QuickBooks Reviews

We use the solution for point of sale and accounting at retail outlets.

QuickBooks is easy-to-use software.

In terms of expansion, we stopped using QuickBooks POS at some point because you can’t scale. We couldn’t scale to more than 32 locations when the business grew. The scalability, support and price could be improved.

I have been using QuickBooks for 20 years. We are using the latest version of the solution.

Currently, we have about 15 users using this solution. Earlier, it was 28. I rate the solution’ scalability an eight out of ten.

The Customer support neither gives a callback nor assigns account managers for Africa.

Positive

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. The deployment takes about two to ten hours to complete. The accounting software for the POS system is offline. However, the accounting software for the rest of your business can be either offline or online. The online version of QuickBooks is more expensive but offers more features and flexibility. The accounting software QuickBooks can be deployed within an hour or two on a physical server. However, if you are deploying it to the cloud, whether public or private, it may take two to five hours.

The return on investment is very good.

Regarding pricing, QuickBooks needs to make its point-of-sale system more affordable to onboard more small businesses. Many retail stores need a retail ERP, and QuickBooks POS is a good option. The pricing is a barrier for some businesses. If QuickBooks offered a more affordable package, it would be easier for businesses to choose QuickBooks POS and get the benefits of a retail ERP. It also gives you discounts.

For new people coming into QuickBooks, it should work on their support and have people in different time zones. Users escalate issues to the international team and ensure someone can resolve the issue quickly. It is a great application for accounting, especially for point of sale and not looking to scale beyond 30 stores. I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten.

With QuickBooks Desktop, you can open multiple companies. The program is on your computer, it's not cloud-based. I first used it when I ran a not-for-profit for nine years. I was also able to use it for my personal finances, and now that I am in business for myself, I use it with customers that do not want to do their own accounting, so they send me the data, and I set up their company, and I turn raw data into financial statements in less than two weeks.

• The ability to do deep dives into accounting research
• The simplicity of each of its modules with Customers, Vendors, and Employees
• As a certified ProAdvisor, their customer service is the best I have ever experienced for anything.

In their journal entries, you cannot use Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable more than once. For example, I owe company "A" $100, so company "A" is Accounts Payable, and I just want to list it one by one by one. If I want to add more companies, say, company "B" with $200, I can't list Accounts Payable in that entry. I would have to just say, company "A", $100, company "B", $200, Accounts Payable, $300." That's a shortcoming of it.

No stability issues. Twenty-one years of using it says it's a stable product. The other thing is, built into the program, it reminds you to backup your data. After you go in either three or five times, there's a reminder when you leave, "Don't you think you should backup your data?"

They also have a feature where, if you have a glitch, there are some options under the Company menu to try to rectify the problem yourself. And if that doesn't work, you call the most amazing, positive, helpful customer service in the world. I like them.

There are some limits to what a company can do, number of transactions. But it's in the millions, and I have never dealt with any client that reached more than that. And, if you do, there is a follow-on product called QuickBooks Enterprise, which is designed to handle the really, really big companies with lots of employees, and lots and lots of transactions, and lots of users, etc. 

QuickBooks Desktop is the perfect software program for a startup company to begin keeping track of its accounts, to work with banks, to present financials to its CPAs so that they can get their taxes done. I'm not a CPA. I don't do taxes. I prepare their financial statements so they can get their taxes done.

I rate them 11 out of 10. One of the reasons I stay involved in this product as a ProAdvisor is because I can rely on the customer service. You will always need to phone customer service about some issue. It's like knowing everything about Excel. Nobody, nowadays, knows everything about Excel because it has too many features. Well, there's always going to be something in accounting. I deal with service industries. You have a company that sells clothes: "Oh, that's retail." I might need help in figuring out this or that; or "How do you do this?" and, because I'm a ProAdvisor, I get a special number to call. But people can purchase QuickBooks Desktop, it's called Plus, and they get customer service with that, too.

I used Excel. Excel says it's a spreadsheet program but you can use it as a database program, too (which is what QuickBooks is, it's just a bunch of databases that are tied together). One time I was doing something, and I didn't check all of my formulas correctly, and I miscalculated, and I gave a wrong number to a client, and it was embarrassing. Thank God it wasn't costly, and that was when it said to me I need something better. Then I founded a not-for-profit company, and because I was getting grants I needed to keep track of them so I could report to the people giving me grants. Excel was not acceptable for that, so I got QuickBooks.

I set it up myself. I'm trained as an accountant, my education is in accounting. The umbrella company to QuickBooks is called Intuit, and it's a very apt name because QuickBooks, especially if you have an accounting background, is very intuitive. And even if you don't have an accounting background, it makes it easy for non-accountants to put in their data.

Case in point: When you're working with customers who owe you money and vendors to whom you owe money, the screens are similar, it's just they do the "dark and mysterious" double entries behind the screen. So all you're seeing is "I'm entering a bill to pay," or "I'm entering an invoice to send to somebody," and then when you start exploring the company, and the more you know about accounting, you see the genius of how it's set up.

When I first started, the only other options were the very expensive programs. QuickBooks Desktop you can find anywhere between $200 and $300 on Amazon or Costco. 

As a ProAdvisor I can offer discounts, but Amazon always sells it cheaper than I can, which is a good thing because I get no kickback from you buying the product. Therefore our relationship has more integrity because I'm not trying to sway you to buy my product because I will get $23, or something like that.

Intuit really wants its customer to be happy with the product and to be able to use it. And, as an extension, when I teach people to use Desktop, I'm a reference too that they can call, and I use telephone conferencing so that I can look at their screen, and see what's going on and say, "Oh, you've got to move this from there to there, and it just doesn't make sense, so let's figure out a way to move this up."

QuickBooks, you can get it either on disk, or you can get it to download over the Web. They have a whole lot of security passwords, licensing agreements, so that your data and your program is safe. 

And then they have, "Let's walk you through it," introductions, to show you how to use it. And they even thought about different industries, so that if you're in a service industry, if you're in a retail industry, or you're in construction, they have set up some of the initial out-of-the-box setups, so that you have something that looks kind of like your industry. So for me, I'm an accountant consulting. I do not need an Account called "Dental Equipment." It's flexible to fit your industry.

QuickBooks Online is a second product that they offer. It is cloud-based, and if you are going to equate softwares to cars, Desktop is the Lexis, Online is the Volkswagen.

Initially, with Online, you might think, "Oh, this is so much easier to use, and I can use it on my phone." But unless you are dealing with customers, and having to create an invoice when you're over at your customer, there's no need to get the Online service. Most people think, "Oh, well, I want to be able to check my books all the time," and you get QuickBooks Online, and how many times do you check your books? You don't.

QuickBooks is intuitive and easy with the more background in accounting that you have. 

If you're new to the business, if you're new to forming your company, consult a bookkeeper or a CPA for advice on your initial setup. Yes, there is a lot that you can do on your own, but accounting can be confusing, and if you set it up wrong, you run the risk of creating a very profitable situation for me to come in and clean it up. One of my specialties is called "disaster accounting." I have a client who got embezzled. I have a client who had somebody put the information in completely wrong - and this was a former CFO and CPA - and I had to totally rebuild the books from two and a half years back. So when you first start, consult with a bookkeeper - a bookkeeper is cheaper than a CPA - and get some beginning guidance in how to set it up.

I rate it a nine out of 10, because there are always things in this program that you can improve. The problem with listing Accounts Payable twice in a journal entry, that's one of them. But these issues are not enough to make me not like the product. QuickBooks also has a tab that you can click on and make suggestions to improve it. I give it a nine because it's the best program I know that's out there, but it's not perfect - and I adore it.

It's used for the accounting function of the company, so it's used as the general ledger.

For a small startup or company, it's quite a powerful software tool for managing the accounting and presenting it to investors and others who want to understand the business's health.

The reconciliation aspects of the solution are great. They help ensure that the accounting system reflects what's in the bank account, and also, some of the reporting features allow for sharing of that information.

It is easy to set up. 

The solution is stable. 

It is scalable. 

The pricing is great.

The reporting is okay. That said, there's a lot of reporting that I can't do from within QuickBooks. Quite often, I have to extract the data out and then use Excel to manipulate it. Getting data into QuickBooks is quite easy since it integrates into a lot of things. However, some things don't always work as expected, so sometimes there's extra work required. Basically, the solution just needs more reporting and better reporting. 

