QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Desktop 2025

We’ll provide you with comprehensive information to aid in choosing the optimal accounting solution for your business. In this article, we’ll compare & explore which one suits collaborative work on the go and which offers enhanced speed and advanced features. Julie Watson loves helping businesses navigate their technology needs by breaking complex concepts into clear, practical solutions.

• 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.
• Overall, QuickBooks Online is best suited for small businesses with basic accounting needs.
• Online offers a clean, modern design that simplifies tasks, incorporates AI, and is accessible from any device with an internet connection—including mobile devices.

QuickBooks Online vs Desktop: Key Differences

Unlike QuickBooks Online, Desktop Pro includes built-in inventory management. While both software types have plenty of perks, QuickBooks Online is a more flexible, affordable, and scalable option for most small-business owners. Oliver Westwood is a certified cloud architect and technology writer at OneUp Networks, specializing in cloud hosting for accountants and CPAs. QuickBooks Online is preferred for its real-time collaboration features. Limited functionality is available offline, but an internet connection is required for full access. It’s designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and is particularly popular among accountants and CPAs who need to collaborate with clients remotely.

• I spent time in both the online and desktop versions of QuickBooks.
• You can, however, switch your business’s account from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online without losing your data.
• His blogs cover key trends in QuickBooks hosting, Thomson Reuters hosting, and cybersecurity for accounting firms—making him a trusted voice in the cloud hosting industry.
• It also allows easy collaboration, enabling you to share your account with your accounting expert.

In 7 QuickBooks Payables Problems cost driver know the significance of cost drivers in cost accounting Solved with Automation, learn the biggest payables problems automation solves for QuickBooks users. We’ll email you 1-3 times per week—and never share your information. Some accountants dislike QuickBooks Online’s limited functionality, limited report customization, and dependency on the internet.

Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop users can apply for optional QuickBooks Payments processing by Intuit Merchant Services. CPAs and bookkeepers use QuickBooks Accountant Desktop software for QuickBooks Desktop clients. QuickBooks Desktop is offered in Windows or Mac versions. Premier Plus offers industry-specific tools and reports. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise offers industry-specific editions.

Once installed, your accounting data will only be accessible on one of these devices, making it difficult to work on the go. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extensive features for users managing accounting tasks independently or within a single workspace ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Offers a wide range of features, from invoicing and expense tracking to reporting and inventory management ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As a cloud-based solution, all software updates are applied automatically

Which version is better for CPAs and accountants?

Try using your mobile device web browser to access more QuickBooks Online features if you’re in the field with Internet access. Some user reviews aren’t favorable for the mobile app, which offers limited features. Enterprise is the most customizable desktop version of QuickBooks.

Since QuickBooks Online is browser-based, not desktop-based, you can log on to your Quickbooks Online account from any web-enabled device with a sturdy internet connection. QuickBooks Online has been part of the Intuit accounting software family for a few decades now. His blogs cover key trends in QuickBooks hosting, Thomson Reuters hosting, and cybersecurity for accounting firms—making him a trusted voice in the cloud hosting industry. You can export your data, but you’ll lose access to the software.

QuickBooks Cloud Hosting: Too Good to Be True? (The Honest Benefits & Challenges)

(And for what it’s worth, the app is very poorly reviewed by its very limited number of both iOS and Android users.) The QuickBooks Desktop version of the mobile app is also incredibly limited in scope—you can use it to scan receipts only. If cost is your primary concern, we recommend looking at an accounting option other than QuickBooks.

Why Choose OneUp Networks for QuickBooks Hosting?

This plan, QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, has the same features as QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, the most basic desktop-based plan. We also don’t recommend QuickBooks Desktop to Mac users, since there’s just one desktop-based plan for Mac users. Only QuickBooks Online includes free access to a comprehensive version of the QuickBooks mobile accounting app, which is one of the best apps in the accounting sphere. So what can you do with your cloud-based accounting service?

Can you still buy QuickBooks Desktop?

It’s built for those who need to track products by bin, serial number or lot and prefer local control over their data. Teams spread across locations or working with outside accountants will appreciate the instant access from anywhere. It’s perfect for those who’d rather let automation handle the busywork—bank feeds, recurring invoices and sales tax—while they focus on the business itself. If you’re running a boutique, a growing online shop or managing invoices between soccer drop-offs, this version fits easily into real life.

