The Complete Guide To QuickBooks Desktop Pricing
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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.
Table of Contents
- QuickBooks Desktop Products
- QuickBooks Pro Pricing
- QuickBooks Premier Pricing
- QuickBooks Enterprise Pricing
- Other QuickBooks Desktop Costs To Consider
- Where Can You Buy A QuickBooks Desktop License?
- Should You Buy An Older Version Of QuickBooks?
- How To Upgrade Your Current Version of QuickBooks
- Final Thoughts
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 three 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). You can also purchase an annual QuickBooks Pro subscription plus Enhanced Payroll (the QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll plan). 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 $399.99 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 $299.99 each year. Instead of paying a one-time flat fee of $399.99, 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 Plus + Payroll
A new pricing plan offered for the 2021 version of QuickBooks Pro is the QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll. QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll costs $749.99 per year. In addition to everything you receive in QuickBooks Pro Plus, you’ll also have access to Enhanced Payroll. Like its other plans, Intuit frequently runs discounts for this service on its 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:
| Pro | Pro Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $399.99 | $299.99/year |
| Annual Upgrades | $399.99 | Included |
| Phone Support | $299.95/year | 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 $399.99. Annual upgrades are included with the QuickBooks Pro Plus plan.
Additional Users
Additional users cost $299.99/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
If you purchase a QuickBooks Pro license, you will also need to purchase an Annual Care Plan for $299.95/year to receive support.
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 $17.99 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.
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). You can also purchase QuickBooks Premier Plus + Payroll if you also need payroll services. 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 $649.99 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, as you can with QuickBooks Pro, this can be installed 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 $499.99 each year. Instead of paying a flat fee of $649.99, 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 Plus + Payroll
If you want the benefits of QuickBooks Premier Plus with QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll, sign up for the QuickBooks Premier Plus + Payroll plan. QuickBooks Premier Plus + Payroll costs $949.99/year, although Intuit frequently offers significant discounts on this product.
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:
| Pricing | Premier | Premier Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Upgrades | $649.99 | Included |
| Phone Support | $299.95/year | Included |
| Data backups | $9.95/month | 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 differences between QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier is that Quickbooks Premier offers six industry-specific versions of the software in addition to the standard version. These industry editions add customized features and reports to better fit your business 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.
Note: QuickBooks is often running payroll promos, so be sure to take advantage of these discounts.
Upgrades
For Premier, the QuickBooks upgrade price is $649.99. 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, an Annual Care plan for QuickBooks Premier tech support costs $299.95/year. 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 $17.99 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.
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 $1,213/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 $1,213/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 $1,577/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 $1,940/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 | $1,213/year | $1,577/year | $1,940/year |
| 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.
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 $17.99 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.
There are two different pricing options for QuickBooks Payments for Desktop users. The first is the Pay As You Go plan, which has no monthly fee. The rates per transaction are as follows:
- $3.00 for ACH fees
- 2.4% + $0.30 for swiped cards
- 3.5% + $0.3o for invoices
- 3.5% + $0.30 for keyed in cards
The next option is the monthly plan. This plan requires a subscription fee of $20/month but offers reduced rates on transactions. The fees for transactions through this plan are as follows:
- $3.00 for ACH fees
- 1.6% + $0.30 for swiped cards
- 3.3% + $0.30 for invoices
- 3.3% + $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 2021 updates. You may be able to save some money by buying QuickBooks 2020 from a reseller like Amazon or Best Buy. You can search all of the resellers previously mentioned for the best price on QuickBooks Pro 2020. However, note that the support for this version of QuickBooks will expire faster than if you were to purchase QuickBooks 2021.
There are some instances where I don’t recommend buying an older version of QuickBooks, however. For example, the price for QuickBooks Pro 2016 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.
- 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.
- 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
Chelsea Krause
Content Strategist - Accounting & eCommerce
Chelsea Krause is a writer who has specialized in accounting for over three years and is a QuickBooks Certified User. She has a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied at the University of Oxford as well. She has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business.
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Why has Quickbooks changed to subscriptions? I usually buy a version and keep it until it is no longer supported, then I buy the newest version. I have a very small business; the yearly subscription is an expense I cannot afford. Should I find another accounting software program or is there another option Quickbooks?
Hi Madeline!
QuickBooks Desktop hasn’t gotten rid of the ability to buy a license. They are definitely pushing the yearly subscription, but the option to buy a license is still there! (Licenses are supported for three years before they need to be updated.) Here is their pricing page.
