That’s because it’s one of the leading accounting software programs for managing payroll, operations, accounts receivable and numerous other financial functions. 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. 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. Unlike QuickBooks Online, Desktop Pro includes built-in inventory management.

While the Desktop version has app integrations, it doesn’t have near as many as the Online version.
Even if your computer crashes, all of your accounting documents in QuickBooks Online are safe.
The online version will soon be the only available version, and it’s used by hundreds of thousands of American businesses.

Moreover, because QuickBooks features differ from plan to plan, be sure to thoroughly examine each tier for the components you need. 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. QuickBooks Desktop (formerly known as simply “QuickBooks”) is a version of the accounting software that is installed on an individual desktop computer and primarily used by one person. Businesses have relied on QuickBooks Desktop for decades, and many professional accountants are intimately familiar with the program. Updated versions are released each year, with new features and functionality added annually.

Pricing

QuickBooks Online offers a variety of pricing plans, which range from $12 to $75 for the first three months. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop have very different pricing structures, with QuickBooks Online available by a monthly subscription, while QuickBooks Desktop has an annual cost. You can easily access all QuickBooks Online features from the dashboard, where you’ll find a vertical menu bar to the left of the screen. While the dashboard is a bit cluttered, you can easily customize it to only display the information you wish.

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. The dashboard is super intuitive with large, easy-to-understand charts, and the mobile app is similarly easy to use. If your home or office has a slow or unpredictable should you get a small business line of credit 10 questions to ask internet connection, QuickBooks Desktop can ensure you can reach most of your data even if the internet goes down overnight. The downside to locally stored data, though, is that you can only access it from where it’s stored. You can pay extra (or upgrade to a pricier plan) to get data hosting through QuickBooks, which will let you access some financial information—though not all of it—on a different device.

Project Accounting (Winner: QuickBooks Desktop)

Intuit provides conversion tools and services to facilitate the transition. However, it’s recommended to consult the migration guide and backup your data before proceeding with the switch. QuickBooks Online is like the charismatic superhero who can do it all while looking cool. QuickBooks Online boasts a user-friendly, intuitive interface, making it easy even for accounting novices to navigate. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop, while offering more advanced functionalities, may pose a steeper learning curve due to its traditional interface.

But it’s important to remember that even though QuickBooks Online is easier to use, you’ll still need some knowledge of basic accounting principles to use it effectively. If you’re currently not using any accounting software, or are new to accounting software, then QuickBooks Online would also be a good choice. The desktop and online versions have thousands of menus and features, so we can’t list every difference. However, QuickBooks Desktop does offer some key reporting features you can’t get in QuickBooks Online (yet).

QuickBooks Online

To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. Find help articles, video tutorials, and connect with other businesses in our online community. Discover BusinessLoans.com’s lender network offering up to $3M in funding, no minimum credit score required. Here’s a quick way to tell which version of QuickBooks is right for your business. QuickBooks Online is praised for its mobility, ease of use, feature selection, time-saving automations, and integrations. While QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop offer contact management, only QuickBooks Desktop allows you to manage and track leads as well as contacts.

In contrast, the majority of QuickBooks Desktop integrations are geared at ecommerce. Ease of use is one of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing a software package. While installing QuickBooks Desktop on a single computer may take only a few minutes, installing it on multiple computers might be more complicated because each machine will need access to the company data file. Since QuickBooks Online is cloud-based and doesn’t require installation, it’s the clear winner in terms of ease of installation.

QuickBooks Online vs Desktop: Challenges

QuickBooks Desktop, on the other hand, is highly customizable and suitable for small to large-sized businesses with advanced requirements. Consider factors like mobility, collaboration, and customization to determine which version aligns better with your business. QuickBooks Desktop requires a one-time upfront payment, making it more cost-effective in the long run for users who don’t require regular upgrades. There’s also an option for an annual subscription which includes updates and upgrades. QuickBooks Online operates on a subscription-based model with various pricing tiers, each offering a different level of features. The charges are on a monthly basis, which some users prefer for its flexibility.