Business owners, CPAs, and accountants have become efficient, stable, and more productive with the choice of QuickBooks software for their everyday financial tasks- billing, invoicing, and time tracking. Integration with other applications has made it easier to manage finances.
However, for accountants, gone are the days of sitting behind a desk all day crunching numbers. The adoption of cloud-based QB is increasing by many business owners and accountants as it provides more flexibility and mobility that they want in their operations. Two modes of QuickBooks are in use by businesses nowadays- QB Cloud and QB Desktop. In this article, we will discuss QuickBooks Cloud vs Desktop and conclude what is better for different business processes.
“Are you still confused, about which one to go for Cloud Hosted QB VS Desktop? Contact us here and speak to our solutions consultant for the best advice.”
An Overview Of QuickBooks Desktop VS Cloud
QuickBooks Cloud
QuickBooks Cloud Hosting refers to the installation of the desktop version of QB on cloud-based servers. The server belongs to a third-party service provider that allows you to access files via a web browser from anywhere on any device.
Approx 2 million global users enjoy all the cloud benefits such as remote accessibility, real-time collaboration, and flexible pay-as-you-use pricing. Along with that, you can get some added services from the cloud provider. Some of them are-
- SLA-guaranteed Uptime
- Customizable Cloud Environment
- Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
- DDoS Protection
Pros
- Flexibility
- Cost-efficient
- Automatic access to the latest technology
Cons
- Vulnerability to cyber-attacks
- Possible downtime
- Speed
QuickBooks Desktop
If you belong to an industry that demands complex inventory tracking & invoicing, then QuickBooks Desktop is what you need. It is highly recommended to manufacturers, wholesalers & retailers. As it has inventory tracking, you can manage your inventories and invoices at ease. FIFO & LIFO are options of Desktop version that are available when you buy a product with an advanced inventory add-on system.
Batch invoicing is a special feature of QB Desktop that helps you to send bills to multiple clients.
If you are working in any of the below-mentioned industries, this version will save you:
- General Business
- Contractor
- Manufacturing and Wholesale
- Professional Services
- Retail
Pros
- Strong features
- Traditional accounting
- Potentially more secure
- 200+ integrations
Cons
- Windows-only
- Customer Helpline
- No remote access or mobile apps
- Expensive license structure
- Fewer automations than QBO
It is very evident that QuickBooks online lacks industry-specific features.
A Glance At- QuickBooks Cloud VS QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks Cloud VS Desktop, both are accounting software, which differs in three areas: pricing, features, and data accessibility.
Check the difference between QB Cloud Hosting VS QB Desktop, and see where they excel:
| FEATURES | QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP | QUICKBOOKS CLOUD |
| Automatic scheduling and emailing of reports | YES | YES |
| Create reports with 1-click | YES | YES |
| Accounts payable | YES | YES |
| Track sales and expenses | YES | YES |
| Create professional invoices | YES | YES |
| All QuickBooks Desktop features | YES | YES |
| Customer Service Options | Limited | Round the clock |
| Additional application hosting | YES | |
| User access | 30 | Depends on the version |
| Automatic Bank Transaction Download | YES | YES |
| Automatic Data-encrypted Backups | YES | YES |
| Integration with 3rd party add-ons | YES | YES |
| Remote (Cloud) access | YES | |
| Platform Specific (Windows, Mac, Linux) | YES | |
| Internet Connectivity Required | YES | |
| Local backups | YES | YES |
Pick The Right Tool: QuickBooks Enterprise Cloud VS Desktop
It becomes essential to pick the right tool between QuickBooks Remote Hosting and Desktop to stand as per the client’s expectations. Accounting firms have clients of different sizes. Thus you need versatile software to meet all your requirements.
Both software, QuickBooks Cloud VS Desktop, is well-versed with features and is apt at providing accounting solutions.
The reasons for why QuickBooks Desktop is above QuickBooks Online is of below reasons:
- Schedule and send a transaction to the concerned parties on your own.
- You can make an audit log review actions, and observe the changes accordingly.
- With the help of multiple location labels, you can track locations as well. In addition, it enables the night transaction sync of the user.
- Make your own banking rules regarding dollar value, percentage, etc. and you can add your bank as per need.
- With this version of QB, you can generate unlimited reports as a user.
- You can access the details of delayed charges & delayed credits. Along with that, you can make multiple budgets per financial year.
- You have unlimited time for tracking this version of QB. Besides, you can create journal entries with multiple AR/AP lines
Choose What You Need: QuickBooks Cloud Versus Desktop
With this article, we have tried to list all the features of QuickBooks Cloud VS Desktop. Get aware of your requirements and priorities as a business owner before you choose one. Pick one after knowing the benefits of QuickBooks online vs desktop for your clients.
If you are still confused about what to choose, contact our QuickBooks Cloud Hosting experts.
Ques1: Do I Need to Buy New Software while opting for hosting?
Ans: No, you don’t need to purchase any new or extra software while you are opting for hosting QuickBooks. You may share the credentials of the existing QuickBooks version with the hosting provider that you have selected and continue with your work.
Ques2: How much does QuickBooks Hosting cost per month?
Ans: The QuickBooks hosting prices vary depending on the cloud hosting provider that you have chosen. The starting range is as low as $25 per month.
Ques3: Can you use QuickBooks hosting with Desktop?
Ans: Well, while opting for QuickBooks hosting, you, in general, use the same version of QuickBooks desktop but just on the cloud. To make it simple for you, QuickBooks desktop is an effective cloud-based option.
Oriana Zabell, a professional cloud engineer, has over three years of experience in desktop, online QuickBooks support and troubleshooting. She is currently working as a cloud hosting consultant with Asquare Cloud Hosting. She loves to read and write about the latest technologies such as cloud computing, AI, DaaS, small businesses, manufacturing. When not writing, she is either reading novels or is indulged in a debate with movie fanatics.