Intuit, the developers of the accounting software QuickBooks, recently announced that the 2020 version(s) of QuickBooks Desktop (QBD) will be discontinued on May 31st, 2023. Given the platform’s popularity, this announcement has raised several questions. What does this mean? What’s the future of QuickBooks Desktop? Is QuickBooks Desktop being phased out? If you’re using QBD, what are your options going forward? What’s the difference between QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop?
Let’s dig in, and we promise we’ll be quick about it.
QuickBooks Desktop discontinued
While “QuickBooks Desktop Discontinued” is an accurate title, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Rather than completely shutting down, the 2020 version of QuickBooks Desktop will be sunsetting. This means that while QBD will remain available for current owners, it won’t see any further updates or support. It also means that QBD users will lose access to any add-ons, including the popular payroll add-on. This has led many users to ask: is QuickBooks Desktop going away for good?
Is QuickBooks Desktop being phased out?
In short: no.
While QBD 2020 is sunsetting, there are other, more modern versions of QuickBooks Desktop. The QuickBooks Desktop 2023 edition was released in September 2022, and while Intuit doesn’t actively advertise this edition (meaning you’ll have to call their sales team), QDB 2023 will receive support for years to come.
However, if you’re a current user of QBD 2020 and deciding what to do, consider these factors before making any decisions.
First, Intuit offers QBD 2023 to users on a subscription-based service. This is unlike the 2020 edition, which is a “one-time purchase” application. Introducing a subscription model is nothing new; QuickBooks has slowly been replacing its one-time-price applications with subscription models.
Second, QBD 2023 is significantly more expensive than QuickBooks Online (QBO). QBD 2023 edition costs $549 yearly, while QBO plans start at $180. Adding users to the desktop edition will also cost a lot more. It’s safe to say that Intuit really wants users to consider switching to the online version.
QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop: what’s the difference?
If you’re unsure what the difference between QBO and QBD is, here’s a quick primer.
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based service. This means that users access the software through a web browser or application instead of using an on-board application. This requires an internet connection, but you can access it from anywhere that has one, regardless of distance.
QuickBooks Desktop is a local application, meaning you can only access it with the computer you install it on. You can install it on more computers in order to increase access points, but doing so incurs additional fees.
There are more differences between the two services, but these are the main ones. And while both services have similar features, some are exclusive to specific versions. Here are the important ones.
Only QBD offers sales orders. There are also ~50 more report types available on QBD than QBO, and only QBD offers industry-specific reports, as well as some other industry-specific features.
On the other hand, only QBO is mac compatible. While it doesn’t offer as many reports as QBD, it provides automatic invoicing and has significantly more integrations. QBO also offers (optional) live bookkeeping support thanks to its cloud-based format. It’s also worth noting that, at the time of writing, only QBO offers international invoicing.
The good news is there are other software solutions out there that can help replace the features lost if you move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. For example, inFlow offers sales orders and inventory tracking, including setting reorder points. It also has a myriad of reports available to help fill the gaps and conveniently integrates with QuickBooks Online.
Can you continue to use QuickBooks Desktop 2020?
Yes! But it’s a bad idea. A really bad idea. Part of the sunsetting process means that Intuit will be cutting live support for QuickBooks Desktop 2020. If something breaks, you’ll be on your own. In the worst-case scenario, you may end up being unable to migrate your data. You’ll have to start from scratch or transfer everything by hand– neither of which are particularly desirable.
QuickBooks Desktop 2020 will also stop receiving security updates, leaving your systems more vulnerable. Whether you switch to a newer Desktop version or jump to Online, switching off QBD 2020 is a good idea.
How do you move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
With the “QuickBooks Desktop discontinued” message just around the corner, many users will look to switch to the online version. Luckily, according to QB themselves, all you really need to do is copy & export a file. There are some limitations, though. If your file exceeds a certain size (750,000 targets), you won’t be able to convert it to QBO. If your file exceeds this size, you’ll have to settle for exporting import and balance lists or start fresh.
Should you move to QuickBooks Online?
This is a tricky question to answer. No two businesses are the same, and every one of them has a different set of factors to consider. Making outright recommendations without this information would be irresponsible, but we can give you some things to consider.
It should be no surprise that the biggest strength of QuickBooks Online is its cloud-based infrastructure. This allows for mobility that far exceeds the Desktop version. Instead of being bound to a specific computer, you’ll be able to access QBO from any device with a browser. At the same time, if you don’t have an internet connection, you won’t be able to access QBO. In this day and age, though, having some sort of internet connection at any given time is the norm.
QuickBooks Desktop is a local application. As a trade-off for mobility, it doesn’t rely on an internet connection and has a few exclusive features. On the other hand, it’s significantly more expensive, so you’ll have to be sure you need those extra features. Remember that you’ll have to call in to discuss purchasing an updated version of QuickBooks Desktop.
Bundle your accounting software with other features
While QuickBooks remains one of the most popular accounting platforms on the market, it’s only one part of your business. It’s important to keep an eye on everything, and in this day and age, that usually means more software.
As you add more and more software, it’s essential that they integrate with each other seamlessly. inFlow is an inventory management software that boasts a myriad of integrations– ranging from QuickBooks to eCommerce platforms like Amazon. And that’s not all– inFlow offers comprehensive manufacturing software bundled with field service management. No matter your use case, inFlow can help.
I have QBD 2016 and I have been advised by my accountant to stay with a Desktop version as my business is vey small. I have been told that not all the info transfers and could be lost. What does your cheapest Desktop version cost?
Hey Roger,
Thanks for stopping by. If your accountant says sticking with a QBD version is best for you I would recommend QuickBooks Desktop 2023. You’ll have to contact the QuickBooks sales team directly and enquire about purchasing a license. They are steering heavily into QuickBooks Online these days and are encouraging their customers to make the switch so they don’t advertise QBD 2023 on their website. You can reach someone from QuickBooks at 1-877-683-3280 or through their website.
I hope this helps,
Jared
I am a small medical practice and have used QBD since 2007. I have been informed that QBO is NOT HIPAA compliant and if I wanted to use it, I would not be able to use most features of QB. (Check writing etc) Is there a push for QBO to be HIPAA compliant for those businesses that have to deal with health care?
Hey Christine,
As far as I know, QBO has no plans of making their software HIPPA compliant. In order to use QBO you would need to partner with a cloud storage partner that is HIPAA compliant so you can safety store protected health information (PHI) in the cloud. There are some things you need to consider when shopping around for a cloud storage partner. You should ensure they undergo yearly HIPAA compliance audits, are willing to sign a business associate agreement (BAA), and their cloud storage is trustworthy and responsive. There are a number of options out there so be sure to do your due diligence before you sign on with anyone. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
I’ve just started using QBO. Because QBD is no longer. I do not like!!! Our business is 5 employees. And there is so much unneeded . Payroll has been unfriendly compared to what I’m use to.
Hey Janice,
You’re not alone! We’ve heard a lot of people with grievances when migrating from QBD to QBO. It’s very likely QuickBooks will listen to their users and update the features and functionality in the coming years to more closely align with their past product offerings.
All the best,
Jared
I have qb pro on a subscription will this of upgraded to qb pro 2023 edition if so can I still use the after discontinuation of qb desktop as I don’t like qbo
Hey Jon,
Thanks for reading. I can’t say for sure what is going to happen with QB Pro subscribers. I would reach out directly to the people at QuickBooks to find out for sure.
Cheers,
Jared
It has been a few years since I used QB online.
Unlike desktop, it there was no list of open windows to switch to.
Also the ability to make customized reports was very limited and nearly as good as QB Desktop.
Hey Dan,
You aren’t alone in your sentiment. It seems a lot of QBD users aren’t satisfied with some of the features that have been omitted from QBO. Hopefully now that they are steering more toward QBO they will start introducing some of these popular features into QBO.
Cheers,
Jared
Our accountant says she has a couple of clients using QuickBooks Online and also a couple using QuickBooks Cloud. If QBO is in the cloud, what is QB Cloud? She says it is not the same as QBO. Trying to make decision to change from QBD now. Have a server on life support now and don’t want to have to invest in another.
Thanks for any help!
Hey Connie,
Thanks for reading. I understand the difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Cloud can be a bit confusing. Essentially QuickBooks Cloud is like a hybrid version of QBO and QBD, and is often referred to as QuickBooks in the Cloud. The difference between QBO and QBC comes down to the available features they offer. So which one you choose should depend upon which features you use/need the most. I would recommend reaching out to someone from the QuickBooks sales or support team and explaining to them what your workflow is, and they should be able to guide you to whichever software solution is the best fit for you. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
I’d like to raise several issues with your article.
First, you indicate that QBO is the only option for Mac users, completely overlooking the existence of the QuickBooks for Mac product. It’s also a locally-installed product, like Quickbooks Desktop Premier, not an online product.
Of course the Mac desktop version is now also being sold only on a subscription basis, like the Windows counterpart, thereby enormously raising the overall cost to most businesses using it over a multi-year period.
Second, I’m surprised that nearly every reviewer omits any mention of something that for my business is a deal breaker: a separate subscription is required for each company file. My business manages multiple real estate related LLCs, each completely independent business entities. In the QBO model, each company file requires its own subscription. This makes the cost prohibitively expensive.
