Intuit is really pushing QuickBooks Online over the desktop versions of QuickBooks, and many companies are happily jumping on board. But is this really the best move for your business?
It might just be a fantastic idea to switch to QuickBooks Online, but it’s a decision that must be made after considering all of the implications involved.
Intuit encourages customers to get QuickBooks Online by offering limited-time discounts on its monthly fees. But even with the discount, you’ll still find that over the space of several years, you’ll paying more for it than if you had paid an upfront price, as you do with the desktop versions.
This is part of a larger trend. Photoshop, Microsoft Office, and many other popular desktop solutions are moving to a SaaS model, just like QuickBooks Online. You have to decide if it’s more cost efficient to make a one-and-done purchase or pay a monthly fee for as long as you use the software.
Is It Worth the Increased Cost?
Intuit encourages customers to get QuickBooks Online by offering limited-time discounts on its monthly fees. But even with the discount, you’ll still find that over the space of several years, you’ll paying more for it than if you had paid an upfront price, as you do with the desktop versions.
This is part of a larger trend. Photoshop, Microsoft Office, and many other popular desktop solutions are moving to a SaaS model, just like QuickBooks Online. You have to decide if it’s more cost efficient to make a one-and-done purchase or pay a monthly fee for as long as you use the software.
Are Its Features Up to Snuff?
QuickBooks Pro has more features than even the most expensive version of QuickBooks Online, according to Fit Small Business. From tracking job costs to generating reports, just about every feature in the desktop version of QuickBooks is superior to QuickBooks Online. If you’re used to the more advanced features in your current version of QuickBooks, and you would really struggle if you had to give them up, you would probably be better off staying where you are. But if you want to be able to access your company file in more locations and you don’t mind fewer features, QuickBooks Online is certainly a viable option.
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