QB Desktop Premier

Pros

What I love most about it is that it is not cloud-based. My data feels more secure while stored on my computer (I host my QB files in my Dropbox folder). I think QBD in general is way easier to use than QBO. I like the customization available for invoicing, the ability to send statements to past-due A/R, and the overall feel of QBD 1000 times better than QBO. QBD is easier for me to navigate and has better reporting available than QBO.

Cons

The bank feed functionality in QBD is lacking in comparison to QBO and the ability to have customers pay online isn't as easy/efficient as it is in QBO.

Not for the long-haul (canadian version)

Pros

Ease of use, and very quick to learn. This version allows up to 5 concurrent users. The audit trail and stock reports are very user friendly with plenty of filters. Expect a very quick turnaround training new staff and getting them up to speed, as the interface and functionality is hard not to grasp. Since this is the premier version, I was not assigned an account rep. There is also a toll free line overseas for any technical/database bug issues. I did like the support for merchant services and the support given for if we were to upgrade. The only real (noticeable) difference between this and the enterprise version is slightly less options for role centre "customization" and being capped at 5 concurrent users. In the Canadian version, plugging in to SQL server is the way to go in order to obtain custom reports.

Cons

The role centers "handcuff" users to certain roles. When it comes to the general ledger, the "all-or-nothing" functionality doesn't allow the controller to shut off access to certain parts of the financials. Ideally, the controller should be able to define a role center to allow posting/viewing in certain account groups and not to others. Inability to approve and subsequently lock down POs and SOs. Once a PO/SO gets issued, a user with basic access can always change unit costs and quantities. This hinders the business' scaleability. The Canadian version no longer allows the user to compress the data file in previous periods. This may be frustrating for companies who rely on lengthy journal entries, as the database file size will exponentially grow. If you are a job shop (or project-based company), do not expect much in terms of job-cost reporting. The software is limited to populating a customer field when posting an expense. You will have to manually set up jobs as customers and instruct staff to classify expenses under the proper subgroup.

Quickbooks is so easy to use

Pros

Quickbooks is very easy to use. It is easy to go back and make corrections after the fact, if necessary.

Cons

I wish you could have some other windows open when you have the report feature open. Sometimes there is a lot of back and forth.

Same as QB Desktop but top-line version

The premier versions are basically the SAME as the basic versions but adds industry specific features. The Accountant's version is the best, though priciest, version.

Pros

Same functionality/features as QB Desktop but adds some specific industry features. The best version is the Accountant's version which has many of the industry features (switch to different industries formats).

Cons

Same as the QB desktop version previously previewed. Intuit is making the software obsolete ~3 years as it's dropping support and updates. The price is MORE expensive than the basis versions. People STILL NEED to learn how to use QB Desktop regardless of the version to avoid many issues caused by the Users themselves. AVOID the payroll subscription and hire an external payroll company esp. if there's lots of benefits involved! Can NOT read QB files from the previous version and MUST upgrade them to the current version so be Careful If the client WANTS the accountant's copy back!

QB Premier Desktop

Quickbooks (QB) Premier is the top line version of QB and has many industries that it customized for. Sometimes you can buy one then select your industry in which you'll be lock in or buy the specific one for your industry. It's also the most expensive version of QB. The accountant edition is the Top line version and has access to all industries but it doesn't necessarily work that well when switching between industries. People using the 'cash basis' will find QB easy to use. Once you use the 'accrual' method along with invoicing, things get messy VERY EASILY! PEOPLE MUST LEARN HOW TO USE QB PROPERLY BUT DO NOT!! THE FAULT OF A MESSY QB FILE IS THE OWNER(S), NOT THE BOOKKEEPER/ACCOUNTANT! PAY SOMEONE TO FIX YOUR QB FILE IF POSSIBLE! Payroll module is available at an cost but it's NOT very good. Outsource to an external payroll company for payroll instead! When people say that they only use QB to track their expenses/income like a check book but DO NOT use it for anything else, then there's TROUBLE!

