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QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise vs. QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a widely-used accounting package designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It is the top of the QuickBooks line. Pricing starts at $3,000 for five users, and goes up depending on the number of additional users. They also offer an Advanced Inventory module for $999 / year.

    $1,703

    per year per user

    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)

    Score4.2 out of 10
    N/AA now discontinued accounting solution, QuickBooks Self-Employed featured tools to help the self-employed drive growth and financial stability. It is replaced by the more advanced QuickBooks Solopreneur.N/A
    Pricing
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    Diamond
    $447
    per month per user
    Diamond with Remote Access
    $513
    per month per user
    Gold
    2,210.00
    per year per user
    Platinum
    2,717.00
    per year per user
    Gold with Remote Access
    3,000.00
    per year per user
    Platinum with Remote Access
    3,504.00
    per year per user
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    I actually use or offer support to all of the QuickBooks versions. It depends on my client's need as to which product I will recommend.
    As for QB Enterprise, I choose this product for my clients who need robust inventory, may have more than one company and want to combine …
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    88%
    Would buy again
    100 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    90%
    Delivers good value for the price
    95 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    88%
    Happy with the feature set
    100 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    88%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    69 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    94%
    Implementation went as expected
    80 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    8.6
    128 Ratings
    13% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    7.8
    3 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Pay calculation9.0121 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration7.873 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.0104 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.495 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.696 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    7.1
    87 Ratings
    6% below category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    28% above category average
    API for custom integration8.269 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Plug-ins6.078 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    8.7
    182 Ratings
    6% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    8 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Single sign-on capability9.0142 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.3180 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    8.0
    201 Ratings
    2% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    14 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Dashboards7.6171 Ratings10.012 Ratings
    Standard reports8.7199 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Custom reports7.8191 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    7.8
    206 Ratings
    2% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    15 Ratings
    27% above category average
    Accounts payable8.7199 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Accounts receivable8.1198 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Cash management8.7181 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation9.3194 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Expense management7.6182 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Time tracking6.794 Ratings10.07 Ratings
    Fixed asset management7.3138 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Multi-currency support6.566 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Multi-division support7.7110 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Regulations compliance7.580 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing7.2103 Ratings10.013 Ratings
    Self-service portal7.380 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Global Financial Support5.738 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.374 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting8.296 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Localizations8.055 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations9.0154 Ratings10.06 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting8.3103 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting8.3102 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework8.063 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Standardized Processes8.2114 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    7.4
    120 Ratings
    2% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    3 Ratings
    31% above category average
    Inventory tracking8.1116 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Automatic reordering7.961 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Location management6.876 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing module6.660 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
    7.6
    150 Ratings
    3% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    30% above category average
    Pricing7.2111 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Order entry7.5116 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Credit card processing7.1106 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.0133 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order Orchestration7.366 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility8.164 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution8.150 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.3 out of 10
    Zoho Books
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.1
    (217 ratings)
    10.0
    (15 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.6
    (27 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    9.4
    (14 ratings)
    9.4
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.5
    (11 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    5.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.2
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    1.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    QuickBooks Desktop EnterpriseQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Intuit
    QuickBooks Enterprise is great for managing our inventory, purchases and income as we receive it. We use it to help budget and plan our monthly purchases, as well as keep each location on track when it comes to their expenses. It's also used for payroll and timekeeping at each store.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    QuickBooks is a great tool for new SoleTraders that need basic accounting software and require digital invoicing for their clients to send via email and access key features via a mobile app on the go. QuickBooks is a straightforward tool to use with a simple design and learning curve for business owners that are not very tech-savvy. For businesses that operate on a larger scale and need to provide access to other users on their team, QuickBooks is limited. This type of business may also require more insights into the business outside of accounting, and QuickBooks won't be able to supply insights outside of that.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Intuit
    • Generally, a mouse is not needed!
    • Updating as each transaction is posted means, in the event of a crash, power failure, whatever; all the posted transactions are securely in the data file and can be pulled up on another computer, if the computer being used crashes.
