Given the recent price increase for QuickBooks Enterprise software as well as the conversion from the Full Service Plan into the subscription model, some businesses are asking if there are alternatives to QuickBooks Enterprise.

Let’s take a closer look at some potential options and explore them in more detail…

CONVERT FROM QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP ENTERPRISE TO QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP PRO OR DESKTOP PREMIER?

Naturally, the first thought is that it should be easy to convert from one desktop version of QuickBooks to another, right?

Not so fast…

If the goal is to convert from QuickBooks Desktop Pro to QuickBooks Desktop Premier, the conversion is simple.

If the goal is to convert from QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier into QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, that conversion is also simple.

Going the other way and converting from QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise into QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier is not simple at all.

In fact, it cannot be done directly – there is no button or feature in Enterprise that will allow you to downgrade to Pro or Premier. You simply can’t do it.

There are third parties that offer a paid QuickBooks Enterprise downgrade service, so you could certainly consider that as an option.

Just understand…

If you do opt to move to Pro or Premier, Pro is limited to a maximum of 3 users at a time in the company file, and Premier is limited to a maximum of 5 users at a time in the company file. There are also other key differences between the Enterprise, Premier and Pro versions of QuickBooks that you’ll need to study so you know what you may be giving up. Chances are that you needed to get into Enterprise for a reason (more users, better security, more capacity, etc.), so the chances of Pro or Premier being a good solution for you may be very limited.

CONVERT FROM QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP ENTERPRISE TO QUICKBOOKS ONLINE (QBO)?

Ok, so moving from QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise into QuickBooks Desktop Premier or Pro isn’t a good idea based on your research.

What about moving from QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise into QBO? After all, QBO is the future of QuickBooks according to everything that Intuit is saying.

Not so fast…

To me, I don’t have to look any further than this information provided on the QuickBooks support site:

Based on that, I’m not spending any further time considering this path out of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

But wait – they say they don’t support moving data from QuickBooks Enterprise. What if I want to start with a brand new file and not move any data from QuickBooks Enterprise into QBO – will that work?

As Intuit notes in the message above, the differences in features between Enterprise and QBO are significant. If you’ve completely evaluated QBO (and I literally mean hammering on a trial copy of it for 30 days) and deemed it a possibility, then starting from scratch may be a viable solution for your business. Having worked with Enterprise since 2004, I just can’t see too many businesses coming to the conclusion that QBO would be a good alternative for them as QBO currently exists. You’ll know best though…

CONVERT FROM QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP ENTERPRISE TO ANOTHER SOLUTION SUCH AS NETSUITE, SAGE, OR OTHER “MID-MARKET” PACKAGE?

So you’ve been Googling alternatives to QuickBooks and you see options such as NetSuite, Sage and others appear in the search results.

It’s important to understand that these packages are firmly rooted in what is known as the “mid-market” space. They are designed for businesses that need more features or functionality to support their operations and future growth plans.

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is somewhat in the “mid-market” space, but when compared to some of these other alternatives, the differences in features and functionality are extensive.

And of course, the differences in cost is extensive too!

As a rough rule of thumb, if your business is considering a move into NetSuite, Sage, or other similar mid-market package, your investment will likely begin in the $40,000 – $60,000 range, and quickly scale up from there.

Guess what?

Intuit knows these cost differentials quite well too. They have positioned QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise very nicely so that it is a far less expensive solution for businesses that don’t need the complexity or cost of these mid-market packages.

STAYING WITH QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP ENTERPRISE? GET A 20% LIFETIME DISCOUNT!

Sigh…

Sorry to be the bearer of the news above, but I wanted you to know that your options to move away from Enterprise may be limited.

Given that, if you decide to stay put, you might as well snag the 20% lifetime discount on QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise I offer as a reseller.

QUESTIONS?

I completely understand that you have more pressing things to do than understand the nuances of QuickBooks Enterprise. If you would like to discuss your situation in more detail, please contact me.

Be sure to add your thoughts in the comment box as well so others can share in your experiences with QuickBooks Enterprise!