QuickBooks Online vs Desktop: Which Is Right for Your Business?
You can also integrate QuickBooks Online with Zapier, which lets you connect QuickBooks to thousands of other apps in your business’s tech stack. You can do things like automatically add customers to or create receipts in QuickBooks when payments happen in other apps, or track new QuickBooks invoices or payments in another app. Here are a few pre-made workflows to show you what’s possible, but you can use Zapier to connect QuickBooks to almost any app you use. If your accounting software doesn’t register changes in real time, it could lead to costly delays. All you need is your account information, and you can access your QuickBooks details on any device with an internet connection.
QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks might encourage its users to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online, but it hasn’t issued any statements about discontinuing Desktop entirely. But based on the tech industry’s growing emphasis on cloud storage over local storage, it’s hard to imagine that downloadable programs like QuickBooks Desktop will still be relevant a decade down the road. However, if you own a big business, prefer locally stored software, or want industry-specific reports, QuickBooks Desktop could be a better fit for your business. In contrast, QuickBooks Enterprise is sold in user-based increments. Different software packages include licenses for 1 to 10 users, up to 20 users, up to 30 users, and up to 40 users. The company has updated its help centers to be more user-friendly, but there’s still no email support.
Key Features
Each offers a detailed chart of accounts, journal entries, bank reconciliation, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and the basic reports needed to run a company. However, QuickBooks Desktop offers better reporting and supports more complex accounting. Perhaps the biggest area where QuickBooks Desktop falls short is that its Pro and Premier versions will soon be discontinued for new users. While QuickBooks Enterprise will still be an option, this is powerful software with an expensive price tag that will be too much (in terms of features and pricing) for most small businesses. Small to midsize businesses that want a desktop solution or need advanced inventory and industry-specific features.
QuickBooks Product Comparison
- QuickBooks Mac Plus also has no integrations, whereas QBO has more than 750.
- If you can file taxes confidently on your own, Enhanced Payroll might be suitable.
- Meanwhile, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to set up classes, but you can’t track your income and expenses by location.
- Additionally, you won’t find the industry-specific features and reports that you’ll get if you sign up for Desktop.
QuickBooks Premier is robust, locally-installed software with plenty of features and 200+ integrations. Unfortunately, QuickBooks no longer offers this option for purchase online. To purchase QuickBooks Desktop Pro, you will need to contact QuickBooks Sales by phone. QuickBooks Solopreneur (formerly QuickBooks Self-Employed) isn’t quite accounting software.
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The copy will allow you to continue to work on transactions in the current period while your accountant makes adjustments to past periods. It’s an acceptable system but isn’t nearly as convenient as sharing your books through QuickBooks Online. While QuickBooks Online and Desktop have their strengths and weaknesses, they ultimately balance out—which makes them tied in terms of overall features. Below we provide a detailed comparison across each feature, where we also determine a winner for each category.
QuickBooks Desktop is desktop based, meaning you’ll buy a hard copy of QuickBooks’ software, then download that software once onto a single device. Speaking of extra fees, QuickBooks Desktop also charges for e-commerce app integration, invoice-based payment acceptance, and online data hosting. If you choose QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, you’ll also need to pay extra if you want to access customer service via live chat. Notably, only QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise includes 24/7 customer service. Pro Plus and Premier Plus limit customer service hours to just 12 hours a day, weekdays only.
In terms of features, QuickBooks Enterprise is about as close as you can get to an ERP without making the switch to full-on business management software. In this complete QuickBooks Comparison, we’ll explain what each program is capable of, what type of business is best for each version of QuickBooks, and the main differences between each product. By leveraging the right version of QuickBooks, you can enhance your business’s financial management and drive growth. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each version, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals and financial management needs. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are designed to handle small business’s bandwidth and needs. Strictly based on ease of use and basic functionality, QuickBooks Online is an easier-to-adopt option that can handle small business accounting needs well.
