QB Premier vs QB Online: Which One Offers The Features You Need

QuickBooks, one of the most preferred accounting software in the world, is an efficient solution for the accounting needs of businesses, be it startups, SMBs, or enterprises. The desktop versions of QuickBooks can be installed on the on-premise setup, just like any other software.

However, with the cloud technology taking the accounting market by storm, Intuit also introduced the cloud-based version of QuickBooks – QuickBooks Online (QBO). QuickBooks Online can be accessed through the web browser with the help of Internet-connected devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

In just more than a decade in the market, QuickBooks Online has made its mark in the accounting application industry. There has been consistent growth in the popularity of cloud-based applications and Intuit’s statistics for QuickBooks Online subscribers, second that trend.

That being said, QuickBooks Online has not taken over the desktop version completely. QuickBooks desktop still remains the leader among all the accounting applications with the most number of users in the US.

One of the primary reasons that keep QuickBooks desktop in the leading position is the availability of a specific version for different sized accounting needs – QuickBooks Enterprise, QuickBooks Premier, QuickBooks Pro, and QuickBooks Accountant.

In this article, we are comparing QuickBooks Premier and QuickBooks Online to find a better fit for the accounting needs.

QuickBooks Online Vs. QuickBooks Premier

QuickBooks Premier (QB Premier) is a desktop-based software that can perform complex accounting operations, such as – maintaining payrolls, auto-fill accounting forms, job costing, etc.

One software license can support up to 5 users and offers a quality solution for accounting files that range between 150 MB and 200 MB. With plenty of built-in forms, it takes quite a bit a load off the accountants, by automating several accounting processes.

Moreover, Intuit released its latest version – QuickBooks Premier 2020 that added some new features and updates to the existing software. Some of which include Automatic Payment Reminders, better interface for reports, and file search option, among others.

QuickBooks Online (QBO) is a cloud-based accounting software from Intuit that offers modern-day accounting solutions, such as – anytime and anywhere access to accounting data, and simultaneous collaboration between multiple users.

With such automation, integration with bank accounts, and payment cards of QBO, most of the transaction tracking tasks are automated. Another major advantage of opting for QBO is that all the updates from Intuit are installed automatically.