“Should we switch to QuickBooks Online?” is one of the questions Liliane Larsen hears most from businesses in Boston and on the South Shore. The honest answer: for most owner-run businesses, yes. But it helps to understand the difference first, and the move itself should be done carefully.
Here is the comparison in plain terms.
The simple difference
- QuickBooks Online works over the internet. You sign in from a browser or an app, on any computer or phone.
- QuickBooks Desktop is installed on a computer in your office.
That one difference explains most of the rest.
What it means day to day
- Seeing your numbers. With Online, you can check them from home, a job site, or a client’s office. With Desktop, you generally need to be at that computer.
- Working with your bookkeeper and CPA. With Online, they sign in to the same books you use. With Desktop, files usually get sent back and forth.
- Bank transactions. Online brings them in automatically. With Desktop, that depends on keeping your version current.
- Updates. Online updates itself. Desktop needs upgrading from time to time.
Both are subscriptions today, and prices change, so check current plans with Intuit.
Who might stay on Desktop, for now
A few businesses have a good reason to wait, such as a business with very specialized needs it built around Desktop, or one in the middle of its busiest season, when any change is risky. If that is you, plan the move for a quieter time instead of rushing it.
Who usually does better on Online
- Owner-run service businesses, practices, law firms, and trades.
- Anyone who works with a bookkeeper or CPA outside the office.
- Anyone whose older Desktop version has stopped connecting to the bank.
- Anyone who wants to see the numbers without going back to the office computer.
Why Larsen Bookkeeping uses QuickBooks Online
Larsen Bookkeeping works with clients entirely online, and QuickBooks Online is our software of choice for monthly bookkeeping. It lets us keep every client’s books current without anyone mailing files or driving anywhere, and it lets our clients see their numbers whenever they want.
If you decide to switch
Moving from Desktop to Online is not a simple copy, because the two programs store information differently. The move goes best when the books are cleaned up first, the switch happens at a clean starting point such as the first of a month, and the new books are checked against the old ones before anyone relies on them. Keep the old Desktop file as a backup.
We handle the move from Desktop to Online from start to finish, as the start of monthly bookkeeping with us.
Frequently asked questions
Not if the move is done carefully. Your history should come across, and the original Desktop file stays as a backup.
Most CPAs work in QuickBooks Online every day, and it makes year-end simpler.
Intuit publishes its own security information. One practical benefit: you decide who can sign in to your books, and you can remove anyone’s access at any time.
Start with a conversation
If your business is in Boston, Quincy, Braintree, Hingham, or Hanover and you are weighing the switch, request a free consultation. Prefer the phone? Call 781-924-1489.