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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    QuickBooks Desktop Premier

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Desktop Premier is an installed version of QuickBooks for general business, contractors, manufacturing and warehouse accounting, as well as nonprofits, professional services, and retail.N/A

    QuickBooks Online

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

    $38

    per month

    Pricing
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Simple Start
    $38
    per month
    Essentials
    $75
    per month
    Plus
    $115
    per month
    Advanced
    $275
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Considered Both Products
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    Although cloud-based platforms with a monthly subscription are very popular, I still prefer a desktop enterprise solution. Profit & Loss reports by Customer are not accurate in the online version because they cannot account for employee-related costs that should be assigned to …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    QuickBooks Premier is more powerful and versatile than QuickBooks Online. We use QuickBooks Premier in a hosted environment, which allows our clients to access their software online, but retains the great features of QuickBooks Premier that we love. QuickBooks Online's web-page …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    Online - We have some clients on AgExpert, Xero, and QB Online. All 3 provide good value in my opinion.
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier - In our experience, QuickBooks Desktop Premier is the best desktop software we have encountered.
    We have some clients using AgExpert and Simply, …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    QuickBooks Premier handles most of my business functions efficiently in one package. It is not my "everything." I use Replicon for time rather than QuickBooks. I don't want my WIP data interfering with my accounting. I use PaySimple for it's web interface and back office …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    Enterprise is the cadillac of Intuit Products, QuickBooks Online has unparalleled access.Premier is much better than Pro, which doesn't have as many features. I work in the accountant version, so I really like the functionality and sometimes I recommend the client buys the …
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    We selected QuickBooks Online because it is supposed to integrate with a new Project Management software package we are starting to use. QuickBooks Desktop is much better suited to job costing and project management.
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    QuickBooks Desktop is a really crappy piece of software, from a UI/UX perspective. As an example, the font in the program is tiny. You would think that would be a simple setting you could change, but take a look at what's involved in simply making the font a readable size: …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    I chose QuickBooks Online primarily because I had the most experience with it. Although the desktop versions will generally have more robust reporting and some areas of versatility, QuickBooks Online has the best immediate access when it comes to support and it's online …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    Ultimately, QuickBooks/Intuit has the most market share when it comes to accounting software. The benefit of so many people using this software is that there's always an answer to a problem that you may be having when it comes to using the software. Intuit has provided a …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    There are pros to both - but the online version won due to the simple fact that if we have to shut down due to the pandemic, or there is an illness preventing us to work....we can work from home and still get everything accomplished!!
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    QuickBooks Online was much easier to use across a non-profit where we needed people in multiple locations working on different servers to access the financial data at once, it also allowed us to connect our bank accounts to the software which was a huge benefit of the program, …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    I prefer the online [version] by far! Much easier to access, keep accounts up to date and merge with other features such as banking and credit cards.
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    We chose QuickBooks online because it was the only option other than QuickBooks Desktop that supports the sub-class functionality that is essential for our business.
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    The only advantage QuickBooks Online has over QuickBooks Desktop is the mobility. Since the new Harmony user interface, all else is sub-par. QuickBooks Desktop has been around for years, customizable options have been added to reports, and it becomes more user friendly every …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    88%
    Would buy again
    14 Answers
    81%
    Would buy again
    89 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    87%
    Delivers good value for the price
    13 Answers
    84%
    Delivers good value for the price
    85 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    80%
    Happy with the feature set
    88 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    80%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    70 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    13 Answers
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    83 Answers
    Features
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    9.0
    48 Ratings
    15% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    81 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pay calculation7.046 Ratings7.872 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration10.020 Ratings7.033 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.036 Ratings9.067 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management9.927 Ratings9.046 Ratings
    Reimbursement management10.030 Ratings9.548 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    1.3
    20 Ratings
    142% below category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.3
    71 Ratings
    8% above category average
    API for custom integration1.315 Ratings8.757 Ratings
    Plug-ins1.320 Ratings8.058 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    10.0
    50 Ratings
    18% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    9.7
    112 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.044 Ratings9.684 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings9.7106 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.2
    59 Ratings
    4% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.1
    136 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Dashboards9.050 Ratings8.6128 Ratings
    Standard reports9.058 Ratings8.1132 Ratings
    Custom reports6.556 Ratings7.5120 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.3
    62 Ratings
    6% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    147 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Accounts payable10.060 Ratings9.1125 Ratings
    Accounts receivable10.061 Ratings9.4135 Ratings
    Cash management10.056 Ratings8.7123 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation10.059 Ratings9.1141 Ratings
    Expense management10.058 Ratings8.7125 Ratings
    Time tracking5.028 Ratings6.957 Ratings
    Fixed asset management5.040 Ratings8.155 Ratings
    Multi-currency support9.018 Ratings7.024 Ratings
    Multi-division support7.033 Ratings9.145 Ratings
    Regulations compliance1.819 Ratings9.241 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing10.028 Ratings9.368 Ratings
    Self-service portal5.018 Ratings8.869 Ratings
    Global Financial Support5.04 Ratings8.118 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers7.06 Ratings8.737 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting10.010 Ratings8.731 Ratings
    Localizations10.02 Ratings8.123 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations10.015 Ratings9.376 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting10.07 Ratings8.127 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting10.08 Ratings7.740 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework10.05 Ratings8.326 Ratings
    Standardized Processes10.09 Ratings8.452 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    2.9