And finally, on the issue of using an older Quickbooks desktop product past its “retirement date.” On some levels it’s a “really bad idea,” as you say; specifically if for example in 2025 you decide to move from your 2020 version to the then-new version. It is conceivable that there will not be an upgrade path from 2020 to 2025, without having passed through 2023 or something in between. It would be criminal, but certainly something that these companies get away with. And second, the lack of customer support that a user might experience in the day to day use of the product is not such a big deal. Intuit’s direct support kinda sucks anyway, and there are many many users at least of the Windows products, far fewer of the Mac product (which I use, grudgingly).
All in all, while Intuit is definitely trying very hard to steer people over to the online version, it is certainly not for everyone, and their business and pricing models need a lot of work before they come close to offering what some of us would be looking for. If they don’t do that, it’s pushing long-time customers like us to consider looking outside of the Intuit universe for our business solutions.
I’m currently using Quickbooks 2020 desktop, will I be able to continue to use this version for the next 5 to 10 years ?
Hey Annand,
The short answer is yes you can continue using it indefinitely to my knowledge. However, with this sunset it means that any support for the software will end, meaning if something goes wrong you’re on your own, which for some businesses could be very risky. If something breaks you may end up loosing data, or being unable to mitigate your data over to a newer version of the software. Also I should note that there will no longer be any updates to the software’s security, leaving you much more vulnerable. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
I have 5 small companies under one QBD 2020. To switch to QBO we have to pay monthly per EIN. Do you know if QBD 2023 also works per EIN or will I be able to continue using one QB for all 5 companies?
Hey Shelly,
To my knowledge you only need to pay per EIN for the QBO version of the software, so QBD 2023 should be the same as the 2020 version in that regard. I would recommend reaching out to the team at QuickBooks to find out for sure one way or another though. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
We were forced to migrate to QBO (or so we were told) because of payroll. It has been an absolute nightmare. None of our previous accounting totals migrated correctly and we no longer have access to our previous information. I have spent countless hours with customer service and no one has been able to “fix” anything. Paychecks are wrong, tax totals are wrong and that is a major problem. We can’t go in and make corrections ourselves, it has to be correct “through the back door” as they say. We have been charged a full months fee for both services and have not been able to use. Complaints seem to fall on deaf ears. We are looking into other options
Ihave QBDesktop 2020 seemed likethe only option was QB online,nowIfind outthat Icouldhave opetd 2 for 2023 Pro I only have 5 employees,my boss hates the reports specially the unpaid bills
on desktop they were customized andso much easierto read.
ifIgo and purhase 2023 pro can the last few weeks be migrated back to desktop?
Hey Sara,
I’m not sure how data migration works from QBO to QBD. I would reach our the QuickBooks support team directly and ask them whether or not this is feasible before you make any decisions. I would hate for you to lose any of you data. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
We use QBD for almost 30 years. We love it. We switched some companies to QBO and we hate it so much. The function is very limited not like QBD. QBO use # to replace “class” but I can not put # for each item. No list of windows is very inconvenient. I have cancelled my QBO subscription and switched back to QBD. If QBD is being phased out then I would rather look for other Accounting software.
Hey Kathy,
I’m sorry to hear about your experience with QBO. We’ve been hearing similar feedback from other QBO users who migrated from QBD. We can only hope that QuickBooks will add some of the missing features from QBD over to QBO now that they are starting to phase out QBD. Some of our customers are using Xero as an alternative to QBO. I would recommend looking into them if you’re searching for an alterative to QBO.
Cheers,
Jared
Hello,
it appears that quickbooks desktop is not been sunsetted but completely closed as there is no access to it at all?
Hey Jonathan,
Thanks for reading. You will in fact still be able to use the program, however as mentioned in the article there are some caveats to consider.
Cheers,
Jared
I am using QBD 2020 without the payroll services. Payroll is very small, salary-based and never varies within the calendar year so I use the manual payroll function. If I migrate to QBO 2023 or QBD 2023, will I still be able to process payroll in the same manner?
Hey Bonnie,
I’m not entirely sure how specific features will translate between versions of QuickBooks. To get a better idea of what your new workflow would look like I would recommend reaching out to someone from QuickBooks before you make any decisions on which version would work best for you.
Cheers,
Jared
I have just migrated to QBO from QBD 2020, I find it extremely complicated to use and as there are only 2 employees in our company would it be worthwhile me staying with desktop
Hey Lesley,
If you think you can continue to operate using QBD 2020 you may consider sticking with it. However, if you do run into any issues down the line you’ll be on your own, and you could risk losing a lot of valuable data. I would consider sticking with QBO, and see if it gets any better with time. From what we’ve heard QBO has a bit of a learning curve, but if you stick it out you’ll be future-proofing your business. Ultimately everyone’s situation is different and only you can decide what’s best for your business.
