QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Enterprise

Seems like every week, people are asking me – “which is better, QuickBooks Online (QBO) or QuickBooks Enterprise (QBE)?”

Which one is “better” depends a LOT on the specific needs of your business!

Sadly, I see businesses making the switch into QBO for all the wrong reasons (“my accountant said I had to”, “the boss said the guy next to him on the plane was using QBO”, and other misguided reasons…)

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUICKBOOKS ONLINE AND QUICKBOOKS ENTERPRISE

As we explore this topic in more detail, let’s break things down into four (4) key areas of comparison.

Those would be:

  • Pricing between QBO and QBE
  • 24/7 and remote access availability between QBO and QBE
  • Feature set comparison between QBO and QBE
  • Add-on ecosystems for QBO and QBE

PRICING COMPARISON OF QUICKBOOKS ONLINE AND QUICKBOOKS ENTERPRISE

Let’s assume for a moment that we’re comparing a 5 user installation of QBO and QBE.

QBE PRICING

As a QBE reseller, I offer a 5 user QuickBooks Enterprise silver subscription at the discounted price of $2,464 per year (sales taxes are extra, of course).  A monthly payment plan is also available for Enterprise, but the cost is higher.

QBO PRICING

I am able to offer QuickBooks Online Plus (the closest match to Enterprise) at a discounted rate for the first 12 months at $30 per month or $360 per year (sales taxes are extra). Note that this subscription is NOT per user per month. QBO Plus can have up to 5 users.

Remember, both QBE and QBO are subscription-based now, so it is an ongoing fee either way, not a “one and done” like Enterprise used to be before 2016.

QUICK COST RECAP..

QBO: $360 in year one. $720 in year two and beyond.
QBE: $2,464/year. Same in year two, assuming there is no price increase from Intuit

Seems to be a compelling argument in favor of QBO when it comes to the pricing comparison.

However, there is far more to consider here…

24/7 AND REMOTE ACCESS – QUICKBOOKS ENTERPRISE VS. QUICKBOOKS ONLINE

As businesses become more mobile, many prefer their accounting software be mobile too.

That means having it available 24/7, whether in or out of the office.

Let’s see h