QuickBooks Online vs Desktop: Which Is Right for Your Business?
When it comes to user limits, the major difference between QBDT and QBO is in how access is granted to additional users. Fortunately, you can purchase access to additional license seats, which is a fancy term for additional users. When subscribing to a QuickBooks Online plan, you can elect to purchase add-on services and enhancements to better suit your needs, found at The software-only QBDT versions are fully functional and useful at the time you purchase them. However features present in editions older than three years are subject to planned obsolescence, removal, and discontinuation to “incentivize” you to purchase a new release. These versions are further differentiated by how you purchase the product.
The online version’s budget-friendly pricing makes it a great choice for business owners switching from QuickBooks Desktop to Online. And although some QuickBooks Desktop versions will not be available for purchase after September 30th, 2024, there are no plans to stop selling QuickBooks Enterprise. If you purchase QuickBooks Desktop (such as Pro or Premier) before September 30th, 2024, Intuit will still support you as a user with ongoing support and product updates. By leveraging the right version of QuickBooks, you can definition of total intangible amortization expense 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. Join me in GoSkills’ beginner-friendly QuickBooks Online course to gain the confidence you need to handle your business’ books, boost your accounting efficiency, and enhance your bookkeeping skills.
Do you need detailed job costing?
However, converting your data from one desktop solution to another can be a complex process. For $1,922 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.
QuickBooks Online is faster, lighter, and uses less processing power than QuickBooks Desktop
However, if you still need help or simply want to outsource your bookkeeping to an expert, you can also find a bookkeeping professional in the ProAdvisor directory. Intuit often offers discounts and incentives for purchasing it for set blocks of time, though for the purposes of this article, I’m only covering its full regular price. The four remaining editions of QBO include Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.
Industry-Specific Features
- Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice.
- Once the initial setup has been completed, you’re wholly responsible for handling your books.
- It is worth noting that QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier versions will soon discontinue sales to new users.
- Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Pro offer a good number of helpful integrations and add-on products.
If you make the switch from Desktop to Online, you can import your data and access your original company file at any time. When working with the Desktop version, it’s downloaded right to your computer. This means the data operates as fast as your computer, all without needing to worry about a connection issue.
The software offers comprehensive features, unique touches (such as lead management and sales orders), industry-specific versions of the software, and the potential to be more secure. QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for large businesses or small enterprises and starts at $1,481/year or $142/month. You can add payroll, more users, and cloud hosting for additional fees. What stands out most about QuickBooks Online when compared to Desktop is that QBO is cloud-based accounting software. Because of this, QuickBooks Online is much easier to use and has many more integrations and time-saving invoicing automations, such as auto-scheduling. While we’re on the topic of invoicing, QuickBooks Online has the superior product, offering six invoice templates and multilingual invoicing in six languages.
QuickBooks Online or Desktop: Pros and cons
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation. Even though QB Desktop has more comprehensive features in general, there are some key features that only QuickBooks Online has, such as bookkeeping support. In comparison with QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online is cloud-based, cheaper, easier to use, supports more integrations, and is unlikely to be discontinued by QuickBooks. Know that your data is protected without downloading and installing product updates.
No Comments