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The advent of technology has made it easier for businesses to manage their finances with online accounting software. One of the most popular cloud-based accounting software is QuickBooks.
Developed by Intuit, QuickBooks is a cloud-based accounting software designed to help businesses manage their finances. It offers a range of features to help businesses streamline their financial transactions, including invoicing, expense tracking, payroll, and tax preparation. QuickBooks Online is the most popular version of QuickBooks, thanks to its accessibility and ease of use.
QuickBooks comes with a range of benefits and limitations that businesses should consider before choosing the software.
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Plan | Pricing | Features |
Simple Start | $30/ month | Access for 1 user and 2 accounting firms |
Essentials | $55/month | All the features of Simple Start, plus: |
Plus | $85/month | All the features of Essentials, plus: |
Advanced | $200/month | All the features of Plus |
QuickBooks has received high ratings on various platforms, including G2 and TrustRadius. Here is a table outlining the performance ratings of QuickBooks:
Specifications | Rating at Glance | Our Verdict |
Ease of Use | ![]() | QuickBooks has an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate and use. |
Support | ![]() | QuickBooks offers a range of support options, including email, phone, and chat support. |
Features | ![]() | QuickBooks offers comprehensive financial management features and integrates with other business tools. |
Ease of Setup | ![]() | QuickBooks can be challenging to set up, especially for first-time users. |
G2 Rating | ![]() | QuickBooks has received high ratings on G2, with users praising its ease of use and comprehensive features. |
QuickBooks Online offers a range of features to help businesses manage their finances. Here is a table outlining some of its essential features:
Features | QuickBooks |
Double Entry | Yes |
All Major A/R, A/P Forms | Yes |
Mobile Access | Yes |
Time Tracking | Yes |
Payroll | Yes |
Customer/Vendor Portals | No |
Tracks Inventory | Yes |
Training Available | Yes |
Document Management | Yes |
CRM Integration | Yes |
Multi-Currency | Yes |
Live Support | Yes |
Audit Trail | Yes |
Invoice Customization | Yes |
Payment Processing | Yes |
Reconciliations | Yes |
Financial Statements | Yes |
Data Import & Export Tool | Yes |
QuickBooks offers a wide range of features that help businesses streamline their financial operations and make better decisions. So, let’s take a closer look at the various features offered by QuickBooks and how they can benefit your business.
Creating and sending invoices is an essential part of running a business. QuickBooks offers a user-friendly invoicing feature that allows you to create custom invoices with your logo, branding, and payment terms. You can choose from a range of templates and add your company information, including your logo, address, and contact details.
With QuickBooks, you can also customize your invoices to reflect the type of work you’re doing. You can add detailed descriptions of the services or products you’re providing, include sales tax, and set payment terms. Once you’ve created your invoice, you can send it to your client via email or print it out and send it by post.
QuickBooks also allows you to track the status of your invoices. You can see whether an invoice has been sent, viewed, or paid, and send automatic payment reminders to your clients. This helps you stay on top of your outstanding invoices and improves your cash flow.
Tracking expenses is critical for any business, as it helps you understand your cash flow and make informed decisions. QuickBooks makes it easy to track your expenses by allowing you to categorize them and attach receipts.
You can categorize your expenses based on type, such as office supplies, rent, or travel expenses. QuickBooks also allows you to add tags to your expenses, which can be useful for tracking expenses for specific projects or clients.
QuickBooks also allows you to connect your bank and credit card accounts to the software. This enables you to import transactions automatically, which saves you time and reduces errors. QuickBooks uses machine learning algorithms to learn how you categorize your transactions, so it can automatically categorize future transactions for you.
Paying bills on time is crucial for maintaining good relationships with your suppliers and keeping your business running smoothly. QuickBooks allows you to manage your bills and track your expenses in one place.
You can enter your bills into QuickBooks manually or set up automatic bill payments. QuickBooks also allows you to schedule recurring payments for bills that you pay regularly, such as rent or utilities. You can also set up reminders to alert you when a bill is due, which helps you avoid late fees and penalties. In addition, you can attach bills and receipts to your transactions. This makes it easy to keep track of your expenses and simplifies your record-keeping.
