QuickBooks enjoys more than 80% of the small business market, with 29 million small businesses in the United States alone. There are four QuickBooks Desktop products: QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Accountant. In this guide, we take a deep dive into cost, features and support options, including who each product is right for.
QuickBooks Pro vs Premier vs Enterprise vs Accountant
| QuickBooks Pro | Businesses with sales up to $1MM/year who require no more than 3 users. |
| QuickBooks Premier | Nonprofit, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Professional Services, Contractor, or Retail businesses. |
| QuickBooks Enterprise | Small to medium-sized businesses with sales over $1MM/year and between 20-250 employees. |
| QuickBooks Accountant | Bookkeepers and accountants who provide bookkeeping services. |
When to Consider QuickBooks Online
These 4 QuickBooks options are all desktop versions, but QuickBooks also offers cloud accounting options under the QuickBooks Online suite of products. While it’s limited in some advanced functionality, you can access it from anywhere, and is great for businesses that need multi user access.
For example, with QuickBooks Online, you can access your data from any mobile device or computer with an internet connection. Right now, you can save up to 50% on QuickBooks Online.
How We Determined Which One is Best for You
All four editions of QuickBooks Desktop include the minimum criteria you would expect to have in an accounting software. Below is a list of the basic features that are included in QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise and Accountant:
- Minimum of 3 users
- Manage Accounts Receivable
- Manage Accounts Payable
- Create Estimates
- Create Invoices
- Pay Bills
There are quite a few additional features included in each edition of QuickBooks Desktop. Below is a summary table that includes just some of the additional features that you will find in QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise and Accountant. This should help you make a quick determination as to which one is best for your needs.
QuickBooks Tiered Pricing & Features Table
| Starting Price | ||||
| Max Number of Users | ||||
| Manage Sales Tax | ||||
| Manage Inventory | ||||
| Multiple Currencies | ||||
| Industry specific versions | ||||
| Create Sales Orders | ||||
| Create Bill of Materials | ||||
| Accountant Toolbox | ||||
| Toggle to other Editions | ||||
| Batch Void/Delete Transactions | ||||
| Manage Fixed Assets | ||||
| Detailed Reports |
Best For Businesses up to $1MM in Annual Revenue: QuickBooks Pro
QuickBooks Pro is the starter edition of the QuickBooks desktop product line. If you are just starting out – or even if you’ve been a small business for a number of years – this product is capable of meeting all of your needs. If your sales are below $1MM annually, you have no more than 20 employees and you don’t need to grant more than 3 people access to your data, then this product is a good fit for you.
QuickBooks Pro Features
Most people are surprised by the number of features that are available in QuickBooks Pro at such a low cost (starting at $299.95). Below is a list of just some of the features included in QuickBooks Pro:
QuickBooks Pro Includes:
- Maximum of 3 users
- Manage Accounts Receivable
- Manage Accounts Payable
- Create Estimates
- Create Invoices
- Create Purchase Orders
- Manage Sales Tax
- Manage Inventory
- Manage Multiple Currencies
- Over 100 Reports
When it comes to data limitations, QuickBooks Pro can hold up to a total of 14,500 customers, vendors and employees combined. For other areas like fixed assets and the chart of accounts, it can hold up to 10,000 each. Keep in mind that as you get closer to these limits, the performance of the software could slow down considerably. If this occurs, you should upgrade to QuickBooks Enterprise. Check out the QuickBooks Enterprise features section for the data limitations.
QuickBooks Pro Pricing
The starting price for QuickBooks Pro is $299.95. This includes one user license. Up to two additional licenses can be purchased for $250 per license. If you need more than 3 users, you will need to purchase QuickBooks Premier, which we will discuss in the next section.
All QuickBooks products include tech support for the first 30 days. After the 30 days, you will need to purchase a customer support plan or use the other training resources available which we will discuss later in this article.
What QuickBooks Pro is Missing
In addition to being limited to 3 users, QuickBooks Pro is not a good fit for a manufacturing business that needs to create a bill of materials. In addition, you cannot create sales orders with QuickBooks Pro. However, QuickBooks Premier is capable of creating a bill of materials and sales orders. We’ll discuss QuickBooks Premier in the section below.
Where to Get QuickBooks Pro
You can download QuickBooks Pro and receive up to $80-$100 off with a 60-day money-back guarantee. I recommend that you take full advantage. Set up your company file and try entering basic transactions like invoices and bills. You can also take advantage of the free customer support that is included with the first 30 days.
Best for Businesses in Niche Industries: QuickBooks Premier
QuickBooks Premier is the next product up from QuickBooks Pro. When deciding on QuickBooks Pro vs Premier, the Premier version is best for companies that generate less than $1M in sales per year and have no more than 20 employees. Unlike QuickBooks Pro, however, QuickBooks Premier allows you to choose from 6 specific industries:
- Nonprofit
- Manufacturing & Wholesale
- Professional Services
- Contractor
- Retail
- General Business
These industry-specific versions include a customized chart of accounts, a customized products and services list and custom reports for each industry. This makes QuickBooks Premier a great choice over Pro if you operate in one of these industries. QuickBooks Premier also allows you to have up to 5 users, whereas QuickBooks Pro limits you to 3.
QuickBooks Premier Features
Similar to QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier is very feature-rich for the cost. In addition to having all of the features that QuickBooks Pro has listed above, it also includes the following features:
QuickBooks Premier Includes:
- Track Multiple Units of Measure
- Create Sales Orders
- Create Price Levels
- View/print past Bank Reconciliation Reports
- Run a Balance Sheet Report by Department/Location
- Export Report Templates & Import into another QuickBooks Company files
- Forecasting and Business Planning
- Over 150 Reports, including industry specific reports
QuickBooks Premier Pricing
QuickBooks Premier starts at $499.95 for one license. An additional 4 licenses can be purchased for approximately $350 per license. If more than 5 people need access to QuickBooks, you will need to purchase QuickBooks Enterprise, which we will discuss in the next section.
Similar to QuickBooks Pro, tech support for the first 30 days is included with your purchase. Check out the Customer Support/Service section for options on service plans and other helpful resources.
What QuickBooks Premier is Missing
In addition to being limited to 5 users, QuickBooks Premier does not have the capacity to hold as much data as QuickBooks Enterprise. For example, you can set up a maximum of 14.500 customers, vendors and employees in Premier, whereas Enterprise can hold up to 1,000,000. In addition, Premier does not have the ability to do parent/subsidiary reporting like QuickBooks Enterprise does.
Where to Get QuickBooks Premier
You can download QuickBooks Premier and receive up to $200 off your purchase, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Take full advantage and set up your company file; try entering basic transactions like invoices and bills. Be sure to also take advantage of the free customer support that is included with the first 30 days.
Best For Businesses With $1MM+ in Annual Revenue: QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Enterprise is what I call the “Range Rover” of the QuickBooks Desktop product line. It is for businesses that earn more than $1MM/year in sales and have between 20-250 employees. With QuickBooks Enterprise, you can have up to 30 users, making this the best option for a mid to large sized company that is in the merchandise or manufacturing industry.
Similar to QuickBooks Premier, QuickBooks Enterprise also comes in the following industry-specific versions:
1. Nonprofit
2. Manufacturing & Wholesale
3. Professional Services
4. Contractor
5. Retail
6. General Business
These industry-specific versions include a customized chart of accounts, a customized products and services list and custom reports for each industry. This means that if you operate in one of these industries but have a larger organization than what Premier can support, QuickBooks Enterprise is right for you.
QuickBooks Enterprise Features
QuickBooks Enterprise not only includes every feature that both QuickBooks Pro and Premier have but it includes quite a few additional features. Below is a list of features included in QuickBooks Enterprise:
QuickBooks Enterprise Includes:
- Faster processing
- More transactions
- Reporting for parent and subsidiary companies
- Granular user permissions
- Multiple location tracking & reporting
- Mobile Inventory barcode scanning
- QuickBooks Accountant Desktop Tools
- Over 150 Reports, advanced reporting
When it comes to data limitations, QuickBooks Enterprise can hold up to a total of 1,000,000 customers, vendors and employees combined. You can also set up to 100,000 accounts on the chart of accounts as opposed to 10,000 for QuickBooks Pro, Premier & Accountant. With these kind of numbers, you should have no performance issues if you go with QuickBooks Enterprise.
QuickBooks Enterprise Pricing
QuickBooks Enterprise starts at $1,100/year for one license. Additional licenses can be purchased (up to 30) but you will have to contact customer service for pricing.
Unlike QuickBooks Pro and Premier, the pricing structure is an annual subscription. Therefore, as long as you remain current, you get ongoing tech support for the year instead of just the first 30 days like Pro and Premier. However, this also means you have to pay every year, rather than a one-time payment with the other versions. We will cover this in more detail in the Customer Support/Service section.
