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Product feature comparison for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop
by Intuit•4• Updated 3 years ago
Looking to move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online? Great!
QuickBooks Online is an all-in-one accounting software that allows you to automate your bookkeeping, track your sales tax and payroll tax and save around 8 hours a month managing your accounts. To help you determine which QuickBooks Online product is best for your business, here's a product comparison of all the features available.
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Create sales orders and track back orders | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Units of measure (buy/ sell stock in different units) | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Google Desktop search | X | X | X | – | – | – |
Adjusts VAT for early payment discounts | X | X | X | – | – | – |
Switch between different editions of QuickBooks | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Open two different company files simultaneously on same machine | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Attach a document to a record | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Income tracker simplifies working with unbilled, unpaid and paid sales | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Flat Rate VAT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
New insights dashboard on the home page | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Convert to QuickBooks Online | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Batch delete/void transactions utility | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Remove send forms allows you to bulk delete transactions | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Bill tracker allows you to see unpaid transactions status | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Data protection verify/rebuild feature | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Pin notes for a customer or supplier | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Close estimates automatically once you invoice them | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Take a snapshot and add comments or notes on reports | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Send multiple reports | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Lead manager/centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Locate an account, report or invoice using QuickBooks search | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Stay on top of your receivables with the collection centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Complete transactions with access to customer/supplier balance and transaction history | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Add or edit multiple entries in QuickBooks list from one spreadsheet view | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Send forms with webmail (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo and others) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Track your balance sheet by class | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
See key customer info at a glance with the customer snapshot feature | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Add Excel customers, suppliers and products data into QuickBooks | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Customise your company snapshot | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Use payment snapshot to view your payment flows in one place | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Create an invoice for multiple customers in single window with batch invoicing | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
See almost due and overdue indicators | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Manage reports in the report centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Run reports and back up data while others work in the same company file | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Create and email estimates, invoices and reports | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Allow multiple users to work in QuickBooks at the same time | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ |
Create professional-looking forms with customisation tools | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Email forms as PDFs | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Accept credit card payments in QuickBooks | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Faster reporting | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Sort by data type on bank reconciliation window | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Duplicate sales, purchase transactions and list items | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Delete transactions with right-mouse menu options | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Print receive payments | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Export invoices to Word | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Track bills and set due date reminders | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
View contacts and transactions history for customers and suppliers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Online Banking setup and centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Progress invoicing and automatic recharge of expenses | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Track stock, set reorder points and create purchase orders | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
Customise columns for lists | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Create delivery notes and shipping labels | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Add multiple delivery addresses | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Generate sales orders from estimates | X | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Generate purchase orders from estimates | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Generate purchase orders from sales orders | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Set prices and determine discounts by customer or job | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Build and track stock bundles to finished goods | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
Store manufacturer's part number on items | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Track bank and credit card accounts | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Share data with other business applications | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Customise reports and graphs | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Reports centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Email reports and export to Excel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Import/export to and from Word, Excel files and import Outlook contacts | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Track loans, fixed assets and vehicle mileage | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Show short-term cash flow projections | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Create a budget | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
Allow your accountant to make changes while you work | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Send files to your accountant | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Review business performance with company snapshot | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Set billing rates by employee, customer, client, position or service | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Download currency exchange rates | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ |
Support for over 140 currencies | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ |
View exchange rate history calendar | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Create summary reports in home and foreign currencies | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Set multiple foreign sales prices for items | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Credit note exchange rates automatically change to match invoice exchange rates | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Show home and foreign currency totals on invoice templates | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Revalue foreign currency holdings, assets and liabilities using the wizard | X | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Automatically save VAT reports as PDFs during filing for easy audit protection | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
See daily sales book report (net, VAT and gross totals) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
E-file VAT 100 return directly to HMRC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Report VAT liability on a cash (payment) basis | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Report VAT liability on an accrual (invoice) basis | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ |
Access to common VAT tasks via the VAT centre | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Add/change new VAT rates using setup wizard | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Track and report EC VAT (includes EC sales list report) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Default codes used to ensure correct VAT calculations | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Create customisable file templates for clients | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Manage files easily | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Accountant centre | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Send journal entires in batches | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Copy and paste transactions from Excel in batches | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Password-protected closing date | X | X | ✔ | – | – | – |
Reverse journal entries | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View journal history | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Adjust trial balance and journal entry reports | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Post journal entries directly to retained earnings | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Financial statement designer | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Share report templates | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Retained earnings QuickZoom | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Find and fix errors wizard | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Desktop Pro | Desktop Premier | Desktop Accountant Edition | QuickBooks Online Simple Start | QuickBooks Online Essentials | QuickBooks Online Plus | |
Track your balance sheet by class | X | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | |
Set permissions levels to control user access | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Allow multiple user access (with purchase of additional copies) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
Multiuser tools (backup and file locking) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
QuickBooks Instant Messenger | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | – |
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