QuickBooks can help you maximize your tax deductions by tracking your expenses and generating reports that you can use to prepare your tax returns. QuickBooks automatically categorizes your expenses and provides you with reports that show your total expenses for specific categories, such as travel or office supplies.
You can also use QuickBooks to track your mileage for business purposes, which can be useful for calculating your mileage deduction for tax purposes. QuickBooks allows you to enter the starting and ending points of your trips and calculates the mileage for you automatically.
QuickBooks also allows you to track your business-related meals and entertainment expenses, which are subject to specific tax rules. You can enter the details of your meals and entertainment expenses and use QuickBooks to generate reports that show your total expenses for this category.
QuickBooks provides you with a range of reports that you can use to understand your business performance and make informed decisions. You can generate reports that show your profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and more.
QuickBooks also provides you with reports that show your sales and expenses by customer, product, or service. This can be useful for identifying your most profitable customers or services and making decisions about your pricing or marketing strategies.
QuickBooks also allows you to customize your reports by selecting the data you want to include and changing the format of the report. You can also filter your reports based on specific criteria, such as date range or category, which helps you focus on the information that’s most relevant to you.
Tracking your business mileage is important for calculating your tax deductions and understanding your travel expenses. QuickBooks makes it easy to track your mileage by allowing you to enter the starting and ending points of your trips and calculating the mileage for you automatically.
You can also categorize your trips based on the purpose of your travel, such as client meetings or business errands. QuickBooks allows you to generate reports that show your total mileage and expenses for specific categories, which makes it easy to calculate your tax deductions.
If you’re working on multiple projects, keeping track of your expenses, invoices, and time can be a challenge. QuickBooks offers a project management feature that allows you to create and manage projects in one place.
You can create projects and add details such as the project name, start date, and budget. You can also track your time and expenses for each project and generate reports that show your total expenses and profitability for each project.
QuickBooks also allows you to create invoices and bills for each project, which makes it easy to track your revenue and expenses. You can also assign team members to each project and track their time and expenses, which helps you manage your resources effectively.
If your business sells products or services, you may be required to collect and remit sales tax to your state or local government. QuickBooks can help you calculate and track your sales tax automatically, which saves you time and reduces errors.
QuickBooks allows you to set up your sales tax rates based on your location and the products or services you sell. You can also set up exemptions for specific products or customers. QuickBooks calculates your sales tax automatically based on your sales and generates reports that show your total sales tax liability.
You can also use QuickBooks to prepare and file your sales tax returns, which makes it easy to stay compliant with tax regulations.
If you’re selling products online, QuickBooks offers an e-commerce integration feature that allows you to manage your sales and inventory in one place. QuickBooks integrates with popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon, which enables you to import your sales transactions automatically.
You can also manage your inventory levels and track your product sales in QuickBooks. It allows you to generate reports that show your top-selling products, inventory levels, and profit margins.
QuickBooks offers a range of automation features that help you streamline your workflow and save time. For example, you can set up automatic bank feeds that import your transactions into QuickBooks automatically. You can also set up automatic payment reminders for your clients, which helps you get paid faster.
QuickBooks also offers a feature called “Rules,” which allows you to automate specific tasks based on predefined criteria. For example, you can create a rule that categorizes all transactions from a specific vendor as “Office Supplies,” which saves you time on manual data entry.
If you work with contractors or freelancers, you may be required to file 1099 forms with the IRS. QuickBooks makes it easy to generate and file your 1099 forms, which saves you time and reduces errors.
QuickBooks allows you to track your payments to contractors and generate reports that show total payments for each contractor. You can also use QuickBooks to prepare and file 1099 forms, which ensures that you stay compliant with tax regulations.
QuickBooks offers a mobile application that allows you to access your financial data from any location. The mobile app allows you to view invoices, track expenses, and manage cash flow on the go. You can also use the app to create and send invoices, capture receipts, and record expenses.