Cheers,
Jared
Good replies to most comments.
I use QBD Accountant 2022 for my 20 clients. I use a company called Pay Window Payroll for desk top payroll service.
Does a CBO subscription have a single license cost and then whatwould be the EIN per client cost?
Hey David,
Unfortunately you’ll need a separate QBO license for each EIN. This is one of the major differences between QBD and QBO and many users have been expressing their grievances. However I believe there are options available for accountants to get discounted rates when they purchase multiple licenses. I would recommend giving their sales team a call and inquiring about this option if you’re thinking of moving over to QBO. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
I’m an independent management consultant and use QBD for Mac 2020. I’m trying to determine if I need to switch to the new online version and if so, which one. About my business: I work on retainers with clients and typically generate no more than 10 invoices per month. ( I’m invoicing mostly for professional fees and occasionally for expenses). Some ov my clients pay via ACH, others by traditional paper check. Bottom line, things are pretty simple in this regard and I don’t require a lot of bells and whistles. For example, I don’t need a payroll feature nor do I need sales tax updates. Now that QBD for Mac 2020 has been sun-setted by Intuit, will I be able to generate invoices and link payments (ie deposits) to my business bank account? I also would like to use my QBD for Mac 2020 for my personal checking account. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and suggestions..
Hey Andre,
QBO for mac comes in three options, Simple Start($30/mo), Essentials($55/mo), and Plus($85/mo). It sounds like for your needs the Simple Start option would be all you need as it has invoice and payments included. As far as ACH payments I’m not sure exactly how that would work. I know QBO works together with Online Bill Pay to let you send ACH so I would assume it could also work to receive payments, but I would look into this to confirm. I would recommend reaching out the either the sales or support team at QuickBooks and explain to them your general workflow and needs. From there they should be able to point you toward the best solution for you. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
Thanks Jared, much appreciated.
I am an accountant who has work in both QBD and QBO. I really dislike the online version. It’s functionality falls very short. It’s cumbersome and not user friendly (most menu functions are elusive). As an accountant, I will never recommend QBO to a client. I am currently looking into other accounting solutions in the event Intuit does away with with QBD.
Intuit, stop reinventing the wheel!! If something works well, KEEP IT!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks for reading, and we hear you! As you can see by the comments above there are a lot of people who are unhappy about the variances in QBO and QBD. The best we can hope for is that Intuit will start implementing some of the missing functionality into QBO. All the best.
Cheers,
Jared
Couldn’t agree more with Melissa. Quickbooks has sold out the small business owner and ag producers. I have had Quickbooks for 21 years and have absolutely never been as frustrated as I am now.
Do you think there will be a Desktop 2024 version this fall?
Hey Jackie,
Thanks for reading. Unfortunately I have no idea whether or not QuickBooks will be releasing any more versions of QuickBooks Desktop, you’ll need to contact QuickBooks directly if you’re looking for answers. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
Hi! I have qb2022; any word on how long that will be supported? From the above comments I am not looking forward to qbo.
Hi Diane,
No word on if/when QuickBooks will stop support for other products. They are keeping that information pretty close to the chest, but I would assume eventually they’ll be stopping support for all QBD products. The good news is, QuickBooks will more than likely give their users ample notice before they discontinue support for any of their products. If you’re currently enjoying QBD2022 I would recommend sticking with it for as long as you can. There is a very good chance that QBO will be implementing a lot of the missing features from QBD versions in order to please their customer base. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
I have QBD2013, how can I migrate my data to QBO?
Hey Tracy,
From my understanding QBO does have a built in mitigation tool for people moving from QBD to QBO. That being said they don’t recommend this for larger companies with massive amounts of data. If you are a small to medium sized business on the other hand you’re a great candidate. You’ll be able to transfer most of the information without having to re-enter it manually. However, there is some information that won’t convert or transfer automatically, and in those instances you’ll need to make manual adjustments. Exactly what will and will not transfer properly will differ depending on your company information and the features you’re using. I would recommend reaching out to QuickBooks support directly to see if they can help you through the process. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
Intuit has given no indication they will be discontinuing Desktop any time soon. The 2024 version will be released in September. In May of every year, they discontinue support for the verson three years prior.
QBO is a horrible product, and they’ve done so little to improve it over the last five years. They have spent some time on the menus recently. The reporting features are lacking. If you write a manually payroll check, there is no way to enter it into the system later. If something goes wrong with payroll (incorrect paycheck, for example), good luck getting Intuit to fix the problem.
The expensive subscription model for Desktop is very unfortunate. Really would like to find a good desktop substitute for all Intuit products.
Hi we recently migrated from Quickbooks to a New Accounting system. We only imported the essentials from Quickbooks (open payables, receivables, relevant data from last 3 years). We have been using Quickbooks for over 25 year and thought after our Desktop license came to an end that we could continue using it as “view only” file. Turns out to do so Quickbooks is forcing us to buy the 2023 Desktop View Only Version which is good for 1 year only.
Again we no longer need to use Quickbooks but would like to access our legacy history. It was a considerable amount of work to transfer 3 years of data to our new Accounting System and rather not have to do it again for the rest of 20 years plus worth of data. Do you know of any third party software that would be able to access QuickBook data. That is assuming the Data/History is still considered our property and not Quickbooks? Any help/direction would be appreciated.
Hey Louie,
I’m sorry to hear about your predicament. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the software you’re describing exists, at least not to my knowledge. Obviously importing another 20+ years of data would be incredibly time-consuming, however, you could look into hiring someone to do the data import for you. I’m not sure whether or not QuickBooks offers this service but if not you can hire a third party. I wish I could be of more help.
Cheers,
Jared
It would be great to know the name of the “New Accounting” system that Louie T on August 16th switched to??
I am an accountant – I do not recommend QBO to any of my clients, it is a horrible product.
Even another more user friendly online system would be better than QBO, but would prefer desktop version.
Hey Liz,
I’m not sure what system Louie is using but I’m willing to bet it might be Xero. They’re kind of the “new kid on the block” when it comes to accounting software. They’ve actually been around for awhile but have only recently started to pick up steam in the North American market. Pretty much every company in New Zealand uses Xero (it was developed there). We’ve heard really great things about the software and I know of a lot of people who have made the switch from QBO to Xero. Give them a try if you’re looking for something new.
Cheers,
Jared
We are using QBD 2019. It works totally fine for us, except the option to import transactions from .qbo files (e.g. downloaded for an amex credit card) has been disabled. So we are manually entering those transactions. We are considering QB Online (which is what Intuit wants us to do of course) but it’s expensive and when I try to move my QBD data to online, it gives me an error, so I would probably need to start from scratch. I get an error even if I try to import a small subset, like only moving the Chart of Accounts. All I really want is to avoid the tedious data entry of hundreds of CC transactions every month. Is there a workaround for QBD?
Hey Tim,
Thanks for reading. I’m shocked to hear that you’re having trouble importing your data from QBD to QBO. Intuit has tried to make this process pretty seamless in order to encourage QBD users to make the switch to QBO. If you’re getting an error I would reach out to QuickBooks directly and see if they can help solve the issue. As far as the work around for QBD, I haven’t heard of any specific one that would help with this.
Cheers,
Jared
My business is a one man show I only use the estimates, I voicing and accounts payable . No inventory or payroll. Can I continue with 2022 desktop version? The online version I’m not comfortable with and I don’t use all the extras. Intuit is asking for payment to convert to online and I can’t justify that price for little I use. I’m not able to access my files now without this large $ renewal. What other options available for small business like my handyman/construction work a single persone does
Hey Willayne,
Thanks for stopping by! To answer your question, as far as I know QuickBooks Desktop users can continue to use the software. The sunset just means there will no longer be any updates to the software or the security. There will also no longer be any support provided from Intuit. So it’s really a “use at your own risk” type of situation. But if the software you’re using has everything you need and it works for you, then I would say keep using it until you absolutely need to switch to something new. You could also look in Xero if you want to shop around for alternatives to QuickBooks. They’ve been around for awhile but have only recently started to break through in the North American market (They’re based out of New Zealand). I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
One issue not addressed is for those of us nearing retirement. Once I close my business, I will still need to pay the $549 annually in order to access my data. This will apply to everyone at some point.
Hey Linda,
Thanks for adding this information for other readers. It’s something we didn’t even consider when we wrote the article, but it’s definitely a huge issue that should be addressed by Intuit.
Cheers,
Jared
I’m just being tasked with finding something new and it’s not really in my wheelhouse. Small pet shop/grooming house, no inventory management to speak of using QBD, just POS but we do need reporting for grooming appointments. Any recommendations? Thank you
Hey Angela,
If you’re not loving the QBO option my recommendation is giving Xero a try. They’re kind of the new kid on the block in regards to accounting software. At least in north America, it’s been big in New Zealand for awhile, where it was developed. We’ve been hearing a lot of people who are unhappy with QuickBooks making the switch and not looking back. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
I am an accountant with several clients. Every client I have used desktop quick books except one. I have one client with quick books online. It is a freaking nightmare! Reports are terrible. Navigation stinks! Payroll is terrible! I will look for other software before I will even consider changing to Quick Books Online.
Hey Lesa,
Seems like you have a unique perspective in that you’ve used both QBO and QBD side by side and can see the differences between the two. You’re not alone in your distaste for QBO as you can probably tell from the above comments. We can only hope Intuit will start improving the software as they steer more and more of their customers toward using it. If you’re looking for an alternative, maybe give Xero a try. We’ve seen many accounts make the switch from QB to Xero and they haven’t looked back.
