QuickBooks Desktop is a robust and popular accounting software that functions similarly to other ERP tools. It is specially designed to meet the financial needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

This accounting software comes up with a package of comprehensive tools and helps generate invoices and payroll processes, manage inventory, and provide detailed financial reports.

QuickBooks Desktop, unlike QuickBooks Online, allows you to choose between online and local backups, schedule data and company file backups automatically or manually, and restore backups from a previous time period.

It is highly renowned for its large feature set, which makes it a great option for businesses needing comprehensive financial tracking and reporting features.

QuickBooks Desktop Features

Quickbooks desktop provides a lot of advanced features that can improve efficiency, enhance security, and increase productivity. Here are the seamless features of QuickBooks Desktop Features:

Latest and Advanced Features of QuickBooks Desktop Plus 2024

Here are the new and advanced features of QuickBooks Desktop Plus 2024:

  • Improved Security Enhancement 

The latest features employ stronger, industry-leading encryption for all QuickBooks Desktop data kept in the user’s hosting environment for local or network storage. This means that your financial data is more secure than ever, giving QuickBooks users peace of mind that their data is protected. 

  • Seamless Background Update 

The user can click the toolbar notification to receive updates on what’s new in QuickBooks 2024 whenever it’s convenient for them. QuickBooks users may then decide when it’s the best time to update without constantly dismissing pop-up reminders. Future maintenance releases for QuickBooks will allow the user to plan when the update is completed. 

  • List Search Functionality 

A search bar has been added to sort and find any item to the release of QuickBooks Desktop 2024.

Here are the specific lists:

  1. Memorized transaction list
  2. Fixed asset item list
  3. Payroll item list
  • Prepayments Search 

With the updates list features, users are allowed to record a payment received from a sales order transaction. Quickbooks sales users (for showing the payment is received) can also print sales order transactions for their customers. 

  • Employee Centre Experience

This software comes with an improved interface for working with the employee setup screen. With this advanced feature, the employee information setup is complete.  

  • Improved 401 for (k) for payroll subscribers 

QuickBooks users can easily sign up for a fully integrated and affordable guideline 401 (k) plan using an enhanced payroll subscription.

Other Seamless Features

Here are some other advanced features of QuickBooks Desktop 2024:

  • Personalized Payment Receipts

QuickBooks Desktop has long enabled customers to customize a variety of forms, including invoices, statements, and purchase orders. Yes, you may now include your company logo, color scheme, and any other information you like to ensure that the payment receipt matches the rest of your customer correspondence.

  • Advanced Bank Feeds

QuickBooks Desktop is one of the first software to have automatic bank feeds, which reduce the time spent manually documenting business transactions and simplify the bank reconciliation process.

  •  Automated Payment Reminders

The automated payment reminder tool in QuickBooks Desktop may handle it for you, saving you a lot of time. However, this extremely beneficial function goes one step further by detecting consumers with past-due account balances. It also informs them about their dues amount. 

Receipt Management

The new Receipt Management tool allows you to take a photo of a receipt and submit it to QuickBooks Desktop. This feature has been available in expense management systems for several years. It’s a useful addition to QuickBooks Desktop, particularly when combined with the new Advanced Mode for bank feeds.

What Types of Businesses Use QuickBooks Desktop?

QuickBooks Desktop is the best fit for businesses that install software on their personal desktops and want more control over their personal data. It offers a sense of empowerment and security.

Some of the businesses that use the QuickBooks desktop version are as follows:

  • Small and medium-sized businesses
  • Enterprises that want to have a detailed record of inventory and manufacturing details and manage invoices
  • Organizations that want payroll and invoicing management

Apart from this, many sectors use QuickBooks Desktop 2024, such as:

  • Manufacturing Industry 
  • Construction Industry
  • Hospitality Industry 
  • Retail Industry
  • Non-profit Organization
  • Accountants 

Versions of QuickBooks Desktop

Pro: About, Features, Advantages, and pricingĀ 

1. QuickBooks Pro

QuickBooks Pro is one of the basic versions of QuickBooks transactions. It provides all the basic facilities that a business needs for basic accounting management, such as invoicing, managing accounts payable, recording transactions, and reporting sales tax. It is designed for users with basic accounting needs and is suitable for companies or businesses with 3 users. The major advantage of this version is that it is cost-effective and well-suited for small businesses. 

Features:

  1. Easy Setup
  2. Invoice Management
  3. Payroll Processing 
  4. Financial Tracking

Advantages: 

This version is easy to use, cost-effective, and user-friendly, providing a comfortable and convenient accounting experience.

Pricing:

The cost of this version is about $399.99 per year.

2. QuickBooks Premier

QuickBooks Premier Plus is a great option for companies that need extra features and capabilities unique to their sector. It has versions specifically designed for retail, manufacturing, wholesale, non-profit, professional service, and contractor businesses, and it can accommodate up to 5 people. In addition, these customized versions allow you to manage inventory, track invoices, make personalized charts and reports, utilize pre-made themes, and much more.

Features:

  1. Industry Specific Reports
  2. Multi-user Access
  3. Enhanced Inventory Tracking 
  4. Forecasting and Budgeting Tool 
  5. Cost and Profit Tracking Capabilities 

Advantages: 

This version provides more user capabilities, is much more industry-specific, and provides detailed and advanced reporting. 

Pricing:

QuickBooks Premier Plus costs $549.99 a year, but that only includes access for one user. For four additional users, it will cost $300 a user.

3. QuickBooks Enterprise

This is one of the most powerful versions of QuickBooks. It comes with several scalable solutions, and up to 40 active users are best suited for QB Enterprise. It provides services to small businesses, including manufacturing, wholesale, non-profits, contractors, and retail. Business owners may build sophisticated reports and assign roles and access to individual users based on their workflow with QB Enterprise.

Features:

  1. Supporting Up to 40 Users
  2. Comprehensive Reports 
  3. Enhanced Payroll
  4. Integrated with advanced tools and applications
  5. Analytics with Custom Fields and Templates 

Advantages: 

This version provides more detailed and specific reporting, enhanced reporting, industry-specific solutions, and detailed inventory reports, empowering users with comprehensive insights and control. 

Pricing:

QuickBooks Premier Plus costs $549.99 a year, but that only includes access for one user. For four additional users, it will cost $300 a user.

Products of QuickBooks Desktop

  • Desktop Enterprise Accounting
  • Desktop Enterprise Features
  • Industry Solutions for Enterprise
  • Desktop Payroll
  • Desktop Payments

Pricing Plans of QuickBooks Desktop

What are the System Requirements for QuickBooks Desktop

Here are the system requirements for QuickBooks Desktop:

Operating System  Requirements

  • Windows 11, 64-bit  
  • Windows 10, all 64-bit editions  
  • Windows Server 2022, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2019, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2016, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2012 R2, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2012, Standard and Essentials 

Database Servers

  • Windows Server 2022, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2019, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2016, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2012 R2, Standard and Essentials  
  • Windows Server 2012, Standard and Essentials  

Data Management

  • Uses AES-1288 for data encryption for all PCI and PII data

Browser Requirement

  • Google Chrome

How Does AP Automation Software Integration Work With QuickBooks Desktop?

Accounts payable automation software integrates with QuickBooks Desktop to streamline the Accounts payable process, and here is how AP software integrates with AP automation software:

Integration Process

QuickBooks Desktop and AP automation tools are connected using connectors or APIs. Through QuickBooks syncing, these AP automation tools can automatically pull in vendor, purchase order, and invoice data.

Automated Invoice Processing

The software scans invoices to extract important data points such as invoice numbers, amounts, and vendor names Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. Afterward, QuickBooks automatically enters this data, minimizing errors in human data entry.

Approval Procedures

Prior to being uploaded to QuickBooks, invoices may be sent through individualized approval procedures. Electronically reviewing and approving invoices allows managers and accountants to ensure appropriate monitoring.

