Intuit QuickBooks has been pushing its online products, so switching from QuickBooks Online to Desktop isn’t as easy, but it is possible. Go to the Settings gear icon and click “Export Data.” Then, select your reason for leaving. Learn More.” This will guide you through exporting your data and creating a backup company file. With QuickBooks Online, users receive many of the same great features while gaining the mobility of cloud-based software. QuickBooks Online is easier to use and has more automations, more integrations, and better invoicing.
QuickBooks also offers several desktop versions of its cloud-based accounting software, including QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus and QuickBooks Enterprise. As an extremely popular accounting solution, QuickBooks Online integrates with hundreds of the best third-party financial apps, from payroll companies like Gusto to point-of-sale systems like Square. Plus, with four plans, QuickBooks Online has a plan and price point for most small businesses. QuickBooks for desktop also has a more complicated interface than QuickBooks’ online software. If you’re already familiar with business financials (including if you’re an accountant), QuickBooks Desktop plans give you heftier fiscal reports and more complex accounting features.
- Because the product is cloud-based, it’s accessible anywhere with an internet connection.
- Both are locally-installed accounting solutions, both offer numerous features and robust reporting, and both have numerous integrations.
- And while the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app is fine, that’s really all it is—fine.
For example, Xero ranges from $13 to $70 per month and includes unlimited users and basic inventory management in all plans. Similarly, FreshBooks ranges from $17 to $55 per month, with time tracking in all free accounting tutorial plans. QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $30 per month, includes only one account user (plus access for two accountants) and does not offer billable hours tracking, bill pay or inventory management.
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Additionally, QuickBooks Premier supports up to five users, whereas QuickBooks Pro only supports a maximum of three. However, businesses with three or fewer users that plan to use only the standard version of QuickBooks Premier are better off saving their time (and money!) by signing up for QuickBooks Pro. But what QuickBooks Pro Plus sacrifices in mobility, it more than makes up for in its features, which are more developed than what you’ll find in QuickBooks Online.
- You can easily separate personal and business expenses, which is ideal for freelancers who don’t have separate business bank accounts.
- If you’re looking for more from your subscription—like productivity on the go, collaboration with your team, and access on multiple devices (PC, Mac, and mobile)—QuickBooks Online may work better for you.
- For instance, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to create customized job costing reports tailored to specialized industries, including manufacturers, contractors, and retailers.
- QuickBooks Online is the most versatile and well-rounded of the QuickBooks suite of products.
On the other hand, QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for larger businesses that want access to more users and more features without fully upgrading to ERP software. Pricing varies based on the number of users and the level of customer support you need, and if you need to add QuickBooks Desktop Payroll. Best for small to medium-sized businesses with three users or fewer looking for strong accounting or locally-installed software.
How To Choose The Right Version Of QuickBooks For Your Business
It might work well for some big businesses interested in industry-specific software and good customer service, but that’s about it. According to the QuickBooks site, individual businesses interested in Enterprise can work out a customized pricing solution that saves them some money. But without any sort of discount, and if you add all 40 users to your account, you’re looking at more than $52,000 a year. While we love QuickBooks Online’s accessibility, low learning curve, and simple scalability for multiple business types and sizes, it’s one of the pricier cloud-based accounting solutions. Past desktop users could choose between a one-time-purchase QuickBooks Desktop software (good for three years) or an annually renewing subscription. But as of 2022, QuickBooks Desktop’s single-purchase option has been discontinued.
Finally, QuickBooks Online Plus Plan offers most features and works well for large businesses giving access to five users. If you have more questions, you can visit our Online FAQs support to know more about frequent ask questions. QuickBooks Enterprise is the most customizable and powerful version of all the QuickBooks products, making it ideal for larger businesses with complex finances. It builds on Premier Plus with QuickBooks’ most advanced inventory, reporting and pricing capabilities. Enterprise is more easily scalable than other QuickBooks Desktop products, offering four plans and the option to add remote access. QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus and Enterprise plans have industry-specific reports for manufacturing and wholesale, retail, nonprofit, general contractor and professional service businesses, too.
Other QuickBooks-related products
While the Desktop version has app integrations, it doesn’t have near as many as the Online version. There are over 200 options instead of the 650-plus to its cloud counterpart. For $1,410 per year, get the Enterprise plan with advanced pricing, reporting and inventory. The higher your plan tier, the more reports and users you can add, although it’s important to understand concurrent users are each sold separately. The two versions are independent of each other, which means the data you enter on Desktop doesn’t sync to the Online version and vice-versa. You don’t want to use multiple accounting services or software to perform each of these tasks.
Payroll
QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Self-Employed are the best for businesses wanting cloud-based software with mobile apps. QuickBooks Self-Employed is specifically for freelancers, while QuickBooks Online is a good fit for nearly any size business. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has the same great accounting capabilities as Pro and Premier but allows access for up to 40 users and much more storage space.
Still, QuickBooks Online offers an unbeatable range of features, packaged in a solid interface with good support. QuickBooks Online is better for business owners who want easy-to-use cloud-based accounting that includes anywhere online access, mobile apps, and tons of integrations with other business apps. With QuickBooks Desktop, users receive some of the most developed accounting tools on the market.
We’ll compare QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop and highlight the differences between each version plus which one is most suitable for collaborating on the go, and which is faster and offers more advanced features. QuickBooks has a plethora of solutions for anyone who needs to maintain their business’ books. If you are someone who manages the finances at a business or one of the following, you should consider purchasing a QuickBooks product that meets your needs. You can generate all the reports you need with the financial information entered into your company’s bookkeeping software.
Get free migration help and a personalized setup session when you move to QuickBooks Online*
And while QuickBooks Desktop comes out on top in this comparison, only you can decide which one is best for your business. If neither application catches your eye, why not take a look at some QuickBooks alternatives or check out The Ascent’s accounting software reviews. All QuickBooks Online plans include good reporting options, with the Advanced plan offering the most comprehensive reporting options, including key financial metrics such as revenue and cash flow. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are both excellent small business accounting software applications, both offering complete double-entry accounting as well as automatic processing of closing entries.
The downsides are the lack of sales orders, lead management, and other complexities that loyal Desktop users may miss (such as customizable letter templates, a built-in calendar, and even spellcheck). These versions give business owners more features and reports geared toward their industry. You can learn more in our guide to the industry-specific editions of QuickBooks Enterprise. The main difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop is that QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software, and QuickBooks Desktop is locally installed.
You can work directly with a certified QuickBooks accountant (a.k.a. QuickBooks ProAdvisor), but most accountants should be familiar with both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. For example, the app includes built-in mileage tracking, which is crucial for traveling freelancers who claim mileage or car expenses as a key tax deduction. The app also scans receipts and tracks expenses, which the software then sorts by tax write-off category. Plus, QuickBooks Self-Employed syncs with TurboTax (which is also owned by Intuit) to make tax filing a little simpler.
When you’re ready to file taxes, you can pull all of your QuickBooks Self-Employed data directly into Turbo Tax to make filing easy. QuickBooks Advanced provides greater flexibility in customizing reports than the other QuickBooks Online plans. Users can tailor their reports by filtering and grouping data and creating custom fields and dashboards.