We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. QuickBooks Desktop offers good integration options, integrating with more than 200 third party applications, making it one of the better integrated desktop application options. However, it doesn’t compare with the more than 500 options offered by QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Online offers integration with more than 500 third party apps in categories such as Payments, CRM, Project Management, Payments, Payroll, Invoicing, Inventory, and Time Tracking. You can easily connect to any third-party app from within the application, saving you a ton of time in the process.
- Similarly, FreshBooks ranges from $17 to $55 per month, with time tracking in all plans.
- Desktop versions of QuickBooks such as QuickBooks Enterprise have tools that have been developed for specific scenarios and industries over the years.
- Given QuickBooks Online’s number of users, accountants outside of the network should be familiar with the software.
- Both QuickBooks Pro & Premier and QuickBooks Online have particularly poor customer support.
- The QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus plan is particularly useful for business that want industry-specific features.
Though not web-based, QuickBooks Desktop can be hosted online for more convenient access if desired.One of QuickBooks Desktop’s best features is its use of centers, which provide a central point for all activity. While people may assume that QuickBooks Online is simply the cloud version of QuickBooks Desktop, in reality, the two products are very different. However, if you own a big business, prefer locally stored software, or want industry-specific reports, QuickBooks Desktop could be a better fit for your business. QuickBooks Online is cheaper than QuickBooks Desktop if you have many employees who’ll be using the program.
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It’s also a better option for businesses requiring complex inventory accounting features. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Premier has two payroll options with prices that start at $50 per month plus $5 per employee. If you can file taxes confidently on your own, Enhanced Payroll might be suitable.
Before the launch of QuickBooks Desktop 2022, the QuickBook products were available as a one-time purchase. Now, Premier Plus and Enterprise packages are available on a subscription-basis only. If you’re a QuickBooks Online user who wants these Desktop features, many third-party apps offer them for an extra charge.
Neither QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop are difficult to use, although they offer very different user experiences. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop applications offer a good selection of features, though QuickBooks Desktop features tend to be more comprehensive. You can use either QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, but not both. You can, however, switch your business’s account from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online without losing your data. Alternatively, you can hire a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to help with your bookkeeping needs.
When is QuickBooks Desktop better than QuickBooks Online?
In the end, QuickBooks Online edges out a little bit ahead of Desktop overall in our opinion. In short, it’s QuickBooks Online, which is much easier to use compared to its desktop counterpart. That’s partially because Online has been built from the ground up to be accessible for everyone, even those without a lot of accounting experience. Desktop is a little more dense and better for trained accountants who know what they’re doing. Both versions of the software do offer contact management, though Desktop allows you to both track and manage any leads you might have for future business. QuickBooks Online offers integration such as Payments, CRM, Project Management, Payments, Payroll, Invoicing, Inventory, and many more.
Integrations (Winner: QuickBooks Online)
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. While both provide easy access to a variety of features and functions, only you can decide which one will work best for you. The dashboard is super intuitive with large, easy-to-understand charts, and the mobile app is similarly easy to use.
QuickBooks Desktop is a good choice if you need specialized features such as inventory tracking or forecasting, and you don’t mind paying more for them. QuickBooks Desktop is an annual subscription, starting at $549.99 per year, which may be cost-prohibitive for small businesses or cash-strapped startups. Typically the features found within QuickBooks Online will be more basic or well-rounded, meaning it’s better suited for a wide range of businesses.
QuickBooks Online: Additional features
QuickBooks Desktop is designed for small to mid-size businesses that are looking for the reliability of a desktop software solution. QuickBooks Desktop is also a good fit for niche businesses such as nonprofit organizations, retailers, and general contractors looking for a more industry-specific solution. But aside from cloud access, there are other differences between the two applications that we’ll talk about next.
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The main difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop is that QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software, and QuickBooks Desktop is locally installed. QuickBooks Desktop wins this head-to-head competition, with better reporting, industry-specific features, a better price structure, and more comprehensive features. However, if things like how to fill in federal grant application forms integration and cloud access are important to you, QuickBooks Online may be the way to go. Once you decide, if you need some assistance with your QuickBooks Migration, be sure to check out our comprehensive QuickBooks Tutorial. Reporting options are good in both applications, though only one of the applications offers industry-specific reporting options.
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Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. However, Intuit’s push for its QuickBooks Online software and discontinuation of its Desktop offering in the UK has caused users to worry about possible sunsetting. Both offer strong accounting, though QuickBooks Desktop has more features and is more customizable, whereas QuickBooks Online has more automations and is easier to learn and use. QuickBooks Desktop is better for small to large-sized businesses with complex accounting needs requiring more customizable features.
