As a business owner, you are always looking for technological solutions to make the process streamlined and error-free. However, with various options available in the market, it becomes challenging to opt for the right ones.
In this blog, let’s discuss the two solutions businesses prefer – Square and QuickBooks Enterprise.
Overview of QuickBooks and Square
QuickBooks Enterprise
QuickBooks Enterprise is a premier ERP solution that offers features to encompass the entire business process. It integrates sales, inventory, warehousing, manufacturing, e-commerce, customer management, invoicing, billing, payments, and more in one comprehensive dashboard to offer complete visibility of the business process. You also get payroll and time tracking features with the Diamond subscription of QB Enterprise.
QuickBooks Enterprise is a desktop software that needs to be installed on the local servers. It offers a maximum of 40 users. However, you must turn on the multi-user mode to enable users to collaborate on a single company file.
Square
Square is an all-in-one retail management system for your business. Founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, Square offers hardware and software solutions for e-commerce and in-store retailers. Square is a complete cloud solution that offers retail managers the ability to accept payments via smartphones and tablets.
Square came into the limelight with its portable card reader that could accept payments easily by connecting it to a smartphone. However, it has evolved into a comprehensive retail platform offering solutions, such as payment processing, POS systems, retail hardware, e-commerce integration, and inventory tracking.
QuickBooks vs. Square: A Comparison
Features Comparison
Car Reader Hardware
Square offers a free card reader that allows you to accept card payments from anywhere on your mobile device. This card reader can be inserted into the earphone jack on your smartphone. It is available in both Android and iOS versions.
Intuit also offers a mobile card reader with the QuickBooks GoPayments app. The app is included with QuickBooks Enterprise. The reader ensures wireless connectivity as it can be connected with Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet. Moreover, customers can use Google Pay or Apple Pay to make payments.
Transaction Fees
Here is a comparison of the transaction fees between QuickBooks and Square.
Fee | QuickBooks | Square |
---|---|---|
Cards and Digital Wallets | 2.99% | 3.3% + 30¢ |
Ace Cloud Hosting | 1% | 1% |
Card Reader | 2.5% | 2.6% +10¢ |
Keyed-in Cards | 3.5% | 3.5% + 15¢ |
Integrations
Square offers integrations to apps mainly focused on e-commerce, restaurant management, accounting, and time tracking. Some of them include QuickBooks, Wix, WooCommerce, WorkFeed, etc.
On the other hand, QuickBooks Enterprise offers a more diverse range of applications as compared to Square. These apps respond to major business domains, be it sales, shipping, e-commerce, payments, data management, compliance, and more.
Inventory Management
Square offers an efficient POS software platform to manage inventory with ease. It helps you set stock alerts, manage vendors, and manage multiple stores simultaneously.
In comparison, QuickBooks Enterprise offers a more advanced inventory management solution with workflow automation. It helps you track inventory by serial and lot numbers, set reorder points, track expiration dates, enable FIFO costing, and enhance the pick, pack, and ship process.
Pricing Plans
QuickBooks Enterprise
You can choose among the four QB Enterprise pricing plans as per your requirements. If unsatisfied with the pricing, you can also get a customized quote.
- Silver – $114/user/month
- Gold – $155/user/month
- Platinum – $185/user/month
- Diamond – $311/user/month
At Ace Cloud Hosting we offer genuine QuickBooks Enterprise licenses at the best prices
Square
Square offers the following subscription plans.
- Plus – $29/month
- Premium – Custom Pricing
Square also offers a free plan that charges you only when you accept a payment.
You might have observed that QuickBooks Enterprise costs more than Square. However, the thing to note here is that QuickBooks offers more features, whereas Square focuses mostly on the payment side of things.
Customer Reviews and Industry Opinions
Customer reviews help you evaluate between QuickBooks and Square based on past experiences. Let’s see some ratings from the leading platforms.