Hi, I am new to Quickbooks, currently I am subscribed to Quickbooks Online Self-Employed. I’m having a bit of a hard time with it. My question to you is… Does Quickbooks Desktop require banking information to get started? I don’t feel comfortable connecting banking information with Quickbooks online. Also, Just wondering if Desktop is better then Online? Thanks. Terri
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Terri,
Thanks for reaching out! Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop give the option for connecting with your bank account, but neither require it. You can still use QuickBooks Self-Employed and choose to manually import your bank statements instead of connecting directly to your bank account (here are some articles from QuickBooks about how to import bank statements).
If you’re worried about security, our QuickBooks Self-Employed review provides the company’s security details. QuickBooks Desktop has the potential to be more secure since it’s a locally-installed program, but that means you are entirely in charge of your software’s security and need to be very up-to-date on the latest security standards and recommendations. If you want to go with QuickBooks Desktop over QuickBooks Self-Employed, QuickBooks Desktop is a very capable software but know that it has a much steeper learning curve and you won’t find freelance-specific features. Here’s our post on QuickBooks Online VS QuickBooks Desktop for a more detailed comparison.
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Best wishes,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Thanks for the review but I still have a question on users/licenses. My Dad has a small home rental business in which he keeps records in QB. He would like me to take over if he becomes incapacitated and I live in another state. Is it possible with one QB Pro license to install on 2 different computers and just send the underlying data files when he wants me to take over?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Sean,
Since Quickbooks Pro is a locally-installed software, any work your dad does in QuickBooks Pro will be saved to just his computer. That means if you downloaded the software onto your computer, you won’t be able to see any of his work, at least not without a workaround, Luckily there are a few options.
The first option is, if the company file is small enough, you may be able to email any work your dad has done to yourself and download the company file to your computer (although I’m not sure if I’d bank on this route as the company file could easily be too big).
The second option is using QUickBoosk Pro with hosting. Hosting will give your dad access to a server that would connect both of your computers so you could still see whatever changes your dad has made on his end on your own computer. Here is an article about how QuickBooks Desktop Hosting works.
The third option is to switch to QuickBooks Online. Since QuickBooks Online is hosted on the cloud, you and your dad could both access the account in real-time and work together on the same company file.
I hope this helps answers your question.
Best of luck!
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
My company uses QuickBooks Premier 2017. We recently created a network system with a server. Our “IT” guy made a mess of our QBs, so we reached out to QuickBooks Support for help. In the end, they convinced us to buy their Data plan (that came with a free upgrade for QuickBooks 2020 and an IT manager of sorts) for $999.00. Long story short, now QuickBooks is telling us it doesn’t include a free upgrade. And we need to buy their Software plan for an additional $499.95 to upgrade.
My question for you (and anyone else) is have you heard of their Data and Support Packages? I’ve looked on their website dozens of times and I can’t find any info on them.
Thanks!
Ola
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Ola,
I’m so sorry that this is happening to you and understand how frustrating this situation is. I have never heard of a $999.99 QuickBooks Data and Support package. If you purchase the subscription of QuickBooks Premier (the $499.95/year that you mentioned) that comes with built-in support. If you don’t have the yearly subscription, technical support from QuickBooks should only cost an extra $89.95 for three months of support.
Do you have the website address or phone number you contacted the support team with? I’m wondering if you contacted a separate company that offers QuickBooks support and is posing as QuickBooks to get customers. If I were you, I’d try to get whoever you were talking with on the phone, dig into if it was actually QuickBooks’ support team, and request your money back. Don’t be afraid to say you plan on reporting that company to the Better Business Bureau if they won’t give you your money back, as I know $999 can be a lot of money for a small business.
We’ll leave this comment open for other readers to share if they have had similar experiences.
Best of luck and let us know what comes of this,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
I really appreciate the review on what the difference was between Quick books pro and Quick books Pro Plus. Intuit seems to have made this information very hard to find.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Marc,
We’re happy to help! That’s exactly why we created this article. It has always been so hard to find information on QuickBooks, especially when it comes to pricing, which is why we wanted to help readers be able to find clear answers and information. Thanks for reading and best wishes,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
We have a small construction company. We have no office staff as both of use manage construction projects. We’re rarely in the office. We contracted with an independent bookkeeper to perform our accounting data entry. She inputs our financial data into her version of QB Pro 2019 at her office, then transfers the file to our own desktop version of QB Pro on a periodic basis. [Sounds cumbersome, but it works for our small business.]
We’ve been thinking of upgrading to QB Premier Construction. The bookkeeper is unfamiliar with any differences in data formatting or entry between the two QB versions. She has advised us that should we upgrade to QB 2019 Premier or Premier Construction-specific version, we’ll have to give her a copy of the new software because she does not believe her version of QB Pro 2019 will accurately post items.
Is this an issue ? Do we need to provide her with a copy of QB Premier Construction? If she does data entry with QB Pro, will we run into issues importing the data file into our QB Premier Construction?
