Choosing the right accounting software can be a critical decision that has a drastic effect on your company’s accounting processes for years to come. For entrepreneurs starting their business, or established small and medium sized business, this is no exception.
With so many advantages and tempting price, saying no to QuickBooks payroll for Mac is an idiotic thing to do. The Mac user is pretty sophisticated in terms of using the software, and even then if there are any problems, contacting the QuickBooks payroll technical support who is available around-the-clock will be a good thing to do.
With so many applications available, it is certainly a decision that needs to be researched and thought out. One question that the bookkeeping team at LedgersOnline hears almost daily is “What is the difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop?” This is a loaded question, as both applications are great in their own way, and also have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages. It is also important to keep in mind that there are many accounting applications out there; each of which have their own pros and cons.
QuickBooks Online It is clear that the Intuit team has been working on their online version for some time now, and it is only going to get better. The latest version was released on Sept 23rd 2014, with new features constantly being added. QuickBooks Online has some great attributes for small businesses, and is a cost effective application that gives a range of interesting features. Some things that stand out when compared to their desktop counterpart include:.
Multi-User, Anytime/Anywhere Access Through any Web Browser. Mobile Compatible for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Automated Customer Billing. Automated Email Reports. Activity Log (Audit Trail). Location Tracking. Multiple AR/AP Lines.
Monthly packages starting at $12.95 & $9.99 QuickBooks Desktop As mentioned, both the QuickBooks Online and Desktop applications offer distinct features that are beneficial in their own way. It is important for businesses to evaluate these features to see which application will work best for them. The desktop version, for example, offers increased functionality when it comes to custom reporting and inventory management. For many businesses, the combination of these features can make the desktop version of QuickBooks an automatic choice. The Desktop version also includes:. Custom Reporting. Sales Orders.
Inventory Assemblies. Progress Invoicing. Receiving Partial Purchase Orders. Profit & Loss by Class.
QuickBooks Statement Writer. Budget vs Actuals for Jobs. Annual fee starting at $349.95 One thing to take into consideration is for the desktop version.
LedgersOnline for example, is able to host the desktop version on our servers, giving businesses multi-user, anytime/anywhere access to their accounting file. Although more expensive than the online version, this can be a good alternative for businesses who need the functionality of the desktop version, as well as the accessibility of the online version.
Key Questions to Take Into Consideration Choosing between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop is a difficult decision that needs to be researched and thought out thoroughly. Be sure to evaluate your current state, and where you could benefit from advancements to meet the future goals and needs of your business. Ask yourself: 1.
What software do you use? Are you an all Mac shop?
QuickBooks Online can be used on any system, which draws many businesses in who use Apple computers. Keep in mind that you can also host the desktop version of QuickBooks, which allows for multi-user access from Macs and Windows alike. QuickBooks Desktop for the Mac does have its limitations, but we’ll save that for a future post. Do you require remote access? QuickBooks Online offers anywhere/anytime access to multiple users, which makes multi-user access to your accounting file simple. Again, you can also host the desktop version, but there are additional costs associated with this. Does your business track inventory?
QuickBooks Desktop offers a number of features specific to industry, such as inventory controls, which are very important for some businesses. For example, if your business takes raw materials or components and builds products to sell to the end user, the desktop version of QuickBooks is a great choice.
![Quickbooks Quickbooks](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125581431/743320333.png)
On the other hand, if you have very basic inventory, the online version of QuickBooks may be suitable. The QuickBooks team offers a wide range of products that have something to offer for all businesses. It is important to understand the needs and goals of your business, both now and in the future, and compare them to the features and functionality that the online and desktop versions have to offer. It is also important to realize that there are many applications available for small and medium sized businesses, each with their own unique advantages and disadvantages.
Affordable bookkeeping services for any business anywhere or learn more about our affordable and see how we can help you with your books regardless of your location with clients across North America.
QuickBooks for Mac vs Windows From Patrick Bonnaure, founder of The debate between Mac and Windows is getting almost as polarized as our beloved Congress. Until recently, the bookkeeping world had managed to remain relatively immune to this debate, but with the increased market share of the Mac in the small business space, the question of QuickBooks for Windows vs QuickBooks for Mac has started taking more prominence. At first glance, it should not be an issue: “If you are a Windows person, get QuickBooks for Windows. If you are a Mac person, get QuickBooks for Mac”.
Unfortunately, it is more complicated than this. For the foreseeable future, selecting QuickBooks for Mac will handcuff you in several ways:. QuickBooks for Mac has fewer features than the Windows versions. The vast majority of CPAs and bookkeepers do not support QuickBooks for Mac. Converting QuickBooks file back and forth between Mac and Windows doesn’t work well and can corrupt the data. QuickBooks for Mac doesn’t interface with as many 3rd party applications I’ll expand a little bit on these items below, but if you own a Mac, your logical next question would be: “I am stuck then?”.
Of course not. You have a number of options that will keep you in the QuickBooks world without having to switch to a PC:. Accept the limitations of QuickBooks for Mac and stick with it. This is a very viable solution if you are a very small business, you don’t need 3rd party help and you have limited need for integration with 3rd party applications. Switch to QuickBooks Online, the web based version of QuickBooks.
Work with a QuickBooks hosting provider. From your Mac, you will get access to the full featured QuickBooks for Windows. Fewer features Intuit is traditionally a Windows shop. They have had Mac developers for a long time, but the Mac development group is not tasked with feature innovation. Their charter is to “keep up” with QuickBooks for Windows. I am sure that many people with Intuit would violently disagree with this, but it is the unfortunate reality. Some examples:.
QuickBooks for Mac doesn’t have Premier and Enterprise versions. It has fewer features than even the Pro version of Windows. Fewer reports. Fewer payroll options.
Limited inventory capabilities. Online banking not as well integrated Bookkeeping support CPAs and bookkeepers need to maintain their own licenses of QuickBooks to support their clients. The whole accounting profession is pretty much standardized on the Windows platform. It would be too expensive for them to maintain a park of Mac hardware and QuickBooks for Mac licenses (across multiple years) to support Mac files. Converting files between Mac and PC Both the Windows and Mac versions of QuickBooks have the capability to convert the company file to the other OS. However, since the feature set is different, the converted file needs to restrict itself to the common denominator.
As a result, some data doesn’t transfer from one version to the other. Also, to Intuit’s own admission, the conversion is not dependable. For instance, if you convert more than a couple of times back and forth, reconciliations of the bank accounts tend to disappear. Essentially, this conversion tool should be used only if you decide to migrate from one OS to the other for good, but it should not be used as a protocol to work with your bookkeeper or CPA on an on-going basis. Integration with 3rd party application In the last 5 years, the power of QuickBooks (and its dominance) has increased dramatically thanks to the myriad of 3rd party developers who have developed applications and services that integrate with QuickBooks. Unfortunately, the vast majority of this development effort has been done exclusively for the Windows version of QuickBooks.
If you are on the QuickBooks for Mac, you only have access to a small subset of these developers. 5 to 10 years from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasa bit more equality, assuming of course that the desktop version of QuickBooks hasn’t been supplanted by the cloud versions by then. However, as of today, QuickBooks for Mac is more “insulated”.
In summary, QuickBooks for Mac can be a very good option for you if your needs are relatively simple and you don’t need as much integration with the outside world (professionals and applications). The good news is that QuickBooks for Mac is not a dead-end. If QuickBooks for Mac becomes too restrictive for you down the road, there are multiple options for migrating to alternative solutions.