It’s an especially good choice for small-business owners without a consistent internet connection and big businesses with complex, industry-specific financial needs. But for most small-business owners in most industries, QuickBooks Online has better automation, better access, and a better price point. Its prominence also stems from its lost or stolen refund inclusion of tools its competitors lack, such as integrated advanced time tracking. With four plans, robust features and a user-friendly interface, QuickBooks Online is the ideal choice for most small businesses.

QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop: Which is best?

You must pay an additional fee for every user who wants to access the account simultaneously, whereas Online lets multiple users access the account at the same time. Its highest-tiered plan is the Advanced option, which costs $100 per month for the first three months, then $200 per month after that. QuickBooks Online can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection, and because it’s web-based, you can work with your accountant in real time. The QuickBooks mobile app is also available for free and lets you manage your account on the go. 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 Online vs. Desktop FAQ

1. In addition, the Premier and Enterprise plans offer more than 150 reports, with industry-specific reporting options available.
2. Terms and conditions, features, support, pricing, and service options subject to change without notice.
3. QuickBooks Online users can sign up for QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping to assist with getting the books up to date and managing bookkeeping tasks.
4. But there are some general guidelines to know which version might be the one for your business (and your budget).
5. Security updates and product updates will still be released for all users who purchase a QuickBooks Desktop Plus or QuickBooks Desktop Payroll subscription before the cutoff date.

There are two versions of QuickBooks Desktop (Premier Plus and Enterprise) and four versions of QuickBooks Online (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced). You can send email invites to your accountant from within the software. And let's not forget offline accessibility for the times your ISP decides to ruin your Monday. Everything from the installation screen to the lagging UI gave me flashbacks to the 1998 dial-up tone on my family's Pentium III computer. There were also fewer prompts of the tutorial variety, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of features packed into it.

Which Is Best For My Business?

Katherine Haan is a small business owner with nearly two decades of experience helping other business owners increase their incomes. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. Find help what are investing activities articles, video tutorials, and connect with other businesses in our online community. QuickBooks Desktop is hosted locally, while QuickBooks Online is hosted in the cloud.

If you choose QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, you'll also need to pay extra if you want to access customer service via live chat. Notably, only QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise includes 24/7 customer service. Pro Plus and Premier Plus limit customer service hours to just 12 hours a day, weekdays only.

You can do things like automatically add customers to or create receipts in QuickBooks when payments happen in other apps, or track new QuickBooks invoices or payments in another app. Here are a few pre-made workflows to show you what's possible, but you can use Zapier to connect QuickBooks to almost any app you use. The issue with accounting software like QuickBooks Desktop is that it's designed to work locally and independently, which doesn't leave a lot of room for integration with other programs, especially cloud-based ones. QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, is installed locally, meaning you download and install the software on your computer or multiple computers in your office, for example. Once installed, your accounting data will only be accessible on one of these devices, making it difficult to work on the go. But local installation means more control over your data, who has access, and overall general security of your business information.

While there are significant differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, both applications offer solid accounting capability for small businesses. 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. Whether you're thinking about converting to QuickBooks Online or switching from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, your first step should be to take a long look at both applications. When you do, you'll notice the difference immediately as QuickBooks Online offers a streamlined user interface, while QuickBooks Desktop relies on a flow-chart based interface.

The two versions are independent of each other, which means the data you enter on Desktop doesn’t sync to the Online version and vice-versa. Terms, conditions, hire accountants pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice. If your home or office has a slow or unpredictable internet connection, QuickBooks Desktop can ensure you can reach most of your data even if the internet goes down overnight.