QuickBooks AS Cross

Our Verdict

Often regarded as the industry standard, QuickBooks is a powerful accounting tool for small to mid-sized businesses. From inventory management to financial reporting, the various plans available make it easy for you to find the right fit for your business.

The cloud-based platform is user-friendly and continually being improved with new features and add-ons. With tons of help resources available online, you’ll never be left in the dark. Not only will QuickBooks take away the headaches of pen and paper bookkeeping, but it will also give you more time and tools to analyze the profitability and success of your business.

Pros

Full access from desktop or mobile apps
Information stored in the cloud and highly secure
Direct connection to bank and credit card accounts
Customizable reports and dashboards
No contract required

Cons

No 24/7 support
Limited amount of users
Payroll is an extra cost

Products & Pricing

*Offer terms

QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Online Payroll Discount Offer Terms: Discount applied to the [$35/$65/$99/$235 monthly] price for QuickBooks Online [Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced] (“QBO”) and discount applied to the [$50/$85/$130 monthly] price for QuickBooks Online Payroll [Core, Premium, or Elite] (“Payroll”) is for the first 3 months of service, starting from the date of enrollment, followed by the then-current [monthly] list price. Your account will automatically be charged on a [monthly] basis until you cancel. For QuickBooks Online Payroll, each employee is an additional $[6/9/11]/month. Contractor payments via direct deposit are $[6/9/11]/month, per contractor payment. Service optimized for up to 50 employees or contractors, and capped at 150. The service includes 1 state tax filing. [If your business requires tax calculation and/or filing in more than one state, each additional state is $12/month for Core and Premium. There is no charge for state tax calculation or filing for Elite.] The discounts do not apply to additional employees and state tax filing fees. If you add or remove services, your service fees will be adjusted accordingly. Sales tax may be applied where applicable. To be eligible for this offer you must be a new QBO and Payroll customer and sign up for the monthly plan using the “Buy Now” option. This offer can’t be combined with any other QuickBooks offers. Offer available for a limited time only. To cancel your subscription at any time go to Account & Settings in QBO and select “Cancel.” Your cancellation will become effective at the end of the monthly billing period. You will not receive a prorated refund; your access and subscription benefits will continue for the remainder of the billing period. Offer cannot be combined with any other Intuit offer. Terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options subject to change without notice.

Simple Start

Priced at $35 per month, this plan allows you to securely import transactions, automate bookkeeping, and organize your finances effortlessly. With features like receipt snapping, automatic mileage tracking, and customizable estimates, you can easily manage your business on the go. Additionally, you can accept credit card payments, track your income and expenses, and share your books with your accountant. Plus, enjoy live tax expert support powered by TurboTax to ensure you get every credit you deserve.

Plus

This plan costs $99 per month and is intended for small to mid-sized corporations, partnerships, and non-profits. Building on the features of the previous plans, it allows you to connect any available online sales channels, automatically syncing all transactions with QuickBooks for seamless financial management. Invite your accountant with controlled access levels to maintain security while collaborating easily. Additionally, you can track products, manage inventory, create purchase orders, and oversee vendor relationships with ease. The Plus plan also enables you to manage all your projects in one place, including tracking labor costs, payroll, and expenses. With the ability to create detailed budgets using real-time data, you and your team can collaborate efficiently to keep your business on track (this plan includes five users).

Advanced

Priced at $235 per month, this plan is a great option for larger scale businesses or organizations. Along with all the features from the previous plans, this plan allows you to automatically track and manage fixed asset values, giving you a complete view of your assets and insights into future needs. Seamlessly integrate QuickBooks with Excel to enhance accuracy and gain custom business insights. You can also create, edit, and send multiple invoices faster, control data visibility with custom permissions, and assign tasks to specific users. With continuous, automatic backups, you can easily restore specific versions of your company data and view your version history. Finally, you can enjoy 24/7 support with QuickBooks Priority Circle, including access to special training resources.

Simple Start

$35 /mo

Free 30-day trial

Plus

$99 /mo

Free 30-day trial

Advanced

$235 /mo

Free 30-day trial

Canada Pricing

EasyStart

$28 /mo

Plus

$95 /mo

Advanced

$190 /mo

In-depth review

Features & Functionality

Custom Invoices, Quotes & Payment Tracking

The invoices and payments feature allows users to create custom invoices, accept payments from clients, and monitor past-due invoices. It is extremely easy to convert estimates to invoices, set up recurring invoices, and set automatic invoice reminders. There are also options to include tax, discounts, and shipping costs, all while Quickbooks keeps track of how much you earn and owe.

Business Insights

Easily view profit & loss, balance sheets, and other easy-to-read visual reports in one click. By connecting your bank and credit card accounts you can view accurate cash flow insights instantly.

Mile Tracking

The mile tracking tool is available with the Self-Employed plan and uses your cell phone GPS to automatically track distances. It also allows you to categorize the miles and then deduct them from your taxes.

Project Tracking

Available with the Plus plan, QuickBooks lets you analyze the revenue and expenses of a particular venture to aid in long-term decision making for your business. Since the plan allows up to five employees to access the platform, all project stakeholders can easily see its successes and pitfalls.

Payroll Processing

For an additional charge, full payroll services can be added to any level plan. This includes full-service payroll and pay employees via next-day direct deposits. The platform also stores W2 forms and provides automated tax filing.

Cloud Accounting & Data Security

Quickbooks is a cloud based platform. This means all of your information stays stored in the cloud and can be accessed at anytime from any device. Everything is protected by bank-level security to ensure that your data is only accessible to you or those you choose to share it with.

Tax Management, Powered by TurboTax

Quickbooks Online has recently introduced a new feature that offers a streamlined and expert-assisted tax filing experience. It allows users to manage their books and prepare their taxes effortlessly, saving time and effort. It also provides access to expert help for tax returns and helps ensure accuracy.

The payment is low-risk and it only requires payment upon filing, and the cost starts at $169, making it a valuable, affordable, and effective tool for tax management.

Ease of Use

Although it’s not rocket science, familiarizing yourself with QuickBooks does take some effort. The platform itself is set up almost instantly. As with all accounting platforms, you will need to set up your company at the beginning. Once your company information is added, you’ll find that the interface is clean and easy-to-use, with a navigation bar on the left-hand side and a simple layout. There’s also a search bar where you can find transactions, contacts, and reports.

Don’t be scared away if the dashboard seems foreign to you; QuickBooks has a rich library of tutorial videos to help you get up and running. Since it’s such a popular platform, there are numerous how-to videos on YouTube and other third-party sites. If you prefer to learn in-person, Intuit hosts two-day classes in various cities throughout the United States.

Reporting & Integration

Intuit carefully designed QuickBooks so that it could be integrated with multiple applications and platforms. Below is an outline of some of the essential add-ons and integrations that make QuickBooks so powerful:

Import transactions from PayPal, Square, your bank, and other financial institutions
Link Shopify and other e-commerce platforms to track both sales and sales tax
Process payments with mobile credit card readers or POS
File both federal and state payroll taxes directly from your dashboard
Download the QuickBooks app on both Androids and iPhones
Link with Bill.com to automate your accounts payable process
Sync Method: CRM to keep track of all customer interactions

Customer Service

The team at QuickBooks is available via chat and phone 12 hours per day during the week and between 6 am and 3 pm PCT on Saturday. All level accounts come with unlimited customer service, and the advanced plans come with a dedicated account manager.

Along with technical support services, there’s a detailed FAQ page with questions ranging from payroll to backing up data. If you’re a visual learner, there are countless tutorial videos both on the company’s official website and YouTube.