The Complete Guide To QuickBooks Desktop Pricing

The Price Is Right is more than just a funny game show; it’s a real principle that we judge nearly all of our purchases by. If the price is right, then it’s a good investment — if you don’t get enough bang for your buck, you’re likely to walk away and find something else.

If you’re considering purchasing QuickBooks, you’re probably wondering this same thing: how much is this going to cost me? And is that cost worth it?

With three distinct QuickBooks Desktop options, the pricing structure of QuickBooks Desktop can be confusing, to say the least. What’s more, Intuit makes it incredibly difficult to track down prices for all of the additional charges you may face. That’s why we’ve created this post. By the end, you’ll know how much QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise cost and be aware of any additional fees you might encounter.

Read on to learn more.

QuickBooks Desktop Products

There are three different QuickBooks Desktop products: QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise. These locally-installed desktop accounting programs are similar, with the same UI organization and design. What sets these three programs apart is their features, pricing, and target business type and size.

• QuickBooks Pro: Ideal for small businesses with 1-3 users.
• QuickBooks Premier: Ideal for small to medium businesses with 1-5 users.
• QuickBooks Enterprise: Ideal for large businesses with 1-30 users.

In the next few sections, we’ll cover the pricing structures of QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise in more detail. We’ll also discuss the features included with each product and give you some guidance on how to choose the right QuickBooks Desktop edition for your business.

QuickBooks Pro Pricing

You have two options when it comes to buying QuickBooks Desktop Pro (sometimes referred to as QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Desktop Pro). You can either purchase a single QuickBooks Pro license or you can purchase an annual QuickBooks Pro subscription (called QuickBooks Pro Plus or QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus). There are a few differences between the license and the subscription, which we will cover in more detail, but the main difference is the price.

QuickBooks Pro

A QuickBooks Pro license costs $299.95 on Intuit’s website. While you can purchase a QuickBooks Pro license elsewhere, Intuit often runs promotions where this cost is discounted.

A QuickBooks Pro license is good for three years, after which Intuit drops support for the product. You can still use the software after the three years are up, but the Intuit team won’t be able to help you if you have any questions or run into any issues. This license supports a single user and is locally-installed. You can install the product on up to three computers; however, this creates three separate company files, so your company file data will not be synced from computer to computer.

Here are some features that come with QuickBooks Pro:

• Invoices and estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Journal entries
• Chart of accounts
• Accounts payable
• Inventory
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Reports
• Budgeting
• Tax support

For more features, read our complete QuickBooks Desktop Pro review.

QuickBooks Pro Plus

QuickBooks Pro Plus costs $299.95 each year. Instead of paying a one-time flat fee of $299.95, you’ll be paying for an annual subscription. The annual subscription comes with all of the same features as QuickBooks Pro, but you also receive:

• Annual upgrades
• Free phone support
• Free automatic data backups

QuickBooks Pro Plus is also often discounted on the Intuit website.

QuickBooks Pro vs QuickBooks Pro Plus

When choosing between QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Pro Plus, it really comes down to your business’s needs and budget. As we mentioned earlier, each version comes with the same exact features, so the main difference is the price:

	QuickBooks Pro	QuickBooks Pro Plus
Pricing	$299.95	$299.95/yr
Annual Upgrades	$299.95	Included
Phone Support	$89.95/3 mo	Included
Data Backups	$9.95/mo	Included

If you plan to use a QuickBooks Pro license for three years before switching and don’t mind paying extra for phone support, QuickBooks Pro price is a more economical choice. However, if you want annual upgrades and anticipate needing a lot of customer support, QuickBooks Pro Plus might pay off in the end.

To determine which version is right for you, consider these questions:

• Do I want annual upgrades or can I use the same edition for three years?
• Do I have the budget to support an annual subscription?
• Do I need phone support?
• Do I want automatic data backups?

Additional QuickBooks Pro Fees

When considering purchasing QuickBooks, there are several additional fees to be aware of. Intuit isn’t always very forthcoming with these fees and their prices, which is why we wanted to share them.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks offers three payroll plans: Basic, Enhanced, and Full-Service. QuickBooks payroll pricing starts at $29/mo plus $2/mo per employee. Learn more about what each QuickBooks payroll plan offers.

Note: QuickBooks is often running payroll promos, so be sure to take advantage of any discounts offered.

Upgrades

QuickBooks Pro users can purchase an upgrade for $299.95. Annual upgrades are included with the QuickBooks Pro Plus plan.

