QuickBooks has been a popular accounting software for small businesses for many years, with QuickBooks Desktop serving as the standard option. With the increasing popularity of cloud-based software, however, an increasing number of organizations are exploring a transfer to QuickBooks Online. The reasons for this transition include accessibility, integration, scalability, and collaboration.
In this article, we'll discuss the advantages of switching to QuickBooks Online and offer guidance on how to make a move as seamless as possible.
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting program developed by Intuit. QuickBooks Online is accessible from a computer or mobile app, enabling customers to manage their money on the move.
It is designed to help businesses of all sizes manage their financial transactions and accounting duties, such as billing, tracking expenditures, payroll administration, and financial reporting. QuickBooks Online also includes inventory management, budgeting, and financial statement generation capabilities.
QuickBooks Online provides organizations with a variety of tools for financial management, including:
QuickBooks Online also offers features specifically designed for freelancers, including:
QuickBooks Online can be a robust accounting tool for accountants, with features such as:
There are several benefits to using QuickBooks Online over traditional accounting methods, including:
Unlike traditional accounting software, QuickBooks Online is cloud-based, eliminating the need to manage local software and data. This allows organizations to view their financial data from any device with an internet connection and from anywhere in the world. This also makes work from home life easier and more manageable.
QuickBooks Online allows you to prioritize your employees and make a better collaborative environment, especially in today’s remote working world. Enabling companies to share data with their employees and accountants more effectively, businesses can work with their employees and accountants in real-time, even if they are not in the same physical area. This means that several users can access the same data, facilitating improved cooperation and decision-making.
The robust QuickBooks Online support center offers online chat assistance to businesses. This enables companies to receive assistance whenever they need it without waiting for a response from customer care. Also, the help center provides organizations with various articles and tutorials to help them learn more about the application and how to use it effectively.
Using nightly automated downloads, QuickBooks Online makes it simple to synchronize with other applications. This allows businesses to integrate their accounting software with other company applications, such as payroll and time-tracking software. This function helps organizations save time and enhance productivity.
QuickBooks Online gives businesses the option to automate their billing process by automatically delivering invoices and statements, as well as automating their reporting process through the use of customizable reporting templates. The software also proactively downloads bank and credit card transactions every night, ensuring that firms have the most recent financial data to make smart decisions.
With QuickBooks Online, businesses do not need to back up their data, as all data is securely saved on Intuit servers with redundant backups. Companies can be confident that their financial data is secure, even during a natural disaster or data loss event.
QuickBooks Online is an accounting program that gives businesses real-time financial data. This gives users the assurance of always working with the latest information, which is essential for making informed financial decisions.
Furthermore, since QuickBooks Online runs in the cloud, updates are automatically pushed globally, so security and functionality remain up-to-date without manual intervention or maintenance - allowing businesses to focus on their core operations while QuickBooks Online takes care of everything else.
QuickBooks Online offers a variety of pricing options to meet the requirements and budgets of businesses of all kinds, from freelancers to large enterprises. Below is a table outlining the pricing plans for QuickBooks Online:
Plan Features |
QuickBooks Online EasyStart |
QuickBooks Online Essentials |
QuickBooks Online Plus |
QuickBooks Online Advanced |
Monthly Price |
$25 |
$40 |
$70 |
$150 |
Maximum Number of Users |
1 |
3 |
5 |
25 |
Manage Income and Expenses |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Send Estimates |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Create and Send Invoices |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Track Sales Tax |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Bill Management |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Track Time |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Track Inventory |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Business Analytics |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Custom User Permissions |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Priority Customer Support |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
*Pricing as of March 2023
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QuickBooks Desktop is a popular accounting software program developed and marketed by Intuit. Intuit has created and successfully promoted the widely used accounting tool QuickBooks Desktop.
The software helps small and medium-sized enterprises handle money matters, including billing, payroll, inventory, and payments. QuickBooks Online is a cloud-managed service that can be used from anywhere with an internet connection. At the same time, QuickBooks Desktop can be downloaded and installed on a computer when no network is available.
Each edition of QuickBooks Desktop, from Pro to Premier to Enterprise, is tailored to a particular business's demands with its own features and capabilities. Since it can work with various applications, QuickBooks Desktop is a flexible choice for handling a company's money.
Some of the versions of QuickBooks Desktops are as follows:
This program can be helpful for small businesses in managing finances. It can also create invoices, sales, and expenditure reports and track revenue and expenses.
By utilizing QuickBooks Desktop Pro, businesses can do the following:
As a financial management application developed for small and medium-sized enterprises, QuickBooks Desktop Premier provides more advanced capabilities than QuickBooks Desktop Pro.