What QuickBooks Enterprise is Missing
Since QuickBooks Enterprise is the top of the line QuickBooks Desktop product, it’s not missing much (if anything) when it comes to features. However, when it comes to pricing, you don’t have the option of making a one-time purchase. Instead, you are forced to sign up for a subscription plan that you have to renew annually to continuously use the product.
Where to Get QuickBooks Enterprise
You can download QuickBooks Enterprise and take it for free a test run. Take full advantage of the trial run and set up your company file. Enter basic transactions like invoices and bills and be sure to take advantage of the free customer support that is included with the first 30 days.
Best for Professional Bookkeepers & Accountants: QuickBooks Accountant
For all of you small business owners who are bookkeepers, accountants or CPAs, QuickBooks Accountant was created just for you.This QuickBooks version includes several features that come in handy when you are managing multiple client files.
To get access to QuickBooks Accountant, you need to join the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program.
In addition to including all of the features that Pro, Premier and Enterprise have, you get access to the Accountant’s Toolbox which has features that only QuickBooks Enterprise comes with.
QuickBooks Accountant Features
QuickBooks Accountant has the best of both worlds because it includes all of the features that QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Enterprise has, plus really cool tools that accountants and bookkeeper tend to rely on to manage their client’s books.
Depending on your ProAdvisor membership level, you will either have access to one or both of the following accountant editions:
- QuickBooks Accountant Plus
- QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant
QuickBooks Accountant Desktop Plus includes all of the features of QuickBooks Pro and Premier so that you can support your Pro/Premier clients when they provide you with their QuickBooks files.
QuickBooks Accountant Plus includes
- Batch enter transactions
- Batch void/delete transactions
- Toggle to other editions of QuickBooks (i.e. Pro, Premier industry specific editions)
- Client data review
- Run a Working Trial Balance Report
- Manage fixed assets
- Open two companies at the same time
QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant includes all of the features of QuickBooks Enterprise so that you can support your Enterprise clients when they provide you with their QuickBooks files.
QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant Includes
- All the new features of QuickBooks Accountant & Enterprise as they are rolled out – no upgrade required
QuickBooks Accountant Pricing
As discussed earlier, you must sign up for the ProAdvisor membership to gain access to QuickBooks Accountant. There are 3 membership levels; free, deluxe and premium. The free membership includes access to QuickBooks Online Accountant, which is the cloud version of QuickBooks. For the purposes of this article, we will just focus on the deluxe and the premium memberships:
ProAdvisor Deluxe Membership
The ProAdvisor Deluxe membership is $349/year and includes the following benefits:
- Software, valued at $499 (QuickBooks Accountant Plus)
- Accountant Toolbox, which includes batch enter transactions, delete/void transactions and client data review tools.
- Accountant’s Copy File Transfer Service, which allows you to receive client files and send back to the client with importable changes.
- All benefits included in ProAdvisor Basic membership
- Dedicated tech support team
- Training materials & videos to get you quickly up to speed on QuickBooks.
ProAdvisor Premium Membership
The ProAdvisor Premium membership is $549/year and includes the following benefits:
- Software valued at $4500, which includes the functionalities of QuickBooks Accountant Plus, QuickBooks Enterprise, QuickBooks Mac, QuickBooks Point of Sale
- Accountant Toolbox, which includes batch enter transactions, delete/void transactions and client data review tools.
- Accountant’s Copy File Transfer Service, which allows you to receive client files and send back to the client with importable changes.
- Dedicated tech support team
- Training materials & videos to get you quickly up to speed on QuickBooks.
What QuickBooks Accountant is Missing
I have been using QuickBooks Accountant for about 10 years now. Over the years, I have seen this product grow and improve exponentially. As a result, I was hard pressed to find something that this product is missing so at this time my opinion is nothing. Keep in mind that QuickBooks Accountant is customized for accountants/bookkeepers; if you are a small business owner, you should go with one of the other 3 desktop options.
Where to Get QuickBooks Accountant
Unlike QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Enterprise, you cannot get a free trial of QuickBooks Accountant. Instead, you must join the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program. Instead of paying for the full year upfront, you can sign up for a monthly subscription to gain access to the QuickBooks Accountant software. With the monthly plan, you can cancel your subscription at anytime.
