Which is Better? QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online? A Complete Guide 2026

If you are one of those QuickBooks users, then you must be wondering which is better? QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online? Both the financial tool is developed by Intuit. QuickBooks Enterprise is a on-premise, locally installed software offering industry-specific features for large businesses. However, if you need, you can get QuickBooks Enterprise hosting in the cloud and access it from anywhere. 

 

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting and financial management tool designed for small and medium businesses looking to streamline their workflow. However, Intuit has been migrating its users to QuickBooks Online for a smoother, more seamless experience with its accounting software. But for QuickBooks Enterprise users, you can get it cloud-hosted with Sagenext and experience a smooth, easy, and remote experience.

In this short blog post, we will learn about QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop and understand which is better: QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online. Let us dive in and know more.

What is QuickBooks Enterprise?

QuickBooks Enterprise is the most advanced version of QuickBooks. It is designed for large, industry-specific businesses to manage their financial and other business segments, including inventory management. You get advanced reporting, payroll features, sales, order, and tax management options. QuickBooks is installed locally on your devices. If you need to go flexible and remote access, then QuickBooks hosting is required to take the QB Enterprise software to the cloud and access it from anywhere, anytime.

QuickBooks Enterprise provides options for these industries:

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting and financial management software developed by Intuit. It is designed for small to medium enterprises looking to streamline their accounting and financial workflow. Some of the features of QuickBooks Online are bookkeeping, expense management, cash flow, budgeting, sales tracking, and more. QB Online offers innovative features, including hundreds of customizable invoices, bulk invoice processing, automated invoice reminders, and more. When it comes to QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online, both offer features tailored to different types of businesses.

QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online? A Comparision

Which One to Choose: QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online?

Choosing between QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Online will depend entirely on your business requirements and specific needs. For example, QB Online offers up to 25 users, and QB Enterprise offers up to 40 users. QuickBooks Enterprise offers advanced features and many options for growing and large businesses, while QuickBooks Online is designed for small- to medium-sized business owners with basic or limited features. In summary, QuickBooks Enterprise is mainly preferred by larger businesses looking to grow and manage complex operations, while QuickBooks Online is best for SMBs with minimal accounting needs.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing between QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online, it depends on your business requirements and the features you need. If you are a large business, you will need advanced features, and QuickBooks Enterprise is best suited to you. If you are a small, growing business, freelancer, or solopreneur, then cloud-based QuickBooks Online will suit you best, as it offers basic features and options. In this short post, we have helped you understand which is better, QuickBooks Enterprise or QuickBooks Online, and provided a decision you could choose from.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why do accountants not like QuickBooks Online?

Accountants do not like QuickBooks Online because of its limited customization options, complex user interface, poor customer support system, and frequent disruptions to the entire software workflow. 

Is QuickBooks Enterprise Worth It?

Yes, QuickBooks Enterprise is worth it due to its advanced features and options for large businesses. However, since QB Enterprise is installed on-premises, you have less flexibility. You can get QuickBooks Enterprise hosting services from Sagenext and access the software from anywhere, anytime. 

What are the advantages of QuickBooks Enterprise?

Some of the advantages of QuickBooks Enterprise are:

• Inventory tracking
• Enhanced reporting
• Payroll capabilities
• Time tracking options and more. 

Who should use QuickBooks Enterprise?

QuickBooks Enterprise should be primarily used by large businesses that require complex operational management and multiple users, with advanced inventory workflows.