Skip to main content
TrustRadius
QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online

Overview

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

Read more
Recent Reviews
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 44 features
  • Bank reconciliation (137)
    6.3
    63%
  • Accounts receivable (131)
    6.0
    60%
  • Standard reports (128)
    5.2
    52%
  • Dashboards (124)
    4.6
    46%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

Self-Employed

$15

Cloud
per month

Simple Start

$25

Cloud
per month

Plus

$75

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Return to navigation

Product Demos

QuickBooks Online Demo | CAN

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Payroll Management

Provides for pay calculation and benefit plan administration, in addition to managing direct deposit, salary revisions and payroll tracking.

3.2
Avg 7.2

Customization

This addresses a company’s ability to configure the software to fit its specific use case and workflow.

2.5
Avg 6.8

Security

This component helps a company minimize the security risks by controlling access to the software and its data, and encouraging best practices among users.

3.7
Avg 7.9

Reporting & Analytics

Users can report on and analyze usage, performance, ROI, and/or other metrics of success.

5.2
Avg 7.4

General Ledger and Configurable Accounting

Financial management solution, including capabilities for general ledger and configurable accounting

3.7
Avg 7.2

Inventory Management

The ability to track and manage the flow of goods or materials into and out of an inventory.

1.2
Avg 6.7

Order Management

The ability to process orders, and track them from quote to cash.

3.7
Avg 7.1
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is a SaaS verison of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version, features typical of similarly priced accounting software. The monthly fee for this service starts at $10 and climbs to $30 with the Plus version, which has the richest features. The base level allows for unlimited invoices and estimates, expense tracking, importing from Excel or Quickbooks desktop, data backup, mobile accessibility, and integration with many other applications. The Essentials pricing plan contain more automation, more bill and payment management, as well as inventory and time tracking, and the Plus package contains budgeting and analytic features.

QuickBooks Online Competitors

QuickBooks Online Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

Priority AccountEdge, FreshBooks, and Zoho Books are common alternatives for QuickBooks Online.

Reviewers rate Cash management and Bank reconciliation highest, with a score of 6.3.

The most common users of QuickBooks Online are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(1820)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(51-75 of 161)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Linking to bank, credit cards, and Shopify
  • Fairly fast to enter transactions
  • Flexible reporting
  • It's hard to see the audit trail of a transaction as debits and credits to the General Ledger.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Could access
  • multiple user support
  • easy of use event for non accountant user
  • More feature without having to pay more, like inventory management, having independant fleet tracking system
  • Some interactive tutorial to assist non accountant user
  • Add dedicated control, like which user can do what.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easy to use user interface, intiative, and clean
  • Reconcilations are easy to do
  • Can use tags to catagorize expenses
  • Reporting is pretty standard and basis. Limited customization
  • Connection with banks can be unstable, there were a couple times it got disconnected and you have to re-connect and download data
  • While you can have a dashboard view, , it is not customizable
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • User Friendly
  • Easy to learn
  • Works well for small, low employee count companies with inexperienced accounting personnel
  • Lack of accounting controls across the board
  • Updates are pushed down from QBO that affect current GL mapping within payroll without notification or explanation of changes
  • Lack of ability to truly track audit trail items, QBO does not track everything
  • It will let you adjust or put anything, anywhere, therefore allowing easy non accountant users to make errors
May 01, 2021