How To Determine When It’s Time To Upgrade
When it’s time to upgrade, you can upgrade to a new edition or a new version of QuickBooks. Oftentimes, users don’t quite understand the difference between editions vs. versions, so we will try to clear up any confusion in this section.
Here’s how to determine when it’s time to purchase a new edition vs. a new version of QuickBooks:
Upgrade to a New Edition of QuickBooks
Editions of QuickBooks basically refer to the product line that we have discussed so far in this article: Pro, Premier, Enterprise and Accountant. To determine when you should upgrade to a new edition, it really depends on a variety of factors.
Below, I have listed a few signs that may be an indication that you need to consider upgrading to another edition of QuickBooks:
- You need a more robust inventory tracking system
- You are reaching the data limits for customer, vendor and items lists
- The performance in QuickBooks is unusually slow (this could also indicate that you need to upgrade your computer – check out the minimum system requirements for more info)
Update to a New Version of QuickBooks
Intuit creates a new version of QuickBooks each year. Version refers to the actual year of the product (i.e. QuickBooks Pro 2018, QuickBooks Premier 2018). Each new version will either include brand new features that the previous version did not offer or improvements to existing features.
A good rule of thumb is to upgrade to a new version if one or both of the following exist:
- There is a new feature in the latest version that you could benefit from.
- Your version of QuickBooks is older than 3 years.
What many people don’t realize is that Intuit only supports the latest 3 versions of each product. Each year, Intuit sunsets a version, which means that it will stop supporting it. This is the reason why it’s important for you to upgrade so that you can always contact Intuit if you have any issues with QuickBooks. Further, if you use any QuickBooks services like credit card processing or payroll processing, those products will cease to work once your QuickBooks software sunsets.
One last piece of advice I will share with you, don’t upgrade to a new edition/version of QuickBooks that has not been out for at least 6 months. Within the first few months of a product release, there are several patches and fixes that will take place.
QuickBooks Customer Service & Support
In general, QuickBooks comes with free tech support for the first 30 days after you install the software; after that, you will need to purchase a support plan to access tech support. Below, we have provided you with the details of the support plan options that are available for each QuickBooks edition.
QuickBooks Pro/Premier Support Plans
Here are the 3 primary support plans available for QuickBooks Pro/Premier:
- Tech Support for One Session, $59.95
- 90-Day Support 24/7, $89.95
- 1 year 24/7 Support, $299.95
QuickBooks Enterprise/Accountant Support Plans
Unlike QuickBooks Pro and Premier, unlimited tech support is included in the cost of Enterprise and the Accountant editions include of QuickBooks. As discussed previously, QuickBooks Enterprise is billed on an annual basis so as long as you renew your subscription, you will have access to tech support 24/7.
Similar to QuickBooks Enterprise, the ProAdvisor subscription is an annual subscription. As long as you are current, you will have access to tech support 24/7.
New Features in QuickBooks 2018
As we discussed in the How To Determine When It’s Time to Upgrade section, each year Intuit releases a new version of the QuickBooks product line that includes brand new features as well as enhancements to existing features.
Here is a list of the new features released in 2018 for QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Enterprise:
QuickBooks Pro and Premier
- Multi-Monitor Support – QuickBooks Desktop now allows you to use up to 3 monitors (previously two was the max) to display multiple windows.
- Chart of Accounts Search – A brand new search bar has been added to the chart of accounts so that you can search by the account name or number.
- Cash/Accrual Toggle – Switch between cash or accrual method when running reports. Note: This feature is not available on all reports.
- Past Due Stamp – Now you can add a Past Due Stamp to delinquent customer invoices before sending them via email or before you print & mail them.
- Inventory Reports – 3 new customizable inventory reports have been added to allow you to easily track inventory.
- Copy & Paste Line Keyboard Shortcuts – These new shortcuts allow you to copy & paste an entire line on an invoice to save you some keystrokes.
- Webmail Enhancements – Updated security has been added to QuickBooks when sending emails from Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail or Windows Live through QuickBooks Desktop.
- Merge Duplicate Vendors (Premier only) – Easily merge up to four duplicate vendor names to quickly clean up vendor lists.
QuickBooks Enterprise
- Mobile Inventory Barcode Scanning – Use mobile inventory barcode scanners to send sales orders to workers on the floor, scan inventory within a warehouse and transfer data wirelessly.
