QuickBooks Online VS Desktop Comparison

Probably not, unless your business absolutely needs advanced inventory management features, barcode scanning, or assembly builds. Chances are your team will be happier sticking with QuickBooks Online. Not only is it the newer tool, but it also seems to be the focus in terms of update frequency, development, and marketing.

QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: At a Glance

On the other hand, Desktop needs manual updates, so you may not have the most recent version if you fall behind. Lastly, QuickBooks Online integrates with more third-party applications than QuickBooks Desktop. Take the time to consider what matters most to you, like accessibility, price, and features. There’s no wrong answer as long as it helps you effectively manage your business finances. Once you’re up and running with QuickBooks, a service like QuickBooks Time could further streamline your time tracking. The choice of QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop price-wise often comes down to how much you value automatic updates and the complexity of your accounting needs.

1. I find myself leaning toward the futuristic solution, which makes QuickBooks Online my preferred choice of accounting software (my Ralph Macchio).
2. At the time of our last review, pricing started at $349.99/year for a single user.
3. Whereas one is completely online and cloud-based, the other operates locally on your computer.
4. Take the time to consider what matters most to you, like accessibility, price, and features.
5. For instance, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to create customized job costing reports tailored to specialized industries, including manufacturers, contractors, and retailers.
6. This tool allows you to create consolidated financial reports across multiple company files—making it ideal for businesses that operate multiple entities and subsidiaries.

Class & Location Tracking: QuickBooks Online Wins

Also, the guided setup helps new users easily and effectively set up their company information, connect their bank accounts, create customers and vendors, etc. 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.

The compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear, but it does not influence the recommendations the editorial team provides. Because QuickBooks Online is connected to the cloud, you can work from any device with an internet connection. The company has updated its help centers to be more user-friendly, but there’s still no email support. Both options, however, are working to reduce long hold times on the phone by now offering a callback feature.

Upgrading to this tier provides access to personalized support, a dedicated account team, exclusive training opportunities, and premium assistance from QuickBooks experts. These days, Intuit shifts towards subscriptions even for the Desktop version. However, Desktop pricing still varies based on the number of users and the chosen version (see plans).

Talk to sales

For instance, if you have five members, you can purchase the Plus plan for only $90 monthly, whereas with Enterprise, you need to pay $427 monthly for five users. Many QuickBooks Online reviews, like those on Software Advice, highlight this flexibility as a major perk for business owners value reporting form who are always on the move or have remote teams. This setup gives you more control over your data but means you’re tied to that specific machine. We at the MarketWatch Guides team have tested both versions of the QuickBooks platform. In this guide, we break down our findings, helping you decide if Online or Desktop — or another software altogether — is best for your business accounting needs.

Both options effectively manage accounting tasks, but they use different approaches. Weighing these differences against your needs will ensure you select the best QuickBooks version for your business. When you compare QuickBooks Online with QuickBooks Desktop, you’ll find that QuickBooks Desktop is installed on your computer. This gives you more control over your data, but you’ll only have access when using that computer. You can access your data from any device with an internet connection.

Payroll

Service or project-based businesses should choose accounting software that can track project costs, revenues, and profits. The software must have tools to track time, record billable hours or expenses, send invoices for progress billings, or monitor project progress and performance. Additionally, QuickBooks Online allows you to calculate sales taxes automatically to apply to an invoice based on the customer’s address. This feature is particularly useful if you sell and ship products out of your state.