Pros

Relatively simple to use, though users MUST LEARN how to use QB PROPERLY!! Ready made Generic reports

Cons

EXPENSIVE! Garbage in, garbage out! Don't blame software when MAJORITY of mistakes are done by Users NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY WERE DOING!! MUST learn to use the software properly! Software support/life has been reduced to ~3 yr cycle. Online bank feeds don't work 100% so must pay attention to what is (not) imported from online banking account! Many features are BURIED within menus and submenus!! Client files are ONLY compatible with the previous yr's version instead of ALL Years versions (i.e. 2017 file may be opened in 2016 but not any older year versions) like it used to be YEARS ago! Compacting files do NOT work well as it screws up the beginning balance after it compacted and many client accounts are messed up as well. Need this feature to remove MANY Years worth of OLD financial data! Payroll module is available at an additional cost with an ANNUAL fee!

Depends on what you need

I have used this for many, many years and still like it a lot. But I don't know how long desktop solutions will be around given the stampede to cloud-based subscription software.

Pros

You are not dependent on internet to make use of it, and as it has developed over the years it has many easy to use features, and special accountant tools. I like the desktop data flow reminder for clients to help them understand how to use the product. Each year they release a new version with new or improved features, and there are regular maintenance releases. You can choose one of the industry specific versions of QB Premier that best meets the needs of your business. Setting up a company file can be very easy if you know what you are doing.

Cons

This is a desktop software that you have to replace with updated versions. After 3 years you no longer are able to get support or updates (each May a year gets "sunsetted") though it will still work. It is not easy to work with your accountant without sending files unless you pay for a hosting solution. Naturally, if you don't have it backed up frequently away from your local computer, you can lose your data in a crash and may not be able to recover it. Bank feeds for automated data entry usually incur bank charges, which is not true in QuickBooks Online.

Quick books looks after (almost) everything I could possibly need for me to run a business, it is just taking me a bit of time to learn.

Overall, I am very happy with quick-books. I miss the simplicity of WAVE sometimes, but love how quick books manages my inventory, ordering needs, purchase orders, sales receipts, email, logo's, etc. I would probably have benefited from a class first. Having started using it, I would never go backwards again and give it up. It is part of the company now. One of us!

Pros

Pretty much everything needed to run a business is in quick books. Love how everything is mapped out on the home page. Was trying to run small business with "WAVE" and Excel. We were doing it but it was hard to keep track of everything. Love having a program that manages everything you could possibly need all in one place. Lots of help available on line (great), if you know what the problem is and where to look for the answer.

Cons

When a mistake is made, trying to find the mistake and fix it can be quite difficult. My Mistake: Figuring out what has to be voided or deleted before I can void or delete something else. Figuring out what the mistake was, knowing where to look for it ( I have entered a couple of entries twice. One as an invoice that was paid, and one as a sales receipt. When I was doing a search for the sale, because they were entered differently ...when I did a search for the sale amount both transactions wouldn't show at the same time. They only looked for INVOICE, or BILL etc- It wouldn't search for amount in two different ways of billing. Both of them had been deposited before I realized I was wrong. Boy did I spend a lot of time 1st figuring out what had happened , then 2nd figuring out how to fix it so everything reconciled. There is a lot of "help" available on line, so long as you know what you are looking for. Would be great if there was free learning available on line in video form to watch while you do.

Really good value

QuickBooks has a "double edge sward" in that it is easy to manipulate. If you know accounting, it is a good thing. If you do not know accounting, is is a bad thing.

Pros

The different modules are designed so that tricks in one module work in other modules. Reports are easily manipulated to produce the information I need. I can easily adapt chart of accounts to fit the needs of my client. I love the accountant transfer system. I can work on client's books from my office. They release updates often and are always improving the software.

Cons

My clients can make changes to accounts and reports that messes up the financial statements. QuickBooks allows changes too easily for people who do not have an accounting background. QuickBooks does not produce an Income Statement, I have to adapt a Profit and Loss statement if I want that report. The financial are not formatted so that they look nice.

Has basic functionality, not very intuitive and somewhat buggy.

The software works okay, but I feel it is lacking in many respects. And the bugs and data errors are extremely frustrating.

Pros

Allows you to categorize sales and expenses by class. Can export data for manipulation and reporting in Excel. Does direct deposit payroll.

