checkeeper prints the MICR line on blank stock, and VersaCheck tells users to print with a MICR printer. With pre-printed checks the MICR line is already on the paper, so any laser printer works.
What checks work with check printing software?
Carousel Checks and Bank Checks Plus laser checks are compatible with QuickBooks, Quicken and Microsoft Money, and both custom format checks for other software at no extra charge. Blank check stock works with any program that prints the MICR line.
Related guides
- Laser checks
- Blank check stock
- Quicken checks
- QuickBooks voucher checks
- Check envelopes
- How to reorder checks online
- Cheapest checks 2026
- Check companies compared
Affiliate disclosure: GetBankChecks.com is an independent guide, not a check printer. Some links are affiliate links, and we earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Prices, codes and designs change, so check them on the merchant’s site before you pay.