Not only is QuickBooks Online easier to use, but it offers additional support — for a fee. QuickBooks Online users can sign up for QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping to assist with getting the books up to date and managing bookkeeping tasks. As far as other add-ons, QuickBooks Online integrates with over 750 business apps and programs — well over twice the number of integrations you’ll find with Desktop. You can download a 30-day trial version of mark to market accounting QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise only—both the Premier Plus and Pro Plus plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee, but no free trial. Alternatively, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial with QuickBooks Online.

We developed an internal case study to evaluate the accounting software we review subjectively. Using the data we gathered from this case study, we are able to compare QuickBooks Online and Desktop across several key categories, such as pricing, ease of use, general features, A/P, A/R, and banking. We are driven by the Fit Small Business mission to provide you with the best answers to your small business questions—allowing you to choose the right accounting solution for your needs. Our meticulous evaluation process makes us a trustworthy source for accounting software insights. We immerse ourselves in every platform we review by exploring the features down to the finest nuances.

1. 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.
2. Accountants often find QuickBooks Pro and Premier to be more traditional, but you don’t have to be an accountant or professional bookkeeper to learn QuickBooks Online.
3. It starts at $30 a month and includes basic features only, such as mileage tracking and invoicing.
4. Access your account via the cloud for up to 25 users with the Online version, and pay an additional fee per user, up to 40 users, for cloud access with Desktop.
5. The copy will allow you to continue to work on transactions in the current period while your accountant makes adjustments to past periods.

QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop pricing

Hosting your QBDT file on the cloud is available for all editions of QuickBooks Desktop and is available through a variety of providers. In contrast to Pro and Premier, at the time of writing the software-only version of QBDT Enterprise is an annual purchase of $1,213 for its Silver, or most basic, level of functionality. Like its desktop counterpart, there are multiple editions of QuickBooks Online aimed at serving different purposes. Unlike QuickBooks Desktop, QBO is only available in a subscription-based format regardless of the edition you choose. If you invoke the guarantee, QuickBooks will conduct a full n evaluation of the Live Bookkeeper’s work. Work from anywhere with the power of the cloud and real-time, secure collaboration.

Another notable difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop is their integration capabilities. QuickBooks Online integrates with over 750 source documents third-party apps, and we highlighted the most notable integrations in our guide to the best QuickBooks Online integrations for small businesses. This easy-to-use and feature-rich software is ideal if you have no bookkeeping experience and want top-notch customer support.

QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are two solid accounting products from Intuit. While both software types have plenty of perks, QuickBooks Online is a more flexible, affordable, and scalable option for most small-business owners. QuickBooks Desktop doesn’t offer the same multi-user accessibility, but it does have a more comprehensive assortment of features that provide an in-depth view of your accounting operations. QuickBooks Desktop offers more advanced inventory management features, job costing worksheets, sales orders, and highly customizable reports. I was impressed with how you could do batch invoicing, something QuickBooks Online doesn’t offer.

Which Is Best For My Business?

The software must have enough reports that can be generated with a few clicks. Moreover, we’d also like to see customization options to enable users to generate reports based on what they want to see. Businesses with inventory items should choose accounting software that can track inventory costs, manage COGS, and monitor inventory units. The A/P section focuses on how to find dropshipping suppliers and wholesalers vendor management, bill management, bill payments, and other payable-related transactions. A/P features include creating vendors and bills, recording purchase orders and converting them to bills, creating service items, and recording full or partial bill payments.

Project Accounting: QuickBooks Desktop Wins

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. Because QBDT is a local install on your computer, you can access your file at any time. If the internet goes out, you’re still able to view, edit, and otherwise work on your books.

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. With QuickBooks Desktop, users receive some of the most developed accounting tools on the market. The software offers comprehensive features, unique touches (such as lead management and sales orders), industry-specific versions of the software, and the potential to be more secure.

Payroll: Tie

In addition, the Premier and Enterprise plans offer more than 150 reports, with industry-specific reporting options available. The software must have a mobile app to enable users to perform accounting tasks even when away from their laptops or desktops. Some of the features we looked into include the ability to create and send invoices, accept online payments, enter and track bills, and view reports on the go. Compared to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop offers more advanced accounting.