Additional Users

Additional users cost $299.95/per user (although QuickBooks sometimes offers a discount for multiple users. There is a maximum of three users total for QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Pro Plus.

Tech Support

When it comes to customer service, most representatives all give you a different quote on how much support costs. There is only one fee that is consistent across the board: tech support is $89.95/3 mo.

QuickBooks Pro Plus comes with built-in tech support. Some QuickBooks Pro issues are also covered for free, like error codes and installation support.

Live Bank Feeds

Some banks charge a fee for connecting directly with QuickBooks via live bank feeds. This fee can run anywhere from $10-$15/mo depending on your banking institution.

Automatic Data Backups

Backing up a single PC costs $99.95/yr or $9.95/mo; backing up a company file costs $49.95/yr or $4.95/mo. Automatic data backups are included with the QuickBooks Pro Plus plan.

Hosting

If your company is in need of mobility and cloud capabilities, you can purchase online hosting at an additional cost. QuickBooks partners with Right Networks to provide hosting. Reps often quote this service at different rates, so be sure to contact QuickBooks directly for details.

Tax Forms

QuickBooks Pro supports W-2s, 1099s, W-3s, and 1096s. You can order tax forms directly from Intuit. The cost begins at $17.95 and varies depending on which form you need and how many. Tax forms are included with the Enhanced and Full-Service payroll plans.

Checks

You can purchase checks, voucher checks, business wallet checks, and more from QuickBooks. Standard checks begin at $56.99/per 50 checks. Prices vary by check type and amount.

Now you have a clear idea of exactly how much QuickBooks Pro costs. If you’re already sold on QuickBooks Pro, read our complete QuickBooks Pro review or go ahead and get started with the software. If you’d like to learn about the other QuickBooks Desktop pricing options, read on.

Read Our QuickBooks Pro Review

Get Started With QuickBooks Pro

QuickBooks Premier Pricing

QuickBooks Premier’s pricing structure is the exact same as QuickBooks Pro’s. There are two options when it comes to purchasing QuickBooks Desktop Premier. You can either purchase a QuickBooks Premier license (sometimes referred QuickBooks Desktop Premier), or you can purchase an annual QuickBooks Premier subscription (called QuickBooks Premier Plus or QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus). There are a few differences between the license and the subscription, which we will cover in more detail, but the main difference is the price.

QuickBooks Premier

A QuickBooks Pro license costs $499.95 on Intuit’s website. While you can purchase a QuickBooks Premier license elsewhere, Intuit is often running promotions where this cost is discounted.

If you purchase a QuickBooks Premier license, the license will last you three years, after which Intuit drops support for the product. (You can still use the software for more than three years, but the Intuit team won’t be able to help you if you have any questions or run into any issues). This license supports a single user and, like QuickBooks Pro, is locally-installed onto a computer. Again, like you can with QuickBooks Pro, you can install the product on up to three computers, though you’ll run into the same problem with information syncing from one computer to another.

Here are some features that come with QuickBooks Premier:

• Invoices and estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Journal entries
• Chart of accounts
• Accounts payable
• Inventory
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Reports
• Budgeting
• Tax support
• Sales orders

For a full list of features, read our complete QuickBooks Premier review.

QuickBooks Premier Plus

QuickBooks Premier Plus costs $499.95 each year. Instead of paying a flat fee of $499.95, you’d be paying for an annual subscription. The annual subscription comes with all of the same features as QuickBooks Premier, but you also receive:

• Annual upgrades
• Free phone support
• Free automatic data backups

QuickBooks Premier Plus is often discounted on the Intuit website.

QuickBooks Premier vs QuickBooks Premier Plus

Since both QuickBooks Premier and QuickBooks Premier Plus offer the same software features, which version is right for you will depend entirely on your business’s budget and needs. These are the main pricing differences between the two options:

	QuickBooks Premier	QuickBooks Premier Plus
Pricing	$499.95	$499.95/yr
Annual Upgrades	$499.95	Included
Phone Support	$89.95/3 mo	Included
Data Backups	$9.95/mo	Included

If you will use a QuickBooks Premier license for three years before switching and don’t mind paying extra for phone support, QuickBooks Premier could save you a big chunk of money. However, if you want annual upgrades and anticipate needing a lot of customer support, QuickBooks Premier Plus might be worth it in the long run.

To determine which version is right for you, consider these questions:

• Do I want annual upgrades or will I use the same software for three years?
• Do I have the budget to support an annual subscription?
• Do I need phone support?
• Do I want automatic data backups?

