Sometimes I roll the dice with software, machinery, equipment, sketchy burritos. But bookkeeping software, especially QB Desktop with all its moving parts, operating with third party tweaks. Sounds like a bold move. Gotta be a few brave forum commenters out there with experience running it.

QB for Mac 2020

I have never had a problem in 4 years with QB for Mac 2020

You can still run QBD 2020 on Sonoma.

I wish that were true, but I have been told that QB in Sonoma might work, and might not work

I have been told that QB in Sonoma might work, and might not work.

QB support will tell you that it doesn't work. If you trust them, you should follow their advice. Unfortunately I don't believe them. There are indeed a small issue when running QBD 2020 on Sonoma. You can ask Fiat Lux for advice but I noticed you don't trust them either. Maybe you should consider switching to QBO as suggested by Support.

No, I am not going to spend $750 a year for QBO

A friend told me I should check out the Facebook and Reddit groups for QB support

Hi, I'm also here exploring alternatives. We are a small bookkeeping firm with about 20 current clients, most of which also have payroll. Several also use direct deposit for some employees.  We currently use Desktop Accountant 2024 and have Enhanced Payroll for Accountants sub. The price doubled for payroll between 2022 & 2023 and will be doubling once again in October. The price is also increasing $200 more for the software. We just can't afford these continuous increases year after year. What alternatives could you (Fiat Lux) recommend for someone in our situation?

I am not Fiat Lux

I am on the same search

At this point, I am looking to find out if all the QB data which I have backed up to Excel can go into some other more affordable non-QB program

@NashAssocSTX 

You will separate your clients in the following groups

1. Those that still need to use QBA files

2. Those who don't need QBA files

3. Those that still need add-ons (e.g. payroll, merchant service)

4. Those who only need bookkeeping services (with/without add-ons)

Contact me in private for discussion.

@Homespun 

Secure your backup files and you can use the trial version to open them later if required on Mac.

You may consider to convert your data to QB Desktop 2020 Pro. Then use a 3rd party tool to export your data to XLS. It's $299 one time license and you can get $100 cashback to purchase it via a partner. 

https://get.transactionpro.com/qbd

Me, too!

Do you know of a good alternative? I'm on the lookout, too

I can't find pricing for ERP online.

How much for an ERP bookeeping program comparable to QB Desktop?

Thanks!

You can still purchase QB Desktop Accountant and QB Desktop Enterprise after Sep 30.

Chrea, thanks but Quickbooks Enterprise Desktop is about 300% more expensive than the Quickbooks Online product we are being forced to adopt. The point is Quickbooks rendered thousands of great Desktop Pro accounts unusable and tried to force us to use a much more expensive and less usable Online version. Businesses that can absorb the $2080 per year cost of Desktop Enterprise are not the subject of this thread. If there are happy Desktop Enterprise users reading this thread, my question to them would be: For the love of gawd, why are you wasting time reading this thread? Either get back to work or go watch cat videos!!! As for Quickbooks Desktop Accountant users, this thread doesn’t apply to you.

Pricing is irrelevant here. Once you decide to stick with Desktop, they force you to pay a premium price until you give up.. Likewise with Mac 2016 and 2019, there may be a turnaround in 2027

I too have multiple companies I have used Quickbooks for years, BUT I am DONE.  After they let the Desktop Payroll support run out, I was informed by the IRS I have missing 941's and 940's and Intuit forced me to re-subscribe in order to access information that was NOT theirs to hold hostage.  That information was input into their service during a period when I was paying for their service, yet they have held my information hostage until paid them RANSOM to gain access to proprietary information about MY companies.  Should have backed up and made copies as we processed.  Thanks INTUIT your a low character Company.

@TS9160 

You do not need to re-subscribe to your Enhanced Payroll subscription to access your payroll history data. You can still request a refund within 60 days and use the Enterprise Gold trial version as a workaround.

Why did my subscription jump from 649 in 2023 to 999 in 2024?  Scratching my head over here.  I'm a single user who is using the books for my CPA to do my accounting.  I do not use anything other than downloading transactions from my bank (1 account) and one credit card.

Why does this cost so much?

what happened?

I'm using Desktop for Mac 2024.  Which I was scared into using because they said everything was moving to online.  I don't want my QB online.  I want it on my computer.

@putch 

Why does this cost so much? what happened?

They just want you switching to QBO. 

I'm using Desktop for Mac 2024.

You should contact Fiat Lux for advise. You can renew your license and get $100 cashback. Or you may consider switching to QB Desktop with a non subscription license.

you can use the desktop software without a subscription?  I'm not sure they allow that with the newer versions.  

@putch 

I am sure. You can use the trial version as a workaround. You should contact them for details.

Intuit

I’ll tell you why. The Intuit Board of Directors has fallen for the same old money grab that has plagued the tech development and service industry since its inception.

They are stripping away product choices and service options in favor of a one-size-fits-all product line to boost short term stock prices. They will go one step further and stop providing live tech support from human beings in favor of vastly less expensive and infuriatingly incompetent Chat Bot tech support. Of course they’ll still offer live human interfacing in their sales department. But that will be the last time new subscribers talk to a human being after buying their product except maybe in their customer retention department where a few sad employees will try desperately to stop subscribers from going ballistic and cancelling subscriptions.

The profiteers orchestrating this scheme will make a boat load of money in the short term from stereotypical increases in stock prices as investors react to short term gains.

Extremely negative long term consequences will be left for others to clean up but the damage will be largely permanent. Cost and technical issues will preclude rolling back to the old tried and true business model that made Quickbooks so successful.

Quickbooks competitors are already working hard to fill the vacuum created by Intuit. There are millions of pissed off ex and current Quickbooks subscribers waiting to be vacuumed up by existing software providers and new startup providers who recognize a massive potential for immediate and long term profits by providing pared down bookkeeping software options that do not have to do everything for every customer.

Intuit’s bloat and blunder will serve the few, screw the many, and open the door for blistering competition.

The idea that competition, supply & demand, and smart business decisions will protect and ensure long term market stability has been proven to be profiteer’s propaganda over and over again. All market crashes over the last 100+ years have largely been caused by the ‘smartest’ dinglegrunts in business choosing short term gain over long term stability.

And of course, time and time again, the ‘smartest’ predictors of market trends, including various Federal Reserve Board Members and Chairs, always come around after the fall with their mea culpas…’oh well, apparently short term profits trump all other considerations.’ Google Alan Greenspan’s mea culpa…thanks captain obvious.