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The Battle Between Box and Cloud

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QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online are very different ways of approaching the accounting challenges faced by small businesses. QuickBooks Pro often appeals to companies that want to be able to point to a specific server and say “my data is there”, whereas QuickBooks Online users tend to be comfortable with their data residing in the Intuit cloud. QuickBooks Pro users are often individuals that appreciate the native experience of an installable app, whereas QuickBooks Online users tend to prefer ‘web apps’. QuickBooks Pro users tend to want full control over data backup cycles and processes, whereas QuickBooks Online users don’t mind ceding such control to Intuit.

We’re generalizing, of course, but suffice it to say that there are plenty of users of each solution that are fanatical about the benefits of one or the other, to a point that some say any comparison between the two is trying to compare “apples and oranges”.

Comparing QuickBooks Pro vs QuickBooks Online: Where to Start?

Screenshot of QuickBooks Calculator

However, the fact is that some comparison is necessary. Intuit gives you a headstart in comparing the features and benefits of some of the members of the family, and that fills in one piece of the puzzle. However, after studying the feature comparison, you still might be wearing your fingertips numb in Excel trying to decide if there is a cost advantage to one or the other, given your unique needs.

We couldn’t find any reasonable aid for helping to compare the “cost of ownership” of QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Pro, and although we’ve surely left out many details, we’ve put our nose to the grindstone to come up with at least a starting point for comparing/contrasting the economics of choosing one or the other.

A Headstart on Comparing Costs

So, here you have it: a Cost of Ownership calculator for QuickBooks Pro vs. QuickBooks Online, with the (catchy?) title of “The Battle Between Box and Cloud”. Enjoy. As usual we also refer to our ProAdvisor friends who receive (and answer) this question every day who can provide the ultimate in personalized advice on the topic  – our calculator is but a headstart on what should still be a decision aided by your ProAdvisor.

Have a request for some additional factor that we should include, or some wrinkle in the computations, that you think needs attention? Give us a shout at support at proongo.com, and speak your mind!

Ready, Set, Try It!