If you are currently using QuickBooks Online and want to switch to an interface similar to QuickBooks Desktop, we recommend using the QuickBooks Online Desktop app. Read our article on what the QuickBooks Online Desktop app is to learn more. Alternatively, you can hire a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to help with your bookkeeping needs. To help you get started, we prepared a guide on how to find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop have very different pricing structures, with QuickBooks Online available by a monthly subscription, while QuickBooks Desktop has an annual cost. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop applications offer a good selection of features, though QuickBooks Desktop features tend to be more comprehensive. While people may assume that QuickBooks Online is simply the cloud version of QuickBooks Desktop, in reality, the two products are very different. For an extra $50, sign up for a one-time live Bookkeeping setup with any of its plans. 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. Attach documents to transactions faster by directly uploading them via the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app.
Make a seamless switch to QuickBooks Online
The changes need to be saved and refreshed, leaving a lot of potential for errors. As I was testing them out, I found QuickBooks Online a lot sleeker, more modern, and easier https://www.quick-bookkeeping.net/ to navigate than QuickBooks Desktop. Every step was prefaced with a tutorial, guiding me in setting up my company’s profile by prompting me to provide specific information.
Others mentioned the bank account reconciliation and invoicing features are excellent. QuickBooks Online is on par with Desktop in terms of banking, but we believe that the cloud-based https://www.kelleysbookkeeping.com/ version is better for professional invoicing. With QuickBooks Online, users receive many of the same great features while gaining the mobility of cloud-based software.
She has experience in individual, corporate, and nonprofit taxation and provides budgeting, forecasting, and financial statement preparation services. If you want to learn about standard and advanced features or need help setting up and configuring your company data file, reviewing and reconciling your QuickBooks data, or troubleshooting issues, we’re here to help. 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. QuickBooks Online’s month-to-month subscription service starts at $30 a month (totaling $360 a year). Or, to save money, you can try QuickBooks’ typical offer of 50% off for three months (though choosing the discount waives your free trial).
Compare QuickBooks Online to Desktop
In the past, customers could choose between annually renewing plans and single-purchase software with a license that stayed valid for three years. If you purchased a Desktop Pro plan in 2021, your software will still work until 2024—but new customers who bought the 2022 software version can only choose annual subscriptions. Unlike QuickBooks Online, Desktop Pro includes built-in inventory management. And if data analysis is an important part of growing your business, QuickBooks Desktop is a solid pick.
- QuickBooks Enterprise has an add-on available for purchase to grant cloud access.
- What used to be a huge bulk of QuickBooks business is no longer so—it focuses mostly on its cloud version and actively encourages users to make the switch from Desktop to Online.
- If you choose QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, you’ll also need to pay extra if you want to access customer service via live chat.
- Product support can be accessed directly from within the application, where you can ask a question or connect to support personnel.
- While there are significant differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, both applications offer solid accounting capability for small businesses.
QuickBooks Desktop Pro may be cheaper if you do not need additional users or add-ons such as payroll. However, most users still view Quickbooks Desktop favorably, and the product receives high marks on most customer review sites. The software receives 4.4/5 (based on 1,800+ reviews) on Software Advice and 4.3/5 (based on 1,700+ reviews) on G2.
Every business is unique, and there may be instances where QuickBooks Desktop may be a better fit. For example, it may be more suitable for businesses with complex inventory management needs or those wanting offline access to their financial data. However, QuickBooks Online is the better choice for most companies, especially those with remote accountants and multiple employees. QuickBooks Desktop is preferable for companies wanting to manage their books without an internet connection.
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QuickBooks Online plans and pricing
Many satisfied QuickBooks Online users appreciate that they can access the program from any internet-enabled device. Some commented that it’s easy to add vendors and customers and share https://www.online-accounting.net/ files with their bookkeepers—and we couldn’t agree more. The cloud accessibility plus the user-friendly interface makes QuickBooks Online easier to use than QuickBooks Desktop.
Why You Can Trust Fit Small Business
It’s important to note that QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online are two separate products, and data in the two versions do not automatically sync. A company should work with either QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online to avoid data discrepancies. Despite their differences, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online also have plenty of overlap.
If you can file taxes confidently on your own, Enhanced Payroll might be suitable. If you want QuickBooks to file your taxes for you, then you must upgrade to QuickBooks Desktop Assisted Payroll for $109 per month plus $2 per employee. Learn how else the two products differ in our QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Enhanced vs Assisted Payroll comparison. While QuickBooks Online offers project management features, it doesn’t have the same level of customization options as QuickBooks Desktop. For instance, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to create customized job costing reports tailored to specialized industries, including manufacturers, contractors, and retailers. QuickBooks Online has a cheaper monthly cost and is more affordable if you have a lot of employees who will be using the software.
Use Cases and Pros & Cons
QuickBooks Desktop versions are available through digital download or as products shipped from QuickBooks or other retail merchants. Also budget for integrated add-on third-party apps, including AP automation software. Lucy Pacheco is a Senior Accountant & Nonprofit Tax Manager at Smith, Sullivan & Brown. As a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, Lucy specializes in QuickBooks consulting and analysis services.
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