    36 Ratings
    87% below category average
    QuickBooks Online
    7.5
    49 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Inventory tracking1.735 Ratings8.046 Ratings
    Automatic reordering1.015 Ratings7.023 Ratings
    Location management8.019 Ratings8.123 Ratings
    Manufacturing module1.017 Ratings7.018 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.0
    40 Ratings
    3% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.4
    90 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Pricing10.030 Ratings8.056 Ratings
    Order entry10.031 Ratings8.054 Ratings
    Credit card processing10.028 Ratings8.566 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.036 Ratings9.370 Ratings
    Order Orchestration10.03 Ratings8.022 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility1.04 Ratings9.021 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution5.01 Ratings8.019 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Small Businesses
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (65 ratings)
    8.7
    (165 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    1.3
    (12 ratings)
    1.9
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (16 ratings)
    8.8
    (80 ratings)
    Availability
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    2.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    5.7
    (4 ratings)
    1.0
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.0
    (12 ratings)
    1.1
    (68 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.2
    (7 ratings)
    3.0
    (6 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    8.1
    (27 ratings)
    7.4
    (18 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    1.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    6.2
    (4 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Intuit
    We really think that ANY typical business would be a reasonable fit for QuickBooks Desktop Premier. While not necessary, even a comparatively unexperienced accounting person could look at the "Home" screen and follow their nose thru typical daily accounting processes without much detailed knowledge. Reporting is simple, looking up customer info and prior transactions is simple, looking up vendors and prior payments is simple... all in all, quite straightforward. I really can't think of an instance where it would be 'less appropriate'.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Intuit
    • Employment - it makes creating paychecks a snap and tracks taxes.
    • Invoicing - they have a straightforward approach to creating invoices and you can even email them to your customers.
    • Customers - the program makes tracking customer information and balances easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
    • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
    • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
    • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
    • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Intuit
    • Support for older versions of QuickBooks ends after three years, then users must purchase the newest version at full price. Renewals should be deeply discounted for existing users.
    • I would like to see better in-product inventory tracking, so we can choose LIFO or FIFO rather than the ambiguous "average cost" method.
    • I would like to be able to assign payroll taxes to jobs for better job costing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • The upsells have gotten worse over time and are on every screen in the most awkward positions. I don't need a constant reminder to upgrade, especially on a very old account that's paid thousands over the years.
    • The interface has never been especially intuitive, but I was an old Quicken user and it was somewhat familiar. Over time, it's gotten worse, and in the last 2 years, the program seems to move things more often than I would expect.
    • The software constantly adds features that I don't want and want to turn off, but the interface is so difficult to use that I find myself skipping it. Imagine seeing a message that the system recognized invoices that hadn't been paid so it prepared reminder notices for you that can be sent at the click of a button. Who thinks using canned reminders that you've never seen is a good thing?
    • A lot of functionality seems to derive from connecting your bank accounts to QBO. I don't want Intuit to have an always-on connection to any bank accounts, even checking.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Intuit
    Because we have been extremely happy with the product and our organization tends to be creatures of habit. We rarely leave a product that works this well for the latest and greatest. Typically we follow the "if it's not broken, don't fix it rule". While QB does make changes we typically just roll with it. If we do find something we don't like we work through it until we fully understand its functionality.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Intuit
    We switched to a more "robust" software program with the hiring of a new CFO. The migration of historical data and ancillary information has been cumbersome and riddle with errors and issues. In hindsight much of what the new software program was touted to accomplish is not come to fruition. QB Desktop Premier was sufficient for the organization needs
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Intuit
    This is very reliable software, the desktop version is fast. If there is a problem, it is most likely on your own hardware!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Intuit
    It takes forever to load.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Intuit
    This is where QuickBooks falls short. Many times my staff has had questions that have not been able to get resolved easily with a chat or call. I personally have had more general questions that have not been answered easily as well. I think QuickBooks needs to provide the resources of having readily accessible help in order to make it simpler to get solutions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Intuit
    It is important to do your research. There are tutorial videos online that could help new user of this accounting system. These tutorials are straightforward and easily understandable.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Intuit
    QuickBooks Premier handles most of my business functions efficiently in one package. It is not my "everything." I use Replicon for time rather than QuickBooks. I don't want my WIP data interfering with my accounting. I use PaySimple for it's web interface and back office processing. I don't have security issues since I don't have any credit card data in my possession. With today's identity theft environment, I have to protect myself as much as I can. Not having credit card data in my accounting software lets me sleep much better at night. Quicken will do basic accounting but does not have all the double entry accounting systems contained in QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online does much of the basic business functions but I don't like the pricing structure. As a professional accountant, that is very important to me. Bill.com provided a good service but the ability of QuickBooks to add bills and receipts to transactions makes it redundant.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    As a freelance bookkeeper, the Desktop version of QuickBooks Online doesn't allow for ease of access from any device. Having to be on a computer with the software downloaded creates additional work to gain access to all required filings etc. Also, I personally find the linking functionality on the Online version to be much more streamlined and user friendly.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Intuit
    They're getting better. Still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Intuit
    • Most of our business clients use QuickBooks which makes it efficient for us to work on clients that use the program. We can import QuickBooks data into our software which adds efficiencies to our tax practice.
    • Having staff that are familiar with the software enables our firm to provide quality service to the clients that use QuickBooks.
    • We receive referrals from satisfied QuickBooks clients.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
    • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
    • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    QuickBooks Online Screenshots

    Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard