QuickBooks for Small Business: Which Version Do You Need?
QuickBooks has multiple options to choose from. QuickBooks Online is the most versatile.
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QuickBooks offers three main accounting products. QuickBooks Online is the best choice for most small businesses. Freelancers and independent contractors may opt for simpler options like QuickBooks Solopreneur. Larger small businesses, on the other hand, might turn to QuickBooks Enterprise for advanced inventory, sales and reporting features.
Here's a look at all of QuickBooks' small-business accounting products. You’ll also find details on how QuickBooks stacks up against its competitors, along with alternatives to consider.
QuickBooks accounting products at a glance
| QuickBooks Online | QuickBooks Solopreneur | QuickBooks Enterprise | |
| Price | Starts at $38/month. | Starts at $0/month. | Starts at $1,873/year for one user. |
| Maximum users | 25. | 1, plus accountant access. | 40. |
| Accessibility | Cloud-based. | Cloud-based. | Desktop, but you can purchase cloud access. |
| Best for | Most small businesses. | Freelancers and independent contractors. | Larger businesses with sophisticated inventory, reporting and accounting needs. |
» MORE: How much does QuickBooks cost?
QuickBooks Online
People often consider QuickBooks Online the industry standard for accounting software. It's fairly user-friendly. But some basic accounting knowledge will help you get started. Higher-tier plans have more advanced capabilities. Those include inventory management and job costing, among others. Another important note: QuickBooks Online is cloud-based. That means you can access it anywhere with an internet connection.
QuickBooks Solopreneur
QuickBooks Solopreneur is mainly for freelancers and independent contractors. It helps them separate their business and personal expenses and prepare their taxes. Solopreneur's free plan lets you send two invoices per month and track mileage for five trips. You can also use it to capture two receipts each month. The paid plan doesn't put a limit on any of these things. It also has tax filing support. And, like QuickBooks Online, it's cloud-based.
QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Enterprise is the most customizable and powerful QuickBooks product. This makes it ideal for larger businesses with complex finances. Key features include advanced inventory, reporting and pricing capabilities. Enterprise is also scalable if you're willing to pay more. It has four plans and an option to add cloud access. Otherwise, it's desktop-based. Plans become more expensive as you add additional users too.
What about QuickBooks Desktop?
This article used to list a handful of QuickBooks Desktop products. Those included Pro Plus, Premier Plus and Mac Plus. However, QuickBooks is phasing those editions out. The company stopped selling new subscriptions to them in October 2024. QuickBooks Enterprise, however, wasn't impacted.
How to choose the right QuickBooks accounting product
Follow these steps to land on the right QuickBooks product for your business.
1. Consider the size of your business. Businesses of one can use Solopreneur. But if you have employees, QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Enterprise is the better choice. Both integrate with payroll software. And they can accommodate more complex businesses.
2. Take your business's complexity into account. QuickBooks Enterprise is better than QuickBooks Online for especially complex businesses. That's because it has industry-specific reports and multi-company management tools. Its inventory and pricing features are also more advanced.
3. Weigh cloud-based and desktop-based options. Cloud-based options, like QuickBooks Online and Solopreneur, are typically the most convenient. You can use them from any device with an internet connection. That means you can work from virtually anywhere. Desktop software, like Enterprise, exists on a single computer. You can purchase additional licenses or cloud access, but it costs extra.
4. Determine a monthly accounting software budget. QuickBooks Enterprise is usually the most expensive option on the list. It starts at $1,873 per year. And that doesn't even account for additional users or cloud access. For example, adding a second user to the lowest-tier Silver plan costs an extra $1,110 per year. If you have a tighter budget, QuickBooks Online or Solopreneur are the way to go.
QuickBooks accounting alternatives
QuickBooks fits the bill for lots of small businesses. But it's not the right choice for all of them. Before making a decision, explore more options from these roundups.
QuickBooks accounting comparisons
Learn more about how QuickBooks compares to popular competitors.
Here are some deep dives into additional QuickBooks-related products.
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