The mobile app syncs with your QuickBooks account in real-time, which means that you always have access to the latest information. You can also use the app to receive notifications about important events, such as payment due dates or new invoices.
The mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.
The first step in using QuickBooks is to set up an account. QuickBooks offers a range of plans and pricing options, depending on the size of your business and the features you need. Once you have signed up for a plan, you will be asked to enter the company information, including your business name, address, and contact details.
Once you have set up an account, you will be able to access your account by logging in and accessing the main dashboard. If you are switching from another best small business accounting software, you can import existing files to your new account.
The dashboard provides a summary of your QuickBooks account, displaying an overview of your profit and loss, invoices, expenses, and sales. You can start creating and managing your transactions. QuickBooks allows you to create and send invoices to your clients, track your expenses, and manage your bills in one place.
To customize your invoices, set up automatic sales tax tracking, or learn how to enter mobile receipts and bills, navigate to the relevant section. You can edit the account settings using the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
QuickBooks offers a range of automation features that can help you streamline your workflow and save time. For example, you can set up automatic payment reminders for your clients, which helps you get paid faster.
You can connect your bank and credit card accounts using the “Banking” tab on the left side of the dashboard. QuickBooks automatically downloads transactions and categorizes them, making it easier to reconcile your books later. You can review these transactions in the “For Review” tab in the Banking menu.
QuickBooks also offers a feature called “Rules,” which allows you to automate specific tasks based on predefined criteria. For example, you can create a rule that categorizes all transactions from a specific vendor as “Office Supplies,” which saves you time on manual data entry.
QuickBooks allows you to collaborate with your team by giving them access to your account. You can assign specific roles and permissions to your team members, which allows you to control their access to financial data.
QuickBooks also allows you to share your reports and financial data with your accountant or bookkeeper. This makes it easy for them to prepare your tax returns or provide you with financial advice.
You can invite your bookkeeper or accountant by using the “My Accountant” tab or the “Manage Users” page in Settings. If you don’t have an accountant yet, you can also search for one within QuickBooks.
The mobile app allows you to view your invoices, track your expenses, and manage your cash flow on the go. You can also use the app to create and send invoices, capture receipts, and record your expenses. The mobile app syncs with your QuickBooks account in real-time, which means that you always have access to the latest information.
Small business owners often struggle to manage their finances effectively, but the QuickBooks Online app offers a range of tools to make the process much easier. This powerful app provides a one-stop-shop for managing financial transactions, expenses, invoicing, cash flow, tax deductions, and more.
With the QuickBooks Online app, users can easily sync their bank accounts, credit cards, and third-party apps like PayPal and Square. This ensures that all transactions are automatically added to the app’s dashboard in real-time, allowing users to keep track of their sales and expenses as they happen.
One of the app’s most impressive features is its ability to categorize expenses automatically, reducing the amount of manual data entry required. Additionally, users can use the app to create invoices, accept payments, track travel miles, manage bills and 1099 contractors, run reports, and pay employees.
Of course, the features available depend on the type of plan you purchase. However, even the basic plans offer powerful tools for managing finances effectively. For example, for an additional $50, users can receive a one-time virtual session with a certified bookkeeper for a fast and customized setup of their QuickBooks account.
For those needing full-service payroll plans, QuickBooks offers these as well, starting at $22.50 per month. All of these features come with robust security measures, including Verisign scanning, password-protected login, firewall-protected servers, and 128-bit SSL encryption technology used by major banks.
Finally, QuickBooks is an Intuit brand, the same company behind Mint and TurboTax, which millions of people trust with their sensitive financial data. This ensures that users can rely on the QuickBooks Online app to provide a safe and secure platform for managing their finances.
QuickBooks Online offers a variety of customer support options to help users navigate the software and get the most out of its features. Users can contact QuickBooks Online’s customer service team via phone or live chat, depending on the preferred method of communication.
Additionally, QuickBooks Online also provides a comprehensive help center that includes articles, tutorials, and videos that can guide users through common issues. For users who prefer to troubleshoot issues on their own, you can use the support page.
