Differences between QuickBooks enterprise desktop and QuickBooks plus online?

You can, however, switch your business’s account from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online without losing your data. Yes, you can, but the process is a bit tedious, as you need to manually export your files from QuickBooks Online to Desktop. If you are currently using QuickBooks Online and want to switch to an interface similar to QuickBooks Desktop, we recommend using the QuickBooks Online Desktop app. Read our article on what the QuickBooks Online Desktop app is to learn more.

• So while this plan does offer the most features, it may be too pricey for most businesses.
• Even so, the sheer breadth of features QuickBooks offers makes it a competitive enterprise accounting software.
• 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.
• Users can simply click on the Reports option to access reports in a variety of categories including Favorites, Business Overview, Expenses and Vendors, Employees, and Sales Tax reports, along with several others.
• Access your account via the cloud for up to 25 users with the Online version, and pay an additional fee per user, up to 40 users, for cloud access with Desktop.

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. Here are some positive reviews highlighting what business owners like about QuickBooks Online. 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.

QuickBooks Desktop vs Online: Which Is Best for Construction?

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. Yes, QuickBooks Enterprise does have a cloud-hosted option that gives you access to the software at any time, anywhere, and with any device. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise with Hosting is a subscription-plan and incurs an additional cost on top of the standard Enterprise licensing costs. Hosting for QuickBooks Enterprise is provided via Right Networks, who also perform all data backups on a nightly basis. The cloud-hosted version of QuickBooks Enterprise operates as you would expect most remote desktop services.

• However, once you’ve signed up, navigate to your account settings, and you can switch to annual billing to save 10%.
• QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based software optimized for small businesses.
• This means your cost to complete won’t be accurate as the job progresses.
• Oracle NetSuite is our favorite enterprise accounting software, beating out QuickBooks Enterprise and other competitors.
• But unlike full-fledged ERPs like NetSuite, QuickBooks still focuses on accessibility and ease of use ― which becomes apparent when you look at its extensive knowledge and support features.

It’s an acceptable system but isn’t nearly as convenient as sharing your books through QuickBooks Online. For additional options, head to our guide on the leading QuickBooks Online alternatives. We have an extensive history of reviewing QuickBooks products, and we stay up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements. Our first-hand experience, guided by our internal case study, helps us understand how the different QuickBooks products compare with each other and how they work in real-world scenarios. All feedback, positive or negative, helps us to improve the way we help small businesses. You can switch from QuickBooks Online to Desktop, and many users who are used to traditional accounting and working with QuickBooks tend to do so after giving QBO a try.

Accounting

This is independent of your deployment method (whether running the software on-premise or in the cloud). However, when it comes to intricate financial management, predefined user roles, and capacity for growth, QuickBooks Enterprise does hold an edge. That said, businesses just starting out or those who prioritize mobility might find QuickBooks Online a better fit. While QuickBooks Online can handle a high volume of users (depending on the version you have), it performs the best when you are using 5 or fewer users. If you require more, your needs have likely grown beyond what QuickBooks Online will offer you long-term, and it may be time to consider upgrading to QuickBooks Enterprise or a QuickBooks replacement. A product demonstration guided by a QuickBooks VAR (value-added reseller) is available.

How Much Does QuickBooks Online Cost?

QuickBooks Online is our top recommendation, while QuickBooks Desktop is our leading desktop accounting program. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.

Accessibility

QuickBooks Online can be accessed from any internet-connected device, including a mobile device with the QuickBooks app installed, after you enter a valid username and password. 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.

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. Only Desktop version users who don’t use any add-on apps will be unaffected. When what is the difference between a deferral and an accrual you move to QuickBooks Online, you’ll create a new account and login. You can migrate your business and payroll data to QuickBooks Online and keep a copy of the original file for your records. QuickBooks Online’s month-to-month subscription service starts at $30 a month (totaling $360 a year).

Their easy-to-use web-based platform means you can access it from anywhere at any time. It also is routinely one of the least expensive solutions for a business looking for simple bookkeeping or accounting for their entire organization. QuickBooks Online offers a streamlined cash flow management process, which means your clients will be able to get an accurate snapshot of the financial health of their company. Automated features like recurring transactions, bank feeds, and receipt capture allow your clients to get things done fast. They’ll be able to get crucial cash flow data in real time with minimal data entry, leaving more time to focus on other aspects of their company. QuickBooks Online (abbreviated as QBO) is Intuit’s Cloud-based accounting software.

These extra features elevate QuickBooks above one-size-fits-all accounting software. So if you happen to work in one of the supported industries, a specific edition of QuickBooks Desktop could save you time and fit seamlessly into your workflow. You can have up to 30 users on your Gold plan, and you’ll get core QuickBooks features like built-in payroll and reporting. Even on this lowest-tier plan, you can use QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop to manage multiple companies.

If you have a number of users, or are a quickly growing company, you will be promoted to the Priority Circle which gives an even better level of support. QuickBooks Desktop versions are available through digital download or as products shipped from QuickBooks or other retail merchants. Also budget for integrated add-on third-party apps, including AP automation software. However, please note that access to add-on services will be discontinued for all QuickBooks Desktop software after May 31, 2023.

While both QuickBooks Online and Desktop are supported by a large network of independent ProAdvisors, it’s much easier to share your books with your ProAdvisor using QuickBooks Online. Getting assistance with your Desktop bookkeeping is difficult since you must save an Accountant’s Copy of your company file and send it to your ProAdvisor. While QuickBooks Online offers many integrated apps, we believe there are only a few that stand out. Explore our list of the best QuickBooks Online integrations for different business purposes.