- Improved Sales Order Management – Easily prioritize urgent sales orders and view critical information like ship date, inventory availability and value of order.
- Inventory Picking – Fulfill shipping orders with a whole new picking process. Create customized pick lists by warehouse workers across multiple locations.
Alternatives to QuickBooks Desktop
If you’re looking for an alternative to QuickBooks Desktop, there are a number of options to choose from. Below, we have listed 5 of our top picks:
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is the cloud version of QuickBooks. It is a great product for service-based businesses.Check out our free QuickBooks Course to learn how to get your business up and running quickly. Subscriptions start at $15 per month, sign up for a free trial to check it out.
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a great product for small business owners who need to track hours for employees, contractors and themselves. It has a robust time tracking tool that allows teams to log their hours daily so that you can transfer them to an invoice when it’s time to get paid.
Pricing plans start at $15 per month, sign up for a free 30 day trial to check it out for yourself!
Xero
Xero is a great alternative to QuickBooks. While it hasn’t been around as long, the software is very robust and includes all of the features you would expect to find in an accounting software. Check out our free Xero Course to learn how to set up and run your business using Xero. Subscriptions start at $9 per month, sign up for a free 30 day trial.
Zoho Books
You’ve probably heard of (or used) a Zoho app before but didn’t know that they have a bookkeeping app called Zoho Books. If you are currently using Zoho apps then Zoho Books will work great for you because you can easily connect it with other Zoho apps and share information such as customer and vendor contact info. Pricing plans start at $9 per month. You can take it for a test drive by signing up for a free 30 day trial.
Wave
Don’t have any money in the budget for an accounting software? Then Wave is your solution! Wave is 100% free. It is a very robust accounting software that includes about 80% of the features that QuickBooks has – but at no cost!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About QuickBooks
What are the System Requirements for QuickBooks Desktop?
Be sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements. If not, I recommend that you upgrade your computer to avoid significant issues with the software.
Below are the minimum requirements for QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise and Accountant:
- Internet Explorer 11 (32-bit)
- Windows 7 SP1, 8.1 Update 1, or Windows 10 (all 32-bit & 640bit)
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2, or 2016
- 2.4 GHz processor
- 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
- 2.5 GB disk space recommended (additional space required for data files)
- 4x DVD-ROM drive (unless user is downloading from Intuit server)
- Payroll and online features require Internet access (1 Mbps recommended speed)
- Product registration required
- Optimized for 1280X1024 screen resolution or higher. Supports one Workstation Monitor, plus p to 2 extended monitors. Optimized for Default DPI settings.
What’s the Difference Between QuickBooks Desktop & QuickBooks Online?
There are a number of differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. The key difference is that QuickBooks desktop requires that you install software on your computer and QuickBooks Online is a cloud accounting software. Check out our side by side comparison of QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Desktop.
How Can I Convert from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
Many small business owners are making the switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. The best part about converting is that Intuit will take care of it for you – at absolutely no charge. Check out our step by step guide on how to convert from QuickBooks Desktop to Online.
How Can I Convert from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop?
While this is not as common as converting from QuickBooks desktop to online, there are times when some of the features that a business requires are not available in QuickBooks Online. To convert from QuickBooks Online to Desktop, check out this support article I found on the Intuit website.
If I Hire a Virtual Bookkeeper, Can I Still Use QuickBooks?
Absolutely. There are a number of virtual bookkeepers who use QuickBooks to manage their client’s books. We’ve done the legwork for you and found 5 great virtual bookkeeping services that are very good at what they do. Packages start as low as $95/month, check out our Online Bookkeeping Services Guide for our top 5 picks.
How Can I Find a QuickBooks Expert to Help Me Set Up QuickBooks?
To make sure that you get off on the right foot, it is always ideal to hire a QuickBooks expert who can set up your books and train you on how to properly use QuickBooks. In our How to Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor article, we provide you with some great resources on how to find a good QuickBooks pro.
The Bottom Line – QuickBooks Pro vs Premier
Now that you know everything you need to about the QuickBooks Desktop product line, it’s time for you to pick one. If your business earns less than $1M per year and has less than 20 employees then go with QuickBooks Pro vs Premier. If your business earns more than $1M per year and has more than 20 employees then go with QuickBooks Enterprise.
Regardless of the QuickBooks edition you decide to go with, you get to take it for a test drive by signing up for a trial version at 50% off the standard price. The most popular tiers are QuickBooks Pro vs Premier.
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