Meaghan Senn is a writer from North Carolina with experience in B2B, technology and digital marketing topics. Throughout her career, Meaghan has worked with B2B, software estimated useful life and depreciation of assets and digital marketing businesses. You can use either QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, but not both.
As far as other add-ons, QuickBooks Online integrates with over 750 business apps and programs — well over twice the bank reconciliation statements number of integrations you’ll find with Desktop. 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.
- While the Desktop version has app integrations, it doesn’t have near as many as the Online version.
- When subscribing to this service, you’ll get a 1099 e-file of forms and a next-day direct deposit.
- Pro Plus and Premier Plus limit customer service hours to just 12 hours a day, weekdays only.
- Some accountants dislike QuickBooks Online’s limited functionality, limited report customization, and dependency on the internet.
- Chances are your team will be happier sticking with QuickBooks Online.
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QuickBooks Desktop also has several additional features you won’t find with QBO, including sales orders and lead management. Because it is locally installed software, you also have more control over keeping your financial data secure. Probably not, unless your business absolutely needs advanced inventory management features, barcode scanning, or assembly builds.
It starts at $30 a month and includes basic features only, such as mileage tracking and invoicing. QuickBooks Online has been part of the Intuit accounting software family for a few decades now. Since QuickBooks Online is browser-based, not desktop-based, you can log on to your Quickbooks Online account from any web-enabled device with a sturdy internet connection. With QuickBooks Desktop, users receive some of the most developed accounting tools on the market. 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.
How the Software Stacks Up
QuickBooks Desktop is an annual subscription, starting at $549.99 per year, which may be cost-prohibitive for small businesses or cash-strapped startups. While the Desktop version has app integrations, it doesn’t have near as many as the Online version. There are over 200 options instead of the 650-plus to its cloud counterpart.
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For many small-business owners, most of the time, QuickBooks Online works better than QuickBooks Desktop. It’s more affordable, easier to share with your accountant or other financial stakeholders, and offers better invoicing than its locally installed counterpart. QuickBooks Online is highly user friendly with a low learning curve. The dashboard is super intuitive with large, easy-to-understand charts, and the mobile app is similarly easy to use. With QuickBooks Online, users receive many of the same great features while gaining the mobility of cloud-based software. QuickBooks Online is easier to use and has more automations, more integrations, and better invoicing.
Both include the basic reports you’d expect to find with accounting software, such as a balance sheet, a Profit & Loss report, a cash flow statement, etc. While QuickBooks Online boasts many of the features you’ll find with Desktop, some of its features, such as inventory management, aren’t quite as advanced. Additionally, you won’t find the industry-specific features and reports that you’ll get if you sign up for Desktop. All QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Desktop Premiere, Mac, and Desktop Enhanced Payroll products, excluding QuickBooks Desktop accounting coach debits and credits Enterprise, will no longer be available to new users after September 30, 2024.