Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice. If you’re a small to medium-sized business switching from another cloud-based accounting app, QuickBooks Online would probably suit you best. It’s more fully featured than what is a normal profit with picture most other bookkeeping apps, so you’ll experience an upgrade when switching. Early in QuickBooks Online’s release, there was a significant price difference between the various desktop and online versions. However, that price gap has closed among lower-tier plans in recent years.
- Personalized setup is limited to a 1-hour session with a customer success product expert.
- It allows you to take photos of receipts and directly upload them to your QuickBooks Desktop software for record-keeping purposes.
- QuickBooks Online ensures data security through automatic backups and industry-standard encryption protocols.
- Go to the Settings gear icon and click “Export Data.” Then, select your reason for leaving.
- Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice.
Since QuickBooks Online is priced as a monthly subscription, it doesn’t require a contract and you can cancel your account at any time. Additionally, the desktop products are only available as annual subscriptions, making them a bigger commitment than QuickBooks Online. With four plans, robust features and a user-friendly interface, QuickBooks Online is the ideal choice for most small businesses. QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, is a good option for businesses that prefer desktop software, need its advanced inventory tracking and reporting tools, or are looking for an industry-specific solution. For many home-service businesses, QuickBooks Online is the obvious choice. This is especially true for smaller companies, which don’t have an in-house accountant tied to a desk but that do have employees who are always on the go.
Job Costing
One is sleek and modern, and the other seems to have been designed for a cubicle. Katana integrates with QuickBooks Online and equips you with all the necessary tools to manage your inventory and manufacturing processes. It also keeps all your information automatically synced across all your business tools, saving you precious time and eliminating human errors.
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- There is a significant difference between QuickBooks Online vs Desktop in terms of sharing files with accountants.
- However, companies with complex jobs and reporting will find it limiting.
- In contrast, QuickBooks Online focuses on providing a streamlined and user-friendly experience.
- QuickBooks Desktop is also a good fit for niche businesses such as nonprofit organizations, retailers, and general contractors looking for a more industry-specific solution.
- The QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus plan is particularly useful for business that want industry-specific features.
All QuickBooks versions and plans include comprehensive reporting options. QuickBooks Desktop also has additional features for customizing and exporting reports. This version automatically backs up your data to the cloud, and the service is always updated remotely and automatically whenever changes, patches, or improvements happen.
What is QuickBooks Online (QBO)?
For instance, if you choose the Simple Start plan, you’re the only person who can use the software—apart from your accountant, with whom you can share your business’s account at no additional cost. QuickBooks Online has a cheaper monthly cost and is more affordable if you have a lot of employees who will be using the software. QuickBooks Desktop Pro may be cheaper if you do not need additional users or add-ons such as payroll. 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. 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).
QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop FAQ
In some way, shape, or form, QuickBooks has been one of the leading small business accounting software solutions since it’s inception. Overall Average Reviews and ratings of QuickBooks Online on the basis of popular review websites are 4.2 out of 5 whereas QuickBooks Desktop ratings are 4.5 out of 5. Reviews by real users were on the basis of value for money, ease of use, customer support, features and functionality. QuickBooks Online ensures data security through automatic backups and industry-standard encryption protocols.
QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: At a Glance
With QuickBooks Desktop, you must make an Accountant’s Copy of your data file and send it to your ProAdvisor. 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. For additional options, head to our guide on the leading QuickBooks Online alternatives. We have an extensive history of reviewing QuickBooks products, and we stay up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements. Our first-hand experience, guided by our internal case study, helps us understand how the different QuickBooks products compare with each other and how they work in real-world scenarios.
Different software packages include licenses for 1 to 10 users, up to 20 users, up to 30 users, and up to 40 users. If you invoke the guarantee, QuickBooks will conduct a full n evaluation of the Live Bookkeeper’s work. Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
Plus, share real-time access to the books with clients and your team members. CPAs and bookkeepers use QuickBooks Online Accountant software to access or prepare their clients’ accounting. The online version will soon be the only available version, and it’s used by hundreds of thousands of American businesses. To find out what we thought about it, please check out our review of QuickBooks Online 2024. Launched in 1983, it was originally aimed at individuals looking to manage their money better.
In the battle between QuickBooks Online versus Desktop, it’s best to focus on the differences between the two accounting software options since they are so similar. 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 supports a variety of browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, as well as Safari 11 or later for Mac. The application also offers a mobile app that works with both iOS and Android devices. QuickBooks Desktop is designed for small to mid-size businesses that are looking for the reliability of a desktop software solution. QuickBooks Desktop is also a good fit for niche businesses such as nonprofit organizations, retailers, and general contractors looking for a more industry-specific solution.
While there are significant differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, both applications offer solid accounting capability for small businesses. 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. This is a tie since both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer users the same support options.