Quickbooks and Me

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • QBO Advanced has extremely excellent customer service via the telephone. Agents are knowledgeable, helpful, and usually determined to solve the (user caused) problems. I think that he agents used to be hired to troubleshoot issues but they really have become almost-accountants because this is what is demanded by users.
  • The accountant likes the ability to see in real time any problems that we have. Sometimes it is just a category selection issue--such as which is the proper category to put a particular expense
  • I like the ability to WFH with immediate integration with my boss and his part of the work equation
  • Although there is a steep learning curve for new (never before)users, it is extremely easy to navigate once you accept that QBO must be obeyed. It is difficult to make a mistake as QBO sort of guides your thinking to reach the correct and logical conclusion
  • There are too many self advertisements which pop up. Although it is interesting to note what QBO can offer, I have yet to take advantage of any.
  • QBO has power outages, or whatever they are called when we simply cannot use QBO, which are distressing interruptions to our work.
  • Updates are somewhat frequent and have no warnings
  • It is expensive to maintain and QBO credit card swipe fees are quite uncompetitive
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Integrates with 3rd party software
  • Stores receipts
  • Sends invoices & reocurring bills
  • Reporting is sub par. Their monthly statements and dashboard overviews are some of the worste in the industry.
  • Exporting information to an accountant that isnt using quickbooks is a pain.
  • They don't scan receipts and auto upload information like other softwares do.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Invoice can be sent to clients
  • Categorize expense and income transactions by creating a rule
  • Allow you to view your income and expenses on the dashboard
  • You can view any unpaid invoices and how many days outstanding
  • Clients can pay invoice once it is sent
  • You have to be careful when using the "Add" or "Transfer" button for transactions. You want to make sure you are selecting the right function for your transaction.
  • Before you add a transaction, you want to make sure the category is correct. It would be great if there was a button that asked you about categories first so that you don't have to undo transactions.
  • Bank transfers between accounts are typically not reported accurately in QuickBooks Online and may require adjustments.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Their different pre-generated reports are so handy for tax time
  • I love how there's auto save options and the ability to backup is so quick/easy
  • I have multiple companies and they make it so easy to switch back and forth between companies
  • The online version could have a better expert mode for advanced users
  • I suppose there could be a few more generated reports based on the type of industry you're in
  • It would be nice to have a quicker way to share reports (outside of the system or through email)
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easy to use whether accountant or non-accountant, except setup and adjustments.
  • Simple processes on banking (cash transaction match) and bank/account reconciliations.
  • Great dashboard where you can see an overview of financial performance at a high level simultaneously instead of running individual reports.
  • As I mentioned earlier, we sometimes need to have more than one account dimension like 'Class' to record transactions for companies/clients who have complicated organization structures or/and business lines.
  • Payroll services are not really very comprehensive.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Financial reports
  • Integration with our financial institutions.
  • Integration with our outside accounting firm.
  • Bank and credit card account feed goes back 90 days.
  • Giving a bit of control over your data.
  • Expensive to maintain and add features.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The canned reports are very helpful, and the ability to customize them makes them even more useful.
  • I use the Dashboard daily since it provides a good snapshot of our monthly status.
  • Views by Customer are helpful, allowing me to see invoices and payments in one place, which I had been doing on a spreadsheet.
  • The invoices tab lets me see which invoices are due at a glance rather than having to dig through each customer record.
  • It times out too quickly, frustrating that I have to log in again on the same computer multiple times a day.
  • The chart of accounts is frustrating, we need to find a better way to tell people how to categorize expenses. And it's not set up very well for a SERVICE business, specifically an agency.
  • Really hating Quickbooks Time (TSheets) that we moved to in January 2021. We made the move with the promise that it would associate time with the related client billing, and we take great pains to make sure time entries are added to the invoices when we create them, but when I go to pull a report by customer it doesn't show the related time expense for an accurate P&L. Tragic mistake to have chosen TSheets, we did it only at our Accountant's recommendation because he could help us with implementing it, but I ended up paying him a couple thousand dollars for his help which was really just a learning curve. And it still doesn't give us the info we wanted. If I had it to do again, I would have chosen an app for our time tracking that was created for agencies, NOT TSheets.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Software integration - QuickBooks is an industry leading brand and is easily integrated into nearly any software package or service available for businesses.
  • Easy to generate reports - the handy search box allows you to type a few keywords to find the exact report you're looking for
  • Accessibility - handy apps for every device from your desktop computer to your smartphone. The apps are well built and intuitive, they don't leave me frustrated trying to find the button I'm looking for.
  • Banking Integration - this was another must have feature for me to reduce the amount of time I spend entering data from one system into another.
  • Tone down the advertisements for related Intuit products - every year they keep adding more reminders that they offer various other services to help my small business.
  • Too many screens/layouts not necessary for every business. I wish there was a way to deactivate sections like payroll since I'm not using them currently.
  • Products & Services section is rather limited - I'd love to see some sort of rudimentary inventory control system to keep track of stock levels
Darryl Goossen | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Quickbooks is universal
  • Many people use it
  • Most accountants are familiar with the product
  • Customer service is non-existant
  • Quickbooks merchant services will hold on to your payments for as long as they want.
