QuickBooks Desktop for Mac vs. QuickBooks Self-Employed

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Quickbooks Desktop for Mac is an accounting software designed for Mac users. It is designed to integrate with Apple iCloud. It provides core accounting features in line with the rest of the Quickbooks Desktop product line.N/A
QuickBooks Self-Employed
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
N/AN/A
Pricing
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
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 for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Considered Both Products
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Chose QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
QuickBooks for Mac definitely outshines other competitors mainly due to its ability to sync seamlessly with all mac products, which other programs have continual problems with. Although the Mac version isn't quite as powerful as the Microsoft counterpart, it is still one of the …
QuickBooks Self-Employed

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
10.0
11 Ratings
29% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
7.8
3 Ratings
4% above category average
Pay calculation10.09 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Benefit plan administration10.06 Ratings5.02 Ratings
Direct deposit files10.08 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management10.05 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Reimbursement management10.07 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
6.0
11 Ratings
16% below category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
5 Ratings
35% above category average
API for custom integration6.07 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Plug-ins6.010 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
10.0
20 Ratings
22% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
8 Ratings
22% above category average
Single sign-on capability10.020 Ratings10.08 Ratings
Role-based user permissions10.017 Ratings10.05 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
10.0
22 Ratings
27% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
14 Ratings
27% above category average
Dashboards10.019 Ratings10.012 Ratings
Standard reports10.022 Ratings10.014 Ratings
Custom reports10.022 Ratings10.08 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
5.8
24 Ratings
24% below category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
15 Ratings
30% above category average
Accounts payable8.124 Ratings10.09 Ratings
Accounts receivable8.123 Ratings10.010 Ratings
Cash management6.218 Ratings10.09 Ratings
Bank reconciliation8.824 Ratings10.010 Ratings
Expense management6.220 Ratings10.014 Ratings
Time tracking6.212 Ratings10.07 Ratings
Fixed asset management6.214 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Multi-currency support1.010 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Multi-division support6.211 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Regulations compliance6.210 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Electronic tax filing8.115 Ratings10.013 Ratings
Self-service portal6.213 Ratings10.08 Ratings
Global Financial Support1.07 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers6.213 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting6.214 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Localizations1.06 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations6.217 Ratings10.06 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting6.25 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Configurable Accounting6.29 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework6.29 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Standardized Processes6.213 Ratings10.05 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
7.7
15 Ratings
9% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
3 Ratings
35% above category average
Inventory tracking6.214 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Automatic reordering7.810 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Location management7.09 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Manufacturing module10.08 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
8.3
18 Ratings
12% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed
10.0
5 Ratings
30% above category average
Pricing10.017 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Order entry10.016 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Credit card processing10.017 Ratings10.05 Ratings
Cost of goods sold10.016 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Order Orchestration5.76 Ratings10.02 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility6.77 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Order exception Resolution5.66 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Small Businesses
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Dext Prepare (with Receipt Bank)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(32 ratings)
10.0
(15 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(9 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
5.4
(6 ratings)
9.4
(2 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
6.9
(4 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
QuickBooks Desktop for MacQuickBooks Self-Employed
Likelihood to Recommend
Intuit
If you're a freelancer or running a very small business where you do your own bookkeeping I think this is a great option, especially if you're familiar with accounting and bookkeeping in general. If you're not so familiar with bookkeeping, I would say that the learning curve is too steep and you might want to look elsewhere for a more intuitive solution
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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.
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Pros
Intuit
  • The program is very easy to learn, the interface is incredibly user-friendly and there are tons of free resources and tutorials available
  • It makes managing payroll really easy for the employee and accountant on staff. No more lost time sheets or late paychecks!
  • Managing bills and paying them has become streamlined and it's great having everything in one place so we don't lose track of things.
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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.
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Cons
Intuit
  • The #1 complaint is that setting it up right is a challenge. People waste time trying to figure it out only to realize that they don't know accounting so of course they don't know how an accounting program should be set up. Like any time you are in over your head, reach out to your network and find someone who can log onto your computer and walk you through it.
  • If you need to track the cost of wages to jobs you can't do it with the online payroll, but check for yourself because it's a function that landscaping companies and construction businesses usually need, so maybe they have added it by now. That would really help!
  • It's premise-based software and that means you take on the role of hardware admin, and it's a lot of work for what is increasingly becoming a smaller gap in the functionality between QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Online.
  • QuickBooks for Mac 2015 has been updated consistently over the last 3 years and continues to provide for the bookkeeping needs of small companies using Macs in their offices. However, it has limited job costing functionality. It is similar in functionality to the 2010 version of QuickBooksPro which runs on Windows.
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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.
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Likelihood to Renew
Intuit
I haven't spent that much time with the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac, but I think I'm seeing it make the much-needed improvements. For example, something as simple as undoing the previous reconciliation was a terrible chore, and I'm glad that feature has been included in the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Usability
Intuit
The Mac version is OK overall. I find the Windows versions to be much more robust but Mac is quite good for Mac users. Though I think die hard Mac users should consider QuickBooks Online instead as there is a new QB for Mac app that makes using QBO much better!
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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
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Reliability and Availability
Intuit
I've been using the QuickBooks online version for a little over 6 months now (upgraded from Mac desktop) and I haven't had any access issues. There have been times when it was down for service/upgrade however there is always plenty of notification time given by the Quick Books Online Support team. These upgrade maintenance time frames are always over night hours and on the weekends so everything can be worked around very easily.
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Intuit
Fortunately, I haven't had to reach out much for support.
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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.
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Alternatives Considered
Intuit
I love using Quickbooks compared to other software we've tried. QuickBooks Online and TSheets interface. Customer service and problem resolution are generally excellent, with well-trained and proficient agents taking calls or on chat. Ease of use and accessibility via the mobile app. Great courses were available to help with learning the basics and some advanced accounting background. I love learning! Online accessibility - it can work anywhere with an internet connection. Linking to bank and credit card accounts is handy.
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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.
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Return on Investment
Intuit
  • The ROI was good for when we were a smaller company because it is a lot cheaper than other more sophisticated programs.
  • The negative impact is that it caused a lot of extra manual entering and data entry that too often resulted in mistakes.
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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.
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ScreenShots