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QuickBooks Online Review 2023: Pros, Cons, Alternatives

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Table of Contents

QuickBooks Online at a glance

How does quickbooks online work, pricing and features, benefits of quickbooks online, drawbacks of quickbooks online, awards for quickbooks online, quickbooks online alternatives.

Known as the industry standard for small-business accounting software , Intuit’s QuickBooks Online is a solid choice for a variety of businesses, especially those that plan to regularly work with bookkeepers or accountants. Its range of features can support very small operations as well as growing companies that need granular reporting tools to assess different areas of their business.

Although QuickBooks Online is user-friendly, there can be a learning curve, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with the basic principles of accounting . Additionally, QuickBooks can be expensive for many businesses, even more so if you add on time tracking or payroll. Competitors can offer simpler, more affordable alternatives.

After you sign up for QuickBooks Online, you’ll be able to log in to your account and access the main dashboard view. If you’re moving to QuickBooks from another accounting software, you can import your existing files to your new account.

The main dashboard will give an overview of your QuickBooks account, showing your profit and loss overview, invoices, expenses and sales.

Using the Banking tab on the left side of the dashboard, you can connect your bank and credit card accounts so that QuickBooks automatically imports transactions and categorizes them for you. Later, when reconciling your books, you’ll be able to review these transactions in the For Review tab within the Banking menu.

Next, you can customize invoices, set up automatic sales tax tracking (if necessary) and learn how to enter mobile receipts and bills. You can edit all of your business’s account settings using the gear icon in the upper right corner.

If you want to invite your bookkeeper or accountant to your QuickBooks Online account, you can do so using the My Accountant tab or the Manage Users page in Settings — you can also search for an accountant if you don’t already have one.

This video helps explain how to set up and navigate QuickBooks Online.

» MORE: What is accounting software?

Promotional discounts may apply. All plans include access to QuickBooks Online mobile apps, customer support and third-party app integrations. Add-on services — including QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Payments — will incur separate costs.

Need accounting software for your side hustle? QuickBooks offers a separate product — QuickBooks Self-Employed — designed for freelancers and independent contractors, with plans starting at $15 per month. If you’re considering desktop offerings, try exploring QuickBooks’ other small-business products and checking out our full breakdown of QuickBooks pricing .

» MORE: QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop

Robust feature set

QuickBooks Online ranks high for its selection of features, which includes reporting, invoicing, inventory management and mobile app functionality. Here are a few features, in particular, that stand out:

Record-keeping and reporting: It’s easy to keep thorough, detailed records with QuickBooks Online. When you’re adding an expense, for example, you have the option of adding reference numbers, permit numbers, attachments and memos. You can also split the expense into multiple categories or items.

You aren't required to fill out every field in an expense or income entry, but the more detailed your records are, the more useful certain reports can be. For example, with QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced, you can track inventory and do job costing — that is, you can figure out how much you spent to complete a certain project.

Even without those higher-level plans, you can create custom tags and run reports to show where you make and spend the most money. These features can help you organize your finances and provide insights such as cost-cutting opportunities or sales trends that you can use to improve and grow your business.

Inventory management: With QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced, you can track inventory and cost of goods, and set up reorder points. You can also create purchase orders, manage vendors and sync your inventory with third-party platforms like Amazon and Shopify.

Competitors like Xero and FreshBooks offer basic inventory tracking for less, but it isn’t as advanced.

Integrations include live, in-house bookkeeping

QuickBooks Online gives you access to a marketplace of over 750 apps, including third-party tools as well as QuickBooks add-ons. One of those add-ons is QuickBooks Live for bookkeeping . The solution is ideal for business owners who’d like to step away from day-to-day bookkeeping tasks and outsource them elsewhere to save time.

QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets), another add-on, lets you track employee time directly inside QuickBooks and approve timesheets. Other apps can help you prepare for taxes, get business funding, run payroll, manage customer accounts and generate various financial reports and insights. Some apps (including QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Live) have associated fees, whereas others are free.

» MORE: Best accounting and bookkeeping apps for small businesses

Easy to find QuickBooks resources

Whether you decide to manage your bookkeeping on your own or work with a professional, you’ll have no trouble accessing online resources for QuickBooks Online . The company offers video tutorials, webinars and training classes, as well as community forums, support topics and other resources on its website. You have the option of contacting QuickBooks customer support directly for any help you may need too.

You can also use QuickBooks’ ProAdvisor network to find certified accountants and bookkeepers. Given QuickBooks Online’s number of users, accountants outside of the network should be familiar with the software.

Monthly plans can be expensive

QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $30 per month, includes only one account user (plus access for two accountants) and does not offer billable hours tracking, bill pay or inventory management. For multiple users, bill pay and the ability to add billable hours to invoices, you’ll need to upgrade to the Essentials plan, which costs $60 per month. For inventory management, you’ll need to opt for the Plus plan at $90 per month.

Competitors can offer plans with lower monthly fees and similar features. For example, Xero ranges from $13 to $70 per month and includes unlimited users and basic inventory management in all plans. Similarly, FreshBooks ranges from $17 to $55 per month, with time tracking in all plans.

» MORE: Top QuickBooks Online alternatives

Learning curve

Though QuickBooks Online has a handful of convenient features that can speed up your workflow and even automate some of it, the software can be complex. You'll get the most out of it if you have some knowledge of basic accounting concepts. Whereas you might be able to use some software alternatives without explanation, it may take some time to get the hang of QuickBooks.

Watching tutorials, reading support pages or consulting experts for advice are all great options to learn how to use QuickBooks Online for your business.

QuickBooks Online earned a spot as one of the best products in NerdWallet roundups for these categories:

Business software.

Small-business accounting software.

Construction accounting software.

Consultant accounting software.

Farm accounting software.

Freelancer accounting software.

Property management accounting software.

Small retail business accounting software.

SaaS businesses accounting software.

Small manufacturing business accounting software.

Pricing: Lite plan starts at $17 per month.

Pros: With a robust mobile app, FreshBooks is a strong option for freelancers and independent contractors, as well as self-employed professionals on the go. All FreshBooks plans have a client self-service portal, estimates, invoices, time tracking and expense tracking. This software also offers mobile mileage tracking, basic inventory tracking and live phone support.

Cons: With the Lite and Plus versions of FreshBooks, you’re limited to five and 50 billable clients, respectively. Additionally, double-entry reports and accountant access don’t come with all plans, and you have to pay to add team members to your account: $11 per person per month.

» MORE: FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks Online

Pricing: Early plan starts at $13 per month.

Pros: Like QuickBooks Online, Xero is a powerful and fully functional accounting software. Xero offers lower-priced plans with unlimited users and inventory management included in each. Additionally, Xero is known for its user-friendly and intuitive setup and design.

Cons: With Xero’s Early plan, you can send/approve only 20 quotes and invoices and enter five bills. It also includes time tracking only in the highest-level plan — the Established plan ($70 per month). Finally, Xero’s customer service is lacking. There is no live chat support and while a representative will call you if necessary, the company doesn’t provide a phone number to customers.

» MORE: Xero vs. QuickBooks Online

Pricing: Free. Add-ons will have associated costs.

Pros: Wave is one of the only truly free accounting software options on the market. It’s easy to use and offers unlimited invoicing, income and expense tracking, bank and credit card connections and account users. The Wave Payments add-on also allows you to accept credit card and ACH payments and set up recurring billing.

Cons: Wave does not offer some of the more advanced features that competitors can provide — such as third-party integrations or project profitability. Additionally, it only offers self-serve support through its Help Center or chatbot, unless you subscribe to a paid Wave service like Wave Payroll. In that case, you can chat online with a live agent.

