QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online: Choosing the Right Solution
The decision between QuickBooks Desktop (QBD) and QuickBooks Online (QBO) has been a topic of consideration for many wineries. While some have migrated to QBO, others have remained loyal to the Desktop edition. However, whether to switch or stay can be answered by examining key differences and relevant factors.
Pricing:
Pricing plays a significant role in this decision. If you currently use QB Desktop 21, you have likely enjoyed the lowest prices offered by QuickBooks. It’s advisable to continue using QB 21 until Intuit discontinues support. Since late 2021, QB Desktop has transitioned to a subscription model, eliminating the option to purchase a disc or code and use it for an extended period before upgrading. Consequently, users are now faced with annual renewal prices, resulting in a substantial increase in Intuit's revenue from the Desktop edition.
On the other hand, QBO operates on a subscription pricing model, ranging from $30 to $200 per month. Periodically, QBO offers deals to incentivize switching, such as the current offer of a 50% discount for the first three months and a free 30-day trial. Bargains like these mean wineries can access the most popular version of QBO for as low as $42 per month instead of the regular $85 per month. Annually, this translates to just over $1000.
Inventory:
For QB Desktop, the costs are approximately $800 annually for Premier Plus and over $1400 annually for Enterprise. If price is a determining factor, the advantage of monthly payments becomes evident when considering a switch to QBO. Additionally, if your business has less complex needs, the QBO Simple Start or Essentials versions offer better pricing than QB Desktop.
When evaluating inventory features, QB Enterprise is the only Intuit product that provides advanced inventory management capabilities for multiple inventory sites. QBO Plus and QB Desktop Premier Pro allow inventory tracking within a single inventory bucket. If your winery does not require tracking inventory across multiple locations, QBO would be a suitable choice.
Overall Functions:
Apart from the considerations above, the overall functionality of QuickBooks Online is comparable to QB Desktop. While the user interface may require some adjustment, the advantages of QBO as a product far outweigh the initial learning curve.
One of the critical benefits of QBO is its accessibility from anywhere at any time. Being freed from the limitations of a physical computer provides greater flexibility, especially for busy schedules. Although QuickBooks Desktop has its quirks, it remains one of the best choices for accounting software, and the same holds true for QBO. Over the past few years, we have grown accustomed to QBO's platform and have been impressed with its seamless integration with our WGits Applications, including automated batching.
We have observed that Intuit has made automatically sending orders from eCommerce platforms to QuickBooks Desktop less user-friendly. In contrast, QBO offers a streamlined experience, enabling orders to flow effortlessly without disruptive pop-ups. Although our Desktop integration provides many features, our QBO integration is an excellent alternative for seamless order synchronization. Additionally, our WGits QBO app operates in the cloud, allowing users to access both WineDirect or Commerce7 platforms and QBO anywhere, anytime, and on a 24/7 basis.
The Verdict
If you need multiple inventory locations in QuickBooks and can’t use your eCommerce platform for that purpose, you’ll want QB Enterprise. For almost any other winery, small, medium or large, QuickBooks Online is a viable option you may want to consider. If you want a better deal, don’t need class tracking or inventory tracking at all, then a lower tier QBO monthly subscription is the way to go. In conclusion, the choice between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online depends on various factors such as pricing, inventory management requirements, overall functionality, and the benefits of accessibility and automation. Assessing these factors will help wineries determine the optimal solution for their accounting needs.
Testimonial:
"We recently decided to make the switch from the software version of QB to QBO. WGits has been an absolute game changer for us in connecting the two and saves us so much time. There’s no longer a need for third party mapping, no more manually uploading-it just does the job automatically! Dan and the team were super helpful in getting us all set up, and are super responsive to any questions or issues that pop up."
~KKirsten Philip
General Manager
Oz Winery