Learn more about the time tracking capabilities in our full review of QuickBooks Time. Read our full QuickBooks Desktop vs QuickBooks Online comparison for more information. The cheapest version of QuickBooks Desktop is Quickbooks Desktop Pro which costs $349.99/year.

Cloud accounting software lets you easily create professional-looking invoices and send them to your clients by email soon after the purchase—even the same day if you choose. Working in the cloud allows you to complete your accounting tasks efficiently—exactly when it’s most convenient for you. In conclusion, the choice between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop comes down to individual business needs. By understanding the unique accounting policies definition offerings of both, CPAs can make well-informed recommendations to their clients, ultimately enhancing their accounting processes and business efficiency. This pillar blog has aimed to provide an in-depth, comparative guide to assist in that decision-making process. Cloud-hosted QuickBooks Desktop offers the best of both worlds, enabling businesses to leverage the full feature set of the Desktop version from anywhere, anytime.

• QuickBooks Desktop can be integrated with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll and QuickBooks Time.
• The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
• QuickBooks Online is the stronger candidate for business owners who prioritize scalability and the ability to easily loop in accountants.
• QuickBooks Online has its own limitations – a few important features such as inventory tracking, creating POs, and assigning multi price-levels to items are only included in its more expensive plus version.
• With QuickBooks Desktop, users receive some of the most developed accounting tools on the market.

You can download a 30-day trial version of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise only—both the Premier Plus and Pro Plus plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee, but no free trial. Alternatively, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial with QuickBooks Online. Just know that doing so waives your option to get 50% off your QuickBooks Online subscription for your first three months. Speaking of extra fees, QuickBooks Desktop also charges for e-commerce app integration, invoice-based payment acceptance, and online data hosting. If you choose QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, you’ll also need to pay extra if you want to access customer service via live chat.

QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: Which Should You Use?

For instance, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to create customized job costing reports tailored to specialized industries, including manufacturers, contractors, and retailers. We are driven by the Fit Small Business mission to provide you with the best answers to your small business questions—allowing you to choose the right accounting solution for your needs. Our meticulous evaluation process makes us a trustworthy source for accounting software insights.

QuickBooks has expanded its offerings to include cloud-based and desktop versions, providing users with different options to meet their specific needs. QuickBooks Cloud refers to the online version of the software that is hosted on remote servers and accessed through a web browser. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop is the traditional, locally installed version of the software that runs directly on a computer or server.

• Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including scope of features and integrations, customer support and cost, among others.
• Users can access features via the vertical menu to the left of the screen or by using the drop-down menu bar at the top, and the My Shortcuts option allows you to add a shortcut to frequently used features.
• When signing up for QuickBooks Online, it only gives options for paying monthly.
• Meanwhile, if you or your accountant want to become a ProAdvisor to demonstrate expertise in QuickBooks, read our article on how to become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
• A variety of short video tutorials are available as well as on-demand webinars and training classes.
• You can switch from QuickBooks Pro Plus to QuickBooks Premier Plus or go from QuickBooks Premier Plus to QuickBooks Enterprise — whatever your heart desires (and your business requires).

QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are two solid accounting products from Intuit. While both software types have plenty of perks, QuickBooks Online is a more flexible, affordable, and scalable option for most small-business owners. QuickBooks offers a separate product — QuickBooks Self-Employed — designed for freelancers and independent contractors, with plans starting at $15 per month. If you’re considering desktop offerings, try exploring QuickBooks’ other small-business products and checking out our full breakdown of QuickBooks pricing. Its highest-tiered plan is the Advanced option, which costs $100 per month for the first three months, then $200 per month after that.

You can send email invites to your accountant from within the software. 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. Let us know how well the content on this page solved your problem today. All feedback, positive or negative, helps us to improve the way we help small businesses. Discover BusinessLoans.com’s lender network offering up to $3M in funding, no minimum credit score required. I recommend saving a backup of your QuickBooks Desktop company file in case of any issues.

QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop: Which Is Better for Your Business?

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. For small business owners new to the accounting scene, this service may bring much-needed peace of mind when managing your books and filing small business taxes. Both providers offer mobile apps, which can be really helpful for checking on things outside of the office or when you’re away from your computer. Both apps are also highly rated in the Apple App store, though QuickBooks has far more reviews than Sage 50cloud does. Until Intuit’s announced that they were no longer going to support QuickBooks Desktop products after May 2023, this was a hard question to answer. Every business has its own needs and demands that make one accounting software version or the other a better fit.

All you need is to contact your QuickBooks cloud hosting provider, and they can rapidly provision additional computational resources within a few hours. If required, you can quickly scale down by once again contacting your provider. 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.

QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll

For the Desktop version, you pay an annual fee starting at $549.99 per year, and the cloud-based option starts at $15 per month. Both versions have mobile apps, but the app for the Desktop version primarily functions as a way to upload receipts, and the Online mobile app is robust in comparison. These include the ability to track raw materials and finished products and automate order management, among other functions.

Accounting

Yes, it is possible to switch between QuickBooks Cloud and QuickBooks Desktop. However, data migration and certain adjustments may be required when transitioning from one version to another. Live Bookkeepers aren’t responsible for errors resulting from incorrect information that you provide, or if you re-open the books by overriding closure after a Live Bookkeeper completes the month-end closure. 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. Once your bookkeeper receives all the necessary documentation, they’ll typically complete your cleanup within 30 days.

QuickBooks Premier Plus

Plus, with access for up to 40 users, Enterprise can scale with your business as it grows. QuickBooks Online offers many advantages over QuickBooks Desktop, such as cloud accessibility, more convenient file sharing and collaboration, scalable plans with varying features, and a functional mobile app. To expedite product setup, you can choose to use the default chart of accounts that is included in the application. You also have the option to import products and services into the application to avoid having to re-enter the data. QuickBooks Desktop offers the same support options found in QuickBooks Online including video tutorials, on-demand webinars, and various training options.

Despite their differences, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online also have plenty of overlap. Here’s a look at how these two QuickBooks accounting software options stack up. Despite the platform’s ubiquity, however, many business owners remain uncertain about the differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. Here, we’ll detail everything you should know about the two versions, including their core functions, pricing tiers, hosting location, extra features and latest updates.

As an added convenience, if you outgrow your current edition of QuickBooks Online, upgrade to a more powerful plan in minutes. QuickBooks Desktop’s user interface is very different from QuickBooks Online, offering navigation using a flowchart style menu. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. Find help articles, video tutorials, and connect with other businesses in our online community.

The online version of QuickBooks is much easier to use than the desktop version. With QuickBooks Online, you can add QuickBooks Online Payroll starting at $45/month. While QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer contact management, only QuickBooks Desktop allows you to manage and track leads as well as contacts. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer a large number of features.