Customer service is evaluated based on the number of communication channels available, such as phone, live chat, and email. Software providers also receive points based on other resources available, such as self-help articles and user communities. Finally, they are awarded points based on the ease with which users will find assistance from independent bookkeepers with expertise in the platform.
Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a content operations manager and copywriting manager. Another notable difference is QuickBooks Online offers a Self-Employed version for $15 per month, which is not available with QuickBooks Desktop. If you’re a freelancer, stick with its Self-Employed plan, which is $15 per month 9after the three-month discount at $7.50). Features include mileage tracking, basic reporting, the difference between financial and managerial accounting income and expense tracking, capture and organize receipts and estimation of quarterly taxes. With QuickBooks Online, you also get the latest security capabilities. Know that your data is protected without downloading and installing product updates.
QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop: Features
The Desktop Premier edition escalates to 150+ reports, including industry-specific reports for general contractors, manufacturers and wholesalers, nonprofits, and retailers. This requires the software to allow users transitioning from other bookkeeping software to import their chart of accounts (COA), vendors, customers, service items, and inventory items. Ideally, there will be a wizard to walk the user through the import process. QuickBooks Online is easier to set up because it’s a cloud-based platform that doesn’t require installation.
Both versions have mobile apps, but the app for the Desktop version primarily functions as a way to upload receipts, and the Online mobile app is robust in comparison. These include the ability to track raw materials and finished products and automate order management, among other functions. It also has barcode scanning capabilities — business owners can download the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app and use their mobile device as a scanner. Since QuickBooks Online is priced as a monthly subscription, it doesn’t require a contract and you can cancel your account at any time. Additionally, the desktop products are only available as annual subscriptions, making them a bigger commitment than QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus and Enterprise plans have industry-specific reports for manufacturing and wholesale, retail, nonprofit, general contractor and professional service businesses, too.
We immerse ourselves in every platform we review by exploring the features down to the finest nuances. Reporting options are good in both applications, though only one of the applications offers industry-specific reporting options. If QuickBooks Online and Desktop are on your list of potential accounting solutions, you may want to also consider some similar adp run review: features and pricing alternatives. For example, Xero and FreshBooks are cloud-based platforms with extensive features for small and medium-sized businesses, while Quicken is a desktop option for self-employed individuals.
Desktop Enterprise
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Testimonial given in an online survey among remunerated QBO customers. Live Bookkeepers aren’t responsible for errors resulting from incorrect information that you provide, or if you re-open the books by overriding closure after a Live Bookkeeper completes the month-end closure. A new and improved migration process gives you even more ways accelerated depreciation for business tax savings to move online.
QuickBooks Desktop pros and cons
During the setup process, you can choose the features and functions that you will likely be using in QuickBooks Online. No need to worry if you skip one; you can always go back and add it at a later date. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop applications offer a good selection of features, though QuickBooks Desktop features tend to be more comprehensive. Yes, QuickBooks Desktop has a subscription fee that users pay annually.
Although QuickBooks Online earned a perfect score and Enterprise took a slight hit in this criterion, we consider this a tie. Both allow you to create essential reports, including profit and loss (P&L), cash flow statements, and balance sheets. While Enterprise missed a few points because it doesn’t provide income/loss by location reports, it offers many other advanced reporting options and features that provide additional value for many businesses.
QuickBooks Online is optimized to be as user-friendly as possible and very easy to navigate. The side menu categorizes features for easy access, for example, aggregating sections for employees, their taxes, and compliance details under the Payroll category. It takes a bit of time to click around and understand where everything is, but a quick run-through is more than enough to familiarize yourself with what QuickBooks Online can do. While the two iterations are different in some aspects, they’re essentially the same product, and the differences between them aren’t as glaring as they are with other accounting software solutions. No matter which version of QuickBooks Desktop you’re using, you can switch to QuickBooks Online quickly and seamlessly. With our online migration tool, you can move all your data or move only what’s key—like balances and specific lists.
For example, nonprofits can use the desktop products to run donor contribution summary reports while manufacturing, wholesale and retail businesses have the ability to forecast product sales. Contractors and professional service businesses can use the software to compare revenue by city, customer and job type. QuickBooks Online offers a large selection of reports, but they aren’t industry-specific. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are two solid accounting products from Intuit.