Last, would it be better for us to get a hosted version of QB Premier Construction so that she can directly input data into our QB files?
Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi JP,
Thanks for reaching out! In terms of data entry and overall UI, QuickBooks Premier is incredibly similar to QuickBooks Pro — the only big change will be access to construction features. You can learn more in our post on the industry-specific version of QuickBooks.
I’m not 100% if you’d be able to continue importing your accountant’s data from Premier to Pro. You and your accountant could use the free trial of QuickBooks Premier (search the QB Community for the link) and do a test run before buying the software. You can also test the QB Construction features using a free demo of QuickBooks Enterprise (while Enterprise has some differences, the industry-specific features are mostly the same). Regarding hosting, that’s really up to you and if the mobility outweighs the cost of QuickBooks hosting for your business.
In terms of needing to provide your accountant with a copy of the software, I have heard of users providing access to an accountant, but I haven’t heard of a client buying the software for the accounting. Other Business owners and CPAs, is it normal for the client to buy the accounting software for the accountant? What are your thoughts?
Best of luck, JP! Hope this helps!
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
How many different companies can you have in QB Pro Desktop?
If you purchase from a reseller, do you actually get a CD or a download? I have a rather old computer and (PC) and wonder if the new software would be compatible. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Chris
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Chris,
One of the great things about QuickBooks Desktop Pro is that you can create company files for as many companies as you’d like! Usually, a reseller will provide you with a CD and purchasing from Intuit directly would result in a download. Here are the computer system requirements for running QuickBooks Pro 2019.
Best wishes,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi I would like to know, if I want to buy Quick book desktop version for 2 users, under one licence how many subsidiary company accounts can I maintain? And if two users work in different PC, will it sync?
Thanks in advance.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Saira,
It depends on which version of QuickBooks Desktop you’d want to buy: Pro, Premier, or Enterprise. If you wanted to buy the basic QuickBooks Desktop software, QuickBooks Pro, for two users it will cost $549.95 before tax — although the company is currently running a promotion where the price would be $386.95 before tax instead. Keep in mind that a desktop license will be good for three years, after which you’ll have to upgrade. Generally, if you want multiple users to work in different locations, we recommend cloud-based software like QuickBooks Online instead; however, you can make this work with QUickBooks Desktop by using QuickBooks Hosting. Here’s some more information on QuickBooks’ multi-user mode.
Hope this helps and best of luck,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
how does Quickbooks Desktop for Mac compare to all of these?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Sarah,
Great question! We wrote this post when QuickBooks Mac had been discontinued. Now that the software is back, we’ll definitely be updating this post soon! For now, you can learn more about QuickBooks Mac in our full QuickBooks Mac review.
Best wishes,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Just a note to thank you for your write-up!
I had been searching sites and trying to compare the versions, costs, years etc.
Thanks for taking the time to step through each of the versions and break out the options, costs etc. It should be easier for people to understand and provided on the QuickBooks site. Thankfully we have helpful people like you to inform the masses!
Thank You!
John
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi John,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found this article helpful! We know firsthand how confusing QuickBooks Desktop’s pricing is and how hard it is to get ahold of QuickBooks’ sales and support teams. We are happy to help business owners have a clear idea of exactly how much the software will cost and what extra fees to expect before purchasing.
Best wishes,
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
i am lanre babatunde, a consultant for a beverage company. we use one of your products (Quickbook 2011 pro plus, but we want to upgrade from Quickbook 2011 to Quickbook 2018 pro plus.
Secondly, what is the cost of Quickbook 2018 for one users, two users and three users with the shippment to Nigeria. can you also give us material for training or tarin us on the software.
I will be waiting for your reply.
Regards,
Lanre Babatunde
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Lanre,
Thanks for reaching out! So to begin, we don’t actually sell QuickBooks; we just review the product. Are you sure that you are using QuickBooks 2011 Pro Plus and not just QuickBooks 2011 Pro? If you are using Pro Plus, it’s an annual subscription that includes an annual upgrade to the newest software. If you are using the subscription, you can talk to QuickBooks directly about upgrading.
If not, The QuickBooks website is currently selling QuickBooks Pro Plus 2019. So if you want QuickBooks Pro Plus 2018 you’ll have to order it from a different source like Amazon — and they will have the exact cost and shipping information. If you would like to purchase QuickBooks Pro Plus 2019, the US price is $299.95/year for 1 user, $499.95/year for 2 users, or $699.95/year for 3 users (not including tax and shipping).
Whichever version you decide to purchase, we have some great training resources including our QuickBooks Desktop Pro 101 Series that features dozens of in-depth how-to articles for using QuickBooks Desktop Pro & Pro Plus. I hope this helps and best of luck!
-Chelsea Krause
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.