    • Reporting is generally user friendly, in that one can see the desired results by setting a few parameters for the report.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    • QuickBooks Self-Employed does keep a running total of your income and estimated taxes. Of course, this requires that your entries are accurate.
    • The mileage feature is particularly helpful. One just needs to either use the phone app in conjunction with QuickBooks Self-Employed, or keep a log of all mileage.
    • When tax time comes around, it's easy to use TurboTax software and import your data from QuickBooks.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Intuit
    • Wish we had the ability to track gallons. We are a truck stop and need to know how many gallons we buy and sell.
    • Matching up credits in Pay Bills can be challenging, especially if you make a mistake.
    • Wish in some of the reporting that it would automatically total some columns.
    • Downloading from the bank wish it would tell you the last time you downloaded and the dates you put in so you don't download the same information twice.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    • Doesn't integrate with Mint, which I use for my home expenses. I think this would be a nice addition to the program, so I could keep track of my whole financial situation.
    • A Windows 10 app would be a nice addition to the program, so I could access it securely from my desktop.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Intuit
    While QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has been an amazing tool for many years, it seems it is getting phased out for QuickBooks Online. Intuit is decreasing the level of support it offers for QuickBooks Desktop in lieu of stronger support for QuickBooks Online. Although the desktop version is robust and helpful, it seems QBO is the way of the future for bookkeeping with QuickBooks.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Intuit
    QuickBooks provides all staff immediate access to the data in whatever form each person wants it. The balancing on entries prevents incorrect data entry on payables/receivables. Reports are easy to customize and save for future use. The records are easy to audit.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    I have been using this software for several years now and it has always put out my data in beautiful generated reports that I can use for verification purposes with my financial institute and the IRS. It has all the tools I need to run my business without loosing track of anything
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Intuit
    Rating: 7 out of 10
    We rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise's availability a 7 out of 10. For the most part, the software is dependable and available when we need it. When hosted on a properly managed local server or through a reputable third-party cloud provider, uptime is generally consistent, and routine day-to-day operations run smoothly.
    However, availability challenges do arise, particularly when accessing QuickBooks remotely or during periods of high system demand. Because it's a desktop-based solution, availability is highly dependent on our internal IT infrastructure. If our network goes down, a server needs maintenance, or if there’s an issue with a remote desktop connection, access to QuickBooks can be temporarily disrupted. These outages aren’t necessarily caused by QuickBooks itself, but they do impact our experience with availability.
    Additionally, we’ve occasionally experienced application errors, especially after updates or when working with large company files. While Intuit support is usually helpful in resolving these issues, they can still lead to frustrating delays—especially during critical periods like month-end closing or grant reporting deadlines.
    Planned maintenance, while infrequent, also affects availability, especially when using a hosted environment. Coordination with IT or hosting providers is sometimes needed to minimize downtime.
    Overall, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is a reliable tool, but its dependence on local infrastructure introduces more potential points of failure compared to cloud-native solutions. Enhancements in cloud-based access or hybrid models could significantly improve both accessibility and uptime. That said, with strong internal IT support or a reliable cloud hosting provider, the availability can easily rise to an 8 or 9.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Intuit
    I rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise's performance a 5 out of 10, mainly because while it’s functional for most routine tasks, it can lag significantly when handling complex operations, large data files, or during multi-user sessions. As our organization has grown, we’ve noticed that report generation—especially for customized or multi-dimensional reports—can be slow, sometimes taking several minutes to load or refresh. This impacts productivity, particularly during key financial cycles like audits, monthly closings, or grant reporting.
    Performance degradation is especially noticeable when multiple users are active in the system at the same time. Even with a solid server setup, there’s often a drop in responsiveness when more than a handful of users are generating reports or entering transactions concurrently.
    We’ve also experienced some slowdowns in third-party integrations, particularly when syncing with Vena Solutions or exporting data for use in external tools. While the integrations are valuable, they occasionally stall or require workarounds, adding friction to our workflows.