Cons

Bug: doesn't let user select "check" as payment type. Not very intuitive for a lot of it. For example, if you issue a credit to a customer, you can't apply it to any of their invoices unless the credit is issued through the same receivable account. It should at least recognize that there is a credit available for that customer. Lacking in reports. We use it for a non-profit and have the non-profit version - but there is no report, out of the box, that allows you to quickly see what is available to spend for each project (identified as a class). You can start with the balance sheet, but have to calculate what's available. And donor contribution reports are also not readily available in a format ready to send, or export. Frequently has data issues and needs to rebuild the data files.

QuickBooks Pro for any Pro

Regardless of any deficiency it is still the unquestionable leader in accounting software for small and medium sized businesses.

Pros

It's very easy to navigate. It performs just about any function needed for proper accounting and bookkeeping.

Cons

Customer service is near impossible to contact. The company uses a "community" of other users rather than provide its own staff to field inquiries and resolve issues. Much cheaper but responses are not always prompt and/or accurate.

Quickbooks Premier

It's a very easy to use software. You can easily customize reports, comment on reports, export reports in Excel format, customize all types of needs. It integrates with Outlook easily. I would highly recommend this software if you are an accountant or bookkeeper or in need of a specialized set up of a type of business. If you don't need these items, I would then go to Quickbooks Pro which will do everything you need and cost 1/3 of the money yearly for renewals.

Pros

Overall the product has more reports than Quickbooks Pro, but otherwise they are very similar. It allows for more specialized types of companies to set up such as Contractor version, Property Management version etc... If you set up as an accountant or bookkeeper with Intuit, they will refer business to you.

Cons

It's about 3 times the price of Quickbooks Pro costing per year to renew. There aren't really any downsides to the product otherwise.

Terrific Software to Tracking Business Health in Specific Industries

This software has been really great to use. It's very good in the construction industry but also works well in property management! It can do everything from estimates to billing to payroll.

Pros

This software is very easy to use ...even with payroll capability. It works using various registers for each account. It also comes with a variety of reports that are very helpful in evaluating business processes...like job profitability in the construction industry. It comes complete with online videos of "how to" perform various functions like setting up accounts and billing. You simply cannot go wrong with this software.

Cons

Sometimes the automatic backup fails to work, but they always manage to get it back up and running. The backup is off-sight in the cloud and occurs with whatever frequency you choose.

Overall Good

Generally happy

Pros

Has lots of additional features within the payroll section, like using weekly timesheets to enter payroll hours, that if used properly can help streamline invoices and ensure accuracy with billable hours. There's lots of other apps that are compatible and sync up with Quickbooks too. Love being able to add Classes to separate out the divisions in our company.

Cons

Unfortunately some records don't allow or don't carry over the class function. For example, a classified invoice gets paid but the payment doesn't get classified, so when you try pulling balance sheets by class the A/R only has the invoices and not payments, giving a super off number and in a big company you're not about to calculate that manually. Can also be touchy when looking at old payroll records so you need to be trained on what not to do or what to watch for.

Quickbooks Premier based of 2018 Edition

Pros

Like all of QB's editions, it is very easy to use and navigate. If you're bank makes you pay to hook into it, you can easily imput data with a QBO file or use the batch entry function to get information in quickly. This has been a huge time savor me, especially when I have customers who haven't kept up with their books in some time.

Cons

My issue with all of QB is that reporting doesn't always give you what you're looking for, so you need to build something outside of QB. I'm sure there is a very good reason, but I also don't like having to switch to single user mode to make some settings/preference changes.

An Invaluable Business tool

Overall great software that helps my company run smoothly.

Pros

Before using quickbooks I had been using a software that cost a month. It was impossible to use and took forever. The interface was confusing and inefficient. I have been using quick books for a decade and my favorite thing about it other than the affordable price is the almost intuitive user interface. It's home page is a beautifully designed mind map of applications. And each feature is easy to use.

Cons

Payroll is not included but can be added on for a monthly fee which is fine. I just wish the payroll would come with more features.

QuickBooks for Small Business

Pros

QuickBooks is very user friendly and almost anyone can learn to use this software for their business. It exports reports to Excel easily, which is one feature I love for month end financial reporting. It is easy to pull reports for anything by customizing canned reports.

Cons

While QuickBooks is very user friendly, sometimes that is a bad thing. An accountant must do the input or review the input. Many times people who are not familiar with accounting make errors, because you really can change anything (unless you set up security properly, which is hard in a small office environment).