In addition, QuickBooks Online’s QB Assistant is a chatbot feature that can provide users with answers to a range of questions related to their account. Additionally, QB Assistant can connect users to live support for further assistance, making it a convenient and efficient tool for resolving issues or getting help with QuickBooks Online.
Overall, QuickBooks Online’s customer service is designed to help users with their questions and concerns and to ensure they have a smooth and successful experience using the platform.
QuickBooks Online is a powerful cloud-based accounting software that can be the perfect solution for small and medium-sized businesses looking for a reliable and easy-to-use accounting solution.
With QuickBooks Online, you can easily manage your finances, track expenses, create and send invoices, pay bills, and access real-time financial reports. This software offers a wide range of features and functionalities that can help you streamline your accounting processes, save time, and reduce errors.
One of the biggest advantages of QuickBooks Online is its flexibility and accessibility. With this software, you can access your financial data from anywhere and at any time, as long as you have an internet connection. This can be particularly beneficial if you have multiple locations or if you need to work remotely.
Additionally, QuickBooks Online offers a variety of integrations with other business tools, such as payment processors, inventory management systems, and customer relationship management software, making it a powerful all-in-one solution for managing your business finances.
Overall, if you’re looking for a reliable and easy-to-use accounting software that can grow with your business, QuickBooks Online is definitely worth considering. However, QuickBooks Online may not be the most cost-effective solution for very small businesses or sole proprietors. So, before deciding whether or not QuickBooks Online is right for your business, it’s important to evaluate your accounting needs and budget.
If you’re looking for an alternative to QuickBooks Online, there are many other accounting software options available. To help you choose the best option for your business, we’ve put together a comparison table of some of the top QuickBooks Online alternatives.
QuickBooks Online | FreshBooks | Xero | |
Price | $15 per month (for the first six months, then $30 per month afterward) | $1.50 per month (for the first three months, then $5 per month afterward) | $13 per month |
Customer Support | Available for higher-tiered plans | Phone 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time | 24/7 online support |
Free Trial | 30 Days | 30 Days | 30 Days |
Before making a decision about whether or not to use QuickBooks Online, you may have some questions about the software. In this section, we’ll address some frequently asked questions about QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software that offers a wide range of features and functionalities to help you manage your finances. To use QuickBooks Online, you need to sign up for a subscription plan, create an account, and set up your company profile. Then, you can start adding your financial transactions, such as income and expenses, and use the software to create and send invoices, pay bills, and access real-time financial reports.
QuickBooks Online can be a great investment for small businesses looking for a reliable and easy-to-use accounting solution. The software offers a range of features and functionalities that can help you manage your finances, track expenses, and reduce errors. Additionally, QuickBooks Online is accessible from anywhere and offers a variety of integrations with other business tools, such as payment processors and inventory management systems. However, it’s important to evaluate your business needs and budget to determine if QuickBooks Online is the right solution for you.
QuickBooks Online has a user-friendly interface and can be easy to navigate for users with some experience using accounting software. However, some users may find the software to be complex and difficult to use, especially if they are not familiar with accounting software. Additionally, there may be a learning curve when first starting to use QuickBooks Online, as with any new software.
QuickBooks Online offers live bookkeeping support through its “QuickBooks Live” service. With this service, you can work with a virtual bookkeeper to get expert advice on managing your finances, help with data entry and reconciliation, and ensure that your financial reports are accurate and up-to-date. This service is available for an additional fee, and the cost varies depending on your business needs.
QuickBooks Online offers a wide range of integrations with other business tools, such as payment processors, inventory management systems, and customer relationship management software. Some of the most popular integrations include PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, and Salesforce. These integrations can help you streamline your business processes and improve efficiency.
Yes, QuickBooks Online offers a mobile app that allows you to access your financial data on-the-go. With the mobile app, you can manage your finances, send invoices, track expenses, and view financial reports from your smartphone or tablet. The mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.
Paul Madisson
Editor
Paul leads content planning and research divisions for top10ratings.com. He is passionate about consumer tech, cybersecurity and SAAS and dedicated to providing unbiased reviews and insights on anything and everything tech