» MORE: Wave vs. QuickBooks Online

In addition to QuickBooks Online, Intuit offers a desktop product called QuickBooks Desktop, which is locally installed rather than cloud-based. QuickBooks Enterprise is the desktop lineup’s most robust plan — it allows up to 40 users and has industry-specific versions. To see which lineup is best for you, compare QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop plans’ main features and pricing.

QuickBooks Online is not free to use, but new customers can choose between a 30-day free trial or a 50% discount for three months.

You’ll get the most value out of QuickBooks Online if you understand how to use its transaction tags and reporting capabilities. If you’re not sure whether you’re getting the most of these features, consider asking your accountant to review your chart of accounts and how you’re categorizing transactions.

QuickBooks Online’s solid set of features (invoicing, inventory management, reporting, etc.) makes it a great solution for a variety of small businesses. It’s easy to loop in your accountant and, unlike some competitors, it can scale to meet a growing business’s changing needs.

One of QuickBooks Online’s biggest downsides is its price. To access some of the product’s most valuable features, like inventory management and project profitability tracking, you have to subscribe to the Plus plan or higher. Some very small businesses that only need basic income and expense tracking, along with invoicing capabilities, may find that a less expensive solution does the trick.

In addition to QuickBooks Online, Intuit offers a desktop product called QuickBooks Desktop, which is locally installed rather than cloud-based.

QuickBooks Enterprise

is the desktop lineup’s most robust plan — it allows up to 40 users and has industry-specific versions. To see which lineup is best for you, compare

QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop

plans’ main features and pricing.

NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including scope of features and integrations, customer support and cost, among others. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software .

These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. Simplicity doesn't always translate into ease of use. Less scalable products are typically simpler, but diminished functionality can cause headaches down the road for growing businesses. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.

NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines .

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NASBA CEO and RSM International CEO both announce plans to step down; Citrin Cooperman relocates New York City office; and more news from across the profession.

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The unemployment rate ticked up one-tenth of a point to 3.9% as hiring slowed.

• Intuit QuickBooks Online

An exceptional small business accounting application

Bottom Line

• In-depth contact records and transaction forms
• Excellent inventory management, time tracking
• Numerous customizable reports
• Supports projects, payroll, and many add-ons
• Terrific mobile apps

QuickBooks Online, owned by Intuit, has been the best small business accounting application for many years. It's a PCMag Editors' Choice award winner again this year thanks to its depth of features, customizability, and understandable user interface. A well-integrated payroll app and hundreds of add-ons extend its usefulness to an even broader audience. Feature enhancements over the last year help users save time and get the assistance they need. If your small business is extra small, however, we recommend FreshBooks , which is the best accounting app for freelancers and independent contractors. For everyone else, QuickBooks Online remains our top choice.

How Much Does QuickBooks Online Cost?

QuickBooks Online comes in four versions, all of which look and work similarly and offer a 30-day free trial. Simple Start costs $30 per month and is designed for microbusinesses. The $60-per-month Essentials plan adds bill management, support for three users, and time tracking. For $90 per month, the Plus plan (which I tested for this review) includes inventory and project profitability tracking and support for five users. The Advanced version costs $200 per month, supports 25 users, and adds employee expenses, batch invoices and expenses, custom access controls, and other features. QuickBooks Online has its own tightly integrated payroll application, QuickBooks Payroll .

QuickBooks Online costs more than just about any competing applications for small business accounting, though it depends on how many users you have. FreshBooks is more affordable in some cases. Its Premium version ($55 per month) offers much of the same functionality as QuickBooks Online Plus and some that are unique to it. FreshBooks does, however, charge $11 per month for each additional team member, whereas QuickBooks Online Plus includes five for free.

Zoho Books costs $60 per month for Premium. Xero charges $15–$78 per month. And Patriot Software Accounting Premium costs $30 per month.

QuickBooks Online’s high price becomes more palatable when you consider the additional customizability and support it has. For example, news users can now get help with setup by phone free of charge. That’s huge. Online help also seems to be improved over what we saw in previous years. QuickBooks Online has enhanced its automated transaction categorization tool, which can be especially helpful to new users who have dozens or hundreds of transactions to categorize. 

Getting Started With QuickBooks Online

Once you’ve created an account, you go through a brief setup to tell QuickBooks Online some basic information about your business. The app works in the background to change some of the core settings to accommodate your specific type of business. You connect your bank accounts, and after that, the service quizzes you about specific transactions, asking whether a designated category would be appropriate for a particular expense. If it is, QuickBooks learns to assign similar transactions the same way going forward.

QuickBooks Online has a two-page dashboard. One page shows a series of graphical flow charts that illustrate a typical workflow for a small business. You can use it for navigation. The other page shows the more typical dashboard tools and data, like graphs for income and expense status, profitability, sales totals, and account balances.

The user interface is attractive—though I wish it wouldn’t sprawl so much—and navigation is understandable. It's not as state-of-the-art and, well, fresh as FreshBooks. 

QuickBooks Online's Sales Tools 

QuickBooks Online’s customer records are thorough and can be imported in multiple formats, including CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, and QuickBooks Desktop. Each customer's home page has contact information as well as more unusual fields, like the customer's preferred language and Price Rules. This page also has links to that customer’s transactions, statements, projects, and late fees, as well as to new transaction forms like invoices. Only Zoho Books rivals this flexibility.

The site offers a full complement of sales transaction forms, from invoices and estimates to sales receipts and credit memos. Invoice forms are more customizable in both design and content than what you get from other small business accounting software, and you can include custom fields. You can also calculate deposits, shipping charges, and discounts. A progress bar appears in the right vertical pane, showing the history of the transaction. 

Completed invoices appear in a list on the invoice page, which offers options for them, like Edit, Receive Payment, Print packing slip, and Send reminder. You can also quickly see how much money is tied up in overdue and not-yet-due invoices, as well as how much you need to deposit. Other sales forms work similarly.

Managing Bills and Expenses With QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online, like its competitors, can accept payments from customers via credit or debit card or bank payment. It also simplifies and accelerates the process of scheduling and paying your own bills through QuickBooks Bill Pay. Both services require extra fees. You also have the option to upload bills from your computer or enter them manually, marking them paid if you still pay them offline.

There are five ways to get expenses into QuickBooks Online. You can upload them from your computer, upload them from Google Drive , forward them from email, snap photos of receipts, and enter them manually on a form. You can make them billable to customers or projects, add markup, and make them recurring. 

QuickBooks Online also lets you create and send purchase orders to vendors when you're ready to buy more products. The purchase order has fields for you to enter specific items and the quantity. When a purchase order is approved, you can then add an expense or bill transaction in QuickBooks to keep all the transactions connected.

Does QuickBooks Online Track Inventory?

You can use QuickBooks Online to track inventory. Close competitors Sage 50 and Xero give you excellent inventory management tools, too (especially Sage 50). FreshBooks does not. 

QuickBooks Online’s item records are detailed enough to satisfy a broad swath of small businesses. You can, for example, track both sales and purchase information and accounts, quantity on hand, quantity on purchase orders, and reorder inventory. The site warns you if you try to sell something you don’t have in stock, and its inventory reports help you avoid running low or having too much money tied up in products that aren’t selling well. QuickBooks Online also tracks non-inventory parts and allows you to build multi-item assemblies.

Using QuickBooks Online as a Service-Based Business

Service records are slightly less detailed than product-based ones, but they’re still thorough enough. You can enter sales and cost prices and other descriptive information. Since it’s likely that at least some of your services are based on hours worked, QuickBooks Online Plus provides strong internal time-tracking tools but also includes an integrated subscription to QuickBooks Time, which is the overall best app available for managing individual time entries and timesheets.

Does QuickBooks Online Offer Project Tracking?

QuickBooks Online’s project tracking capabilities are roughly comparable to FreshBooks Premium’s. They’re both excellent. You simply assign transactions (invoices, payments, expenses, estimates, time, purchase orders, and bills) to specific projects. QuickBooks Online creates a page for each project, showing you at a glance its current income and expenses by category. Besides this overview, you can see lists of related transactions and time activities, as well as project reports. Your current profit always appears on the page.

The Best Reports in the Business

No other accounting service does reports as well as QuickBooks Online in terms of design, customizability, and content. Most are standard reports that correspond to the site's core functions, such as sales and customers, expenses and vendors, accounts receivable and payable, sales tax, and accountant reports (including standard financial reports like Statement of Cash Flows and Balance Sheet). You can save modified reports and export them as CSV, PDF, and Excel.

Outstanding Mobile Apps

The Android and iOS apps for QuickBooks Online are outstanding—by far the best of any small business accounting software I've reviewed. They don't replicate all the browser-based version's capabilities, but they provide most of the tools you need to get a lot of your accounting work done remotely. 

Charts and lists keep you updated quickly on your financial status. The dashboard and transaction management are great, and you can track mileage automatically as you drive. Transaction forms like invoices and expenses are identical to or nearly as detailed as they are on the desktop. The mobile apps are attractive and easy to navigate, giving you a better user experience than even the browser-based version. 

Is QuickBooks Online Safe to Use?

Intuit’s fraud prevention technology constantly scans the company’s systems and blocks individuals who are up to no good. Employees proactively search for scams and frauds that might impact QuickBooks Online customers. Multi-factor authentication is required, and the company safeguards your data using AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard with 256-bit keys), which ensures the highest level of cryptographic security. Intuit also participates in established partnerships with multiple security organizations and alliances to help make sure that your data is protected by the best methods available.

Should You Subscribe to QuickBooks Online?

At $90 per month for QuickBooks Online Plus, you need to be committed to using it conscientiously and comprehensively. If you are, you’ll find that it’s a tremendous small business accounting application whose features and design can simplify and accelerate your financial management tasks while giving you the feedback you need to move your company forward. QuickBooks Online has been an Editors' Choice award winner for small business accounting apps for years, and it remains a well-deserved honor.

If you’re a service-based business or your inventory tracking needs are modest, FreshBooks will likely be a better fit and is also an Editors' Choice winner. The service is great for teams, too. It lacks some of QuickBooks Online’s depth and customizability, but it has its own unique features and a user experience that takes some of the dread out of accounting. 

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About kathy yakal.

I write about money. I’ve been reviewing tax software and services as a freelancer for PCMag since 1993. Along the way, I took on reviews of other types of business and personal finance technology. Prior to that, I had spent a few years writing about productivity and entertainment applications for 8-bit personal computers (my first one was a Commodore VIC-20) as a member of the editorial staff at Compute!

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Accounting | Editorial Review

QuickBooks Online Review: Features & Pricing for 2023

Published June 8, 2023

Published Jun 8, 2023

REVIEWED BY: Tim Yoder, Ph.D., CPA

WRITTEN BY: Danielle Bauter

This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software .

• 2 Why We Like It
• 3 Alternatives
• 4 New Features for 2023
• 6 Our Case Study
• 8 Ease of Use & Customer Support
• 9 Integrations
• 10 User Reviews
• 11 Drawbacks
• 12 Our Methodology
• 14 Bottom Line

QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software for small businesses that need advanced features like inventory management and tracking of profit and loss (P&L) by class, location, and project. It comes in four plans ranging from $30 to $200 per month, depending on the number of users and features desired. QuickBooks is currently offering 50% off for the first three months or a 30-day free trial.

Also, users get a free one-time virtual session with a ProAdvisor to set up the company file. You will learn how to set up your chart of accounts, set up reminders, customize invoices, and connect your bank and credit card accounts. However, this excludes desktop migration and payroll setup and is unavailable with the free trial.

• Industry-leading accounting software on the market
• Scalable plans priced depending on the number of users features included
• Efficient bank reconciliation
• Robust inventory management features
• Generates a wide selection of accounting and financial reports
• Calculates sales tax rates to apply to an invoice automatically
• Capable mobile app with many bookkeeping features
• Vast network of QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors
• A bit expensive compared to other similar products
• Cannot track inventory assemblies like QuickBooks Desktop
• Mobile app can’t record time worked
• Cannot compare estimated to actual project costs
• More of a generalized solution; no industry-specific features
• Deciding Factors
• Not Ideal For
• Invoicing customers: It’s our leading invoicing software because of its ability to calculate sales tax based on the customer’s location and customize invoices to any industry.
• Ecommerce retailers: Its recent focus on ecommerce integrations makes it the clear winner for the best ecommerce accounting software . If you use Shopify, you may find our guide to the top Shopify integrations for QuickBooks Online especially useful.
• Mobile accounting: As one of our best mobile accounting applications , its mobile app allows you to send invoices, receive payments, track mileage, capture receipts, and more.
• Property management companies: Its class and location tracking features allow property management companies to separate net profit by type of property and location, making it our top-recommended real estate accounting software .
• Trucking companies: We selected QuickBooks Online as the best trucking accounting software because when integrated with TruckingOffice, it becomes a powerful trucking management system and accounting software combined. You can use it to dispatch orders, manage your loads, and track delivery status.
• Manufacturing companies: QuickBooks Desktop Pro has a robust inventory management system that tracks inventory parts and assemblies (bill of materials). Check out our comparison of QuickBooks Online vs Desktop to see which is right for you.
• Small businesses with a limited budget: QuickBooks Online is one of the most expensive small business software on the market. For budget-minded small businesses willing to sacrifice some features, we recommended Wave. It is free and is one of our leading QuickBooks alternatives .
• Fixed asset management: QuickBooks Online doesn’t track or calculate the book value of your fixed assets. Xero is unique among accounting programs because it can track and calculate depreciation for fixed assets, such as vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Read our review of Xero to learn more.
• Project managers who need to compare estimated and actual costs: If you want the ability to compare budget costs to actual time and expenses, you might appreciate FreshBooks. Find out what the solution has to offer through our review of FreshBooks .
• Law firms: Without an integration, QuickBooks Online cannot perform the triple reconciliation between the client trust account, client ledgers, and bank statements. See our roundup of the top law firm accounting software for options.

Visit QuickBooks Online

Why We Like QuickBooks Online

We chose QuickBooks as the best small business accounting software because of its feature selection. It has a comprehensive feature set, including the ability to send customizable invoices, manage accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R), manage inventory, and track billable time and project profitability. Additionally, it has a strong support network and robust integration. While QuickBooks is predominantly used by businesses, you can also set up QuickBooks Online for your personal finances .

While other similar software is best for specific use cases, QuickBooks Online can be customized to nearly any type of business and industry, including farms, law firms, real estate, and trucking companies.

QuickBooks Online Awards on Fit Small Business

• Best small business accounting software : Best overall
• Best farm accounting software : Best overall
• Best real estate accounting software : Best overall
• Best ecommerce accounting software : Best overall
• Best startup accounting software : Best overall
• Best trucking accounting software : Best overall when integrated with TruckingOffice
• Best law firm accounting software : Best for small firms when integrated with LeanLaw
• Best retail accounting software : Best overall accounting software for small retail businesses
• Best church accounting software : Best easy-to-use and customizable accounting software
• Best nonprofit accounting software : Best customizable software for Form 990 reporting
• Best construction accounting software : Best for tracking costs by project, location, and class
• Best accounting software for Mac : Best for extensive support network
• Best restaurant accounting software : Best for small restaurants and cafes
• Best hotel accounting software : Best for small hotels wanting support from local bookkeepers
• Best cloud accounting software : Best overall for most small businesses
• Best mobile accounting apps : Best for QuickBooks Online users
• Best receipt scanner apps : Best scanner within an accounting software
• Best mileage tracker apps : Best for mileage tracking within accounting software
• Best invoicing software : Best overall with sophisticated accounting features
• Best bank reconciliation software : Best overall
• Best recurring billing software : Best for mobile users
• Best accounting software for freelancers : Best for freelancers who want access to local bookkeeping assistance
• Best A/P software : Best A/P software integrated with a complete bookkeeping system
• Best business expense tracker apps : Best for small businesses that need a complete bookkeeping system
• Best Xero alternatives : Best overall Xero alternative
• Best FreshBooks alternatives : Best overall for inventory tracking and assisted bookkeeping

QuickBooks Online Alternatives

Quickbooks online new features for 2023.