QuickBooks Premier Industry Editions

One of the biggest difference between QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier is that Quickbooks Premier offers six industry-specific version of the software in addition to the standard version. These industry editions add customized features and reports to better fit your businesses needs.

You can choose the Standard Edition of QuickBooks Premier or one of these six editions at no additional cost:

• Contractor
• Manufacturing & Wholesale
• Nonprofit
• Retail
• Professional Services
• Accountant

Visit QuickBooks Premier’s webpage to learn everything these versions are capable of.

Additional QuickBooks Premier Fees

QuickBooks Premier has almost all of the same potential additional fees as QuickBooks Pro, with a few minor variations in cost. Be sure to take these into consideration when determining how big of a dent QuickBooks Premier is going to leave in your wallet.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks offers three payroll plans: Basic, Enhanced, and Full-Service. These plans range from $29/mo – $109/month plus $2/month per employee. Learn more about what each QuickBooks payroll plan offers.

Note: QuickBooks is often running payroll promos, so be sure to take advantage of these discounts.

Upgrades

For Premier, the QuickBooks upgrade price is $499.95. Annual upgrades are included with the QuickBooks Premier Plus plan.

Additional  Users

Additional users cost $450/per user. There is a maximum of five total users for QuickBooks Premier and QuickBooks Premier Plus.

Tech Support

Like QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier tech support costs $89.95/3 mo. QuickBooks Pro Plus comes with built-in tech support. Some QuickBooks Premier issues are also covered for free, like error codes and installation support.

Live Bank Feeds

Some banks charge a fee for connecting directly with QuickBooks via live bank feeds. This fee can cost anywhere from $10-$15/mo depending on your banking institution.

Automatic Data Backups

Backing up a single PC costs $99.95/yr or $9.95/mo; backing up a company file costs $49.95/yr or $4.95/mo. Automatic data backups are included with the QuickBooks Premier Plus plan.

Hosting

If your company is in need of mobility and cloud capabilities, you can purchase online hosting at an additional cost. QuickBooks partners with Right Networks to provide hosting. Hosting costs an additional $450/yr per user.

Tax Forms

QuickBooks Premier supports W-2s, 1099s, W-3s, and 1096s. You can order tax forms directly from Intuit. The cost begins at $17.95 and varies depending on which form you need and how many. Tax forms are included with the Enhanced and Full-Service payroll plans.

Checks

You can purchase checks, voucher checks, business wallet checks, and more from QuickBooks. Standard checks begin at $56.99/per 50 checks. Prices vary by check type and amount.

Now that you know exactly how much QuickBooks Premier costs, you can make an informed decision about whether or not it’s right for you. If so, get started using the software right away, or read our complete QuickBooks Premier review for more details.

Read Our QuickBooks Premier Review

Get Started With QuickBooks Premier

QuickBooks Enterprise Pricing

Unlike QuickBooks Pro and Premier, QuickBooks Enterprise is only available through a subscription. For Enterprise, there are three QuickBooks price levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Each plan varies significantly in terms of feature availability and pricing.

Silver

QuickBooks Enterprise Silver starts at $1,155/year. This number can vary significantly business by business.

The price ranges depending on how many users your business needs. You can calculate how much your QuickBooks Enterprise software will cost on the Intuit website by inputting in the number of users you need. (To give you an idea of how much this price fluctuates, one user on the Silver plan would cost $1,100/yr, while 30 users would cost upwards of $7,000/yr). Luckily, Intuit is often running promotions and discounts on the Intuit website.

Here are some of the features QuickBooks Enterprise Silver includes:

• Invoices and estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Journal entries
• Chart of accounts
• Accounts payable
• Inventory
• Project management
• Time tracking
• Reports
• Budgeting
• Tax support
• Sales orders
• Advanced reporting
• Lead management
• Loan manager
• Business plan tool

These features are available in every QuickBooks Enterprise subscription. Read our complete QuickBooks Enterprise review for more details.

Gold

QuickBooks Enterprise Gold starts at $1,1502/year. The price ranges significantly depending on how many users you need.

In addition to the basic QuickBooks Enterprise features, QuickBooks Enterprise Gold also includes payroll services.

Platinum

QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum starts at $1,848/year.  Again, the price varies depending on how many users your business needs.

In addition to the features offered by the Silver and Gold plans, QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum adds advanced inventory and advanced pricing capabilities.

Note: With the purchase of any QuickBooks Enterprise plan, you receive Intuit Field Management access for a single user.