QuickBooks Premier Does It All!

The program is easy to use, has incredible support, and really does it all. This program will work very well for individuals and small businesses alike. From one employee to 1000 employees, it will meet your needs across the board. Accounts Payable/Receivable, Payroll, Business Checking, various reports, and the list continues, everything you need in one neat package!

Pros

1 - Easy to use 2 - Great support 3 - Great for individuals/small business 4 - Multi-features 5 - Streamlined features 6 - Several Reports

Cons

1 - Some sections might require more thinking 2 - The immediate help bubbles could offer a little more explanation. 3 - Make sure you balance in all areas...

Overall good product for the price

The Help Feature that is within QB is great! If ever in doubt of how to do something, if the Help Feature doesn't have a direct answer, it searches previous replies by other users to come up with a solution. Very handy.

Pros

Easy to search for existing documents, and keep all information tied to customers and vendors within their profiles.

Cons

Customers and vendors lists can become a disaster. Many times they are not entered the exact same way. If you have a large number of customers and vendors, it is difficult to remember that a profile might have been created already. QuickBooks ends up having multiple profiles separate from one another for the same company. It can be cleaned up, but is very time consuming. My customer and vendor profiles remain a mess, as I DO NOT have the time to fix!

Very user friendly

Luckily software is so well developed one does not need much support.

Pros

It is very user friendly. Easy to understand. I love the way you can drill into numbers to get an understanding of what its made of. Also easy to share with accountant, since many accounting firms use QB.

Cons

Not enough support. That part of the "service" is "outsourced" all over to independent business people. When you call a support line you never know who you will get.I've had many bad experiences and oft times they are more concerned with selling you an expense support package.

Slow Start But Once You Get The Hang of It... It's Great!

Overall very happy with both products!

Pros

QuickBooks is fairly easy to use and customizeable. A bit of a learning curve on the front end but once you get going it's fairly simple. You enter the information and Quickbooks does all the "dirty work" in the background. With the addition of TSheets it has made time tracking SUPER easy. TSheets Customer Service (this means yout DM1) is REALLY GREAT and rounds out the product nicely. Both are comprehensive enough to get all the time tracking, accounting and financial reporting you need.

Cons

A bit of a learning curve on the front end and they could use a few more comprehensive, professionally produced training videos.

It is a wonderful system. transfers POS to Accounting with ease . very easy system to use and it allows you to do what you want.

I am not very good with computers but Quick books makes it very easy to follow. Run reports, make adjustments, e-mail invoices. It is a great system

Pros

very easy system to follow. Balancing the check book is top notch. Making any kind of change ore correction is very easily done.

Cons

This accounting Premier has a great price. But when combined with Point of Sale, the price is a bit much and that is just (1) user. I think if you buy one you should be able to get additional ones at a good discounted price like at least half the price.

QuickBooks Premier is Entirely Sufficient and Good Foundation for New/Small Business

QuickBooks Premier is a fairly comprehensive program for managing your new or small business. It is very good at accounting and basic information management - estimates, invoices, items, vendors, customers, etc. It lacks some of the more comprehensive features of competitive offerings, or even QuickBooks own Enterprise solution but offers a good foundation for software that can handle most of what you'll need it to do.

Pros

Accounting Customizable Reports Layout Design for Quotes, Invoices, Etc. Contract (Custom) Price Management

Cons

Inventory Management Some Glitches Here and There

QB Premier Contractor Edition 2016

Overall QuickBooks Premier is a great program for your needs.

Pros

The company I work for has the QuickBooks Premier Contractor Edition 2016. My favorite aspect is the ease of use to handle daily accounting tasks and the features to pull reports.

Cons

There are certain functions that are a bit more difficult that a CPA or the customer service team cannot assist with. A couple of examples include the inability to create contra-accounts and ordering W-2c forms through the software.

One of the oldest programs but still one the best

Pros

Offers all of the basic accounting practices that are needed for a business, you can track your expenses, bills that you have paid, inventory, cash flow and even banking transactions and that is just a taste of what they can do.

Cons

Having the ability of login into a program like this when you are out of the office is greatly beneficial so having something to access on a mobile device would also be good for future use.

2017 Quickbooks Accountant Edition

Excellent program for the price!