Technical support could be easier to reach. 

I've been using the solution for about seven years. 

The stability is good. I would rate stability nine out of ten. 

It's scalable up until a certain point. Generally, it is quite scalable. 

We have three people using it in our company. 

We might increase usage by adding one more license. 

I found it a bit tough to get in touch with technical support.

Neutral

I've also used other solutions, such as Xero and NetSuite. 

QuickBooks has kind of always been the first solution I've used.

The implementation process is very, very straightforward. It is very easy to get set up. They give you everything you need right out of the box, and you can start using it immediately. There are some customizations required, however, they're not very extensive. It works; it just can be customized to improve how it works.

The deployment itself took less than a month.

You only really need one person for the deployment and maintenance of the solution. 

While a third party handled our implementation, it can be done in-house. 

We have witnessed a pretty good ROI.

The pricing is quite cheap. They are very affordable. I'd rate pricing nine out of ten in terms of how inexpensive it is. 

I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using. 

Even though it works fine out of the box, I would advise others to spend a bit of time and money just customizing it to ensure it works appropriately for the business.

Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten. I've been pretty happy with its capabilities. 

I have used this product for my own accounting business and my clients' businesses in various industries for 20+ years. 

This product is for a low-cost comprehensive accounting package for a small business. It automatically provides industry reports without additional setup. 

It is an easy to use accounting software at a reasonable price. It is built for small businesses to track income and expenses, track sales tax and inventory, pay 1099 contractors, create and send invoices and estimates, manage bills and accounts payable. It has built-in industry reports and industry specific features (e.g., progress billing for contractors or tracking donor contributions for non-profits).

The ability to integrate outside apps is lacking (compared to the online versions) and ability to download bank transactions does not work as well as it should.

All versions of Intuit products for 20+ years. QuickBooks Desktop 2020 for 2 years 

No issues. I have never had a problem.

This product is intended for small businesses and allows for up to five simultaneous users, with a purchase of multiple licenses. If you need more users, you will need to upgrade to QuickBooks Enterprise.

Intuit has some phone and email customer support, but it relies on its online community support center for asking and answering questions about the products. Anyone can answer questions in the community topics, so the information is not always direct from Intuit.

I have used Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro in the past, but it did not have the more robust features that I needed for my business. The Pro version is a good starting point for a small business that has simple accounting needs, but it does not have as much reporting or tracking capabilities as the Premier version.

The installation is easy and straightforward. The automated software setup will prompt you to select an industry type and walk you through the setup. Some companies will find value in using a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to provide additional setup for their company.

I have only implemented through an in-house team. 

As a very low cost software, the ROI is usually met within in the first few months compared to more expensive software or a manual process (like Excel). 

The price is reasonable and can be bought in-store or online. The number of licenses needed is based on the number of people you will have working simultaneously.

In comparison to Desktop, I have only used other Intuit products, i.e., Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant. I have used other online options, such as Xero, and feel that they are not comparable products to Desktop. For most small businesses, QuickBooks Desktop is the best solution. I recommend Premier over Pro.

I would first evaluate if QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online would be the best option for your company. If you decide on QuickBooks Desktop, I would look to the online community or a ProAdvisor for help on setting up the best configuration for your company right from the beginning. Always start using a new product like this from the beginning of a fiscal year, not midyear, even if that means entering all the old data.

I use this solution to provide Bookkeeping, Accounting, Payroll Processing / Reporting, and Federal / State / Local Tax Services either in person or virtually for sole proprietors, self-employed individuals, partnerships, corporations, LLCs, and other and small businesses.

Intuit is constantly improving the implementation and integration of third-party apps and data that saves the client and accountant time, reduces data input errors, and provides secure options to generate and provide quality financial reports in a timely manner.

There are many valuable features in this solution, including Bank account feeds and report exporting. There are valuable security features including software access security (login password), data backup (getting all transactions and data from the previous bookkeeper), and an audit trail that is available when changes are questioned.

This solution provides for integration with third-party apps like accepting credit card payments, payroll processing, and employee activity tracking.

