The Complete Guide To QuickBooks Desktop Pricing

With three distinct QuickBooks Desktop options, the pricing structure 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. Add in a new pricing structure starting with the launch of QuickBooks Desktop 2022 products, and it only gets more complicated.

That’s why we’ve created this complete guide to QuickBooks Desktop pricing. By the end, you’ll know how much QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise cost and be aware of any additional fees you might encounter. See a quick summary of pricing and add-on fees below and read the whole post for more detailed information.

QuickBooks Desktop Pricing Comparison

In addition to the base price of each package, you are able to add-on  options.

QuickBooks Desktop  Add-On Pricing Comparison

Read on to learn more about the various packages and add-ons.

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.

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

QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus is ideal for small businesses that need robust, locally-installed accounting software for up to three users. An upgraded plan that includes QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll is also available, or you can purchase QuickBooks Payroll as an add-on. Both plans are billed on an annual basis and include automated backup and recovery, unlimited customer support, and automatic updates.

QuickBooks Pro Plus

QuickBooks Pro Plus costs $349.99/year. Intuit frequently runs promotions for new customers, so make sure to look for these savings before you sign up. The annual subscription includes one user, although additional users can be added for a fee. QuickBooks Pro Plus supports multiple companies under one subscription.

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

QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll

If your business needs built-in payroll, consider the QuickBooks Pro Plus + Payroll plan. This plan costs $849.99/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.

Additional QuickBooks Pro Costs

There are several additional fees to be aware of when purchasing QuickBooks Desktop Pro. Intuit isn’t always very forthcoming with these add-ons and their fees, which is why we wanted to share them.

QuickBooks Premier Pricing

QuickBooks Premier is ideal for small businesses looking for industry-specific features. This software supports up to five users. QuickBooks Premier prices come in two available plans. You can purchase QuickBooks Premier Plus or have access to built-in payroll with QuickBooks Premier Plus + Payroll. Both plans are billed annually. Automated data recovery and backups, unlimited customer support, and automatic updates are included in your annual subscription to either plan.

QuickBooks Premier Plus

QuickBooks Premier Plus is priced at $549.99/year. Intuit frequently runs discounts for new customers, so make sure to check for promotions before signing up. Your subscription includes one user, although additional users can be added for a fee. QuickBooks Premier supports multiple companies.

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

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 $1,049.99/year, although Intuit frequently offers significant discounts on this product.

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 fit your business needs better.

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

Learn more about the benefits of QuickBooks’ six industry editions and how they can benefit your business.

Additional QuickBooks Premier Costs

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

QuickBooks Enterprise Pricing

There are three main QuickBooks Enterprise price levels: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Each plan is an annual subscription and varies significantly in terms of feature availability and pricing. If you want cloud hosting, QuickBooks Enterprise also has each of its Gold, Platinum, and Diamond plans available with cloud access.

QuickBooks Enterprise Gold

QuickBooks Enterprise Gold starts at $1,275/year. This number can vary significantly from business to business.

The price range depends on how many users your business needs. You can calculate how much your QuickBooks Enterprise software will cost on the Intuit website by inputting the number of users you need. (To give you an idea of how much this price fluctuates, one user on the Gold plan would cost $1,655/year, while 30 users would cost upwards of $8,404/year). Luckily, Intuit is often running promotions and discounts on the Intuit website.

If you need more mobility than what this locally-installed software has to offer, you can sign up for the QuickBooks Gold with cloud access packages. Plans start at $192/month.

Here are some of the features QuickBooks Enterprise Gold 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.

QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum

QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum starts at $2,035/year. The price ranges significantly depending on how many users you need.

In addition to the basic QuickBooks Enterprise features, QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum also includes advanced inventory, advanced pricing, and bill workflow approvals.

QuickBooks Enterprise Platinum with cloud access plans is also available, with prices starting at $223/month.

QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond

QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond starts at $4,020/year. Again, the price varies depending on how many users your business needs.

In addition to the features offered by the Gold and Platinum plans, QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond adds Assisted Payroll and QuickBooks Time Elite.

QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond with cloud access plans is available starting at $389/month.

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

QuickBooks Gold VS Platinum VS Diamond

If we’re talking about jewelry, the answer is obviously diamonds. 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:

If you need advanced inventory and advanced pricing, then Platinum or Diamond may be the way to go. If you need more users than you can get with QuickBooks Premier but don’t need advanced features, then maybe Gold 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 assisted payroll?
• 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 Gold, Platinum, or Diamond 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.

Additional QuickBooks Enterprise Costs

QuickBooks Enterprise has significantly fewer additional fees than QuickBooks Pro and Premier since many features are included with your annual subscription. For example, all QuickBooks Enterprise plans include payroll. However, there are a few other fees to be aware of.

Other QuickBooks Desktop Costs To Consider

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

QuickBooks Integrations

Integrations are third-party add-ons that give you additional features and capabilities. For example, software such as Shopify, TSheets, and Mailchimp are all integrations. QuickBooks Pro offers 244 integrations to choose from, QuickBooks Premier has 241 integrations, and QuickBooks Enterprise offers 247 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% + $0.30 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 License?

Previously, QuickBooks users also had the option to purchase a one-time license. While users didn’t have to pay an annual subscription fee, features such as unlimited customer support and automated data backup and recovery cost an additional fee. Additionally, support for QuickBooks licenses ended after three years, so users could no longer use features such as payroll or get the latest updates and security patches.

With the launch of QuickBooks Desktop 2022, Intuit eliminated one-time user licenses. Now, all users must subscribe to an annual subscription plan, whether they use Pro, Premier, or Enterprise. The good news, though, is that these plans include automated backup and recovery, automatic updates, and unlimited support at no extra cost.

If you previously purchased QuickBooks Desktop licensing, you can continue to use the software as long as you like. However, be aware that support for your product will end three years after its release.

How To Upgrade Your Current QuickBooks Version

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 Plus to QuickBooks Enterprise — whatever your heart desires (and your business requires).

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

1. If you are planning on upgrading an annual subscription, wait until the end of your 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 have a one-time license for an older version of QuickBooks, you don’t have to immediately upgrade to an annual subscription. Your version of QuickBooks will be supported for three years after its release. So, for example, if you purchase QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020, this product will be supported until 2023. You do not have to switch to an annual plan immediately unless you want access to the latest features.

Final Thoughts On QuickBooks Desktop Pricing

QuickBooks Desktop Pricing Comparison

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 Enterprise Gold, Platinum, and Diamond; and all of the additional costs to expect.

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 software comparison chart for QuickBooks features and price.

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. Take a look or get started right away with your favorite version of QuickBooks Desktop.

QuickBooks Desktop FAQs