Here are five essential features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier:
QuickBooks Desktop Accountant is a version of QuickBooks Desktop created for accountants and bookkeepers to manage their client's financial data. It incorporates all the features of QuickBooks Desktop Pro but provides additional tools and capabilities to assist accountants in collecting and analyzing their customer’s financial data.
Some of the features of QuickBooks Desktop Accountant include:
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a complete accounting software package for larger companies with advanced accounting requirements. It has comprehensive capabilities for managing inventory, pricing, and task costing, among other things.
Here are five essential features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise:
Intended for Apple users, QuickBooks Desktop for Mac provides similar features and capabilities as QuickBooks Desktop for Windows but with a user interface optimized for Mac operating systems.
Features |
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac |
Easy Navigation |
The software's basic, user-friendly design and straightforward navigation make it simple for Mac users to get the required capabilities. |
Integration with Mac OS |
Interacts perfectly with the Mac operating system, enabling users to operate more effectively and without difficulty. |
Cloud Backup |
Cloud backup features guarantee that the financial data of Mac users are safe and secure on the cloud. |
Multi-User Access |
Permits up to three active users to utilize the software, facilitating collaboration and sharing financial data. |
Mac-Specific Features |
Mac-specific functionality, such as the ability to import contacts from macOS Contacts and synchronize financial data with iCal. |
With QuickBooks Point of Sale, retailers can manage sales, inventory, and customer data in a centralized location.
Here are five essential features of QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale:
QuickBooks Desktop has been the preferred accounting solution for freelancers, small businesses, and even some medium-sized enterprises for many years. But, with the rise of cloud computing, more and more companies are switching to QuickBooks Online for their accounting needs.
Here are some arguments in favor of converting QuickBooks Desktop to Online:
QuickBooks Online offers a subscription-based pricing model, while QuickBooks Desktop requires a one-time purchase. For some businesses, the ongoing cost of QuickBooks Online may be more manageable than the upfront cost of QuickBooks Desktop.
Several useful third-party apps are compatible with QuickBooks Online, allowing you to save time and effort through automation and streamlined workflows. Connecting your bank, payment processor, or e-commerce platform to QuickBooks Online lets you import transactions instantly. However, QuickBooks Desktop makes setting up these kinds of integrations harder.
Because it is hosted in the cloud, QuickBooks Online can be accessed from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. This feature can come in handy if numerous employees require access to QuickBooks from different places. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop must be downloaded and installed locally on your computer and can then be accessed exclusively from that system.
Intuit releases new versions of QuickBooks Online globally, allowing users to always have access to the latest software version. On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop will soon no longer be updated or maintained by Intuit, which might expose users to vulnerabilities or cause compatibility problems.
Installing QuickBooks Desktop locally and hosting it means you'll have to independently handle backups, software upgrades, and security. But for QuickBooks Online, Intuit does all of the upkeep and security patches because it is hosted in the cloud.
You can choose from QuickBooks Online's Retail, Nonprofit, or Contractor editions according to your business's needs. These editions provide industry-specific time-saving tools and reports that improve financial management and help save money. Specialized editions of QuickBooks Desktop are also available for various businesses, but they may be less advanced or feature-rich than QuickBooks Online.
A QuickBooks Reseller is an Intuit-authorized organization or individual that sells QuickBooks products and services.
They offer various services, including installation, training, and customization, to assist businesses in maximizing their QuickBooks software. Typically, QuickBooks Resellers provide an assortment of QuickBooks products and versions, including QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and industry-specific versions.
Since QuickBooks integrates seamlessly with many Microsoft tools, Amaxra can recommend licensing and offer support for your business if you want to integrate QuickBooks with your Microsoft environment.
QuickBooks Support is a customer help service offered by Intuit to assist QuickBooks users with any problems or inquiries. The support includes a knowledge base, a community forum, and training materials like webinars and video tutorials.
Premium customers can also access phone and chat support options to interact directly with QuickBooks specialists for technical help, troubleshooting, and general support. QuickBooks Help is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide companies with the required assistance.
Whether you are a novice or an expert user, QuickBooks Help can serve as a useful resource for overcoming obstacles and maximizing the software's benefits.
The steps to convert QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online include:
Most data from QuickBooks Desktop can be converted to QuickBooks Online, including customer, vendor, and employee information, account balances, and transaction history.
QuickBooks Online is an effective accounting software solution for accountants and small business owners. Accessibility, collaboration, automation, integration, reporting, scalability, and frequent updates are among its features. In addition, QuickBooks Online offers a range of pricing options, from the EasyStart plan to the Advanced plan, to accommodate businesses of all sizes.
If you’re interested in integrating QuickBooks into your existing Microsoft environment, contact Amaxra. Our team of experts can help you find the right solution to fit your needs and support you every step of the way.
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