I would like to have data conversion and upload applications included, without having to pay separately for them. For example, if I export bank account data to a CSV file, I then have to subscribe or pay for a service that will allow me to import that data as checks or deposits. QuickBooks allows for the direct import of List information only, and not journal entries, or financial account transactions (i.e. Individual cash, check, or credit card transactions).

I am very impressed with the stability of this solution. Software Updates are provided often, and reflect the ever-changing rules and regulations, as imposed by law, almost immediately.

This is a scalable solution that easily fits any size of business in any industry.

Technical support for this solution is very easy to contact. They have chat, email, phone, and remote services available.

I also use QuickBooks Online, as well as prior versions.

This initial setup can be complex, depending on details for invoicing, inventory, budgeting, or job costing that the client requires. It must be completely set up before use to ensure all of the data posts correctly and pulls into customized reports correctly. It is much harder to correct the transactions after the fact. 

I provide implementation Services to my clients.

The software has allowed my income to exceed my initial investment tenfold.

I have evaluated other options, but QuickBooks is more appealing to my clients from their out-of-pocket-cost point of view.

This solution allows us to outline exactly what data, financial statements, inventory, job costing/budgeting, AP/AR, wage and hour, tax planning/forecasting, or information needed to allow owners and management to make educated business decisions regarding efficient and effective management of business operations, cash management, marketing/sales force management, asset purchases, etc.

We use QuickBooks for our accounting.

It gave me excellent tracking of my finances.

I know it well, and it is easy to use. I know the online version, as well as the desktop version, and I prefer the desktop version. It's a little easier to use than the online version.

The area that I don't use as much is the area about reconciliation with the bank accounts. I do all of that manually. So, the area that they can probably improve upon is just better reconciliation with the bank accounts.

There are also a few little things that could be done better. For example, I'm running a 2019 desktop, and the support for it will go out of service at the end of May. They put these big red flags on your product that says you're out of the support window.

I have been using this solution for about 10 years.

It is good.

For my business, it's fine. Currently, we have four users. They include my bookkeeper, my accountant, myself, and my partner.

I have not used their support.

It was straightforward.

It was all done in-house.

It is a bit on the high side, but it is affordable.

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Used for accounting, record keeping, managing e-learning finances, financial data processing, and the dispensation of records to authorized personnel.

Paperless record keeping has made accounting between various store branches easy, and has made it easy to track cash flow and all transactions, which allows for quick determination of profit or loss.

Ease of use

Compatibility with Windows and offline functionality makes it an all time working software.

Easily customizable platform

The customer response team is slow and sometimes causes the user to have a loss. Improving this would attract new users and help existing users utilize the software for optimum profitability.

No

No

Slow when it comes to solving problems.

None.

The team did it in a simple way.

In-house team

N/A

The software is not cheap, but is fairly affordable and worth the cost. Its actually the top choice for any accounting tasks, and is easy to set up and start using on the go.

Xero, AccountEdge

It's a good way to go for accounting.

It keep the books. Maybe the most valuable software that we have. 

It keeps bills paid and invoices made. Without QB, we would be a much smaller business. Our ability would be limited to time and resources used in accounting. 

It does everything your business needs it to do.

The online version is convenient. You can work with it anywhere, even on your phone.

Ease of usage, more options, and customizable areas, especially for Online QB, which needs more. Eventually, I see everything online, but it is almost as if they are only allowing us to use a limited version to keep the demand for the desktop versions.

Yes, it crashes from time to time. 

The online version has a lot of bugs, but it is never bad enough to hamper production.

Not sure about this one.

Very good support, though they are hard to understand sometimes. They all work in India/Pakistan and it is in the middle of the night over there. That being said, they are excellent well-informed employees, but sometimes their thick accents slow things down. 

We used another software, an industry specific accounting software. It was very good at what it was for, but most people did not understand how to use it. Therefore, we moved to a quicker, more popular and usable solution, which ended up being QuickBooks.

Initial setup is very straightforward. If you do not know anything about computers, you may need help. They can always help you if you call them and ask.

Just buy it online and download it there. If you are a smaller business and one person does everything, maybe try the subscription-based online version.

I asked around, but did not try any others, except TeamDesign, the industry specific accounting software that we were using previously.

Call them and ask for suggestions. They can make sure you get the right version for your business. It will save you time and potentially money.