Desktop or Online? QuickBooks has a version for each.
They are very different. This comes as a surprise to many who are used to the familiar QuickBooks Pro on their office computer. They decide to move to the online version and discover it bears little resemblance to what they are used to.
There are features in QuickBooks Desktop that online does not have. There are also features in QuickBooks Online that desktop does not have. Both have compelling arguments for users needing different features.
QuickBooks Online (QBO) offers great freedom and mobility. If you like the idea of jumping into your accounting program from office, home, or wherever you have an internet connection, you will love QBO.
If you write fewer and fewer paper checks and don’t want the tedious job of manually entering individual expense transactions into your accounting software, you will love QBO.
If you worry about data damage or loss, what will you do if a backup doesn’t work in a disaster, you will love QBO.
As an online product, QBO is subscription based. For small business owners, there are three subscription levels.
Simple Start is the most economical at $12.95 per month. It is pretty basic, designed for a very small business.
Simple Start is a single-user subscription but you still get to invite up to two accountant or bookkeeper users without any extra fee, just like the more expensive subscriptions. You can download bank and credit card transactions, print checks, invoice your customers. And if the accounting software doesn’t do everything you need, there are many optional add-on products to extend that functionality.
QBO Essentials adds a number of capabilities. Setup invoices to automatically repeat on a schedule you set. Accounts Payable. Create up to three user accounts (that’s separate from the additional accountant/bookkeeper accounts) and specify the part of the program those users can access. You also get twice as many reports to show you how your business is doing.
QBO Plus is the most robust of the three subscription levels. Five users besides your accountant and bookkeeper users. Process 1099s. Your workers can post time in the system with very limited access accounts, no extra fee. Track those billable hours to automatically invoice customers.
QBO Plus adds class tracking, just like the desktop version. It has the ability to track locations as well. Create budgets. Check your business performance with 65+ reports.
QBO recently reached the one million paid subscriber mark. It is the clear front runner in the online accounting world.
Hector Garcia, CPA
Certified Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor
12401 Orange Drive #136
Davie, FL 33330
954-414-1524
hector@garciacpa.com