Payment Processing

AP automation tool can start payments through QuickBooks Desktop immediately once invoices are accepted, whether they are made with credit cards, ACH transfers, or cheques. QuickBooks automatically logs payments, guaranteeing accurate and current financial records.

Reporting and Reconciliation

The interface allows reconciling and reporting on accounts payable data in real-time, which facilitates tracking outstanding debts and guarantees that all vendor payments are made on time.

Migration to QuickBooks Desktop

Pros and Cons of QuickBooks Desktop

Here are some of the pros and cons of QuickBooks Desktop 

Pros of QuickBooks Desktop:

  • Simple to use and understand
  • Offers versatile third-party application integration and high-quality accounting reporting
  • Reasonable cost
  • Simple to use on a computer, tablet, or phone (depending on the version)
  • Easily locate and correct mistakes or errors
  • Simple to get consumer data

Cons of QuickBooks Desktop:

  • Lack of industry-specific functionality (such as lot tracking, eCommerce, and barcode scanning).
  • Lack of important reporting outside of accounting
  • Instability or system crashes
  • Lack of direct professional support
  • Issues with file size and transaction limit
  • Limitations on user numbers
  • Developed with a “small business mindset
  • Data is not constantly backed up, and you risk losing information.
  • Lacks tools for designing invoices.
  • Easy to identify and rectify errors/mistakes (allowing someone to influence your books).

What Products Will Intuit no Longer be Selling, and What is the Effective Date?

Is QuickBooks Desktop Being Phased Out?

Yes, it is true that QuickBooks Desktop is being phased out; after September 30, 2024, Intuit will no longer be selling new subscriptions for certain versions of the program. Existing members can still get support and updates by renewing their subscriptions. This withdrawal will not impact QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.  

What Regions are Affected by this QuickBooks Desktop Announcement?

QuickBooks intends to discontinue offering several versions to new customers in the US. The date on which new subscriptions for the specified products may be purchased has been moved from July 31, 2024, to September 30, 2024.

It will stop offering new subscriptions for the following products after September 30, 2024:

  1. Pro Plus version of QuickBooks Desktop
  2. QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus
  3. QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll Plus 
  4. QuickBooks Desktop Mac

This modification does not affect current subscribers. After September 30, 2024, current subscribers to QuickBooks Desktop Plus and Desktop Payroll may continue to renew their memberships.* For current subscribers, we will continue to provide security updates, product updates, and support.

Additionally, this move does not affect QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise products; users can keep buying Enterprise subscriptions until September 30, 2024.

Which ERP Systems are Comparable to QuickBooks Desktop?

For businesses considering alternatives to QuickBooks Desktop, several ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems offer comparable features:

Challenges of QuickBooks Desktop

Some of the common challenges with QuickBooks Desktop are as follows:

  1. Installation and Setup Challenges 

Installing and configuring QuickBooks is one of the most frequent IT problems that consumers face. QuickBooks installation can be difficult, and users may run into problems setting it up on their computer or network.

  1. Slow Performance Issue

A number of factors can contribute to QuickBooks’ poor performance, including huge file sizes, inadequate system resources, network latency, background processes, fragmented data, outdated software, and hardware issues.

  1. Error Notifications Issue 

When using QuickBooks, users may see error warnings related to system or runtime issues. Numerous factors, including program conflicts, improper settings, and corrupted data, might lead to these problems.

  1. User Access Problem 

Problems with user access can include improperly defined user roles, inconsistent permissions that lead to limited functionality, or unapproved people getting access to confidential financial data. Software conflicts, improper user settings, or corrupted data can all cause these problems.

  1. Hardware Problems

Hard drive failures or inadequate RAM storage can seriously impair QuickBooks’s hardware and compromise the integrity of its data. These issues frequently cause system crashes, sluggish performance, or data loss, which makes conducting business more difficult.

QuickBooks customers should use strong passwords, update their security software frequently, and employ security features like two-factor authentication to prevent security problems.