Intuit is strongly pushing everyone to QBO

I just opened an email from Intuit and they are aggressivel trying to get people into QBO. This is a small portion of the email:

After July 31, 2024, Intuit will no longer sell new subscriptions of the following Desktop products in the US:
QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus
QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus
QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus
QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll

At one point in the email, they are telling pro's to encourage their clients to migrate to QBO.

Sad day, I think

Did you see the part where direct deposit per paycheck is going from 1.75 to 4.00 starting 1/8/24? I'm furious, not least because I literally sent out my next year billing adjustments to my clients yesterday afternoon. (and while this isn't a fee I pay, it's the kind of thing would have mentioned if I'd know. It's also the kind of thing that might encourage me to hurry up a migration elsewhere.)

Are there any good alternatives (i.e. other software providers) to think about given these changes?

To be fair to Intuit, it doesn't make a lot of sense to run two parallel software platforms (desktop and online) and pay two separate development teams. So I understand the consolidation. Subscription pricing has been the model that software has been trending toward for at least a decade, so their choice to deprecate desktop in favor of online isn't surprising.

In light of that, we have to adapt. As always.

Semper Gumby.

Yep, received same e-mail. Enterprise will be the last Desktop version they support and they will inevitably end Desktop for all, which also means my payrolls will be moved. I cannot tolerate QBO payroll. It'll cost clients more for financial work if they're not on QBO and some are not willing to pay the cost.

To be fair to Intuit, it doesn't make a lot of sense to run two parallel software platforms (desktop and online) and pay two separate development teams.

Intuit can shutter their QBD development department. Really! What else is there to do with this software? They should make version 2024 the final version. Continue to sell it as a subscription. They only need to update their payroll features and have a support team.

And then Intuit should fire everyone on their QBO development team. Send them packing! And replace them with their QBD development team.

We don't always get what we want. The only productive thing in this situation is to evaluate all current options and pull the trigger on the one that best serves you and your practice. It's an opportunity.

I have this on my list to look at, maybe this year. It looks like an excellent alternative to QB: It's called "Moneyworks." They're in New Zealand.

https://cognito.co.nz/product-range.php

I use that MikeH. I started using it when the local bird population flew away whenever they saw me and my supply of quills dwindled away. Now I have something on my computer (is that the right word?) that makes it easier to find errors when reconciling subsidiary ledgers to the nominal ledger. Extracting a Trial Balance is error-free.

Seriously, this software is only for those who truly understand double-entry bookkeeping but, for those who can do that manually, the jump is very small. If you are into that sort of thing, you can design your own reports. I have templates set up that produce monthly or quarterly financials that I designed all by myself. This was necessary because they are a New Zealand company and they use terms that are common to the Antipodes and the former British colonies in south-east Asia.

You can buy the software the traditional way or you can take a monthly subscription. They do charge for support and their rationale is that those who don’t use support shouldn’t pay for those who do. They produce a PDF manual that is several hundred pages long and ordered logically.

The one thing it doesn’t do is payroll. They offer accounting software in several countries and that would be more complexity. They do offer Value Added Tax reporting, though. That makes it pretty much essential to get the USA version for domestic clients.

If a client wants to do their own bookkeeping, their accountant gets a free copy. You just have to fill in a form. The proof I presented was a link to my beautifully-designed (and reasonably priced) website [insert pointy-up arrow thingie here].

Moneyworks has a network of advisors in the USA, but I am not one of them. I promise I am not getting paid for writing this.

SumwunLost:
Thanks.
Mike Hartfield

Yes, that you for the critique! I emailed the company with a couple of question.

I don’t do client bookkeeping, but have a handful of clients where I need to cobble together an income statement and balance sheet for their entity returns. They are simple enough that I can get the job done using Excel and pivot tables, but this may really ease the task.

I really wish there was a good alternative to QuickBooks. They are beginning to bite the hand that feeds them. As a lot of people have migrated to QBO over the years, I found it rather distasteful for them to offer bookkeeping services. Now that they're consistently increasing fees, it would be a great time for an alternative solution to go 100% at Intuit and steal some market share. I feel like a large number of people would migrate if there was an easy conversion process and the product was more affordable with a decent customer service.

I really wish there was a good alternative to QuickBooks. They are beginning to bite the hand that feeds them. As a lot of people have migrated to QBO over the years, I found it rather distasteful for them to offer bookkeeping services. Now that they're consistently increasing fees, it would be a great time for an alternative solution to go 100% at Intuit and steal some market share. I feel like a large number of people would migrate if there was an easy conversion process and the product was more affordable with a decent customer service.

Agreed.
I was explaining this to a contact the other day. QB is a very robust program. Much more than many of our clients need, but none (that I have seen) of the competition has figured out how to offer a solution that does 100% of the things our clients need.
I've seen some get close, but they stopped short, IMO.

Agreed.
I was explaining this to a contact the other day. QB is a very robust program. Much more than many of our clients need, but none (that I have seen) of the competition has figured out how to offer a solution that does 100% of the things our clients need.
I've seen some get close, but they stopped short, IMO.

Precisely, so we become trapped. I have looked at the various options on the market and even ERP systems fall short while costing $$$$-$$$$$$$$$. Freshbooks, Xero, etc., are too weak in their abilities, AccountingSuite is too focused on inventory and requires multiple third-party integrations at additional costs to achieve basic accounting needs, etc. Nothing exists that is readily available and "somewhat" affordable to small businesses EXCEPT Intuit, Intuit knows they have everyone by the ****s, and they are 100% taking advantage of the situation.

I agree, the market is ripe for a truly viable competitor and I still scratch my head why none of come along.

Freshbooks is total garbage - have a Sch C client who used it and it was the worst program I've ever seen. Can't comment on Xero as I've never used it. Have a couple of clients who use Wave - better than Freshbooks but not much better.

I've had a few clients over the years use Freshbooks for invoicing... but only invoicing. they were both tracking their expenses elsewhere.

I'm actually fairly happy with Wave, but it's not a fit for everyone.

I've had a few clients over the years use Freshbooks for invoicing... but only invoicing. they were both tracking their expenses elsewhere.

I'm actually fairly happy with Wave, but it's not a fit for everyone.

I have a client that started on Wave last year (new business). She likes it. I liked that it could generate csv files that I could import into Excel. It wasn't horrible once we figured out how to change the reports from accrual to cash basis.

The one client that's using Wave does a good job with it. The other one made a bit of a hash of his file, so that one takes a bit of work.

Years ago, I remember doing a trial of Wave and submitting feedback to them on how to improve their product. I did not consider it a viable option at the time, but haven't really looked at it since then.