# QuickBooks Desktop Review 2023
**[QuickBooks Desktop](https://www.smbaccountants.com/quickbooks-upgrade/)** is a popular accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. It is a robust and comprehensive accounting solution that helps businesses manage their financial activities with ease. QuickBooks Desktop is available in three versions: Pro, Premier, and Enterprise, each with different features and pricing.

QuickBooks Desktop has been a popular accounting software for many years, but its technical interface may not be the best fit for small-business owners with limited financial backgrounds. Instead, the software is geared more towards accountants and bookkeepers who require in-depth industry-specific reports.

One of the downsides of QuickBooks Desktop is its cost, as its plans are more expensive than comparable QuickBooks Online plans, which already have higher entry-level prices compared to competitors like Xero, FreshBooks, and Zoho Books. For this reason, unless you need desktop-based software or require specialized industry reports, it may be more beneficial to stick with QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Desktop pros QuickBooks Desktop cons
Accounting and bookkeeping features that are comprehensive There is only one Mac-friendly software version with limited functionality
Integration with QuickBooks Payroll is simple Integration with non-QuickBooks applications is limited
Software versions tailored to nonprofits, general contractors, and more Additional user fees are expensive
QuickBooks Desktop’s key features
QuickBooks is owned by Intuit, which has been in the accounting and bookkeeping software market for decades—practically since software’s inception. In addition to being exceptionally user-friendly, their accounting products include all the financial features small business owners, accountants, and large enterprises need to keep track of their finances.

QuickBooks Premier Plus
The QuickBooks Premier Plus desktop solution is designed for midsize businesses. It comes in six versions based on industry sector:

General contractors
Nonprofits
Retail
Manufacturing and wholesale
Professional services
General business
Software versions of all six are equipped with industry-specific reports. For example, nonprofit software generates tax forms 990, donor contributions summaries, and end-of-year donation statements. Although the general business and professional services software has fewer industry specifics, it can help you create financial documents tailored to your industry with its easily customizable reports.


QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a robust and feature-rich accounting software that takes the capabilities of QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier to the next level

Access for up to 40 simultaneous users (additional fee)
200+ in-depth, customizable industry reports
Data storage capacity for up to 1 million inventory items, customers, and vendors
Microsoft Office Suite integration, plus access to 200+ business apps (additional fee)
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise offers a comprehensive set of features that take the capabilities of QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier to the next level. One of the standout features is the ability to access the program through the cloud, although this does come with an additional fee. This allows users to enjoy the flexibility of cloud-based software while also benefiting from the reliability of locally hosted data.

It’s worth noting that some of the most advanced features in Desktop Enterprise require internet access, such as the advanced reporting functions. Therefore, if you want to fully utilize all of the benefits of QuickBooks Enterprise, it’s important to have a stable, reliable internet connection at all times.

QuickBooks Desktop Drawbacks
Extra per-user fees

QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online have different approaches when it comes to user limits and pricing. Every QuickBooks Desktop plan provides access to only one user, and additional users are charged with an annual per-user fee. The number of users allowed is limited by plan, with QuickBooks Premier Plus allowing up to five users and QuickBooks Enterprise offering access to up to 40 users.

On the other hand, QuickBooks Online sets user limits for each plan, and you won’t be charged extra for plan-limited users. QuickBooks Online Advanced, for example, allows up to 25 users for a flat rate of $200 per month. Regardless of whether you have 10 or 25 users accessing your QuickBooks Online Advanced subscription, you’ll pay a total of $2,400 for the year. QuickBooks Online also typically offers a 50% discount for the first three months.

Overall, if collaboration is a key factor for your business, a cloud-based accounting software like QuickBooks Online can be more cost-effective than a desktop-based program.

Advanced features that are dependent on the Internet
It is true that some business owners prefer desktop-based software to ensure they can access their financial data without an internet connection. However, it’s important to note that many locally hosted programs, including accounting software like QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, require internet access for certain features.

For example, some of the most advanced features of Desktop Enterprise, such as its advanced reporting functions, require internet access. Online data backups are also only possible with an internet connection. To access these features offline, users can add cloud hosting and online data backups to their desktop subscription for an additional fee.

Despite these options, cloud-based accounting software remains a more flexible and cost-effective option for many businesses. Cloud-based programs typically have fewer user limits, or at least cheaper additional user fees, and offer the added benefit of not requiring on-premises hardware maintenance. Additionally, true cloud-based software ensures that users can access their financial data from any location with an internet connection.

Additional QuickBooks Desktop features
QuickBooks ProAdvisors
QuickBooks ProAdvisors are certified accountants who are trained specifically in how to use QuickBooks accounting software. Whether you are using QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online, you can find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to help you set up and manage your accounting needs.

In addition to helping you with day-to-day accounting tasks, QuickBooks ProAdvisors can also assist you with closing your books at the end of the year and filing your business taxes. Like QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop also syncs with TurboTax tax software, allowing you to import your desktop accounting data to TurboTax and take advantage of Intuit tax perks like interactive tax advice and e-filing.

However, syncing TurboTax with QuickBooks Desktop can be more complicated than syncing with QuickBooks Online. You may need to contact customer service or seek help from existing customer service forums to complete the process.

QuickBooks Desktop mobile app
Despite being a desktop-based program, QuickBooks Desktop does have a mobile app. However, the app’s features are limited compared to the QuickBooks Online app. While the QuickBooks Online app allows you to send invoices, scan receipts, and track mileage, among other things, the desktop accounting app only allows you to scan receipts and access basic financial information.

Furthermore, QuickBooks Desktop’s mobile app has received few reviews compared to QuickBooks Online, and the reviews it has received are not particularly positive. On Google Play, the app has an average rating of just 3.2 stars out of 5 from fewer than 100 users. Meanwhile, on Apple’s App Store, it has received fewer than 50 reviews, with an overall rating of only 1.9 stars.