Pros

Very easy and straight forward to use. Can manage any size business with ease. Great flow of information within the system.

Cons

Although I like the help button, with a direct download was not given a manual so it was a matter of using the new version and trying to figure out the new changes and quirks. Updated from 2011 version. Customer service wait time is still a bit long.

Great product! Simple to use! Beautiful interface!

It's a great and easy to use product with lots of good options within the program.

Pros

Easy to learn and use. The layout is also very nice which makes it easier to navigate through. And the best thing is that they keep on adding and updating with every new release.

Cons

The only con is that the reports part can be a little better. You, also can't create certain reports that are important sometimes...

Using QuickBooks was a great desicion for our business.

I love how many other products/programs are integrable with Quickbooks!

Pros

It is what we need, how we need it. Tracking employee time, sending estimates and invoices, keeping track of expenses, etc.

Cons

I am not crazy about the loading time. It takes forever to start up and another eternity to open and load the company file. I also have the issue of constantly crashing. I could be in the middle of building an extensively detailed estimate or invoice and when I click Save I get an error message that QB must close and all my work is lost. It has happened multiple times.

Perfect for small business with in house accounting team

So many great tools that can be used. I really love the reports Premier gives. Can easily be customized.

Pros

Easy to use, easy to navigate. Great reporting tools. LOVE THE JOB COSTING for Contractors. Great "at a glance" feature.

Cons

Only available on-site. Not cloud based. There aren't a lot of cons to this product really. It is a desktop version and you will have to purchases licenses.

Easy to use even for a non accountant

Pros

functionality and interface has been quite easy, basic understanding of business will get you thru the whole process. Basic and intermediate reports are already included for you to evaluate your biz

Cons

Since its a off the shelf software, it tends to be rigid on the customization. which doesnt mean that you need to customize all of your reports.

Great way to stay organized!

Pros

This software is so user friendly and easy to access anywhere. It is great for someone that works remotely and has an assistant access the account to print some checks.

Cons

The only thing I do not like about this software is sometimes it is tricky to see the date a check was printed.

Accounting software anyone can use!

I love this product for all it allows a company to do.

Pros

Quickbooks can handle the accounting for any size company. It is easy to make an accountant's copy to send over for the CPA for year end activities.

Cons

Some of the functions are not set up where you would expect them to be so you have to hunt for them the first time you use them.

Great program for the price.

I have used both the online version and premier and was completely satisfied with my decision to switch to the premier software.

Pros

The premier version allows you to do so much, from detailed check reports showing all paid invoices to keeping track of receivables and payables. For how in depth the program is I was surprised at how simple it is to learn the ins and outs.

Cons

Overall the product is great, and my only true complaint was the wait times to get a hold of customer service representatives.

The best accounting software for small businesses ever

you will never go wrong with quick books

Pros

User-friendly even none accountants, and beginners. The support too by Quickbooks team is amazing too.

Cons

The pricing a bit too high when one needs a comprehensive package. if the comprehensive packages could be lowered then anyone could afford more users more sales

QuickBooks Premier

I have used QB since the first DOS program. I like the Premier version.

Pros

Love the affordability of this product, all basic functions needed, ease of use, improved modules, 99% reporting

Cons

There are glitches in some reporting, limits on accounting functions-wish they were more comprehensive, expensive upgrade

Quickbooks Premier Nonprofit Edition 2016

Pros

I love the customize-able reports and easy payroll/employee center function. I only use the Customers and the Payroll modules.

Cons

I wish there was more functionality with the time off accruals. We have many different types and parameters. It would be nice to be able to customize them.

Great for small business

Versatile and easy to use.

Pros

Easy setup and adaptable to a multitude of business needs. Most small business owners would find this software very easy to use.

Cons

The setup is everything. There are not a lot of controls within the software to prohibit incorrect transactions.

Easy to use Quickbooks

Pros

User friendly love the way they update the look and feel of the program. easy to follow the natural pattern of how to do accounting

Cons

A lot of money to renew every year. need to buy payroll in addition not so easy to customize forms for my business

QuickBooks Premier accounting system.

QuickBooks premier is a great system to have. Whether you're doing simple accounts and cash flow or you're just wanting to keep all your accounts in one place and organized. I would recommend the QuickBooks suite.

