We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. The company has updated its help centers to be more user-friendly, but there’s still no email support. Both options, however, are working to reduce long hold times on the phone by now offering a callback feature. If your business needs sales orders, QuickBooks Desktop is your only option. Although Intuit has talked about adding sales orders to QuickBooks Online, this feature is only available with QuickBooks Desktop products at this time.
Fortunately, a mobile app is now available with the understanding earnest money introduction of QuickBooks Desktop 2022. However, the QuickBooks Desktop app is a very pared-down version of the desktop and is poorly rated. Support network refers to a community of software users that can extend professional help to businesses. Having an independent software expert perform the bookkeeping is good for overall ease of use. Lastly, our expert opinion score is our subjective rating based on our experience in trying the software. The software must have features that allow users to set sales tax rates, apply them to invoices, and enable users to pay sales tax liability.
Access and Collaboration: Which One Wins?
QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop share the same basic functionality of organizing your accounting processes and automating much of the manual data entry work. QuickBooks Desktop can feel rigid and resistant to modification or integration—the same way Apple products and iOS felt rigid back when everyone had overheating, self-cooking Android phones. Advanced Pricing / Control, customize, and automate pricing is included in the Platinum and Diamond subscriptions only. A Live Bookkeeper cannot begin cleaning up your past books until they receive the required supporting documentation, which your bookkeeper will request from you after your first meeting.
Compare QuickBooks products
Ultimately, your specific business’s size, type, and needs are the real deciding factors in determining which of the QuickBooks versions is best for your business. Just remember, you will need to make a decision quickly if you want QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier, as sales of these products will be discontinued this year. One big drawback of QuickBooks Pro in the past was that it didn’t have mobile apps.
On the other hand, QuickBooks Enterprise involves a more complex setup due to its extensive feature set designed for larger businesses. You need to properly install and set up the software, which often requires IT support for proper configuration. For example, we commend QuickBooks Enterprise’s multicompany reporting feature. This tool allows you to create consolidated financial reports across multiple company files—making it ideal for businesses that operate multiple entities and subsidiaries.
Software type
Finally, some believe Desktop is only for accounting experts, while Online suits businesses needing real-time collaboration. In reality, the best choice depends on your specific needs and preferences, not your accounting expertise (Forbes). If you prefer a traditional software experience and don’t require constant collaboration, Desktop might be a better fit. At FinOptimal, we help businesses like yours determine the right fit.
- Bundle Cricut suggests that businesses that need advanced accounting tools and want to save money in the long run might find QBO to be a good fit.
- You can send a copy of your company file to your accountant and import their changes.
- Deciding between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop can feel overwhelming.
- Move from any version of QuickBooks Desktop, and only migrate the data that matters most to you.
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). We went to user review websites to read first-hand reviews from actual software users. markup pricing definition advantages disadvantages formula & overview This user review score helps us give more credit to software products that deliver a consistent service to their customers. While QuickBooks Online offers project management features, it doesn’t have the same level of customization options as QuickBooks Desktop.
Different software packages include licenses for 1 to 10 users, up to 20 users, up to 30 users, and up to 40 users. 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). You must purchase additional licenses if you want to access it on multiple computers. While you can add cloud access to inventory turnover ratios for ecommerce QuickBooks Enterprise, it involves an additional fee. This easy-to-use and feature-rich software is ideal if you have no bookkeeping experience and want top-notch customer support.