• Free meeting with a ProAdvisor when to set up your company file: QuickBooks Online offers a one-time virtual session with a QuickBooks expert who will walk you through connecting your bank and credit card accounts, setting up your chart of accounts, customizing invoices, and setting up reminders. This offer is unavailable with the free trial and doesn’t include desktop migration, payroll setup, or services.
• Improved speed: QuickBooks Online is now 12% faster, helping you get your accounting done quicker.
• New integrations: QuickBooks Online Advanced integrates with new tools, such as PandaDoc, Centage, and Spreadsheet Sync, to boost your productivity further.
• Enhanced migration process: The export process includes a user ID automatically, allowing you to create an account easily. Also, the transaction limit has been raised from 350,000 to 750,000.
• Better customer support: Intuit has made some improvements in customer service, such as building expert knowledge on QuickBooks Payroll and QuickBooks Payments and reducing waiting times.
• Mobile check deposit: This lets you deposit checks from the mobile app. When you take a photo of your check and upload it to QuickBooks, the program generates a digital transaction automatically. QuickBooks says mobile deposits may take up to five business days. Note that this feature is only available to users with a QuickBooks Checking account. If you don’t have one, read our detailed QuickBooks Business Checking review to see how it can benefit your business.

QuickBooks Online Pricing

QuickBooks Online is available in four subscription options ranging from $30 to $200 per month. The lower-priced plans, Simple Start and Essentials, mostly have basic features, while the higher plans, Plus and Advanced, have enhanced features that most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need for scaling their business.

You can either get a 30-day free trial or purchase right away and receive a 50% discount for three months. You can’t take advantage of both options.

QuickBooks Online Plans Compared

Expert tip: Don’t choose a QuickBooks Online plan based solely on the number of users you need. Let’s say you need to track inventory but only need three users, so you chose Essentials because it’s limited to three users—and more affordable than Plus. However, you’ll be disappointed when you find out that Essentials can’t track inventory and project profitability. If you need more help deciding which plan to choose, read our comparison of QuickBooks Online’s plans .

QuickBooks Online vs Competitors

To determine how QuickBooks Online stacks up against other similar software, we conducted a comparative case study against FreshBooks and Xero. The chart below sums up the results.

QuickBooks Online vs Competitors FSB Case Study

Touch the graph above to interact Click on the graphs above to interact

QuickBooks Online From $30 per month; $90 as tested

FreshBooks From $17 per month; $55 as tested

Xero From $13 per month; $37 as tested

• Where QuickBooks Won
• Where QuickBooks Lost
• Banking: Bank feeds in QuickBooks make it easy to import your transactions. QuickBooks Online is better than FreshBooks because you have the option to upload your files manually. With FreshBooks, the only way to import your files is to establish a bank connection. Therefore, if you prefer not to connect your bank account, such as for security reasons, then FreshBooks’ banking feature is nearly unusable. Meanwhile, Xero doesn’t allow you to combine multiple checks into a single deposit, which is possible with QuickBooks.
• A/R: QuickBooks’ invoicing feature is a complete package. You can create highly customizable invoices as opposed to Xero, which doesn’t allow you to customize invoices by color, layout, and font. FreshBooks trails behind QuickBooks because of minor weaknesses, such as the inability to issue a receipt for sale paid immediately and issue a refund check to resolve a negative A/R.
• Reporting: QuickBooks Online lets you run a wide range of reports, including those missing in Xero, such as income and loss by customer and unbilled time. Reporting in FreshBooks is very limited as you can’t drill down for more specific levels of detail, like location and classes.
• Pricing: Xero has features that are nearly similar to QuickBooks, but it’s considerably less expensive. All plans include unlimited users, and advanced features cost less than QuickBooks. For example, project accounting in QuickBooks is offered in Plus at $85 per month, as opposed to Xero’s $70 per month.
• Customer service: FreshBooks stands out because you can make a phone call directly to a customer support agent. With QuickBooks, you have to send a ticket first and wait for QuickBooks to call you. Meanwhile, Xero offers only email support, a chatbot, and self-help resources.
• Project accounting: QuickBooks Online can’t compare estimated costs against actual costs, which is possible in both Xero and FreshBooks.

QuickBooks Compared to Other Software

• QuickBooks vs Wave
• QuickBooks vs Xero
• QuickBooks vs Zoho Books
• QuickBooks vs FreshBooks
• QuickBooks vs Sage 100 Contractor
• QuickBooks vs Sage 50cloud
• QuickBooks vs Sage Intacct
• QuickBooks vs BILL
• QuickBooks vs ZipBooks
• QuickBooks vs NetSuite
• QuickBooks vs Sage Business Cloud Accounting
• QuickBooks vs Quicken

QuickBooks Online Features

• General Features

QuickBooks Online could have garnered a higher score in general features if it had the ability to import beginning balances, which could have helped make reconciliation and reporting easier. Also, setting up a company in QuickBooks Online takes time—you have to go through a series of steps, including entering your company name, email address, and entity type.

To customize your accounting process, configure your advanced settings from the Advanced menu under the Account and Settings page. From here, you can enter the fiscal year and tax year of your company, choose the accounting method, and set up categories to track your income and expenses.

Customizing Account and Settings in QuickBooks Online

One of QuickBooks Online’s biggest strengths is the ability to create classes and locations for tracking P&L. You can also modify your chart of accounts, enter an additional user, and control how much access you want to give them. QuickBooks Online allows you to close books at year-end, which is important to prevent changes in your financial data.

On the downside, you can’t import or input opening balances, so you have to use a journal entry. Overall, QuickBooks Online offers a lot of advanced features to control how you run your accounting, but in terms of ease of setup and use, you might prefer a different solution like Xero.

Our QuickBooks Online General Features Video

Accounts Payable

QuickBooks Online could have earned a perfect score if not for its inventory module, which we found a bit difficult to use. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do in QuickBooks Online in terms of managing unpaid bills and expenses.

You can view the list of your unpaid bills to track them effectively. With a little practice, it’s easy to record a bill, add a new vendor, record an expense without paying, and attach and send a copy of the receipt. All these transactions can be initiated conveniently from the + New button on your dashboard. You can create recurring transactions, record partial payments of an invoice, set up and track inventory items, and print checks instead of writing them manually.

To enter a new bill in QuickBooks Online, click on the + New button, select Bill , and then provide the required information in the Enter Bill screen, as shown in the screenshot below.

Enter Bill screen in QuickBooks Online

Our QuickBooks Online A/P Video

Accounts Receivable

The only problem we saw was the inability to issue a refund check when giving your customer a refund or credit. Despite the tiny issue, we found QuickBooks Online’s ability to manage sales taxes and invoices equally as terrific as its ability to manage payables, making it our overall best invoicing software . The good thing is that QuickBooks calculates sales taxes in every jurisdiction where you collect sales tax automatically.

In terms of invoicing, there are many reasons to love QuickBooks Online. You can choose from different templates, add your logo, change colors, and include personalized messages. You set up recurring invoices and print and email them to your customers.

Sample invoice in QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online also lets you combine multiple checks into a single deposit, which makes reconciling between your check register and your bank statement much easier.