  • No-one answers the phone when you call for support.
  • There are easy ways to suggest improvements, but Quickbooks does not follow up.
Bronwyn Jones | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Invoice format
  • Invoice structure
  • Ability to send invoices
  • Customer service
  • Sorting out of issues is complex and frustrating
  • No personal contact available. It is computer-generated assistance. When you do get to speak to a human they cannot help. You get the typical run around especially when they have a "hold" on your funds.
Mike Bannan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Easy to get reports.
  • Very fluid chart of accounts.
  • Good dashboard where I can see my important financial concerns.
  • Customer service is nil.
  • Tech support is very difficult and time consuming to work with.
  • Cases and case numbers get lost or are not entered properly meaning start all over.
  • Automatic matching is very unreliable and if not closely watched your finances may be wrong.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • As an online-based software, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world, which is of particular interest to those working remotely and on different continents.
  • It can be user-friendly for those who are new to accounting software.
  • Easily manipulated which is good for clients with intricate wording necessary on their invoices.
  • Cannot do intricate accounting reports or entries like a desktop version allows.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • QuickBooks Online makes it very easy to run basic financial reports.
  • QuickBooks Online integrates with all major banks, making adding transactions quick and easy.
  • QuickBooks Online is cloud based, which means you can access your financial data from anywhere in the world with internet access.
  • First-time set-up with QuickBooks Online isn't difficult, but it would be helpful if they provided tips/advice for those who may be moving from another platform.
  • QuickBooks Online likes to push their other services, for example using their system to accept payments. I wish there were a way to opt out of seeing certain options that you choose not to use.
  • Getting help from an actual QuickBooks Online support member is difficult. Often times if you post a question online, the answer provided doesn't actually answer or address your question and the issue is closed before you're able to elaborate more.
Chloe Tollefson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Ease of use
  • Simple to understand
  • I think some of the reports that you can generate are designed for as if you are an accountant or have a background in finance. It would be nice for them to be a little more straightforward or the terminology more simple and straightforward.
  • It sometimes takes days and days to receive the money that you are sent, meaning that sending payments through your bank could likely be quicker and easier.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • QuickBooks Online gives me the ability to create customized reports and financial statements in seconds.
  • This software allows me to keep track of accounts payable and receivables and also allows me to receive payments from clients online.
  • This software allows me to keep up with my books in real time and offers assistance through live chat and information lookup.
  • This software is not always user friendly and allows for multiple routes to be taken to accomplish the same outcome which at times can be confusing and lead to multiple answers.
  • This software allows chat but not the ability to have a quick question answered over the phone unless enrolling in virtual bookkeeping services.
  • This software does take quite a while familiarize with.
Drew West | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • QuickBooks Online is the total package for small businesses that need comprehensive accounting software support at an affordable price. There are other options for medium-to-large size businesses, like NetSuite, but their subscription costs are much higher. In contrast, QuickBooks Online offers functionality that will serve most small businesses for a fraction of the cost.
  • In the small-business accounting software category, other companies offer competing products. Still, after doing my own research and reading reviews from other users, I found that QuickBooks Online is regarded as the most robust and feature-rich in terms of all of the accounting needs and reporting functionality that your business might need.
  • QuickBooks Online has a great feature called Receipt Capture, which allows you to snap a photo of your receipt and automatically upload it into the system for your approval. The software tries to auto-fill the appropriate information like merchant name, transaction date, transaction amount, and account category. The auto-fill suggestions aren't 100% accurate, but the functionality is helpful and is improving with time.
  • I have requested a callback from QuickBooks Online customer support numerous times in my two years as a customer, and the callback is usually within 5 minutes. The support is generally beneficial and able to resolve the issue. If your question or problem is easier to address by the representative looking at your session with you, there is functionality built right into QuickBooks Online that allows you to screen share your session with the representative so you can walk through the issues together. It is beneficial, and I appreciate this feature.
  • As of February 2020, QuickBooks Online advertises that you can e-file your state sales tax returns directly through QuickBooks Online. This functionality has never been available to me, and I manually fill out and submit my returns directly through each state's online portal. I don't believe this functionality is available for most QuickBooks Online users, despite advertisements indicating that it is.
  • As of February 2020, the following QuickBooks Online subscription levels: Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus, do not allow users to bulk upload or import multiple invoices at once. These tiers only will enable you to create one invoice at a time. The highest subscription level, QuickBooks Online Advanced, does allow users to import multiple invoices at once using Excel import, but the price is much higher. For users who can't afford the subscription price of QuickBooks Online Advanced but need the functionality of bulk uploading invoices, there is a software service called Transaction Importer Pro that does a good job, and the price is $20/month.
  • Every once in awhile, I find a page in QuickBooks Online that doesn't allow a user to sort, filter, or display the information the way I think would be most useful. Even after submitting feedback using the online feedback tool, I haven't received any response to my communication about these small changes. These are minor issues, but they don't dampen my enthusiasm for all of the other wonderful functionality that QuickBooks Online enables.
Return to navigation