G2 | GetApp | Capterra |
---|---|---|
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise – 4.2/5 | QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise – 4.5/5 | QuickBooks Enterprise- 4.5/5 |
Square – 4.5/5 | Square – 4.7/5 | Square – 4.3/5 |
Pros and Cons
QuickBooks Enterprise
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
QuickBooks Enterprise offers accounting features specific to different industries, such as retail, construction, manufacturing, nonprofit, and more. For instance, the contractor version of QuickBooks Enterprise includes features like job cost tracking and payroll management. It also offers industry-specific reports like job cost by job and unpaid bills by job. | QuickBooks Enterprise is a desktop software, which means it needs to be installed on a local system or server. This situation gives QuickBooks Enterprise a disadvantage over other cloud-based solutions. However, you can host QuickBooks Enterprise on a service provider’s cloud to transform it into a cloud solution. |
QuickBooks Enterprise offers a complete ERP solution, where you get advanced features in payments, inventory tracking, sales, and warehouse management, among others. | QuickBooks Enterprise has no integrated POS system. Its point-of-sale solution, QuickBooks POS was discontinued on October 3, 2023. Intuit has now partnered with Shopify to offer customers create a retail solution. |
You can create granular workflows in QuickBooks Enterprise to facilitate automation in invoice approvals, payment reminders, restocking, shipping, and more. |
Square
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Square offers a cloud platform for retailers to get real-time updates on their business from anywhere at any time. | For a business looking for an efficient accounting solution, Square is not the right choice. However, you can integrate it with accounting software like QuickBooks to get enhanced accounting features. |
Square offers a user-friendly interface that can be used by professionals with limited technical knowledge. Moreover, being a cloud platform, it’s easy to set up. | Square has limited options when it comes to customization, be it in reporting or workflows. |
QuickBooks Enterprise or Square: Which is Best for Your Business?
Choosing between QuickBooks Enterprise and Square depends on the type and size of business you cater to. If you are a retailer and want an efficient and affordable cloud POS solution, along with hardware, you might go for Square.
However, large businesses that require an accounting solution integrated with inventory management, e-commerce integration, and automated workflows can choose QuickBooks Enterprise.
Conclusion
QuickBooks Enterprise and Square both offer efficient solutions. However, they differ in capabilities and the market they cover. It is recommended to analyze your current process and evaluate what you want.
If you are inclined towards QuickBooks Enterprise but want a cloud solution, QuickBooks cloud hosting is the right choice for you. With QuickBooks Enterprise on the cloud, you can access it remotely via personal devices. It also relieves you from IT overheads and ensures all-time availability.
Ace Cloud Hosting offers best-in-class QuickBooks cloud hosting service with flexible pricing plans. We also gives us the ability to offer genuine QuickBooks licenses at the best prices. Our hosting features include 99.99% uptime, 24/7/365 customer support, advanced cloud security, disaster recovery, on-demand scaling, 45-day rolling backup, and more.
FAQs – QB Enterprise Vs Square
How many users can you have in QuickBooks Enterprise?
QuickBooks Enterprise is available from 1 to 30 users. However, in the Diamond subscription, you can add up to 40 users.
Can I get QuickBooks Enterprise in the cloud?
Yes, you can get QuickBooks Enterprise on the cloud by opting for QB Enterprise cloud hosting. Intuit Authorized hosting providers like Ace Cloud Hosting offer industry-specific cloud solutions with enterprise-grade security, state-of-the-art infrastructure, 99.99% uptime, and 24/7/365 customer support.
Does QuickBooks Enterprise offer a free trial?
Yes, Intuit offers a 30-day free trial for QuickBooks Enterprise.
Is technical support available for QuickBooks Enterprise?
Yes, you get exclusive technical support from a team of experts for QB Enterprise. Moreover, there is extensive documentation available online if you want help on common issues.
What types of credit cards are accepted in Square?
Square offers a wide variety when it comes to credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Is Square Cloud-based?
Yes, Square is a cloud-based solution that enables you to access the retail process from remote devices like laptops and smartphones. All the data is stored securely on the cloud.
Does Square offer a flat-rate pricing model?
Yes, Square offers a flat rate pricing rate for POS transactions. It charges 2.6% and 10 cents for in-person transactions.