Pros

I am really enjoy using QuickBooks Premier it's an easy-to-use system and keeps my accounts in one place. Our CPA has everything they need for the end of the year and it's a great time saver.

Cons

The biggest con about QuickBooks Premier is the updating every year and having to buy new software unless you use the cloud-based system. For this reason we have moved over to cloud-based system that QuickBooks offers since thE price point is easier to swallow.

very user friendly

Pros

Very easy to use for the not so experience accounting person. If mistakes are made they are easy to fix. It makes our small business run smoother!

Cons

I wish back up options were better for the small business. An easy automatic cloud option would be great!

For small businesses, this makes it easy

Pros

Very easy to use. The functionality is existent and reminds me why so many users are still on Quickbooks. You don't need that much accounting knowledge to work with double entry systems. It's a desktop software and not SaaS, so we can access it even when the internet is down.

Cons

Multicurrency support is still lacking. Can't do payroll when your main currency is not the currency your payroll is in...

Great depth of product - not for the casual user

I really enjoy QuickBooks Premier! I've been a QuickBooks user for over a decade now, but Premier is needed upgrade. It has expanded functionality and allows me to take a deeper dive into my finances.

Pros

Excellent customization! There's a lot of information you can input into Premier which allows for better understanding and tracking of your finances. It also helps generate more specific and relevant reports. Learning the base functions is easy and intuitive.

Cons

Learning some of the more advanced functions, some of which you need in order to truly maximize this product, will take longer to learn and require some deeper training sessions.

QuickBooks Premier does the trick

Pros

QuickBooks Premier has all of the bells and whistles you'd want in a bookkeeping software program.

Cons

It's a bit expensive. The customer service could be better. If you want to add another user, you need to buy another one.

Love it!

Pros

Very useful and easy to use system. It has a nice design and beautiful layout with a lot of good functionalities.

Cons

Can't make all kind of reports that I want to make. Can't have 2 Quickbooks files open at the same time in the Premier version.

Has been using QB since 1995

Pros

Easy to use , flexible to fix wrong data entries, can import almost any transaction type , cover core functions

Cons

Not accessible because it is on site , you need to do backup to protect your data from any loss or problem

Super Easy Booking Keeping Software

Perfect for small businesses

Pros

It is super easy to use. You don't have to worry about posting periods and can always make changes later

Cons

It is not very good for specialized accounting, such as project based accounting and non profit accounting.

Great accounting software

Pros

Quickbooks is great, it's super user friendly, easy to customize, very easy to import data from bank statements

Cons

It's a bit pricey, but honestly you are getting a great quality product, so I think it is definitely worth it.

Simple, but maybe too simple

Quickbooks is very user friendly, forgiving, and easy to learn. It offers a lot of features if you know how to use them, such as the Fixed Asset component. It makes my depreciation schedule and property tax statements a breeze. You can close periods in QB but they're never really closed and users can make changes to prior periods, which sometimes changes my financial statements when I don't want them to. It's good for non-accountants and great for small businesses. Be prepared to outgrow it someday as the business grows and needs become more sophisticated.

Pros

Easy to use, easy to make corrections. The copy feature saves me a lot of time when making monthly transactions with small changes, so does the Memorized Transactions list for GL.

Cons

I tried to change an address for a vendor who moved and was unable to do it. Yet I can go back 3 years and edit an AP transaction. I should be able to do the first, not the 2nd. I prefer not to be able to change financials so easily.

Great software!

We use quickbooks to account for all of our expenses and income for our office. This software has everything! You can customize it to your personal needs, enter bills, checks, credit card charges etc. costumer service is amazing also if you ever run into problems.

Very effective finance control tool, but cost is prohibitive at first

Will aid in better and more concise bookkeeping and also better invoicing and records overall

Pros

Streamlining all of our sales and invoicing tool. Helps if achieve a good level of control with record keeping and also makes tracking sales much easier than our previous manual method of bookkeeping.

Cons

Prohibitive cost at first. We are a smaller business and it took quite some time to decide on acquiring the software. But the benefits after only a few months outweigh the initial upfront cost.

User Friendly Small Business Solution

Pros

Extremely user friendly and ideal for small businesses.

Cons

No options for customization and lacks some security features.