QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
QuickBooks Online
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
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.
$38
per month
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
A 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 OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
Simple Start
$38
per month
Essentials
$75
per month
Plus
$115
per month
Advanced
$275
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Free Trial
YesNo
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 OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
QuickBooks Online
Chose QuickBooks Online
I think of the two products this has less hassle as it is pretty straight forward and streamlined. Unfortunately, as much as we use the payroll version I cannot give that product the same raving reviews as QuickBooks Online. I really wish Payroll was not as complicated as it …
Chose QuickBooks Online
We use QuickBooks Online since it is user friendly and it has the ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex accounting needs. Price is not that expensive although the users that you can add are limited, if we need to add a user we need to remove the other users.
Chose QuickBooks Online
QBO works much better for our needs and our business. Netsuite had a few too many layers for our business, it was a little harder to use. QBO makes everything simple you don't need to be an accountant to use it. We are happy with the product and will most likely continue to …
Chose QuickBooks Online
None. The only other accounting software I used was a proprietary MSDOS system 20 years ago; this is much better.
Chose QuickBooks Online
We did not look at any other products as QB online is typically considered best in class.
Chose QuickBooks Online
Desktop is way cheaper, but QuickBooks Online stays more upto date and is way better at integrating with other software.
Chose QuickBooks Online
We went with Quickbooks because it was recommended to us by our accountant, as they too use Quickbooks.
Chose QuickBooks Online
Melio was a little easier to use, but could be clunky while syncing to QB, and also got expensive as they added charges for every transaction as well as syncing.
Chose QuickBooks Online
As an accountant, QuickBooks Online uses the language I learned in school and throughout my career. Xero tries to simplify it, while actually making it more difficult to understand.
Chose QuickBooks Online
I truly hated Sage as a bookkeeper. I know that accountants don't have the same experience, but from a day to day perspective, it was not user friendly.
Chose QuickBooks Online
Easier to use and setup. More accountants are familiar with it so that also made the selection easier. Other software was also more expensive and had features that we weren't going to utilize at our current growth stage.
Chose QuickBooks Online
I have to use SAP for billing with some clients, and I think Ariba is much less intuitive, and the interface/GUI is much less modern and appealing. The fact that the client needs to send a PDF "user guide" says a lot to me about how counter-intuitive a lot of the features in …
Chose QuickBooks Online
Sage Timeslips and Avaza
Chose QuickBooks Online
Reporting is more diverse and ability to add multiple dimensions
Chose QuickBooks Online
I think QuickBooks Online is better than Xero. However I think is is lower then NetSuite and Sage Intacct. The system isself is great because it's cloud based so it can be accessed readily. However, in my opinion, it's not built for companies that are growing or expect to grow. …
Chose QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online has better options for sending invoices and receiving electronic payments.
Chose QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is by far the easiest and fastest accounting management platform that I have used, especially compared to any industry specific tools like Sage, Foundation, Northstar, etc. I like how user friendly it is, the visual is great, and it can fit for a wise array of …
Chose QuickBooks Online
They are expensive and always have freezing issues and duplicating entries and no one available to address issues. To change the way you use the sites it takes time to update and its too jumpy and makes annoying issues. These effect the whole company and can take a lot of time …
Chose QuickBooks Online
User friendly for smaller communities.
The cost seems to be reasonable for smaller communities.
Support is helpful, and trainings provided online are helpful.
Chose QuickBooks Online
Unfortunately, in my opinion, QuickBooks Online is not anywhere cloase to coupa or Blackline in terms of functionality. Both platforms are head and shoulders above where i understand QuickBooks Online to be currently. Specifically in relation to task automation and more …
Chose QuickBooks Online
As I've mentioned, there aren't a lot of similar products, and certainly not with all the capability of QuickBooks Online. In my opinion, they nickel and dime for everything but they also do work pretty well across the board. I think the reconciliation process is also by far …
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
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, …
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Wave is extremely easy to use. Quick Books has several features that WAVE does not include, i.e. 1099 reporting.
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
I selected Quickbooks because it was free for a year when I had TurboTax.
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Honestly, this was the only option for me when I launched my business. I didn't even look at different companies for account services, since QuickBooks Self-Employed had the features and benefits that I needed to run daily operations of my business. Eventually, I will need to …
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Alternatively, I use Quicken to manage bank entries and create reports for tax purposes.
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
To be honest, I haven't shopped around for a bookkeeping package. I've been using TurboTax for well over a decade, and adding on QuickBooks Self-Employed (once I made the switch to freelancing) was a no-brainer. I probably could have used the program to help me keep track of …
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
We just trust QuickBooks more than CloudBooks because it's been on the market longer and it's not a net-based service.
Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
I selected QBSE because no other system fit my needs as a freelancer and as of now, I've not become aware of a program like this that I would opt out for.
Features
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
8.4
Ratings
8% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
1% above category average
Pay calculation7.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.50 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
8.3
Ratings
8% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
27% above category average
API for custom integration8.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Plug-ins8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
9.7
Ratings
15% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
18% above category average
Single sign-on capability9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Role-based user permissions9.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
8.1
Ratings
3% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
Dashboards8.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Standard reports8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Custom reports7.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
8.6
Ratings
10% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
25% above category average
Accounts payable9.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Accounts receivable9.40 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Cash management8.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Bank reconciliation9.10 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Expense management8.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Time tracking6.90 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Fixed asset management8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multi-currency support7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multi-division support9.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Regulations compliance9.30 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Electronic tax filing9.40 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Self-service portal8.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Global Financial Support8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers8.70 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting8.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Localizations8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations9.40 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Configurable Accounting7.80 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework8.40 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
7.5
Ratings
2% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
31% above category average
Inventory tracking8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Automatic reordering7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Location management8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Manufacturing module7.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
QuickBooks Online
8.4
Ratings
8% above category average
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
10.0
Ratings
26% above category average
Pricing8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Order entry8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Credit card processing8.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Cost of goods sold9.30 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Order Orchestration8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Order exception Resolution8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Small Businesses
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 8.9 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
1.9
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(0 ratings)
9.4
(0 ratings)
Availability
2.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.1
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
3.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
1.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
QuickBooks OnlineQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
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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
  • It enables me to do a P&L for each specific program as requested by the county for the grant money that they give us.
  • It enables me to do [an] organizational budget as well as a budget for each specific program
  • It enables the accountant and the auditor access at any time for transparency
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  • Tracking expenses is as simple as swiping left and right, it couldn't be easier.
  • Running invoices through QuickBooks is simple and effective.
  • Allowing clients to pay by card or check allows you to get paid faster and give the clients multiple ways of paying invoices, which helps everyone.
  • Automatically tracking estimated quarterly taxes is very helpful and it keeps it top-of mind for each month.
Read full review
Cons
  • Purchase Orders cannot be linked to multiple bill payments which makes tracking purchase orders in QuickBooks Online obsolete. Without the function we have to track this within a different more manual spreadsheet.
  • Would be helpful if you could "split" bank transactions directly from the "review" downloads from the bank. Currently, to split transactions to multiple accounts we need to first categorize, then review after assigning to 1 account.
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  • There are a number of unnecessary and ongoing prompts to do small tasks, like creating a rule for certain transactions. I could do without those.
  • There are also occasional glitches with bank setup that produce duplicate transactions which can be a pain to deal with. I also haven't been able to find a way to effectively edit transactions.
  • I also wish that QBSE integrated with software like Freshbooks, Tripit and Expensify.
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Likelihood to Renew
QBO needs better integration with non-Intuit products and developers need to use Intuit's open API to develop better add-ons. Clients are having a great deal of problems with their data importing from the bank and this takes time away from better revenue producing activities. Although the efficiencies are there, they are outweighted by the shortcomings of the product. When we ran a parallel of QBO versus other cloud accounting products, we had more issues with the QBO product than any other
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No answers on this topic
Usability
I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
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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
We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
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No answers on this topic
Performance
Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
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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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Implementation Rating
The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
QuickBooks Online is an accounting software package that allows companies to use a cost-effective and efficient software package. QuickBooks Online allows companies to prepare their balance sheets and income statements. It connects with a variety of other applications, which allows you to be efficient. We are very pleased with QuickBooks Online, and we would highly recommend it.
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To be honest, I haven't shopped around for a bookkeeping package. I've been using TurboTax for well over a decade, and adding on QuickBooks Self-Employed (once I made the switch to freelancing) was a no-brainer. I probably could have used the program to help me keep track of employee expenses as I was working for others in the past.
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Scalability
As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • I think the help function is cumbersome and hard to use. When I go to refresh myself on a function, say quarterly, I feel like I have to cast about just looking for it.
  • The account reconciliation works, but in this place that could benefit from messaging, there are no easy helping functions flagging things like amounts that fit the discrepancy.
  • Even styling invoices and documents is more cumbersome than it should be.
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  • A positive impact on my business is, of course, keeping track of income and expenses, and approximate quarterly taxes. QuickBooks is a little better at this than Quicken, I think.
  • By using QuickBooks (and Quicken) it saves me having to spend money on an accountant. (At least up to this point.)
  • However, the time I spend on daily or weekly entries takes billable time away from other things.
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ScreenShots

QuickBooks Online Screenshots

Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard