Whether you’re thinking about converting to QuickBooks Online or switching from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, your first step should be to take a long look at both applications. When you do, you’ll notice the difference immediately as 2021 irs tax refund schedule QuickBooks Online offers a streamlined user interface, while QuickBooks Desktop relies on a flow-chart based interface. While both provide easy access to a variety of features and functions, only you can decide which one will work best for you.
However, converting your data from one desktop solution to another can be a complex process. Small to midsize businesses that want a desktop solution or need advanced inventory and industry-specific features. You can rest assured that we will work closely with you to create actionable business plans and accurate financial reporting. We offer our toolkit of financial intelligence that will be your greatest asset for business growth. For example, QuickBooks Online’s products and services module allows you to incorporate more advanced estimating features that initially may not seem accessible. QuickBooks Online is easier to learn and use on a daily basis with the accessibility of offers across multiple devices and the number of available automations and applications.
Best for Simple Accounting
If you want to add on payroll, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at $15 per month (paid annually) and allows up to three users. QuickBooks is arguably the most popular accounting software option available, but it isn’t the only solution. Other solutions are available that are less expensive, easier to use and offer features that QuickBooks does not. Webgility’s QuickBooks integration provides everything you need for cloud-based ecommerce automation. It syncs QuickBooks Online with sales channels and marketplaces to simplify bookkeeping.
- We also don’t recommend QuickBooks Desktop to Mac users, since there’s just one desktop-based plan for Mac users.
- The QuickBooks Desktop mobile app is very limited as it only allows you to capture expense receipts.
- Alternatively, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial with QuickBooks Online.
- The dashboard is super intuitive with large, easy-to-understand charts, and the mobile app is similarly easy to use.
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. 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.
Pros of QuickBooks Online vs Desktop
Ease of use is one of the most important things to consider when shopping for software. Neither QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop are difficult to use, although they offer very different user experiences. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop applications offer a good selection of features, though QuickBooks Desktop features tend to be more comprehensive. QuickBooks Online is user-friendly, but it requires some prior accounting knowledge to get the most out of it.
Products
While the official answer from Intuit is that QuickBooks Desktop is still fully supported, there’s no question their focus is now on the online version. One common question many users ask is whether QuickBooks Desktop is being phased out in favor of QuickBooks Online. However, companies with complex jobs and reporting will find it limiting. For example, in QuickBooks Online, you can’t specify a completion percentage once the job is underway. This means your cost to complete won’t be accurate as the job progresses. In the online version, you will have to use either custom fields or another workaround to achieve the same result.
In this article, we’ll compare QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online and explore the pros and cons of each to see if this transition is a logical upgrade to a better platform or a painful endeavor with minimal benefits. CPAs and bookkeepers use QuickBooks Accountant Desktop software for QuickBooks Desktop clients. Sign up to receive more well-researched small business articles and topics in your inbox, personalized for you. Here’s a quick way to tell which version of QuickBooks is right for your business. QuickBooks Online is praised for its mobility, ease of use, feature selection, time-saving automations, and integrations.
QuickBooks Desktop plans and pricing
Every day, your clients face complex financial decisions, increasing demands on their time and growing competition—and they rely on you to help them overcome these challenges. QuickBooks Online offers several features that are not available in the desktop version. 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. For both cases, I strongly encourage you to find or buy a migration checklist. There are many cases where it’s to your benefit to learn how to approach and resolve a task.
With so many options, nailing the proper choice for your needs may appear more challenging than actually using the software. 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.
Next, you can customize invoices, set up automatic sales tax tracking (if necessary) and learn how to enter mobile receipts and bills. You can edit all of your business’s account settings using the gear icon in the upper right corner. After you sign up for QuickBooks Online, you’ll be able to log in to your account and access the main dashboard view. If you’re moving to QuickBooks from another accounting software, you can import your existing files to your new account. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop’s interface was built with accountants in mind. Instead of showing clear images of your cash balance, outstanding invoices, and upcoming bills like the QuickBooks Online dash, the desktop version’s dash is a flowing series of connected folders and files.
Can you buy QuickBooks Enterprise without a subscription?
Fortunately, QuickBooks offers a 30-day free trial, so you can test out all the features for yourself. Plus, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. But if your team has no experience with accounting systems, QB Online is a better choice. QBO allows you to access your file anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.
Let’s take a look at how each of these QuickBooks versions has been received by actual users on popular software review websites. With QuickBooks Online, this is a critical integration and one that will end up saving you countless hours when running payroll. You’ll also be able to spot when projects are in danger of going over budget due to labor costs.
