QuickBooks Online isn't hiding something from you — some capabilities are just not there.
Maybe you’ve been making it work with QuickBooks Pro or Premier. That’s great, but change has come and is coming, and you need to be ready. As of Sept. 20, 2024, QuickBooks parent company Intuit stopped selling new subscriptions to U.S. customers for these Desktop products: Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus, and Enhanced Payroll. Service to those plans will be discontinued in 2027.
So what’s your plan?
What to do When QuickBooks Pro and Premier Go Poof
The more modestly priced Pro and Premier versions of QuickBooks are going away, leaving only Enterprise. Technically, Intuit is giving QuickBooks users two primary choices:
- Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise, necessary for a sophisticated accounting team to handle bookkeeping and other tasks
- Quickbooks Online, ideal for one or two-person teams with basic accounting needs
From there, though, Intuit will offer three levels within Desktop Enterprise: Gold, Platinum and Diamond. And then there are add-ons. That’s a lot of questions to answer and decisions to make. You’ve got a little time to weigh your options, however, so consider the features in QuickBooks Desktop that don’t exist in QuickBooks Online.
Considering QuickBooks Online? Here’s What’s Missing
Say you decide to change up your QuickBooks, switching to Online once the Pro and Premier editions expire in 2027. Maybe Online seems like it will save money compared with Desktop Enterprise or, perhaps, you think Online will be good enough.
You’ll definitely notice a difference. Some things will be missing. Here are just some examples of Online’s gaps:
- 500 fewer software integrations than Enterprise
- No batch invoicing abilities
- No industry-specific editions
- Slower loading and performance times
QuickBooks Online lacks the inventory management and payroll functionality needed by more complex businesses, and the online version charges additional fees to access features that are built into QuickBooks Enterprise. If you have the Pro or Premier version of QuickBooks Desktop, many of your third-party integrations, including Shopify, won’t work in 2027.
Another key consideration is that QuickBooks Online means your data is in the public cloud, and for some businesses, that’s a no-go.
A Compare-Contrast of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and Online
Here’s a quick look at key ways QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online differ. There are some big gaps, and they may make your decision for you.
Scalability
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has a higher user limit and can handle more complex accounting needs (looking at you, accountants and CPAs). Because QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and Online are entirely different products, it’s not easy to switch from one to the other. So if your company is growing and you can see a need for more advanced accounting in the future, it may make sense to start with Desktop Enterprise now.
Features
Many of the features included in Desktop Enterprise come with costs in Online. Others don’t exist at all. If you need to manage multiple companies, customize reporting, or manage a complex inventory, QuickBooks Online can’t help. Its focus is on core accounting functions for small to mid-sized businesses — useful for sure, but not enough for most teams.
Pricing
On first glance, the price difference between QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and Online seems like enough to swing anyone in Online’s favor. But do the math, and you realize you’re only looking at $734 annual difference in the baseline pricing. And most people won’t be able to get by with just the baseline pricing — additional users, integrations and features all come a la carte in QuickBooks Online. Once you start to customize, you may realize QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is the cheaper option.
Data Storage and Security
Here, the difference is right in the name. QuickBooks Online lives in the public cloud, while QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise lives locally — you decide if you want to connect it to the cloud. If you use Online, you don’t control where your information lives. Plenty of businesses either don’t want or can’t have data traversing the public internet. Desktop Enterprise offers more control. You can self-host, or have a trusted hosting partner do it for you. Hosting with a data center like Summit, for example, means your Desktop Enterprise comes with Summit Secure Workspace built in, so you have MFA, encryption, protection from ransomware/malware and more.
Customization
Desktop Enterprise provides more customization options. You can tailor templates, reports and forms to meet specific business needs, like presenting financial information that aligns with your branding and internal processes. From generating custom invoices to specialized reports for stakeholders, Desktop provides the tools to adapt the software to your unique requirements. Online, not so much.
QuickBooks is changing, and you may not be thrilled with the options. Still, there are ways to ensure you get what you need from your accounting software, at the best price and with the best security. Take some time to truly map out your needs, or work with a reliable third-party provider like Summit to figure out what makes the most sense for your business going forward.
Summit Team
We're the Summit team – cloud geeks, tech tinkerers, and security sleuths on a mission to keep your business running smoothly in and out of the cloud.