Other great features include the ability to

• View sales tax liability details
• View and track sales tax collected and remitted
• Pay sales tax liability with a check
• Accept short payments from customers

Our QuickBooks Online A/R Video

Banking & Cash Management

Just like most accounting software, you can connect your bank and credit card account to QuickBooks Online. If you’re uncomfortable connecting your bank account, you can upload your transactions in a QuickBooks Online format.

If you dread reconciling your bank account manually, you can use QuickBooks Online’s powerful bank reconciliation feature and generate reconciliation reports to see cleared and uncleared transactions. Unlike FreshBooks and Xero, QuickBooks allows you to reconcile your bank and credit card accounts, even if you choose to record all activity manually vs importing bank transactions.

Our QuickBooks Online Cash Management & Banking Video

• Project Accounting

QuickBooks Online’s score in this criterion took a hit because it can’t set up cost estimates for projects and compare them to actual costs, which is an important feature for contractors. However, the platform is good for project accounting. You can create projects and assign wages and income and expenses to a project. You can also create project estimates and include inventories, sales taxes, and labor in those estimates.

If you want a feature to compare actual costs to estimates, find alternatives in our list of the best construction accounting software .

Our QuickBooks Online Project Accounting Video

Sales & Income Tax

QuickBooks Online does a great job at sales and income tax tracking. It could’ve scored higher if the QuickBooks team had a service for filing sales tax returns on behalf of the client.

You can add sales taxes to your receipts, invoices, and estimates, and QuickBooks Online will calculate and track them automatically for easy tax filing. It also keeps track of your tax payment due dates to avoid late filing and late payment penalties.

One of its advantages over similar software is that you can e-file your taxes either through email or your agency’s website. If you’re working with independent contractors, QuickBooks Online lets you generate 1099 tax forms and either file them online or print and then mail them to the IRS.

We evaluated QuickBooks Online’s sales and income tax features across the other categories, so there’s no separate video.

If inventory accounting is a crucial part of your business, QuickBooks Online can be a great choice. Available for QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced users, the inventory accounting feature lets you track stock items and quantities, update inventory quantities automatically, organize items by their taxable and nontaxable status, create purchase orders and send them to vendors, and set up alerts to see when it’s best to replenish your stock. However, QuickBooks Online doesn’t handle inventory assembly like QuickBooks Desktop Premier.

There’s no separate video since QuickBooks Online’s inventory management is evaluated across the other categories.

QuickBooks Online is arguably one of the best accounting software programs for reporting. In our case study, we generated 16 different types of reports successfully, which isn’t possible in most other accounting software. QuickBooks Online can generate more than 100 reports, depending on your subscription. Whether you need standard reports, such as balance sheets, P&L statements, and cash flow statements, or sales reports by customer, location, or class, you can do it all in QuickBooks Online.

Sample cash flow statement in QuickBooks Online

Our QuickBooks Online Reporting Video

QuickBooks’ mobile app is functional, but we hope to see more features in the future, such as the ability to enter bills and record time worked. Available for Android and iOS devices, it contains many features available in the browser-based desktop interface, making it a top pick in our list of the best mobile accounting apps. It even allows you to create and send invoices on the go, receive payments from customers, assign expenses to customers or projects, and view financial reports.

Our QuickBooks Online Mobile App Video

QuickBooks Online Ease of Use & Customer Support

We find QuickBooks Online to be relatively easy to use especially given how many features it offers. You can learn QuickBooks even without an accounting background, but it becomes much easier to use if you have some knowledge of basic accounting concepts.

You can set up your company easily and customize QuickBooks based on your needs. From the Accounts and Settings page, you can configure various settings, such as your company information, billing and subscription, sales transactions, expenses, and advanced settings.

QuickBooks Online also gives two options to display your account: Business view and Accountant view. You can switch between them anytime, and changing your view won’t affect your accounts or data:

• If you’re brand new to accounting, we recommend using Business view because it simplifies your workspace so day-to-day tasks are easier. This lets you perform your accounting tasks without learning complicated accounting terms or processes.
• If you have accounting experience or want complete control over features, use Accountant view because it uses standard accounting language.

There are a few key differences between Business view and Accountant view:

• Cash flow chart: In Business view, the cash flow chart is visible on the account dashboard, but not in Accountant view.
• Language and appearance: In Business view, accounting language is simplified with the names of some of the features, buttons, and menus being different from Accountant view.
• Chart of accounts: If you created a QuickBooks Online account after October 2021 as an owner, partner, or employee (not accountant or bookkeeper) and selected your business type as either sole proprietor, partnership, nonprofit organization, S corporation (S-corp), or C corporation (C-corp), then you’ll have customized account types in your chart of accounts when you’re in Business view.

QuickBooks Online dashboard in Business view

If you want to change your view, simply click on Settings in the bottom left corner of the toolbar. Then select Switch to Accountant view or Switch to Business view .

Changing from Business view to Accountant view in QuickBooks Online

Once you switch to Accountant view, you’ll see that the dashboard has changed.

QuickBooks Online dashboard in Accountant view

Also, QuickBooks has pretty decent customer service. However, if you want to talk with a real person, you need to submit a form and wait for them to call you, meaning you can’t initiate a call. You can also seek help through a chatbot, chat with representatives online, and check out its vast self-help resources, such as blogs, setup guides, troubleshooting tips, and community forums. If you prefer getting support through email, then QuickBooks isn’t for you.

A huge advantage of choosing QuickBooks is the availability of local bookkeepers in your area who can provide assistance. QuickBooks dominates the market for small business accounting, and most professional bookkeepers use it for their small business clients. It’s almost certain you’ll be able to find a ProAdvisor to help you.

For guidance, see our step-by-step article on how to find a local QuickBooks ProAdvisor . It also covers the platforms or websites you can find a ProAdvisor on.

QuickBooks Online Integrations

QuickBooks Online integrates with a wide range of third-party software, including popular tools like PayPal, Square, Stripe, Gmail, Google Sheets, Salesforce, HubSpot, WooCommerce, and Shopify. It also connects with thousands of apps through Zapier. If integration is important to your business process, we highly recommend QuickBooks Online.

It also integrates with other QuickBooks solutions, such as QuickBooks Payroll, QuickBooks Time, QuickBooks Checking, and QuickBooks Payments.

For more information, see our other articles:

• QuickBooks Payroll review
• QuickBooks Payments review
• QuickBooks Time review
• QuickBooks Checking review

QuickBooks Online Reviews from Users

Most of the positive QuickBooks Online reviews are attributed to the program’s robust feature set and ease of use. Many users commented that it’s extremely easy to add customers and vendors and share files with their accountants. Meanwhile, some dislike that the platform can’t manage multiple companies using a single account and that it lacks advanced inventory accounting features, such as assembly management.

We have compiled the top QuickBooks Online ratings from several review websites.

• App Store 1 (mobile app): 4.7 out of 5 based on over 163,000 reviews
• Google Play 2 (mobile app): 3.9 out of 5 based on over 50,400 reviews
• G2 3 : 4.0 out of 5 based on over 3,000 reviews
• Software Advice 4 : 4.33 out of 5 based on more than 6,200 reviews

QuickBooks Online Drawbacks

While QuickBooks is by far the leading small business accounting software, it’s also among the most expensive. If you’re looking for simple income and loss tracking, you can probably find something less expensive, or even a free alternative like Wave Accounting—which you can learn more about through our review of Wave .

Although QuickBooks Online’s general accounting features can be configured to almost any industry, the platform’s not built as a niche-specific solution. This means it lacks some of the features that specialized industries need. For instance, law firms that need trust accounting features might want to check our PCLaw review , while churches requiring church-specific features might want to see our Aplos review .

How We Evaluated QuickBooks Online

We evaluated QuickBooks Online and other leading accounting software using an internal scoring rubric with 12 major categories.

• Ease of Use
• User Reviews

5% of Overall Score

In evaluating pricing, we considered the billing cycle (monthly or annual) and number of users.

7% of Overall Score

This section focuses more on first-time setup and software settings. The software must be quick and easy to set up for new users. Even after initial setup, the software must also let users modify information like company name, address, entity type, fiscal year-end, and other company information.

The banking section of this case study focuses on cash management, bank reconciliation, and bank feed connections. The software must have bank integrations to automatically feed bank or card transactions. The bank reconciliation module must also let users reconcile accounts with or without bank feeds for optimal ease of use. Lastly, the software must generate useful reports related to cash.

The A/P section focuses on vendor management, bill management, bill payments, and other payable-related transactions. A/P features include creating vendors and bills, recording purchase orders and converting them to bills, creating service items, and recording full or partial bill payments.

This takes into account customer management, revenue recognition, invoice management, and collections. The software must have A/R features that make it easy for users to collect payments from customers, remind customers of upcoming or overdue invoices, and manage customer obligations through analytic dashboards or reports.

10% of Overall Score

Businesses with inventory items should choose accounting software that can track inventory costs, manage COGS, and monitor inventory units.

Service or project-based businesses should choose accounting software that can track project costs, revenues, and profits. The software must have tools to track time, record billable hours or expenses, send invoices for progress billings, or monitor project progress and performance.

4% of Overall Score

In this section, we’re looking at sales tax features. The software must have features that allow users to set sales tax rates, apply them to invoices, and enable users to pay sales tax liability.

Reports are important for managers, owners, and decision-makers. The software must have enough reports that can be generated with a few clicks. Moreover, we’d also like to see customization options to enable users to generate reports based on what they want to see.

30% of Overall Score

Ease of use gets the highest weight in this case study because we want to give more credit to easy accounting software. For this section, we considered customer service, support network, and a subjective expert opinion score. Users must have easy access to customer service channels in case of problems, questions, or assistance.

Support network refers to a community of software users that can extend professional help to businesses. Having an independent software expert perform the bookkeeping is good for overall ease of use. Lastly, our expert opinion score is our subjective rating based on our experience in trying the software.

The software must also have a mobile app to enable users to perform accounting tasks even when away from their laptops or desktops.

We went to user review websites to read first-hand reviews from actual software users. This user review score helps us give more credit to software products that deliver a consistent service to their customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What businesses is quickbooks online right for.

QuickBooks Online is great for businesses that need inventory and project accounting and companies wanting to track activity by class and location.

What are the top QuickBooks Online alternatives?

Some of the top alternatives to QuickBooks Online are Zoho Books, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave, and Sage 50cloud. These QuickBooks alternatives might save you money and provide a better solution for your business.

How do I learn to use QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is very user-friendly, but you need to know the basics. Check out our series of free QuickBooks Online tutorials to get started.

Which QuickBooks Online plan should I choose?

The best plan depends on the size of your company and the features you need. We have an in-depth comparison of QuickBooks Online plans to help you choose the best one for your business.

Is QuickBooks Online the same as QuickBooks Desktop?

No, they are two completely different products. QuickBooks Online is cloud-based, while QuickBooks Desktop is installed locally. Read our QuickBooks Online vs Desktop comparison to learn more about their differences.

Does QuickBooks Online provide live bookkeeping support?

Yes, it does. You may purchase the QuickBooks Live Bookkeeping add-on, which gives you access to a team of certified bookkeeping professionals who will provide you with live support through video chat.

Bottom Line

QuickBooks Online dominates the market for small business accounting software due to its extensive features and flexibility in meeting the needs of nearly any small business. It can track inventory costs, generate invoices, track unpaid bills, and calculate P&L separated by many factors, including user-defined classes and locations.

User review references: 1 App Store 2 Google Play 3 G2 4 Software Advice

About the Author

Find Danielle On LinkedIn

Danielle Bauter

Danielle Bauter is a writer for the Accounting division of Fit Small Business. She has owned Check Yourself, a bookkeeping and payroll service that specializes in small business, for over twenty years. She holds a Bachelor's degree from UCLA and has served on the Board of the National Association of Women Business Owners. She also regularly writes about travel, food, and books for various lifestyle publications.

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When to Move from QuickBooks to Netsuite

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When should you consider switching from QuickBooks to Netsuite? Explore the key factors to help you determine when to make the transition to NetSuite.

Intuit QuickBooks Online is one of the most powerful accounting software solutions for small, midsize and large businesses across the U.S. With hundreds of third-party integrations, a user-friendly interface built for non-accountants and a useful mobile app, QuickBooks Online gives new business owners the perfect entrypoint into the complicated world of corporate finances.

However, QuickBooks Online’s cloud-based accounting system can only take businesses so far. Once you’ve hit a certain level of corporate complexity, you’ll need to consider upgrading to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system like Oracle NetSuite. These more sophisticated software systems bundle enterprise accounting with a host of crucial top-level features, enabling you to manage your entire organization on one unified platform.

Below, we explain everything you need to know about making the switch from a cloud-based accounting software like QuickBooks to an integrated ERP like NetSuite.

NetSuite vs. QuickBooks: Feature comparison table

Key signs you should switch to netsuite, best practices for switching from quickbooks to netsuite, which accounting software is best for you, frequently asked questions.

Plan and pricing information verified and up to date as of 10/14/2023.

QuickBooks Online is one of the best accounting programs for small businesses — but if your once-small business has grown into a large corporation, you’ve almost certainly outgrown your small-business accounting software.

Instead, you need a heftier financial solution that can easily support dozens (even hundreds) of users while delivering advanced, data-driven insights into your business’s financial trajectory.

There are a few dead giveaways that your business has outgrown QuickBooks and needs to shift to an ERP like Oracle NetSuite sooner than later:

• You’ve leveled up to the highest QuickBooks plan tier, QuickBooks Advanced, but it still doesn’t have all the accounting features you need.
• QuickBooks’ reports don’t give you enough detailed insight into your business’s finances.
• Your workarounds for making QuickBooks more customizable are too time-consuming and too clunky, and you’d prefer software you can customize yourself from the ground up.
• You can afford to invest in a fully integrated, modular business software system, and you’re confident the added financial insights it gives you will justify the price.
• Dozens of people at your company need access to your core financial software, and you want to ensure each user has a personalized dashboard with customized user permissions.

In short, if your business’s finances have become too complex to be comfortably managed with a smaller-scale program like QuickBooks, switch to Oracle NetSuite .

Once you’ve outgrown QuickBooks, how do you switch from your old QuickBooks account to a new NetSuite application?

Start by getting in touch with a NetSuite representative to schedule a quote. Naturally, ERPs are much more complicated than basic accounting software, so plan on spending quite a bit of time walking through NetSuite’s capabilities, understanding its modules and determining what features you need.

Next, prepare to transfer data from your old systems, QuickBooks included, to NetSuite. Start by backing up your QuickBooks data by creating a local backup. Then, export your QuickBooks reports and lists into files you can easily upload to your new NetSuite system.

Repeat this process with every other business software system that will become redundant once you implement NetSuite.

Some software solutions, like sales tax software Avalara, helpfully integrate with both NetSuite and QuickBooks. Others, like QuickBooks Payroll, integrate solely with QuickBooks, so you’ll want to back up the data and export it in a NetSuite-compatible format (like a CSV file).

Alternatively, your NetSuite implementation specialist can tackle data migration on your behalf. Implementation looks different for every company and depends in large part on what you’re willing and able to spend on the process.

Depending on your business’s size, complexity and ERP needs, implementing NetSuite can be a months-long process that requires a good deal of upfront spend.

Also See: The 6 Best Accounting Apps

QuickBooks Online and NetSuite both have plenty to offer businesses of all sizes and in any industry. The right accounting program for you is determined in large part by which accounting features you need, how complex your organization is, how many employees you have and what you can afford.

Choose QuickBooks Online over NetSuite if . . . 

• You are a first-time business owner, solopreneur or sole proprietor.
• You have between 10 and 250 employees.
• Your business operates largely in the U.S.
• You’re working with a fairly limited accounting and bookkeeping budget.

Switch to NetSuite from QuickBooks Online if . . . 

• Your large corporation wants to manage all business operations on a unified platform.
• QuickBooks’ features are too limited for your needs.
• You want completely comprehensive reporting features with excellent company insights.

Bear in mind that as an ERP solution, NetSuite is vastly more expensive than QuickBooks Online. To use NetSuite, you’ll pay both a monthly base fee and per-user fee as well as an implementation fee (which typically costs tens of thousands of dollars) when you’re first getting started. Although QuickBooks is pricier than accounting competitors like Xero and Wave, its prices are drastically lower than NetSuite’s.

Put another way, if you’ve just launched your first business, QuickBooks is the obvious best choice for you. And if you’re part of a multi-million-dollar international corporation, the right software for you is just as clear: Upgrade to Oracle NetSuite.

Why do people switch from QuickBooks to NetSuite?

Businesses tend to switch from QuickBooks Online to NetSuite when they hit enterprise status and their business finances become too complicated for QuickBooks to handle.

Is NetSuite better than QuickBooks?

NetSuite and QuickBooks were built for different audiences, so it’s hard to say whether one is better than the other. Generally speaking, though, NetSuite’s ERP solution is better for enterprises than QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks Online is better than NetSuite for small business operations.

Does NetSuite integrate with QuickBooks?

No, Oracle NetSuite does not integrate with QuickBooks Online. However, both QuickBooks and NetSuite integrate with some of the same popular third-party apps, including sales tax software like Avalara, ecommerce apps like Shopify and CRM software like HubSpot.

Read next: The Best Payroll Software for Enterprises (TechRepublic)

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Reviews 4.6.

13,237 total

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Very helpful

Very helpful, friendly staff. Setting up a new VAT return is always tricky and confusing. Received very polite and helpful information and it was sorted ready for me to proceed. Great to be able to speak to someone and it not being AI !!

Date of experience : 03 November 2023

Our 2022 Transparency Report has landed

Super helpful and well worth it.

Phoebekarn was great at helping me through everything. Being so new to bookkeeping in general, I really just needed someone to say that I was doing everything correctly. She was great at talking me through all the different avenues to keep my books in check and I'm feeling confident that I can continue to run my business and keep it's books in order.

Date of experience : 02 November 2023

Paul M was fantastic!

Paul M was fantastic! He was calm, patient and kind and took time to understand a complex issue that even had him stumped at points. He didn't shy away from such a complex issue and pushed through to resolve it and to ensure i was happy with everything that had happened. Cant recommend him highly enough!

Date of experience : 26 October 2023

The advisor was quick in guiding me

The advisor was quick to steer me through various subjects. Tailoring answers to meet my needs as most of QB’s was set up so we dealt with detailed specifics which she was excellent at helping with. One subject was not her specialist area and so following the call I was set a bunch of links on this and other helpful topics. Also, there was no issue with us running over time - thank you

Date of experience : 31 October 2023

I Got It Wrong

I have just deleted two negative comments about Quickbooks made when I first onboarded. I have been using quickbooks for nearly a year now, I have come to realise that my previous negative comments arose from frustration and ignorance on my part about the about Quickbooks system. Now, I just could not do without them. A superb boon to the small business man. I still have to access support via online chat occasionally, but do not let this worry you. I found that as my experience of Quickbooks grew, my need for support diminished. Very friendly and slick online customer support that, today provided an answer to my question in less than 5 minutes. Experience with the Quickbooks system brings with it an ongoing realisation of the real value of what you get for your money.

Date of experience : 01 November 2023

Best costumer service support team ever!!!

As a small company, quickbooks and its team have absolutely overrated us with the support. We have no complains, every time we bed assistance and we request a call, they take less than a minute! They are friendly, profesional and kind.

Easy and efficient

I’ve found the software easy and intuitive to use. The free onboarding call was excellent and answered all the questions I had. The link to my bank accounts and automated processes work very well.

Rachelle was very patient

Rachelle was very patient, and super informative about the software and answered all of my enquiries, which did mean going over time, which I am really appreciative of. Thank you!

Very helpful advice

The operative that helped me was so very helpful and extremely knowledgeable about the information I needed. I was very impressed by her patience and professionalism. Well done QB for having the people who know their job. Thank you

Date of experience : 20 October 2023

I was having issues uploading a bank…

I was having issues uploading a bank file. Quickbooks helped me by opening quickbooks in a different browser and then clearing the caches . I would not have known how to do this without their support.

Date of experience : 30 October 2023

QB assistant Irina was very patient and…

QB assistant Irina was very patient and supportive with my query. It really helped a lot.

One of the best company experiences I…

One of the best company experiences I have ever had. The friendly manner, knowledge and professionalism from Rachel was exceptional. Remote access to the software made it such a smooth experience. The program is outstanding and great value for money. Highly recommended.

Super helpful, patient and knowledgable

Just finished the onboarding session for Quickbooks online, Pheobe was super helpful, patient and knowledgable. Thank you.

Essential for us, a company of 35 employees ...

Quickbooks is simple to use but absolutely essential for organising our books and for submitting VAT. For payroll it has everything we need for a compnay of 35 employees, including the ability to make court ordered deductions and child maintenance payments. When I have had a problem, the support team are always available by phone to sort it out. Recently I spoke to George from Sales who was fantastic and today, Dawn Ash from Payroll who was very informative and helpful and solved my issue quickly.

Use QB without hesitation

We have been using QB for several years and really like the software and functions. I would recommend it without hesitation. Today was the first time I had to call Customer Setvices and Johnathan Jackson was very knowledgeable with the software and was easily able to navigate me through what I needed to do, brilliant.

Date of experience : 27 October 2023

VAT Connection Sorted

Enrico was able to sort my issue out quickly, efficiently and in a friendly manner

Excellent advice and help with…

Excellent advice and help with reconciling issues. Quickbooks support means problems can be shared and sorted within a short space of time. The recent one to one session also improved my knowledge and navigation around the Quickbooks site. Really pleased I have chosen this software for my accounts. Thank you

Date of experience : 25 October 2023

Simple and straightforward program to use, well and knowledgeably explained. Demonstrated how to use the various functions and answered questions particular to our businesses. 45 minutes just long enough; perhaps allot 1 hour in future.

Not user friendly and convoluted

Probably one of the poorest accounting softwares that I have used. The systen is convoluted, complex and just not user friendly at all. Above this the reporting function is not fit for use if you have a bisiness of any size as the reports can't handle anything with any kind of volume of transactions. I have had much greater enjoyment using Free Agent or Xero.

Reply from Intuit QuickBooks UK

Hello Cyborg, thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts on QuickBooks Online. We're saddened to hear that you did not find it to be user friendly. We have a number of webinars, how to videos and help guides to help with using QuickBooks as well as our customer support advisors. We have passed on your comments about the reporting to our product development team. Emma Social Media and Community Team

Very professional

Very professional Clark showed me in detail how the software works and very easy to adapt. Thanks

QuickBooks Online Review: Small Business Accounting Software

In 2023 , QuickBooks Online is the gold standard in cloud-based accounting packages and is perfect for small business owners. Get access to features like payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable, inventory reports, financial reports and more. 

Our Partner

Accounting Software

QUICKBOOKS ONLINE REVIEW AT A GLANCE

• Live bookkeeping
• Expense tracking for freelancers
• Accounting for businesses
• Manage payroll and payments

Best accounting software for small businesses

Pros & Cons

• Several plans available
• User-friendly platform
• No contract required
• Free 30-day trial
• Importing prior QuickBooks files may be tricky
• Not GAAP compliant

Managing your finances is one of the most important parts of running your business. Choosing the right software can make the task much easier.

QuickBooks offers solutions for almost every type of business. Read this to learn how QuickBooks can set your business up for success.

Quick Summary

Features: Invoicing & accounting

Fees:  $15.00 - $50.00/month

Promotion: Free 30 day trial

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks is accounting software with an impressive reputation. They have been around since 1983.

Today, QuickBooks is regarded as a top-level accounting solution with the ability to accommodate the business needs of all sizes and industries. Their bread and butter lies in small business accounting, however.

QuickBooks is housed under the Intuit brand. Intuit also provides other financial tools, including:

• Mint: a personal finance and budgeting software with a convenient app
• Turbotax: tax return software for individuals and small businesses that allow you access to a real CPA review
• Proconnect: tax return software for tax firms

The online version of QuickBooks adds convenience and accessibility to your accounting needs.

It’s a cloud-based solution that automatically downloads bank account transactions and syncs across all your devices. About 18,000 financial institutions are supported so QuickBooks can easily handle your online banking needs.

By using QuickBooks Online, you can log into your account at any computer, tablet, or smartphone. With the free Quickbooks mobile app, you can manage business finances from a tablet or smartphone anytime you need.

Versions & Pricing

QuickBooks Online has something for everyone. From businesses just getting their feet wet to those with more robust accounting requirements, they’ve got you covered.

But how much does Quickbooks Online cost? Keep reading to learn the options.

Simple Start

Right now, you can get Simple Start for $10/ month for the first 3 months. Afterward, you’ll pay $20/ month.

Simple Start includes basic accounting functions and is perfect for businesses just starting out. Here are the features:

• Track income & expenses
• Capture & organize receipts
• Maximize tax deductions
• Invoice & accept online payments
• Run basic reports
• Send estimates
• Track sales & sales tax

For a limited time, you can get QuickBooks Online Essentials for $20 per month for the first 3 months. After the promotional period ends, it’s $40 per month.

 You’ll get all the features of the Simple Start option, plus:

• Manage bills
• Up to 3 users

Plus is $70 per month. For the first 3 months, you’ll only pay $35 per month. Plus is perfect for businesses that need the ability to track inventory.

All the features from QuickBooks Essentials are included. Additionally, you’ll get:

• Up to 5 users
• Track project profitability
• Track inventory
• Manage 1099 contractors

QuickBooks Online Advanced is currently 60% off for the first 3 months. You’ll pay $60 per month during the promotional period. After that, the price is $150 per month.

Advanced boosts your business insights while giving you access to QuickBooks’ expert and dedicated support.

This option is best for growing businesses looking for a more robust accounting solution.  All the features from the Plus are included with Advanced. You will also benefit from:

• Up to 25 users
• Unlimited chart of accounts entries
• Unlimited tracked classes and locations
• Accelerated invoicing
• Smart reporting – powered by Fathom
• Customer user permissions
• Premium care with Priority Circle
• Enhanced custom fields
• Simplified bill payments

Who Should Use QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online offers a cloud-based accounting solution for all levels of businesses. There are several ways to tell if it’s right for you.

Read on to learn who it’s best for.

Smartphone & Tablet Users

If you’re an on-the-go kind of business, you’ll enjoy the freedom of having your accounting software at your fingertips.

You can access QuickBooks Online anywhere, anytime on any desktop computer, plus on smartphones and tablets alike. 

In the app, you can:

• Take pictures of your receipts
• Send invoices
• Reconcile accounts
• Run payroll
• View customer invoices
• Access late invoices

Business Using Other Apps

There are plenty of apps to keep your business running smoothly.

From eCommerce apps like Shopify to payment apps like Stripe, QuickBooks helps you seamlessly use and integrate your other apps into your accounting software. 

Plenty of apps can be integrated into your QuickBooks Online account within the Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus software options.

Compatible third-party apps stretch across these categories:

• Calculate quotes
• Make payments
• Manage customers
• Manage human resources
• Manage projects
• Perform analytics
• Prepare taxes

Small & Medium-Sized Businesses

QuickBooks can suit a variety of needs. But it truly is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. Their solutions simplify the accounting process.

Plus, QuickBooks offers add-on services, such as payroll support and timesheet tracking.  Small and mid-sized businesses can benefit from a “one-stop-shop” feel that comes along with QuickBooks.

Which Version is Right For You?

To determine which QuickBooks option to choose for your own business, there are two areas to evaluate.  First, determine which version will fit into your business’ budget. Cash is king, and this is especially true for smaller businesses.

Determine which option(s) fit into your budget before considering anything else.  Next, evaluate which features will best suit your business. Perhaps you need multiple users to have access to the accounting software.

Maybe you have 1099 contractors that you’d like to track. Keep reading to learn the features available with QuickBooks and which fall under each version.

QuickBooks Online Features

Several features of QuickBooks online are available on all versions of QuickBooks. But the more robust versions of QuickBooks are loaded with additional features.

First, here are the features you can expect no matter which version you decide to use:

Track Income and Expenses

Using QuickBooks, you can easily import transactions from your bank, credit cards, PayPal, Square, and more.  QuickBooks will automatically sort the transactions into your tax categories using rules that you’ve created.

You can utilize reports in QuickBooks to understand how your money is being earned and spent.

Capture & Organize Receipts

Using the app, you can capture and save images of receipts. The images are then matched with existing transactions automatically, making expense reporting much more seamless.

Maximize Tax Deductions

You can create rules within QuickBooks to easily categorize and sort your transactions for tax purposes.

QuickBooks will automatically categorize incoming transactions based on the rules, which makes tax time a breeze.

Invoice & Accept Payments

You can easily create and send custom invoices either online or using the app. QuickBooks allows you to send partial invoices to your customers at each stage of a project.

Once you’ve sent invoices, you can track their status and follow up with payment reminders. Customers can pay their invoices using credit cards and bank transfers within the invoice.

Run Basic Reports

QuickBooks lets you create customized reports based on your industry needs.

Here are some of the standard reports you can run with every version of QuickBooks Online:

• Profit and Loss
• Balance Sheet

Send Estimates

With QuickBooks Online, you can create customized estimates by adjusting layouts, logos, personal messages, and other custom fields. Estimates can be emailed to customers.

Mobile signatures let your customers accept the terms on the go. After the estimate has been accepted, QuickBooks will automatically create an invoice for that customer based on data that you’ve provided.

Track Sales & Sales Tax

QuickBooks automatically calculates taxes on sales based on date, location, type of product, and customer. You can take payments online or with a mobile card reader.

If you already use payment apps, such as Shopify, you can sync payment information with your QuickBooks account.

Sales Tax Liability reporting lets you see how much tax you owe to each tax agency, such as state, county, district, and so on. Plus, QuickBooks will track the due dates of those payments to keep you on track.

Manage 1099 Contractors

You can assign vendor payments to different 1099 categories in QuickBooks and easily see your payment information.

QuickBooks Online lets you prepare and file your 1099s.

Quickbooks Online Alternatives

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Should You Use QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks offers a wide variety of products and services to suit the needs of any businesses. They appeal best to small and mid-sized businesses.

Intuit QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based software and allows accounting on-the-go with the mobile app. It’s convenient and user-friendly, even if you aren’t an accounting expert.

If a cloud-based software isn’t for you, they do offer a desktop version. While Quickbooks Desktop version means you’ll give up some flexibility, you might gain peace of mind knowing that your information is not on the cloud.

QuickBooks takes care of businesses needing to run payroll as well. Their add-ons, TSheets and Self-Service or Full-Service Payroll, make it even easier to stay on top of time tracking and employee payments.

But these services all come at a cost. Compare your needs and budget with what QuickBooks has to offer.

QuickBooks is an accounting software package developed and marketed by Intuit. QuickBooks products are geared mainly toward small and medium-sized businesses

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