Additionally, when the Desktop is installed on a local computer, there’s a higher risk of data loss or theft if the computer is lost or stolen. This means that if you’re using an older version of Desktop, you may not be able to receive assistance. However, it’s important to note that support for Desktop is only available for the current version and one version prior. Additionally, depending on your subscription level, you may have access to dedicated account managers and training resources. When it comes to customer support, both QuickBooks Online and Desktop offer extensive resources to help you get the most out of the software.

QuickBooks Online vs Desktop: Should I Choose QuickBooks Online or Desktop?

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software that allows users to access their financial data from anywhere, at any time, using any device with an internet connection. QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based inventory: definition and example accounting software developed by Intuit, designed to streamline and simplify financial management for businesses of varying sizes. No, QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software, and it requires an internet connection to access and use its features. QuickBooks Desktop is a traditional accounting software developed by Intuit, designed to provide comprehensive financial management solutions for businesses. QuickBooks is a suite of accounting software developed and marketed by Intuit, designed for small and medium-sized businesses to handle their financial management and automate accounting operations. QuickBooks Online is chock-full of accounting features that make it incredibly easy to use, even for non-accountants.QuickBooks Online is an affordable, flexible, and scalable option for small to mid-sized businesses that prefer a cloud-based accounting solution.

Security Measures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Changes made by one user are reflected instantly for others, facilitating real-time collaboration ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Grant access to multiple team members, each with their login credentials and customized permissions for enhanced security There were also fewer prompts of the tutorial variety, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of features packed into it. Granted, most people agree QuickBooks Online is the better option, but the old-timer is still somehow in the running. Accounting software is difficult enough to wade through without pitting QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop against each other.

Since QuickBooks Online offers four cloud-based plans, it easily grows with your business. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop is better suited for businesses with complex accounting needs or those who prefer offline access. QuickBooks Online is ideal for businesses and accountants who value accessibility, real-time collaboration, and scalability. Probably not, unless your business absolutely needs advanced inventory management features, barcode scanning, or assembly builds. While QuickBooks Online does offer security features like multi-factor authorization and encrypted data storage, it’s accessible by anyone with employee login credentials and an internet connection. QuickBooks Desktop is a better fit for businesses that prefer to store their data locally and are less dependent on real-time updates or extensive collaboration.

QuickBooks Online Overview

It also has a mobile app that works on both iOS and Android devices.While QuickBooks Desktop is restricted to the number of installations included in your selected service tier, you may use a hosting provider to access your desktop software from a cloud server. Many businesses use it for bookkeeping, inventory management, payroll, and other financial tasks. Both versions aim to empower businesses with effective financial tools, but the choice depends on which features align better with your organization’s goals and preferences. However, if you’re seeking flexibility, the option of utilizing a hosting provider enables access to the desktop software from a cloud server. That is why it counts as one of the ost popular accounting software for large businesses. It provides a robust accounting and inventory management package essential for businesses with intricate product lines.

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. If you purchased a Desktop Pro plan in 2021, your software will still work until 2024—but new customers who bought the 2022 software version can only choose annual subscriptions. The QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus plan is particularly useful for business that want industry-specific features. In other words, Mac users can’t scale up their software from one plan to the next as they add software users. And if data analysis is an important part of growing your business, QuickBooks Desktop is a solid pick.

While many businesses lean toward QuickBooks Desktop for its advanced capabilities, they simultaneously demand the flexibility of cloud access. By hosting the software on OneUp Networks’ cloud servers, the team enjoys remote access and enhanced security. QuickBooks Online offers four monthly plans for businesses, each with a specified number of users. With a username and password, you can log in and access your data and files remotely anytime — just like you would from a local desktop.It’s also worth noting that QuickBooks Desktop is only available on Windows computers. QuickBooks Online offers several features that are not available in the desktop version.

Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop are designed to handle a small business’s bandwidth and needs. There may be a sunset in the future for this clunky (but beloved by Reddit users) application. This ongoing development suggests that how to prepare a trial balance QuickBooks Online may eventually become the only option—the Desktop version hasn’t had a facelift for quite a while.