QUICKBOOKS ONLINE VS. QUICKBOOKS DESKTOP FOR THERAPISTS
I highly recommend using QuickBooks for your private practice bookkeeping because it makes your life so much easier, and your bookkeeping beautiful! But, one of the decisions you need to make is whether you want the Desktop or Online version of QuickBooks.
The main difference is that QuickBooks Online is cloud-based and you can access it from anywhere, while QuickBooks Desktop is installed onto a computer and can only be accessed from that computer.
I know, I know it sounds technical. But there are other differences between them that you need to think about before choosing what’s the best fit for you and your private practice. But I’m breaking it down to help you out!
Here’s what you need to know:
Price
The pricing structures are different because QuickBooks Desktop is done on licensing and a yearly subscription. While QuickBooks Online is done on a monthly subscription, you can pay for QuickBooks Online as an annual subscription fee as well to save some money!
QuickBooks Online
Go to their website to see their plans and pricing.
QuickBooks Desktop
Go to their website to see their plans and pricing.
Features
Both options share the basic accounting functionality, but the overall features of each, are very different and play an important role in which you decide to use for your private practice:
QuickBooks Online
Access from anywhere and any device (hello sofa bookkeeping!)
A lot of automation to make your life easier
Monthly pricing; so less of a price commitment
No software updates or back-up’s
Easily share online access with multiple users
Let’s be honest – it’s the 21st century – online is just more modern!
QuickBooks Desktop
Access only from where it’s downloaded
Lead management and sales orders included
Can use it when you’re offline
Important to always make back-ups of your data
Not easily shareable with others like bookkeeper or CPA to give them access to data
Have to update the software each year
QuickBooks for Therapists and Dentists: Which should you get?
I will always recommend QuickBooks Online versus QuickBooks Desktop for all my clients.
Why though? QuickBooks Online is so much more versatile than Desktop, and it works perfectly for all of TTS’s clients (so therapists and dentists).
With online, you’re not tied to just that home computer desk to do your books. You can access it from any device. This also means you have more flexibility with your bookkeeper and tax professional. With online, you simply invite them via email to look at your books. And that means they can instantly access your books from their own devices/office, etc. With Desktop, they have to physically come to your computer, or you have to create and download a backup of the Desktop files, send them the file, make sure they can access the file, etc, etc.
Or you can setup and pay for a software for them to ‘remote in’ and view your computer. It’s cumbersome, to say the least. With Desktop, there is also a lot more manual data entry versus being able to sync accounts and have it automatically pull the data in from those accounts so you can get to work immediately on the data entry. This opens the door for a lot more accounting errors and omissions.
And lastly, the big one for me, I absolutely LOVE knowing my financials and data are backed up into the cloud.. because if my office burns down, gets broken into, or my computer crashes…. I don’t lose years and years of data and pertinent information!
If you’d rather not even deal with the headache of choosing and setting the software up or managing your bookkeeping, we at Therapeutic Tax Solutions can do all of those things for you! Therapeutic Tax Solutions is a virtual accounting firm working exclusively with therapists and dentists all across the United States!
Also, if you’re not quite ready for a full blown accounting software, a spreadsheet can work great, too! I created one specifically for therapists in private practice and you can find it in The Bookkeeping Cure™️ for Therapists!