Silver vs Gold vs Platinum

If we’re talking about jewelry the answer is obviously platinum, but when it comes to accounting software the best QuickBooks Enterprise version is going to depend entirely on your business’s needs and budget. Here’s a breakdown of how each QuickBooks Enterprise plan compares:

	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Pricing	$1,155+/yr	$1,502+/yr	$1,848+/yr
Annual Upgrades	Included	Included	Included
Phone Support	Included	Included	Included
Data Backups	Included	Included	Included
Basic Features	✓	✓	✓
Payroll	$29-$109/mo	Included	Included
Advanced Inventory	✘	✘	✓
Advanced Pricing	✘	✘	✓

If you need payroll, advanced inventory, and advanced pricing, then Platinum is the clear winner. If you need more users than you can get with QuickBooks Premier, but don’t need payroll or the advanced features, then maybe Silver is a better option.

To determine which version of QuickBooks Enterprise is best for your business, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have the budget for QuickBooks Enterprise?
• Do I need payroll included or will I save money by paying for a payroll add-on each month?
• Do I need advanced inventory or advanced pricing?

Most importantly, ask yourself if the benefits of Enterprise outweigh the steep costs. If Quickbooks Premier can do almost everything you need it to, it might be worth the slight downgrade in terms of features.

QuickBooks Enterprise Industry Editions

Once you’ve decided if Silver, Gold, or Platinum is right for your business, there’s one more question to ask yourself: should I use the standard version of QuickBooks Enterprise or one of the six industry-specific versions?

Like QuickBooks Premier, QuickBooks Enterprise offers six industry-specific editions of the software:

• Contractor
• Manufacturing & Wholesale
• Nonprofit
• Retail
• Professional Services
• Accountant

Each of these versions gives you access to specialized features and reports at no additional cost. Read our Quick Guide To The 6 Industry-Specific Editions of QuickBooks Enterprise for more details.

Additional QuickBooks Enterprise Fees

QuickBooks Enterprise has significantly fewer additional fees than QuickBooks Pro and Premier as many features are included with your annual subscription. For example, all QuickBooks Enterprise plans include annual upgrades and automatic data backups, and the two larger plans have built-in payroll. However, there are a few other fees to be aware of.

Payroll

QuickBooks Enterprise Gold and Platinum include payroll at no additional cost. If you want payroll for Quickbooks Enterprise Silver, you will have to pay an additional fee each month. QuickBooks offers three payroll plans: Basic, Enhanced, and Full-Service. These plans range from $29/mo – $109/mo plus $2/ per employee. Learn more about what each QuickBooks payroll plan offers.

Note: QuickBooks is often running payroll promos, so be sure to take advantage of these discounts.

Hosting

If your company is in need of mobility and cloud capabilities, you can purchase online hosting at an additional cost. QuickBooks partners with Right Networks to provide hosting. For Enterprise, the QuickBooks hosting price is around $50/mo per user. For an exact quote, contact QuickBooks Enterprise’s support team directly.

Intuit Field Service Management

With a QuickBooks Enterprise subscription, you automatically get Intuit Field Service management access for one user. Intuit does not disclose the cost of additional users so contact Intuit’s Field Service Management team directly for a quote.

Tax Forms

QuickBooks Enterprise supports W-2s, 1099s, W-3s, and 1096s. You can order tax forms directly from Intuit. The cost begins at $17.95 and varies depending on which form you need and how many. Tax forms are included with the Enhanced and Full-Service payroll plans.

Checks

You can purchase checks, voucher checks, business wallet checks, and more from QuickBooks. Standard checks begin at $56.99/per 50 checks. Prices vary by check type and amount.

If QuickBooks Enterprise’s pricing didn’t scare you off, take the software for a spin with a free trial or read our complete QuickBooks Enterprise review for more information.

Read Our QuickBooks Enterprise Review

Get Started With QuickBooks Enterprise

Other QuickBooks Desktop Costs To Consider

So we’ve already covered how much QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise cost and all of the additional fees to expect with each. But there are a few other costs you’ll want to consider.

Add-Ons

Integrations are third-party add-ons that give you additional features and capabilities. For example, software like Shopify, TSheets, and MailChimp are all integrations. QuickBooks Pro offers 199 integrations to choose from; QuickBooks Premier has 195 integrations and QuickBooks Enterprise offers 199 integrations.

Most integrations come with their own monthly subscription fees, so be sure to account for these extra costs when calculating how much QuickBooks is going to set you back.

