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

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    QuickBooks Desktop Premier

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Desktop Premier is an installed version of QuickBooks for general business, contractors, manufacturing and warehouse accounting, as well as nonprofits, professional services, and retail.N/A

    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)

    Score4.3 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 PremierQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks 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 PremierQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    82%
    Would buy again
    14 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    88%
    Delivers good value for the price
    14 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    16 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    87%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.5
    54 Ratings
    12% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    7.8
    3 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Pay calculation9.252 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.425 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.242 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.433 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.336 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    7.5
    24 Ratings
    1% below category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    28% above category average
    API for custom integration8.017 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Plug-ins7.024 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.3
    58 Ratings
    1% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    8 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Single sign-on capability8.450 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.349 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.3
    69 Ratings
    6% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    14 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Dashboards8.758 Ratings10.012 Ratings
    Standard reports8.468 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Custom reports7.766 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    7.8
    72 Ratings
    2% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    15 Ratings
    27% above category average
    Accounts payable8.370 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Accounts receivable8.571 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Cash management8.765 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation8.769 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Expense management8.768 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Time tracking7.535 Ratings10.07 Ratings
    Fixed asset management6.249 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.623 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Multi-division support8.239 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Regulations compliance8.224 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing7.836 Ratings10.013 Ratings
    Self-service portal5.923 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Global Financial Support6.09 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers7.014 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting7.917 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Localizations7.66 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations8.725 Ratings10.06 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting8.313 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting7.915 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework7.210 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Standardized Processes8.315 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.0
    43 Ratings
    9% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    3 Ratings
    31% above category average
    Inventory tracking8.342 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Automatic reordering7.321 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Location management8.825 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing module7.722 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.2
    47 Ratings
    10% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    30% above category average
    Pricing8.037 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Order entry7.838 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.134 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.943 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order Orchestration7.58 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility8.59 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution7.56 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks 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 PremierQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.2
    (75 ratings)
    10.0
    (15 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.5
    (14 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (26 ratings)
    9.4
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    4.0
    (13 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.2
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    8.1
    (27 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Intuit
    We really think that ANY typical business would be a reasonable fit for QuickBooks Desktop Premier. While not necessary, even a comparatively unexperienced accounting person could look at the "Home" screen and follow their nose thru typical daily accounting processes without much detailed knowledge. Reporting is simple, looking up customer info and prior transactions is simple, looking up vendors and prior payments is simple... all in all, quite straightforward. I really can't think of an instance where it would be 'less appropriate'.
    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
    • Employment - it makes creating paychecks a snap and tracks taxes.
    • Invoicing - they have a straightforward approach to creating invoices and you can even email them to your customers.
    • Customers - the program makes tracking customer information and balances easy.
    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
    • Support for older versions of QuickBooks ends after three years, then users must purchase the newest version at full price. Renewals should be deeply discounted for existing users.
    • I would like to see better in-product inventory tracking, so we can choose LIFO or FIFO rather than the ambiguous "average cost" method.
    • I would like to be able to assign payroll taxes to jobs for better job costing.
    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
    Because we have been extremely happy with the product and our organization tends to be creatures of habit. We rarely leave a product that works this well for the latest and greatest. Typically we follow the "if it's not broken, don't fix it rule". While QB does make changes we typically just roll with it. If we do find something we don't like we work through it until we fully understand its functionality.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Intuit
    We switched to a more "robust" software program with the hiring of a new CFO. The migration of historical data and ancillary information has been cumbersome and riddle with errors and issues. In hindsight much of what the new software program was touted to accomplish is not come to fruition. QB Desktop Premier was sufficient for the organization needs
    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
    This is very reliable software, the desktop version is fast. If there is a problem, it is most likely on your own hardware!
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Intuit
    It takes forever to load.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Intuit
    This is where QuickBooks falls short. Many times my staff has had questions that have not been able to get resolved easily with a chat or call. I personally have had more general questions that have not been answered easily as well. I think QuickBooks needs to provide the resources of having readily accessible help in order to make it simpler to get solutions.
    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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    Implementation Rating
    Intuit
    It is important to do your research. There are tutorial videos online that could help new user of this accounting system. These tutorials are straightforward and easily understandable.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Intuit
    QuickBooks Premier handles most of my business functions efficiently in one package. It is not my "everything." I use Replicon for time rather than QuickBooks. I don't want my WIP data interfering with my accounting. I use PaySimple for it's web interface and back office processing. I don't have security issues since I don't have any credit card data in my possession. With today's identity theft environment, I have to protect myself as much as I can. Not having credit card data in my accounting software lets me sleep much better at night. Quicken will do basic accounting but does not have all the double entry accounting systems contained in QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online does much of the basic business functions but I don't like the pricing structure. As a professional accountant, that is very important to me. Bill.com provided a good service but the ability of QuickBooks to add bills and receipts to transactions makes it redundant.
    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
    They're getting better. Still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
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    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Intuit
    • Most of our business clients use QuickBooks which makes it efficient for us to work on clients that use the program. We can import QuickBooks data into our software which adds efficiencies to our tax practice.
    • Having staff that are familiar with the software enables our firm to provide quality service to the clients that use QuickBooks.
    • We receive referrals from satisfied QuickBooks clients.
    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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