All the best,
Jared
Hi Jared!
I am using QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2023. Because we are now all but retired, I thought I could cancel my subscription but still be able to access my information indefinitely. I still have until the end of my billing cycle but now I’m wondering if I’m misinformed. I hate to pay the subscription fee for something I’m not really using except for historical information. Any insight would be appreciated!
Hey Sue,
Thanks for reading! From my understanding you will need to continue with your subscription in order to access your historical data. I’m not 100% postive this is the case so make sure you reach out to QuickBooks directly in order to clarify. I know it sounds crazy but essentially it’s not the data they would be locking you out of it’s the platform. So my suggestion would be to export all of your historical data if you can while your still on the subscription. That way you have it without having to play the subscription fee to QuickBooks in the future. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
Intuit what a disgrace. They have shot themselves in the foot. I have been using quickbooks desktop 25 plus years and have promoted them to my many clients. But now I have lost all trust in the company. Shambolic!
Hey Arden,
I understand where you’re coming from. As you probably gathered from previous comments many people are dissatisfied with the direction Intuit is steering QuickBooks. Let’s hope they listen to these grievances and make some changes. If you’re looking for an alternative to QuickBooks I would recommend taking a look at Xero. A lot of dissatisfied customers have been making the switch and have been pretty happy with the transition.
Cheers,
Jared
we are a small company, We use QB desktop for our cash register and inventory. Are these features available in the online version?? If not, Is there a version that does??
Thank you
Dawn
Hey Dawn,
Thanks for reading. As far as I know QBO does have some inventory tracking features, but they are VERY limited. The bottom line is QBO is an accounting software, which they do really well, but as far as inventory tracking they fall short. If you’re looking for robust inventory tracking features your best option would be to use separate inventory software that integrates with QBO (like inFlow for example). For POS you could try QPosConnect. Also I believe Shopify, Square, Clover, and a few others also integrate with QBO for your POS needs. I’m not 100% sure if any or all of these would work however, so it’s best to reach out to QuickBooks directly for answers. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
I’m a professional bookkeeper working on 45+ companies. I have 12 in QBEnterprise, 31+ in Pro and 2 in QBO. One is a church that needs specific reports that I can’t create in QBO so I export data into Excel and manipulate it to get what the client wants. It’s better than the proprietary software they had when I started with them, but paper ledgers would have been better than that mess. The other client had to be in QBO as the Treasurer lived on the other side of the state. I don’t do payroll in QBO but I advised someone who was and it was a nightmare. I’ve been using QB Pro for 24 years and do NOT want it to go away. Several of my clients are disappointed at the price hike (as am I) but QBO would be much more expensive for them – I don’t know where you’re getting $180/year – both of my QBO clients are paying over $90/month without payroll. FYI, Sage/Peachtree has been doing the annual subscription or lose access to your data for a few years longer than QB has – that too is garbage software. Last time I looked at Xero it wasn’t robust enough for several of my clients.
Hey Jay,
Thanks for reading, and I’m sorry to hear about your frustrations. As you can probably tell from the comments on this post a lot of people share your sentiment. As far as where we got the $180/year these numbers were taken directly from the QBO pricing page. Their pricing has many tiers of pricing depending on your needs and features. We can only hope Intuit will correct course and perhaps offer a solution for clients in your particular position.
Cheers,
Jared
I’ve been using QBD for my small company over 25 years. Intuit
is a disgrace and should be reported to the Better Business Bureau or some organization that could straighten them out. I have called them over 6 times trying to get help, but no one ever calls back. If I ran my company like they are running theirs, I would be OUT of business very quickly. How can a company with SO many complaints continue to get away with such poor customer service!
I have QBD and was just charged $1043.90 for a subscription renewal. I told them I no longer wanted updates or customer support and was told that I had to pay because the fee was for license renewal. They said if I did not pay there was a good chance I would not be able to access my program, they are able to shut me down. Is this true? Didn’t I purchase this program which would include the license?
Hey Carole,
I believe you have read only access to your information for 1 year after your license has expired. After that you will lose access to it. During that 1 year you can’t make any edits, but you can export your data. I would recommend reaching out directly to Intuit support to find out for sure. They will be able to give you a more concrete answer and what options are available to you.
Cheers,
Jared
I have also had tremendous issues with migrating from qb desktop to qb online.
Cannot track inventory and trying to contact QB online is time consuming and often no answers.
At this point I am ready to pull the plug on QB online and using my qb destop 2020, do not need any of their updates.
By the way the pricing for QB online for my version is $ 90 per month.
Hi Dennis,
I’m sorry to hear your having trouble migrating your QBD to QBO. I haven’t heard great things about the inventory tracking in QBO, which is why we see so many customers taking advantage of our software inFlow. We designed inFlow entirely as an inventory management system so it’s safe to say that QBO pales in comparison. If you need help with your inventory tracking, drop us a line for a quick 10 minute chat. If you explain your workflow to our team they’ll be able to give you an honest answer as to whether or not our software is right for you.
Cheers,
Jared
Comment Great question. I would think you can make your final year filing through an accountant/CPA that works with quickbooks. Ask if there is a cost to hold on to your file. If you have a good relationship or years using their services and maybe need to use them to file your personal taxes in the future, they might on hold to your file and be able to keep it update as needed.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for providing other readers with such useful information. All the best!
Cheers,
Jared
I have owned Quickbooks 2008 Desktop since 2008. A recent computer crash (and fix) caused me to reload the software I bought many years ago and was plenty adequate for my small retirement business. Reloading from the cd now causes a web screen display from Intuit asking for registration info – then fails when I provide it. A call to Intuit confirmed that they can see I’m the registered owner but will do nothing to fix their issue. They said I won’t be able to get updates or support – and I wouldn’t care if they’d just give me back access to what I already paid for. Someone implied there is a method to change a file’s data to allow me to continue using old QBs and just change a date in a file. They would give no more information unless I paid $500.
I have Quickbooks Desktop Pro Plus and it was updated to 2024. I don’t know how long they’ll be providing updates but it is vastly superior to Quickbooks Online. Desktop allows me to have two different numbering systems for Sales Receipts and Invoices, QBO does not allow this. Desktop also allows me to process manual payroll as my wife is an accountant and can handle the few employees we have. QBO requires you to have a subscription to Payroll in order to use the time card functions (which are not as user friendly as the ones on Desktop.) The other option is to make journal entries for payroll, but then you cannot run reports needed for filing 940, 941, payroll tax deposits & W-2s for the end of the year. We tried to migrate data over Christmas weekend and had nothing but problems. Today we gave up and went back to Desktop. Intuit is offering an online solution with less functionality unless you are willing to pay extra for the same free functions on Desktop Pro. Customer Service across all platforms is atrocious. Stay with Desktop as long as possible then Switch!! The risk of hacking and losing data with an online system is huge. Also be aware that Intuit uses your data across its different platforms. I have an employee who used her email for a tax return years ago and was told in order to use QBO they had to get a new email or wait 7 days while Intuit decided if they should delete access to an old tax return of one of her children since she doesn’t remember her password. Oh and she does have access to her email! So she gets the verification codes but can’t put in a password or verify the tax information as it was years ago.
Hey Thomas,
According to Intuit, they will provide support for their new products for 3 years, so anyone on QBD 2024 will have support through 2027. Since you’re an existing QBD subscriber you have the option to renew after July 31, 2024 but they will continue to provide product/security updates and support in the meantime.
Cheers,
Jared
My question is can. We use older versions of quick books on windows 11 with out problems? I’m using windows 15 deck top, and works well for what I need in my small business with windows 10. Trying to find out if I can upgrade to windows 11, thanks
Hey Dave,
Thanks for reading. In regards to your question, I’m not sure whether or not your version of QuickBooks Desktop would work with Windows 11. I would recommend contacting Intuit directly to find out if your version of QBD would be compatible with Windows 11 before you make the switch, just to be safe.
Cheers,
Jared
We are a very small (2FTE’s and 2PTE’s, all family) manufacturing business. Currently, we have 2021 Desktop Premier w/Manufacturing & Wholesale Edition (primarily for inventory management); we also purchase the payroll module, which provides the tax and deduction information and calculates pay, but we write all checks in-house. I got a call from a QB rep who indicating that support and updates for this product will be discontinued in May 2024. The rep is STRONGLY encouraging us to move to QB on-line, claiming that QB is fading out the Desktop products and they will stop supporting completely in the future. It appears to me that I can purchase 2024 Desktop Premier w/Manufacturing and Wholesale Edition and not move to the on-line version. Again the rep continues to push on-line, any insight is appreciated.
Hey Debra,
Thanks for reading and providing some additional insights for everyone. From what I’ve been hearing, Intuit is trying to steer QuickBooks toward an entirely online software eventually. So, while you can purchase the updated version of the software, you’ll likely find yourself in a similar predicament a few years down the line once they stop supporting it. Going with QuickBooks Online would definitely future-proof your business.
That being said, the features available for QBO and QBD can differ. Many QBD users are just not satisfied with how QBO functions compared to QBD and have opted to stick with the Desktop version for now. I recommend comparing the features you need between the Desktop version you’re looking at and QBO. You might find that sticking with the QBD version is a better choice until Intuit has added these features into QBO. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared
I currently use QBD Pro 2018. I do not want to switch to QBO. I know it is no longer supported. I want to upgrade mine to 2024 and found some resellers that sell this version. Are they legit. Here is their website.
Hey Nancy,
Thanks for reading. I apologize but I had to remove the URL from your comment due to our policy on external links. As far as the legitimacy of the website, I can’t really speak to that. In theory if what you’re purchasing are authentic QBD products with keycodes that have yet to be activated they should work fine. However, I would be weary of counterfeit products. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jared
I was not willing to go to QB online. If you want to stick with QB Desktop, you can. It’s easy. You need to call the Intuit Desktop folks and tell them you don’t want to be sold QBOnline. They no longer offer Desktop Pro, it’s now called Pro Plus 2024. The added “Plus” just means they charge more but I was told by Intuit it’s exactly the same as Pro. It costs $649 per year. They are commited to supporting/servicing it for 2 years. It was easy to move my 2021 Desktop pro to 2024 Desktop Pro Plus / no issues / looks and acts the same. If you go to QB online and you need anything more than the basics, you need to purchase Online Plus which is $90/month or $1080/year. Do yourself a favor, just stick with Desktop until they figure out QBOnline. I searched online, you cannot buy Desktop 2024 (at least a valid license). So happy I get 2 more years of desktop at least.
Hey Susan,
Thanks for reading and providing some insights for other readers.
Cheers,
Jared
Hello, I’m an independent bookkeeper with a small clientele. I use QBD 2020, which is no longer supported by Intuit. I enter my client’s employee’s payroll manually (there are only 2 employees total). I do not import bank or credit card information, that is done manually (like I said – I’m a small operation). I backup my files to 2 different external sources. My biggest regret is that I didn’t purchase the 2020 CD version. So now, in the event my computer crashes, I won’t be able to “reinstall” QB’s from a CD and reload the QB’s data stored on the external backup sources.
At this point, I could continue using 2020 QBD (that I paid for out right) and take my chances, or subscribe to QBD 2024, pay an annual “subscription” fee, with the understanding that eventually it will be phased out. So, in the long run I will have to transition to an online version anyway, despite my clients objection, correct? Oh, and by the way, according to some of the comments on your site, would I have to maintain a subscription, even after death (just joking), retirement, so that my clients have access to their data?
Even though my clients and I are not interested in online/cloud based accounting software, I thought it pragmatic to do my due diligence. I have been researching, trying to find an alternative DESKTOP accounting software, but have been unsuccessful, everything is now online/cloud based. So, I called various accounting software companies to determine if their platform is QB’s compatible, so as to transfer data, and so far no other company, that I found, has that capability. I was told that I would either have to manually enter all my client’s historical data, which is prohibitive, or purchase software or services that perform that function. Also, I found none are as comprehensive as QB’s and the add-ons are either in a higher fee tier, they’re a separate add-on fee, or an entirely separate software. (Money! Throw money!!)
This is all so absurd! Insanity, I say! 🙂 You would think that, by now, QB’s would have a SERIOUS competitor, AND they would offer a DESKTOP version. (Perhaps a group of independent computer wiz’s and QB’s savvy accountants will join forces to create the perfect, QB’s compatible, desktop product! Woo Hoo!) It’s obvious, just in your comments thread, that there is a high demand for such an offering. Not everyone wants to, or is comfortable with, putting their accounting data online or in the cloud.
So, after my little tirade 🙂 Do you have any suggestions for a DESKTOP accounting software, that is as comprehensive as QB’s?
Best to all of you!
Hey Gina,
Thanks for reading and adding some additional insights for other readers. It’s true that you have read only access to your information for 1 year after your license has expired. After that you will lose access to it. During that 1 year you can’t make any edits, but you can export your data. As you’ve probably gathered from the other comments on this article, this is a sore spot for many QB users.
As far as a suggestion for a Desktop version of accounting software I can’t really help you there. As you mentioned most companies are leaning heavily toward cloud versions of their software. You may indeed have to band together with a gang of rag tag tech savvy accountants to develop something 😉 I’m sure a few of the commenters on this article would be your first customers.
Cheers,
Jared
I have been using QB desktop since 2009 and am currently using 2020 desktop version for Mac. I use it as a glorified checkbook, using deposit, write checks, reconciliation and the profit and loss report at the end of the year. Someone mentioned it won’t be sunsetted but turned off. Will this mean you will not be able to get into your desktop software? or still be able to use it but you won’t get any support?
Hey Kimberly,
Thanks for reading! That’s correct. There won’t be anymore updates or support offered for the product. Keep in mind this includes any security updates, so if you have sensitive information stored in the program it may be more vulnerable. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jared