Bookkeeping

Best Cloud Accounting Software for Small Businesses

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If you want to access financial data remotely, you usually have to pay an additional fee for offsite hosting. QuickBooks Online plans also allow for up to 25 users, which is more than most desktop plans allow. If you prefer a desktop version of QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Premier Plus and QuickBooks Enterprise are solid choices for midsize and large businesses.

While Xero has a 4-star average on Trustpilot and helpful customer service, its “F” rating with the BBB and frequent technical issues bring it down in our review. However, you must enter payment information before starting the 30-day free trial, which can be a drawback. It offers four subscription tiers plus a 30-day free trial. With a 4.1-star average on Trustpilot but some complaints about cancellation issues, Zoho Books earns a good score in our review, with its free plan standing out as the best value. However, the high cost and lack of verified customer feedback on platforms like the BBB or Trustpilot keep it at a mid-range place in our review. With a 4.4-star average and an “A+” BBB rating, Wave earns 5 stars in our review as a budget-friendly option that makes managing business finances easy.

Real-Time Financial Data

Since small businesses usually prioritize flexibility and cash flow, QuickBooks Online delivers better overall value. Desktop offers automation, too, but relies more on manual updates and local data. Transactions feed in daily from your financial institutions, which reduces manual entry, and sales tax applies automatically based on location and shipping details. Desktop users need to be at their computer—or pay for cloud hosting—to handle those same tasks. Below, we compare the features small business owners ask about most and pick winners.

Limited to the local device unless cloud-hosted; best for on-premise teams. Understanding the differences between QuickBooks Cloud, QuickBooks Desktop, and QuickBooks Online is essential for choosing the right version to meet your business’s unique needs. Unlike QuickBooks Desktop, which is installed on a local device, QuickBooks Online operates entirely through a web browser, making it accessible from any internet-enabled device. Intuit’s migration tool lets you move your company file from any version of Desktop to Online, with the option to transfer all or selected data. However, new users can still purchase the Enterprise edition of Desktop.

Get the most out of QuickBooks Desktop while utilizing the cloud’s security, reliability and flexibility. Securely access QuickBooks Desktop version from your preferred operating system—Windows, Mac, or Linux—and any device, including laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Follow this eight-step process to organize the data. This way, you can hand restaurant accounting off the finances to the experts and focus on making your mark in the business world! If you’re ready to find the right program so you can cut down on wasted time, keep finances secure, and gain peace of mind knowing that your records are accurate, we totally get it.

FreeAgent is cloud-based accounting software built for freelancers and small businesses that want simple tools for managing expenses, invoices, and bank accounts in one place. It offers all the robust accounting features of the desktop version but leverages cloud technology to provide enhanced accessibility, flexibility, and real-time collaboration. While other accounting software lets you set new able account advantages roles and permissions to control access to sensitive financial data, Striven’s three portals go further by making customers, vendors and job applicants feel like invited guests. QuickBooks also offers several desktop versions of its cloud-based accounting software, including QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus and  QuickBooks Enterprise. Below are 7 key benefits of accounting software over traditional desktop-based applications that can significantly improve your financial management.

  • However, there is significant dissatisfaction with recent changes, particularly to its invoicing system, which some users describe as inferior, cumbersome and time-consuming.
  • Real-time collaboration ensures everyone can access the latest financial data for smoother communication and coordination.
  • Most are standard reports that correspond to the site’s core functions, such as accounts receivable and payable, expenses and vendors, sales and customers, and sales tax.
  • For example, you can assign certain functions by using documents that define data relationships and then add automatic processes in the form of triggers.
  • This feature is valuable for companies with remote or field-based workers, ensuring accurate time tracking and job costing.

What types of QuickBooks Desktop cloud hosting plans are available?

Accounting software costs include subscription fees, setup and training, while benefits include fewer work hours spent on accounting tasks and reduced errors and resulting penalties. “Invoices sync automatically, payments reconcile without manual matching, and we can see real-time revenue without logging into multiple systems…. QuickBooks users appreciate the product’s intuitive interface and ability to automate accounting tasks. Templates are available for 12 other types of accounting documents, including purchase orders, bills and payment receipts.

  • We focused on essential accounting features, user experience, pricing, and customer feedback to ensure a comprehensive assessment.
  • One-time or annual license fee; can incur additional costs for backups and IT maintenance.
  • According to the QuickBooks site, individual businesses interested in Enterprise can work out a customized pricing solution that saves them some money.
  • The client portal helps you communicate about estimates, timesheets and invoices.

Sales Tools: Customizable and Detailed

However, some users find the product’s customization options difficult, and others report occasional slow load times and complex navigation. Striven’s interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, although some users find it initially overwhelming due to its extensive features. However, the two that will have the greatest impact on your accounting operations are the Customer Portal that serves as a CRM system, and the Vendor Portal that links your accounting operations to your business partners. Striven offers three separate portals for connecting with customers, vendors and job candidates. see if commission pay is right for you Despite these drawbacks, OneUp is perceived as a valuable tool for efficiently organizing accounts and tracking financial data.

Streamline Accounting Workflow with Cloud Hosted QuickBooks Desktop Solutions

Enterprise’s industry editions offer reporting that drills into margins, job costing and purchase orders with far more depth than most cloud tools. It’s built for those who need to track products by bin, serial number or lot and prefer local control over their data. Teams spread across locations or working with outside accountants will appreciate the instant access from anywhere. If you’re running a boutique, a growing online shop or managing invoices between soccer drop-offs, this version fits easily into real life. QuickBooks Online suits business owners who live on their phones as much as their laptops.

Payroll

Other solutions are available that are less expensive, easier to use and offer features that QuickBooks does not.

If you contact the sales team, they’ll most likely try to sell you on QuickBooks Online rather than a desktop Pro subscription. Its mobile app is great for on-the-go accounting and bookkeeping. It works best for self-employed business owners who file their taxes with TurboTax, another Intuit product. (Don’t just take our word for it—Intuit itself encourages users to switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.) You can infer this from the plan’s name alone, but with a cost that high, Enterprise’s price is best suited to enterprises.

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We will discuss their key features, pricing, the ideal use cases for each platform, pros & cons, and more. Ready to boost your team’s productivity and access QuickBooks from anywhere? This will also help familiarize your team with the new system if they’re new to the cloud version.

Square Invoices is ideal for freelancers and small teams needing time tracking. You can add Square’s free team management app to track hours for invoicing. Square Invoices is an affordable alternative to QuickBooks that provides exactly what you need for payment processing. You won’t find project or time-tracking tools, advanced analytics or automated workflows—for those, you’ll need to integrate other apps. (billed monthly; pay only $7.50 for the first six months for Sage Intacct, then $25 per month afterward)

Cloud accounting software can enhance your bookkeeping efficiency, provide a real-time view of your business, and streamline your financial administration. Controlling access to sensitive financial data is a key feature of all accounting software. Key metrics for measuring accounting software ROI are time savings on accounting tasks, cost savings from improved accuracy and efficiency, and enhanced budgeting and financial planning. Many accounting software users rely on the products’ ability to link to business bank accounts and payment processing services. These problems have caused some businesses to seek alternative accounting software despite ZarMoney’s many positive features.

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And with up to 40 users, it works best for big businesses that emphasize financial collaboration and can shoulder the higher cost of an enterprise-level solution. QuickBooks’ self-employed solution is also more expensive than some other self-employed accounting software—and it has fewer features, too. Past desktop users could choose between a one-time-purchase QuickBooks Desktop software (good for three years) or an annually renewing subscription.

QuickBooks Online

One of the biggest struggles business owners have is getting a handle on their accounting. The apps provide many of the tools and much of the data from the browser-based version, but some of the content, such as contact and product records, is abbreviated. Project tracking is a critical feature for businesses that need to track costs for multi-part jobs. It also supports electronic bill payment through QuickBooks Bill Pay, a feature that no other competitor offers. Like competitors, QuickBooks Online accepts payments from customers via bank payment and credit or debit card.

Now, all QuickBooks Desktop plans renew on an annual basis—you do not have the option to pay just once for three years of use. Plan automatically renews annually at a higher price unless canceled by the customer. This eliminates the need for installation, maintenance, and updates — offering several advantages over traditional software.