QuickBooks Online Review: Pros, Cons, Alternatives

Businesses can access the software online using the web-based platform or download desktop clients. QuickBooks is a popular accounting software system for small and medium-sized businesses. It’s an ideal way to keep business finances organized and accurate – even if you have little to no knowledge about accounting. If you’re a freelancer, stick with its Self-Employed plan, which is $15 per month 9after the three-month discount at $7.50).

In addition to some native QuickBooks Online integrations—such as QuickBooks Payroll, QuickBooks Time, and QuickBooks Payments—QuickBooks Online connects with popular apps. what is comprehensive loss in accounting These include PayPal, Melio, HubSpot, Expensify, LeanLaw, Square Payroll, and Expensify. QuickBooks allows you to attach a receipt to the corresponding banking transaction.

QuickBooks Desktop

Both versions have mobile apps, but the app for the Desktop version primarily functions as a way to upload receipts, and the Online mobile app is robust in comparison. We looked at multiple features, services and ease of use of various accounting programs to determine which ones are the best QuickBooks alternatives. At Forbes Advisor, we break down the cost, features available and the value of each software to ensure they’re best suited for small businesses. We also look at less tangible benefits, such as customer support quality and ease of use.

QuickBooks Online Advanced supports the upload of 1000 transaction lines for invoices at one time. 37% faster based off of internal tests comparing QuickBooks Online regular invoice workflow with QuickBooks Online Advanced multiple invoice workflow. Nearly 70% of business owners who have been there, done that, recommend writing a business plan before you start a business. The software lists unpaid charges separated by the customer and job.

What is QuickBooks, and how does it work?

Lenders often require financial statements when you apply for a small business loan or line of credit. We wanted to gauge the opinions of real users of these QuickBooks alternatives and turned to third-party websites to get a gauge of how these customers felt about their experiences with them. FreshBooks was built with the freelancer in mind with its single-user access. You can add more users to your account, but it costs $10 per user, per month, at which point FreshBooks loses considerable value. On the other hand, if you’re an accountant or someone with a great deal of accounting experience, you may like QuickBooks desktop options that use traditional accounting practices. If you don’t know much about accounting, you’ll probably want to shy away from QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise, unless you’re willing to put in the time to learn.

• You can also create an invoice from scratch or by converting an existing estimate into an invoice.
• It comes in a variety of editions and has web-based and desktop programs.
• Best for small businesses looking for easy-to-use, cloud-based accounting software and strong mobile apps.
• After you sign up for QuickBooks Online, you’ll be able to log in to your account and access the main dashboard view.

While setting up QuickBooks, you can connect your bank as well as credit card accounts to the software. Once done, QuickBooks tracks your bills and expenses automatically. Over the years, Intuit, Inc. would release many more versions of QuickBooks. Subsequence releases sought to bridge the gap between professional accounting services and desktop-based software.

QuickBooks Software Options

You can double click a given invoice to get a detailed summary of that particular account’s activity. For an extra $50, sign up for a one-time live Bookkeeping setup with any of its plans. Larger businesses with sophisticated inventory, reporting and accounting needs. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date. These prices can be subject to change, so please check the QuickBooks site for any promotions. Consequently, some traditional accountants and bookkeepers find it complicated at first, because it doesn’t “behave” the way manual ledger bookkeeping used to. There is a caveat, though, since QuickBooks uses the IHS Markit exchange rate.¹² But your bank may charge you a different rate, to add to their bottom line.

Find better features for building your business

QuickBooks Mac Plus also has no integrations, whereas QBO has more than 650. If you can’t decide between two programs, here’s how they stack up head-to-head to help you determine which version of QuickBooks is the best accounting solution for your business. This table takes a deep look into each program’s features, so you’ll know exactly what each version of QuickBooks is capable of. Comparing QuickBooks features is one of the best ways to decide which version of the software is the best fit for your business.

QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting software for small businesses in 2024. QuickBooks Payments account subject to credit and application approval. Money movement services are provided by Intuit Payments Inc., licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services. These business owners appreciated the ability to minimize accounting costs while simplifying their business. For $1,410 per year, get the Enterprise plan with advanced pricing, reporting and inventory.

There are features to help you manage 1099 contractors and take payments. If you want to add on payroll, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at $15 per month (paid annually) and allows up to three users. Its highest-tiered plan is the Advanced option, which costs $100 per month for the first three months, then $200 per month after that.

QuickBooks Premier is suitable for small to medium businesses with five or fewer users. On the other hand, QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for larger businesses that want access to more users and more features without fully upgrading to ERP software. Pricing varies based on the number of users and the level of customer support you need, and if you need to add QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.