    In short, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise delivers the basics well, but its performance limitations become more apparent in high-volume or complex use cases. It would benefit from better optimization for large datasets and faster processing for advanced reporting. Upgrades in system architecture—such as deeper support for cloud hosting or more efficient data handling—could significantly improve the user experience and move this rating closer to an 8.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Intuit
    It takes a long time to get through to customer support. And sometimes you have to explain the situation multiple times before the rep actually understands the issue, but that's usually because the issue is complex and out of the ordinary. However, the rep is always patient, and will take as much time and effort as necessary to resolve whatever issue you're having. It's nice that they can "take over" your computer rather than having to talk you through the solution over the phone.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    I have never faced any difficulties that required me to contact QuickBooks customer service. QuickBooks has plenty of online tutorials, blog posts, and helpful tips and advice for almost any issues you may face using the desktop or app version of the software. Even if you can not find the right answer on the QuickBooks webpages, there are loads of YouTube videos from experts.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Intuit
    It is a very easy system to learn, so with the help it was even easier. QB is a good solid system, but it lacks some of the complexity other systems have. with QB you need to get additional modules to get the same functionality that other systems offer standard
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Intuit
    easy to learn system, specially with some kind of support. Just like with any other system, things get lot easier if you have guidance to lead you in your search for answers. having said that, QB is very easy to use and very easy to teach. you wont spend much time memorizing where to click.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
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    Implementation Rating
    Intuit
    If you're loading QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions onto a computer that you're going to directly log into, you should be able to do it yourself. If you are going to connect to a server through a network or remote connection, you should probably have a professional IT person set it up for you.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
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    Alternatives Considered
    Intuit
    We have selected this product as it is affordoable in terms of pricing and features too. Our clients is geeting lots of benefits by using this product. By using QuickBooks desktop client also manage the information realted to financials and also get the clear picture for the future by using the accounting information from this product.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    FreshBooks limited my ability to categorize transactions, specifically removing duplicates or excluding them. I selected QuickBooks Self-Employed because it allowed me to be in control of items. Sometimes accounting is just making sure things are organized the way YOU think, and FreshBooks wasn't doing that for me.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Intuit
    I would rate QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise a 7 out of 10 for overall scalability. The product offers solid scalability features, particularly for small to mid-sized organizations like ours that are growing and need reliable multi-user access, enhanced data capacity, and cross-departmental functionality. It handles increasing transaction volumes and user growth quite well, especially with its support for up to 40 users and the ability to manage large lists (customers, vendors, accounts, etc.)—a significant improvement over QuickBooks Pro or Premier.
    Its role-based permissions system also allows us to assign tailored access by department or user level, which is essential for maintaining control and security across teams like finance, HR, and program management. Additionally, features like advanced reporting, inventory management, and class tracking have helped us better manage multiple programs or sites within one system.
    That said, the scalability still has some limits. For example, deploying the software across multiple physical locations or for remote teams requires additional IT infrastructure—such as hosting it on a third-party cloud server or setting up a VPN—which introduces cost and complexity. Also, while QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise can technically handle a high volume of data, performance can decline as the file size grows over time unless regular maintenance and optimization are done.
    In summary, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise scales well within its designed range, particularly for growing nonprofits and NGOs. However, organizations with distributed teams or very large, complex operations may eventually find the system’s desktop-based architecture less agile compared to cloud-native ERP platforms. With enhancements to cloud integration and remote accessibility, this rating could easily increase.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Intuit
    • Good value for the price. The initial setup was quick and easy.
    • When properly set up and processes are followed it's decent at managing inventory which is something we had problems with. Have to have a dedicated employee to builds.
    • Rolling up costs in multi-level BOM's is a project each time we have to review costs, it's very time consuming to manually update all assemblies.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    • Overall, tagging expenses and mileage has saved me thousands in taxes, for a relatively low cost of around $8/mo.
    • QuickBooks allows me to get invoices to clients quickly and accept online payments, which helps with cashflow.
    • The app has stopped tracking mileage automatically on my device, so I worry that sometimes I am not tracking business miles effectively, which could end up costing me at the EOY.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots