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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    ApprovalMax

    Score9.9 out of 10
    N/AApprovalMax provides approval workflow automation for cloud accounting platforms such as Xero and QuickBooks Online. It replaces paper- and email-based approval processes with multi-step and multi-role automated approval workflows that enable automated notifications to approvers, automated audit trails, and mobile approvals. Approval workflows include: Invoice approvals / bill review and bill approval Purchase order approval, including the functionality to create…

    $54

    per month

    QuickBooks Desktop Pro

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AQuickbooks Desktop Pro is accounting software from Intuit, Inc. It includes core accounting features, plus analytics and exportable reports. It is offered in on-premise and SaaS forms.N/A
    Pricing
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Editions & Modules
    ApprovalMax Standard
    $54
    per month per organization
    ApprovalMax Advanced
    $83
    per month per organization
    ApprovalMax Premium
    $121
    per month per organization
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsDiscount available for annual pricing and for management of multiple organizations.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Considered Both Products
    ApprovalMax
    No answer on this topic
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Would buy again
    29 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    28 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    20 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    25 Answers
    Features
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Payment Management
    Comparison of Payment Management features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    5% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    -
    Ratings
    Customizable Approval Policies9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Financial Document Management9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payment Status Tracking9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payment Audit Trail9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Duplicate Bill Detection4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Accounts Payable
    Comparison of Accounts Payable features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    8.5
    1 Ratings
    17% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    -
    Ratings
    Automated Accounts Payable Processes9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Vendor Management8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    6.6
    69 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings6.364 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings6.338 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings6.656 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings6.352 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.854 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    5.7
    43 Ratings
    28% below category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings6.535 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings5.039 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    8.5
    101 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings8.482 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.695 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    8.5
    117 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.4100 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.9117 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings8.1114 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    7.5
    124 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings9.3119 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.2121 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings9.2107 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.7119 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings9.4108 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings7.351 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings5.669 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings6.931 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings8.958 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings8.342 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.355 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings5.941 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings4.217 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.240 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings7.943 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings4.219 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.876 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings6.838 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.647 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings5.327 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.555 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    5.8
    59 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.056 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.035 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.032 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings5.218 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of ApprovalMax and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    ApprovalMax
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    6.8
    77 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Pricing00 Ratings7.555 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings8.555 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings7.251 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings8.063 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings5.220 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.023 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings5.218 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Small Businesses
    Tipalti
    Score7.7 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Stampli
    Score8.4 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Yooz
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.5
    (135 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (19 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (42 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.2
    (29 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (22 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    ApprovalMaxQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    ApprovalMax
    As mentioned previously - able to send invoice based on amount , program code and division code ,supplier is very useful feature ; If an invoice does not fit into approval process than it is rejected and an email is received mentioning the reason
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    For a small business, QuickBooks Desktop Pro is great! For a larger, more complex business, another system may be more beneficial. We actually run multiple businesses on QuickBooks Desktop Pro, but all are very small. The help feature is sometimes so beneficial, and sometimes it seems like you just can't get the right answer and need to find a workaround - but this is usually for more complex issues.
    Read full review
    Pros
    ApprovalMax
    • choice based on Program codes / division codes - we use Xero accounting system and we have 22 program codes and 11 divison codes ; once invoice is entered in Xero depending on relevant program code and divison code, Approval max automatically send invoice to relevant person depending on approval workflow process . One manager could be handling multiple divison and program codes; if our approval work flow process is properly designed - it is accurate in sending invoice to relevant manager.
    • invoice can also send to various managers based on General ledger codes ; this flexibility makes useful when manager is handling only certain nature of expenses regardless of program codes / divisionl.
    • Approval process can also be designed based on level of amount ; and level of amount is derived from our Delegation policy. it makes audit of application of delegation policy easy ; we give copy of delegation policy and print of approval work flow process to auditor.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • It is easy to manage and adjust inventory on hand.
    • It is easy to make reports and customize them to your needs.
    • We also use it to pay our employees directly.
    • It is easy to make year-to-year comparisons to see where we can make improvements and the current financial situation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    ApprovalMax
    • date and time of change in approval process ; for example if Mr. A was responsible for all expenses above $1000 in Oct 23 and from Nov 23 it is changed to $5000 . in Dec 23 if it is checked - it will show approval limit of $5000 ; but will not show from which date limit was changed. Auditor always asks this question when the limit was changed in approval max - we cannot prove it.
    • If there is audit trail of who made the changes , when and what changes were made ; will be good.
    • when we are in main page of seeing invoices awaiting approval - there are hundreds of invoices - searching for one invoice from particular supplier is very cumbersome job - we have to go by each and every invoice in order to find that invoice ; it will be good if we have search function on main page itself ; in current scenario we have to go to report section - input all filters and than search for that particular invoice.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro has been around for a few years and after an update[,] they force you to look at the changes/updates before you can use [them] after updating.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro does not have 2FA.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro should offer a way to store backups to a personal cloud without having to map a local network drive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    I'd love to keep using it, and do intend to - though we've not been pleased with price increases over the past several years. In fact, we used to subscribe to the payroll service, but QuickBooks priced themselves out of reach for us, so we discontinued that. Currently, pricing would be the primary reason for NOT renewing, if we didn't.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    The set up was quite easy. I took some online training causes, and figured our the rest pretty quickly. The only issue I had during the implementation process was it was very hard to change some of the GL Account name to reflect the needs of a non-profit organization, such as Net Assets. At the end I had to scratch what I did, and used the existing formats that the third-party bookkeeping firm shared. Everything else is simple and easy to manage and implement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    I haven't experienced a time when QuickBooks Pro was unavailable when I needed it in the entire 20 years of using the software
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    They are awful. Intuit doesn't spend real money on support. They appear to have typically said, first-level script readers who are sending messages to the senior people for anything even a little bit difficult. Many of them don't speak particularly good English. Considering that they recently doubled (or, if you are paying annually, tripled) their pricing, and touted as one of the benefits that it includes [..] support, it's a real ripoff. However, we have to use the product because it is ubiquitous. I look forward to the day a competitor comes up with something good enough, which has excellent support, that matches all the features QuickBooks Desktop Pro currently has [...] or at least gives us a way to have all the functionality we currently have without excessive sacrifice [...] so that we can switch. I was very satisfied with QuickBooks for many years. This latest [rise] in price, and their sheer gall at touting the benefit of the 100 to 200% increase as being [the] inclusion of support, is what turned me so far against them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    Best thing I ever did was to attend a two day training seminar on QuickBooks, I learned an immense amount in a short time with hands on training by experts. I strongly recommend such training for anyone using any part of the software. It will pay for itself in the first month.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    ApprovalMax
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    We implemented the software ourselves. The training we received on the software was done by taking a community course teaching us how to use QuickBooks. It allowed me to get started with some basics of how to use the program and have not needed much assistance since completing the course work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    ApprovalMax
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We tried switching from QuickBooks Desktop Pro to QuickBooks Online, but there were a lot of issues and bugs so we ultimately decided to stay with Desktop Pro. Unfortunately, we are losing a lot of Online Banking capabilities on 5/31 as we have an older version of QB, but we plan to stick with Desktop Pro. In terms of invoicing, SaaSOptics beats QuickBooks in almost all aspects as it's all automated and takes seconds to create and send invoices. However, SaaSOptics is not really a full ERP program so it wouldn't serve us as a main bookkeeping software like QB.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    ApprovalMax
    • It has certainly made a positive impact ; it is definately worth its value ; when we are processing hundreds of invoices every fortnight ; getting approval of invoices in timely manner for all invoices is of paramount importance . as approval max has its own app - approval can be done on mobile phone also ; this is particularly helpful when staff is travelling .
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • Training time is low compared to other accounting packages
    • It was difficult to adapt to DCAA requirements, [which] required [the] hiring of [a] special consultant for that
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro is a standard for small companies and makes it easy to hire bookkeepers
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    ApprovalMax Screenshots

    Screenshot of where approval processes are set up  – no matter how simple or complex.Screenshot of the interface to build approval steps that follow any business rules – whether approvals happen one after another, all at once, or only in certain cases. The user can also control who approves based on things like amount, supplier, account code, or category.Screenshot of where to approve bills and purchase orders the way that works best.Screenshot of the interface that matches bills to approved purchase orders from the same supplier to keep coding accurate and control spending. Unmatched bills can also be stopped from being approved.Screenshot of where to mention others in comments to bring them in or get their input – even if they’re not part of the original approval. If they don’t have access, a prompt to add them as a Watcher is sent. Mentions work on web and mobile, sending notifications as soon as access is granted.Screenshot of where to raise purchase orders, approve requests, and extract key details from bills and purchase orders – all on the go with the ApprovalMax mobile app for iOS and Android.