If you are a business owner, chances are that you already know what QuickBooks is and what it does. But just in case, QuickBooks is an accounting software package that includes numerous tools and features to help both small businesses, as well as mid to large-sized enterprises, handle accounting systems and related business functions (like inventory management and payroll) effectively.
QuickBooks offers three editions: QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise. There is also a web-based version offered by Intuit called QuickBooks Online which can be accessed from anywhere anytime, but it lacks the look-and-feel of QuickBooks Desktop features.
If you are looking for a concise comparison between QuickBooks Pro vs Premier vs Enterprise editions including features, pricing, and differences.
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Being the simplest edition of the accounting software. QuickBooks Pro is the simplest and basic desktop-version primarily used by small business owners. The application comes in two variants including Pro and Pro Plus. QuickBooks Pro hosting is relatively the easiest to operate from a cloud desktop.
The features of QuickBooks Desktop Pro are:
- One-time payment grants a license valid for 3 years
- Enables access for a maximum of 3 users
- Tracks a maximum of 14,500 inventory items with no more than 20 individual items in a group
- Tracks a maximum of 10,000 entries for customer types, vendor types, and job types
- Offers basic accounting tools like:
- Inventory tracking
- Chart of accounts
- Invoice creation and tracking
- Accounts payable management
- Income and expenditure tracking
The features of QuickBooks Desktop ProPlus are:
- License can be renewed on an annual subscription-basis
- Includes all the features of QuickBooks Desktop Pro
- Offers access to unlimited technical support
- Regularly and timely backs up user data
- Offers access to the latest upgrades, updates, and features
Choose QuickBooks Desktop Pro (or Pro Plus) if you:
- Need QuickBooks access for 3 users maximum
- Need only basic accounting functionalities and tools
- Have no more than 14,500 inventory items to be tracked
- Need desktop-only access to QuickBooks
QuickBooks Premier
QuickBooks Premier is a niche-based version of the accounting software. It offers tools specific to the business needs of companies operating in certain sectors; those sectors include general contracting, non-profit, manufacturing and wholesale, professional services, and retail.
QuickBooks Premier also allows a general setup for your business in case you are not into any of the five niches but nevertheless will benefit from the features the edition offers. If we compare QuickBooks Pro vs Premier, the only difference is the industry-specific features that QuickBooks Premier offers.
The features of QuickBooks Premier are:
- One-time payment grants a license valid indefinitely
- Enables access for a maximum of 5 users
- Tracks a maximum of 14,500 inventory items with no more than 20 individual items in a group
- Enables industry-specific reporting and sales order creation
- Offers basic accounting tools as well as industry-specific features for general contracting firms, non-profit organizations, professional services firms, retail companies, and manufacturers and wholesalers
Much like the QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus edition, the QuickBooks Premier Plus edition also includes all the features of Premier as well as unlimited technical support, automatic data backups, and access to the latest upgrades and features all for an annual subscription-based payment plan.
Choose QuickBooks Premier (or Premier Plus) if you:
- Need access to QuickBooks for a maximum of 5 users
- Need more than just basic accounting tools
- Are part of a business that is from one of the five sectors: general contracting, wholesale and manufacturing, retail, non-profit, and professional services
- Have no more than 14,500 inventory items to be tracked
For both QuickBooks Desktop Pro as well as QuickBooks Premier, if you think you shall need additional technical support and would like to use the latest features for QuickBooks as they come out, then the ‘Plus’ variants would be more suitable for you in both cases.
QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Enterprise is the most feature-heavy edition of the three, and it is priced higher than QuickBooks Pro and Premier Editions. Just as the name suggests, this edition is aimed at enterprises which operate at a much greater scale of economic and business activities. Large businesses have complex accounting requirements that involve lengthy balance sheets, large company files, and advanced reporting features.
The features of QuickBooks Enterprise are:
- Licensing can be renewed on an annual subscription-basis only
- Enables access for a maximum of 30 users
- Can be integrated with 180 different apps
- Can track fixed assets like equipment and machinery
- Can track a maximum of 1,000,000 items, customers, and vendors
- Includes 14 preset user profiles with different levels of rights and permissions
- Includes complimentary QuickBooks product training
- Offers dedicated customer service to resolve queries on priority
- Allows control, customization, and automation of pricing for products and services
- Offers advanced inventory management functionalities like data entry through barcode scanning, FIFO-based inventory costing set-ups, specific item tracking, order fulfillment processing, and more.
- Allows customized financial reports to be created from scratch
- Automatically backs up user data regularly
- Enables access to the latest features as well as software updates
Unlike QuickBooks Desktop Pro and QuickBooks Premier, there is no ‘Plus’ variant of QuickBooks Enterprise. This is because QuickBooks Enterprise itself includes features such as automatic data backups, unlimited customer support, and access to the latest software upgrades and updates that have been included exclusively in the ‘Plus’ variants of QuickBooks Desktop Pro and QuickBooks Premier.
Choose QuickBooks Enterprise if you:
- Need access to QuickBooks for a maximum of 30 users
- Need advanced financial reporting and manage inventory tools
- Need to track and report your company’s fixed assets
- Need priority customer support for queries and issues
- Need of tracking inventory up to 1 million items.
- Need price customization and automation capabilities for cases like seasonal promotions, bulk discounts, stock clearance sales, etc.
Now that you have a fair idea of the features included in QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise, you can evaluate your business requirements and see which edition is the most suitable for you.
