Once installed, your accounting data will only be accessible on one of these devices, making it difficult to work on the go. But local installation means more control over your data, who has access, and overall general security of your business information. 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. The two iterations of QuickBooks’ accounting software shine in different areas. Whereas one is completely online and cloud-based, the other operates locally on your computer. One is sleek and non-profit bookkeeper salary modern, and the other seems to have been designed for a cubicle.
While they share many of the same debit memo and credit memos in accounts payable features, QuickBooks Desktop’s features are often more developed, except when it comes to invoicing. Both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online utilize a subscription pricing model. And let’s not forget offline accessibility for the times your ISP decides to ruin your Monday. Everything from the installation screen to the lagging UI gave me flashbacks to the 1998 dial-up tone on my family’s Pentium III computer. There were also fewer prompts of the tutorial variety, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of features packed into it.
Try using your mobile device web browser to access more QuickBooks Online features if you’re in the field with Internet access. Until Intuit’s announced that they were no longer going to support QuickBooks Desktop products after May 2023, this was a hard question to answer. Every business has its own needs and demands that make one accounting software version or the other a better fit. Local installations are billed annually, while hosted solutions are billed monthly.
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Work from anywhere with the power of the cloud and real-time, secure collaboration. With QuickBooks Online, you also get the latest security capabilities. Know that your data is protected without downloading and installing product updates. You don’t have to worry about losing everything in a fire or an unforeseen event. CPAs and bookkeepers use QuickBooks Online Accountant software to access or prepare their clients’ accounting. Also budget for integrated add-on third-party apps, including AP automation software.
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 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. You can (almost) always trust your local access, and QuickBooks Desktop reinforces that by keeping your accounting data on your local drive or network. QuickBooks Desktop can feel rigid and resistant to modification or integration—the same way Apple products and iOS felt rigid back when everyone had overheating, self-cooking Android phones.
QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop features
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. Testimonial given in an online survey among remunerated QBO customers. If you invoke the guarantee, QuickBooks will conduct a full n evaluation of the Live Bookkeeper’s work. A new and improved migration process gives you even more ways to move online. Move from is it possible to lower my effective tax rate what are my options any version of QuickBooks Desktop, and only migrate the data that matters most to you. Intuit and QuickBooks Online also offer a mileage and expense tracking app called QuickBooks Self-Employed.
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- For instance, if you choose the Simple Start plan, you’re the only person who can use the software—apart from your accountant, with whom you can share your business’s account at no additional cost.
- QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop share the same basic functionality of organizing your accounting processes and automating much of the manual data entry work.
- A company should work with either QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online to avoid data discrepancies.
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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.
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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. The maximum amount of users you can have with a QuickBooks Online subscription is 25 (plus an accountant). If you need more users than that, you can contact QuickBooks Online’s customer support to see if you can create a custom plan with custom user access.
Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are designed to handle small business’s bandwidth and needs. Strictly based on ease of use and basic functionality, QuickBooks Online is an easier-to-adopt option that can handle small business accounting needs well. I’ve deduced that it comes down to a stubborn user base—one that refuses to let go of QuickBooks Desktop in favor of its cloud-based successor. Granted, most people agree QuickBooks Online is the better option, but the old-timer is still somehow in the running. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.