Small business software to replace Quickbooks
 

Got an email today that my Quickbooks Desktop software is going to cost me $999 next year. It went from $500 in 2023, to $650 in 2024 and now this... They have been pushing users toward using their online version, but that is not something I want to do. I realize that $999 is cheaper than a secretary and a CPA. I have used Quickbooks since 1997 when I left my job as a Service manager for a multi line dealership to venture out on my own.

I have been using desktop version, and I can continue using it but they are pricing it through the roof. Looking for recommendations for something else. I run a small power sports repair business, Motorcycles, ATV's, Side x Sides, and some lawn and garden equipment repairs as well. No employees, just need something to create invoices and track income and expense. I have phased out of keeping an inventory, I am 63 and not sure how much longer I will be doing this... I have slowed down to only 4 day work week, so I am just looking for some simple software without all the bells and whistles. Any suggestions?

I'm using QB 2020 Desktop and I see no reason to upgrade as it serves my needs. I have gotten their warning letter that desktop will no longer be available but that really doesn't affect me.

Yeah, I wish I hadn't upgraded, but... I had a computer die, and the older software would not work on the newer version of Mac OS. So "I'm up the creek".

Just don’t upgrade. I’m still using QuickBooks from 2014. Every time I open it it suggests that I upgrade or get online to do updates. I ignore both of those suggestions and have had no problems.

Yeah, they hit me with the "upgrade" a few weeks ago. I went to their online chat, said I'd be going elsewhere unless they could get me a better deal. They gave me 50% off for three mos., so that gives me time to shop, which I will most definitely will. Eff them.

No idea on what exactly you need out of it, my only finance software experience is homegrown ERP and doing ETL stuff for Workday, so I guess if you have a $2mil budget for your software I could help out some :)

That said, I would maybe look at GnuCash - https://www.gnucash.org//download.phtml I did use it once years ago to import a buddys old check ledger that he used as a repair/maintenance log for his VW Bus and his Moto Guzi restoration, just needed to import it well enough to print it out for him.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1726554859.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1726597289.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1726702144.jpg
...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1726702154.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1726702250.jpg

I went through this a few years ago and couldn't find anything that worked as well as QB. I ended up buying a full version through Dell

I have used QuickBooks foor many years. In the past I would wait three years to upgrade. Now it is subscription based license. At the end of 2033 I upgraded too the 2024 desktop version. I keep my data on my computer. Once you "up[grade" to the online version, you can't ever get your company data file back. You can run reports, but not the real data file.

I will wait to see what they want for the next renewal.

****ing hate Intuit. With a passion. And i spend a LOT of time in Qbks. Desktop has always been a great product though it's gotten a bit overcooked of late. Online QBKS is ****.

You can thank the VC mindset of 'get everyone on a subscription' for this pricing model. I used to spend $300 a year on the latest version and had 100+ companies on it. Intuit figured out they could force retirement of old desktop versions and start charging real money for every single company used in quickbooks. For an office like mine that will eventually go from $300 a year (now about $1300) to something like $50k per year if they get their way.

Like i said, **** Intuit.

Had a client who actually developed an accounting software in the 80's in my office yesterday. I was telling him how desperately the public accounting industry needs a desktop based solution that isn't 'per company' priced. He had no promising things to say.

per reddit:
Excel
https://www.manager.io/
Gnucash
Wave Free for basic. $16/mo for pro Online
https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/ $350-2350
hledger
Fribok
https://www.budgetwithbuckets.com/
www.lessaccounting.com i

I've seen Wave financials from a very small client. They looked good to me.

That "manager.io "looks interesting... I will check it out.

Why don’t you want to do the online version? All the ones I know now are online.

Because you lose control of your property.

That, and I don't think the online subscription versions are equipped to handle some types of nunya business records.

Getting ready to sell completely or offer public options? Have a secret supplier or associate which give you an edge? Have problem employees you've paid to go away? Have lots of notes on strategy hidden within the entries? Inter-office notes? Tax records and online IRS filings seemed to change? It's a cookie-cutter for any start up competitor, or to do you harm. An open book for any hacker or quickbooks employee to go through. Except deep in the EULA it's all completely legal.

Gee nobody would be interested in that master key.

I understand your hesitancy towards avoiding online books, but you’re gonna pay for that dearly on the front side.

It just isnt cost effective for companies to release desktop software anymore so they will keep making it more expensive. All you banking where your actual money resides is online, whether you use it or not.

We use Waveapps. It’s decent and meets our needs. …but it’s online.

Or use software that respects you and your data.

Sure, GnuCash may be missing a feature or two.... but... since it is Free and Open, instead of sending intuit $500 or $1000 you could use that to offer to pay for a bug fix or a feature request from either one of the main developers or anyone else out there with the skill. Heck, get together with a few small business buddies and work together on it.

Thanks for this post,
Not sure how I missed it. I used to play around with Linux Red Hat, and Ubuntu software years ago... Guessing this will have similar user feel to it. Will look into it this weekend when I have some time. As long as it will track sales, expenses, and keep a history for yearly reports, it may be just what I need.

Thanks!

Just wanted to drop by and say thank you very much. SmileWavy I started out the year using Gnucash and it has worked perfectly for what I needed.

This site seems to have such a deep knowledge base!

Any chance they can import the QuickBooks files. I have 10 years of data I don't want to lose. The new 2025 version of desktop QuickBooks willl be $999. That is insane for my needs.

The monthly subscription for QB online is more than $100/month, per company.

This situation makes me wonder.

Could larger business orgs with large scale ERP type SW be interested in leasing a portion to small business's to help their ROI on the ERP investment?

Small Business would get premium business system functionality and those adapt could leverage it for growth too.

There are no perfect accounting software solutions. Depends on how intense your needs are but if you don't need payroll you can use an older version of QB for a very long time. We did for 10 years, much to our CPAs dismay. My brother has used Peachtree for Mac and gotten good results but I preferred QB.

As I was winding down my business after 40 years and selling it off in phases I got to the point of a one man outfit from 20 employees. I found that QB mobile served me pretty well with instant quotes, invoicing, tracking expenses, and final year end tax data. I could run it off an iPad or iPhone, invoice a client after job completion and they would pay instantly while I was still at their property. As a short term solution with no interest in building my business back up, it worked well.

Older versions of quickbooks will not work on newer computers.

Gnu Cash does everything older quickbooks did... It is all on your computer, and it is Free.

Why would anyone willingly put their Business/I.P./Personal information online? Why do sheep and lemmings follow each other.

Has Q.B. given you a privacy contract clause as to their limitations?
Has Congress ever required this basic consent of privacy be maintained by all companies?
Ask why not...

If not they could be selling every single bit of your personal information, online, to competitors.
(FBI sez that is $250k/5yrs per incident infraction)

Thanks, but..

I'm using the Gnu cash software that " id10t" recommended.. its free and does everything I need.

I looked up both of those options, and they seem to be web based accounting. I want a program I download, install, and keep all my data in one place. I have zero need for connecting everything over the web. And I want my data on my computer, not the cloud.

Switching from QuickBooks can definitely be a challenge, especially when you're trying to find something that fits the unique needs of your business. A lot of people underestimate how important it is to have the right support during transitions like this. Speaking of support, I came across some Invent Help reviews that highlight how their professional services can assist in streamlining processes, especially for small businesses. It's always good to have a reliable resource when you're making big changes—it can save you a lot of headaches. What options are you leaning towards for replacing QuickBooks?

I guess I need to make this switch very soon, since we're in Jan. and I don't have enough entries this month to really make it too much work to rekey into a new system. I can export 2024 and before into files I can keep on my computer.

Actually the switch to Gnu Cash was pretty easy. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube that explain everything. I do have to re enter my customer data, but I am doing that when customers return. Over the years some have moved or passed, so I had lots of data saved that was no longer relevant.

I just got my first annual renewal email from Quickbooks and boy howdy... $1,069 for the next year. The first year they heavily discounted it and even then it was a tough pill to swallow as my business is so small, I might get a customer every couple weeks and the sale is seldom over $30.

On top of that, I had to pay my website company for security upgrades and now with all of the spammers, they need to charge me to add captcha to my contact form.

Between the two companies, I will lose all my income for the year.

Question for the brain trust, if I go back to my desktop version, will it still work for the accounting functions? I realize that I won’t get updates and can’t send invoices through them anymore.

I’ll probably start billing through PayPal.

I bit the bullet and paid $999.00 for the desktop version. The day the stop offering desktop, or make the price just to painful, I will find some other solution.

QuickBooks has a great position. They are very big in the CPA market, and it all folds over into the tax preparation, a filing of taxes. They have gone very vertical in the product offerings, and pretty much have the market captured.

I just export the CPA version of my companies files to my CPA on our OneDrive FTP site. He downloads them, and I delete the files on OneDrive. The CPA does all the taxes, and I finally have him convinced to provide me with a thumb-drive with all the "paperwork" I need. I will not have paper to shred. My CPA keeps a version, and I store them on my computer, and those files are backed up to my RAID and my iPhone.

One big thing for me is to get the "bankfeed" where I can download all the activity of each account right into QuickBooks.

They are big in tax firms BUT for bookkeeping ONLY. the vertical integration is largely useless bull**** they tell businesses hoping to push them into it.

Intuit has none of the professional tax prep market (not accounting for your wife's nephews neighbor who took a tax class and does returns as a side gig) and never will.

$900.00 isn't too bad. I paid $700 cdn ($500 usd?) for 2012

I just logged into my Quickbooks to see how to cancel my renewal and the renewal page showed it would be $485 to renew for another year. They must realize their normal price is way too high?

I still hate them and now can’t decide if I’m going to cancel or not. The pop up notifications when trying to enter my account info drives me nuts.

Why am I only paying $15/month for QB? What am I doing wrong that I can't pay $1000 a year like you guys? Am I not cool enough?


Crap, I just looked, apparently I'm not paying $15 a month, I'm paying $32 a month, and NOW I'm paying $37 a month. Still lots cheaper than some of the numbers tossed around here, but I'm up to $420 a year...not so happy about that...




I only have it because it makes clean easy professional invoices, which I need when I work with my big clients (local government type things).

Are you using the desktop version, or the online version? The online version is much cheaper. I just refuse to keep my company data on someone else's computers.