Payment Gateways

Payment gateways allow you to accept payments from your customers. Common payment processing options include PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.Net. QuickBooks Pro offers 14 payment processing integrations or you can use QuickBooks Payments. QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise offer significantly fewer payment gateways, so you’re basically looking at QuickBooks Payments.

QuickBooks Payments charges:

• $1.00 for ACH fees
• 2.4% + $0.30 for swiped cards
• 3.5% + $0.3o for invoices
• 3.5% + $0.30 for keyed in cards

Whether you use QuickBooks Payments or another payment gateway, be sure to take the credit card fees into account.

Where Can You Buy A QuickBooks Desktop License?

There are several places you can go to buy a QuickBooks Desktop license. You can purchase a license through Intuit using the QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, or QuickBooks Enterprise websites. You will almost always find that QuickBooks is running a discount or promotion online.

Another option is to buy a QuickBooks Desktop license from a QuickBooks reseller, like Staples or OfficeMax. Retailers like Best Buy, Costco, and even Walmart often sell QuickBooks, and Amazon sells the software as well.

The QuickBooks software prices vary from reseller to reseller. Sometimes these places offer a more significant discount than Intuit (especially around Black Friday). Other times, they may be offering a far more expensive deal.

Be sure to explore all of your options before buying to make sure you are getting the best QuickBooks price.

Should You Buy An Older Version Of QuickBooks?

One question people often ask is should I buy an older version of QuickBooks?

The answer (like with so many things) is that it depends.

Generally, QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise don’t change significantly year by year. The software usually has a few minor updates, maybe some streamlined features, or new additions each annual upgrade. This is why so many QuickBooks users utilize the same version of QuickBooks Desktop for multiple years, and why it may also be okay to buy an older version.

For example, say you want to buy QuickBooks Pro but don’t need any of the new 2018 updates. You may be able to save some money by buying QuickBooks 2017 from a reseller like Amazon or Best Buy. You can search all of the resellers previously mentioned for the best price on QuickBooks Pro 2017. However, note that the support for this version of QuickBooks will expire faster than if you were to purchase QuickBooks 2018.

There are some instances where I don’t recommend buying an older version of QuickBooks, however. For example, the price for QuickBooks Pro 2014 may be enticing, but you’d essentially be signing up for outdated features and no support. Sure, you could theoretically use the software just fine, but your software would not be supported by the QuickBooks team at all.

That means that whenever you have a question or an issue, you’re completely on your own. QuickBooks customer care won’t help. If you want to purchase a significantly older version of QuickBooks, I recommend seriously weighing the pros and cons first and deciding whether lack of support is really worth the few bucks you’d save with a smaller QuickBooks purchase price.

How To Upgrade Your Current Version of QuickBooks

You can upgrade (or downgrade) your software at any time. You can switch from QuickBooks Pro Plus to QuickBooks Premier Plus, or go from QuickBooks Premier to QuickBooks Pro — whatever your heart desires (and your business requires).

I do have a couple of tips for upgrading so you can get the best QuickBooks price.

1. If you are planning on upgrading an annual subscription, wait until the end of your annual subscription or switch within 60-days of your annual renewal (QuickBooks has a 60-day satisfaction guarantee where you can receive a refund for your software). This way you aren’t paying twice.
2. If you are planning on upgrading a QuickBooks license, see if you can wait it out until the latest version of QuickBooks is released. Annual QuickBooks Desktop upgrades are generally released each October or November. This way, you get the most up-to-date features and can use your software for longer.

Final Thoughts

I know that was a lot of information, but hopefully, this helps clear things up! Now you know everything you could possibly need to know about QuickBooks pricing.

You learned how much QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise cost; the differences between QuickBooks Pro and Pro Plus, QuickBooks Premier and Premier Plus, and QuickBooks Silver, Gold and Platinum;  all of the additional costs to expect; and even where to find the best QuickBooks price.

If you’re still not sure which version of QuickBooks Desktop is right for you, take a look at our Complete QuickBooks Product Comparison Guide where we cover the differences between each software and how to pick which one is best for your business. There’s also a side-by-side QuickBooks features and QuickBooks price software comparison chart.

If you want to learn more, check out our complete QuickBooks Pro review, QuickBooks Premier review, or QuickBooks Enterprise review. In each of these reviews, we rate features, customer support, customer reviews, security, and more. We also give links to free trials of each software. Take a look or get started right away with your favorite version of QuickBooks Desktop.

Get Started With QuickBooks Pro

Get Started With QuickBooks Premier

Get Started With QuickBooks Enterprise