The transition from QBO to QBDT is rarely smooth and will very likely take multiple attempts to get the data to load. Once loaded, there is extensive post-migration work that will vary from company to company. By using optical character recognition (OCR), details from your receipts are scanned and recorded directly into relevant transactions. QuickBooks Online simplifies both the receipt collection and organization process by allowing you to easily capture and upload a photo or document into your QuickBooks file.

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1. QuickBooks might encourage its users to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to Online, but it hasn’t issued any statements about discontinuing Desktop entirely.
2. However, if you need access to add-on services to replicate some or all of the features of QuickBooks Desktop software, you may wish to explore QuickBooks Online options instead.
3. Both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online support small business bookkeeping, but the manner in which each product does so differs.
4. The QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus plan is particularly useful for business that want industry-specific features.

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.

The main difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop is that QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software, and QuickBooks Desktop is locally installed. All QuickBooks Desktop Plus and QuickBooks Desktop Payroll products, excluding QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, will no longer be available to new users beginning July 31, 2024. Existing QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, Mac, or Enhanced Payroll users will not be impacted. 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.

QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop table of contents

Learn More.” This will guide you through exporting your data and creating a backup company file. With QuickBooks Online, users receive many of the same great features while gaining the mobility of cloud-based software. QuickBooks Online is easier to use and has more automations, more integrations, and better invoicing. The downsides are the lack of sales orders, lead management, and other complexities that loyal Desktop users may miss (such as customizable letter templates, a built-in calendar, and even spellcheck). One big drawback of QuickBooks Pro in the past was that it didn’t have mobile apps.

Here’s a look at how these two QuickBooks accounting software options stack up. Despite the platform’s ubiquity, however, many business owners remain uncertain about the differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. Here, we’ll detail everything you should know about the two versions, including their core functions, pricing tiers, hosting location, extra features and latest updates. The software itself may look like an outdated image on some monitor within a cubicle maze, but it’s versatile in what it can do. The dashboard does an excellent job dividing all accounting aspects into a flowchart type of view, while the sidebar provides quick access to a list of features. That said, it can feel overwhelming and confusing if you don’t have prior accounting knowledge.

This person can customize your QBO for your preferences and needs, set up your chart of accounts, connect QBO to your bank account(s), and put automated processes into place for your most frequently-used tasks. The price and subscription frequency of QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online differ depending on the specific product — and, subsequently, the version — you choose. QuickBooks Desktop is, as its name implies, the desktop version of the software. QBDT is installed locally on your PC in much the same way other software is, like your internet browser. Both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online support small business bookkeeping, but the manner in which each product does so differs. QuickBooks Desktop versions are available through digital download or as products shipped from QuickBooks or other retail merchants.

Both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online have the ability to set up bank rules, which are ‘if this, then that’ rules that apply to transactions imported from the bank. Your business is unique, but your routine bookkeeping tasks are going to be similar to many other businesses such as consultants/coaches, dog walkers, and photographers. These types of businesses could easily benefit from either QBDT or QBO.

QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop: Which Is Better for Your Business?

Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice. Absolutely not, it never will because Desktop was designed in the 90s and still looks relatively similar to that. But based on the nature of your business and its unique needs, one of these programs is likely to be of more benefit to you than the other. Five months ago, you could only use QBD if you wanted to do job costing, and we know that In the field service industry, job costing is very common. After the updates though, now we can track labor costs even if we don’t use QBO for our payroll. We can track job supplies, job time, purchases, and anything directly related to income or expense to a particular job.

Ease of use is one of the most important things to consider when shopping for software. 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 send email invites to your accountant from within the software. A new and improved migration process gives you even more ways to move online.

QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online: The differences

QuickBooks Desktop is better for small to large-sized businesses with complex accounting needs requiring more customizable features. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are capable programs with strong accounting features. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Pro and Premier have notoriously poor customer support (QuickBooks Enterprise support has better priority support). Granted, you don’t have to be an accountant to learn QuickBooks Desktop either, but if you are new to accounting, you will need a lot of time to learn the program. In contrast, QuickBooks Desktop tends to have a steeper learning curve, offers fewer integrations, and has had its previous versions discontinued by QuickBooks.

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. While the https://intuit-payroll.org/ features are similar, QuickBooks Desktop offers more functionality, such as the ability to run checks to pay bills and more in-depth customer and vendor management capability. Offers four plans to accommodate a range of businesses with different needs; each plan limits the number of users, though.

If you need personalized customer support, you can upgrade to QuickBooks Online Advanced or QuickBooks Enterprise. Doing so grants you access to the Priority Circle loyalty program, including a dedicated account team, free on-demand training, and premium care from QuickBooks experts. If you have employees, you can add QuickBooks Payroll to your QuickBooks Online account for as little as $45 per month plus $5 per employee.

Choose QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online wins because it offers more professional-looking and customizable invoices than QuickBooks Desktop. Also, it 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. QuickBooks Online’s monthly subscription may be easier for some small businesses to fit into their financial situation.

Some accountants dislike QuickBooks Online’s limited functionality, limited report customization, and dependency on the internet. As you consider whether QuickBooks Desktop vs. QuickBooks Online is better for your accounting needs, keep in mind that QuickBooks Online is the more recent, up-to-date, and botkeeper competitors revenue alternatives and pricing constantly evolving product. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop share the same basic functionality of organizing your accounting processes and automating much of the manual data entry work. It has faster load times and quicker response rates, all while requiring minimal local processing power.

QuickBooks Online has a cheaper monthly cost and is more affordable if you have a lot of employees who will be using the software. QuickBooks Desktop Pro may be cheaper if you do not need additional users or add-ons such as payroll. However, most users still view Quickbooks Desktop favorably, and the product receives high marks on most customer review sites. The software receives 4.4/5 (based on 1,800+ reviews) on Software Advice and 4.3/5 (based on 1,700+ reviews) on G2. QuickBooks Pro is praised for its strong accounting, ample features, reliability, and reporting. You can upgrade to any version of QuickBooks Desktop as your needs change.