Below jotted down options is a breakdown of the specific features advantageous for you in comparing QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop worth to the business. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer integration capabilities and support for third-party apps, but there are differences in the extent of integration options available. QuickBooks Online has a wider range of integrations with popular business tools, including CRM systems, project management software, and e-commerce platforms. QuickBooks Online plan comes with a set number of users included in your subscription, and all users can access the program at the same time.

A lot goes into the decision between desktop and SaaS products, but at the heart of the debate are several key points. Moreover, because QuickBooks features differ from plan to plan, be sure to thoroughly examine each tier for the components you need. QuickBooks Online is cloud-based with monthly subscriptions, while QuickBooks Desktop is locally installed with one-time purchases. QuickBooks Online offers multi-user access and automatic updates, whereas QuickBooks Desktop allows for advanced customization and industry-specific versions. With four plans, robust features and a user-friendly interface, QuickBooks Online is the ideal choice for most small businesses. QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, is a good option for businesses that prefer desktop software, need its advanced inventory tracking and reporting tools, or are looking for an industry-specific solution.

QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop FAQ

Looking at the mean score for the top 4 review sites, QuickBooks Desktop has a score of 4.3 and QuickBooks Online 4.15. QuickBooks Online boasts a user-friendly, intuitive design, while QuickBooks Desktop looks quite antiquated and summons memories from the mid 2000s. To access QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, you need to use the PC where you have the software installed.

As you hire more employees or bring on more customers, you can scale up your software to match. And if you manage your business from multiple locations, you’ll want QuickBooks Online over Desktop. Only QuickBooks Online 5 Differences Between Tangible and Intangible Assets includes free access to a comprehensive version of the QuickBooks mobile accounting app, which is one of the best apps in the accounting sphere. All QuickBooks versions and plans include comprehensive reporting options.

This person can customize your QBO for your preferences and needs, set up your chart of accounts, connect QBO to your bank account(s), and put automated processes into place for your most frequently-used tasks. In addition to your initial QuickBooks Desktop purchase, you can opt to purchase additional add-ons, found at desktop.apps.com. The price and subscription frequency of QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online differ depending on the specific product — and, subsequently, the version — you choose. The four remaining editions of QBO include Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.

• Keep in mind that the additional charges for QuickBooks Desktop can quickly pile up, particularly if you have several users.
• QuickBooks Online is a more attractive option for budget-conscious small business owners looking for a flexible software solution.
• It may not suit businesses with advanced needs or those without reliable internet access.
• It provides ‘cloud accounting’ option that will help you upload, manage and access data from anywhere and any time, through apps.
• QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, can have multiple users set up, but only one user is allowed to access the program at a time unless you add extra users for an additional cost.

Yes, you can migrate your data from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. Intuit provides conversion tools and services to facilitate the transition. However, it’s recommended to consult the migration guide and backup your data before proceeding with the switch. QuickBooks Online offers seamless integration with a multitude of third-party apps, thanks to its SaaS model. Although QuickBooks Desktop also supports integrations, setting them up and maintaining them might require more technical know-how.

Which is more Suitable for Your Business QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop?

For $1,410 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. Another issue to consider is the risk of losing financial data on QuickBooks desktop if your computer goes down. Many desktop users have experienced this sinking feeling of losing many years of key financial data.

• Neither QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop are difficult to use, although they offer very different user experiences.
• QuickBooks Pro gives users a long term solution for regular bookkeeping work, and for most businesses with limited bookkeeping staff, this works perfectly well.
• However, QB Desktop offers various functions QB Online does not have, such as the FIFO method for tracking inventory.
• It began as a “light” counterpart of QuickBooks Desktop but quickly evolved into a sophisticated version in itself.Mobility and ease of use are the primary focus of the online edition.
• For eg, although the app enables you to sign up to 25 members at the same price, this option is only accessible at the maximum price point of QBO, which is 6x more costly than the standard plan.

And while QuickBooks Desktop comes out on top in this comparison, only you can decide which one is best for your business. If neither application catches your eye, why not take a look at some QuickBooks alternatives or check out The Ascent’s accounting software reviews. This is a tie since both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer users the same support options. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are both excellent small business accounting software applications, both offering complete double-entry accounting as well as automatic processing of closing entries. 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.

In addition to having more integrations, QuickBooks Online also has better integrations. QBO’s integrations cover more business needs and include multiple payment gateway options. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop offers hardly any payment gateways, making it difficult for the modern merchant to accept online invoice payments easily.

An overview of QuickBooks Desktop vs QuickBooks Online

Every business has unique needs and demands that make one accounting software version a better fit than the other. Nevertheless, you may use the following general guidelines when deciding on the best product for your business. QuickBooks Desktop is preferable when advanced customization, industry-specific versions, or offline access are required. QuickBooks Online boasts a user-friendly, intuitive interface, making it easy even for accounting novices to navigate. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop, while offering more advanced functionalities, may pose a steeper learning curve due to its traditional interface. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop is known for its robust and comprehensive features.

QuickBooks Online has a less expensive monthly cost and is economical for massive employees using the program. QuickBooks Desktop Pro is low-priced if you do not require additional users. In case if you plan for using the program up to three years before upgrades. The monthly subscriptions for the QuickBooks online may be simpler for some small businesses suitable to a financial situation.

What’s the major Difference Between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop Pro?

At the time of this writing, QuickBooks has noted that it has no plans on sunsetting the QuickBooks Desktop software. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Pro and Premier have notoriously poor customer support (QuickBooks Enterprise support has better priority support). The online version of QuickBooks is much easier to use than the desktop version.

It is a one-time purchase software I.e. you buy it by making a one-time payment. Since QuickBooks Online operates under a SaaS model, you have to pay a monthly fee. If you’re even considering QuickBooks Pro it’s likely that you would need at least the $39.99/month version of QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Online also has the additional monthly cost of $39 for payroll, so you’re looking at an indefinite monthly cost of $79, or roughly 40% more per month over a three year period. That also assumes that Intuit does not raise their prices during that time. Since, with QuickBooks Pro, you own the software, you would be immune from any price increases.

Different software packages include licenses for 1 to 10 users, up to 20 users, up to 30 users, and up to 40 users. QuickBooks Desktop offers a multitude of ways to navigate, but the easiest way for beginners is through the home page. Vendor, customer, or employee details can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate tab, while transactions can be initiated by clicking on the corresponding icon. In addition to third-party integrations, QuickBooks Online integrates with native products, such as QuickBooks Payments, QuickBooks Payroll, and QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets). QuickBooks Desktop can be integrated with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll and QuickBooks Time.

QuickBooks desktop version provides extensive options and accounting tools including job costing, expense tracking, job costing, positive customer reviews, and more than 200 integrations. So if you are a Mac user then you require searching for QuickBooks for Mac for an option labeled locally-installed Mac-based QuickBooks. QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online offer similar core accounting features, such as income and expense tracking, invoicing, and reporting. However, there is a notable advantage of QuickBooks Desktop vs Online, as it offers a more extensive set of features, including advanced inventory management, free multi-company support, and job costing. Not to say that QuickBooks Online is a bad product, it just is designed for small, service based businesses who are sending out just a few invoices every week. QuickBooks Pro also has a calendar features, as well as a todo list, which makes it more of a one-stop-shop for running your business.

This increases its adaptability and equips it to fulfill the specifications of such segments. Furthermore, using Dancing Numbers saves a lot of your time and money which you can otherwise invest in the growth and expansion of your business. It is free from any human errors, works automatically, and has a brilliant user-friendly interface and a lot more. We provide you support through different channels (Email/Chat/Phone) for your issues, doubts, and queries.

These reports focus on the Dashboard view and gauging your day-to-day financials. Since QuickBooks Online is a more lightweight product the reports don’t dive as deep into things like job costing, business health, or financial projections. This means you download and install the product and can host it locally on your own servers. Many businesses, particularly those who deal with personally identifiable information (PII) prefer this extra layer of security.

Kathy Haan, MBA is a former financial advisor-turned-writer and business coach. When she’s not trying out the latest tech or travel blogging with her family, you can find her curling up with a good novel. Another notable difference is QuickBooks Online offers a Self-Employed version for $15 per month, which is not available with QuickBooks Desktop. For an extra $50, sign up for a one-time live Bookkeeping setup with any of its plans.

The app allows you to create and send invoices, enter bills, accept payments, and view reports. Meanwhile, the QuickBooks Desktop app is very limited as it primarily serves as a tool for capturing and attaching receipts to transactions. It allows you to take photos of receipts and directly upload them to your QuickBooks Desktop software for record-keeping purposes. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop is available as an annual subscription option, which includes software updates and technical support.