QuickBooks plays a unique role in the lives of accounting professionals. Being a premium accounting software, it has been in use in the desktop-hosted environment traditionally. Whether invoicing, expense management, inventory management, or cash flow management, we all know about various features of QuickBooks. However, you might not know about the differences between using QuickBooks on cloud and desktop-hosted QuickBooks.
The tremendous growth in cloud technology has brought about significant changes in the accounting industry. Instead of maintaining an in-house QuickBooks desktop setup, you can host QuickBooks on third-party cloud servers for remote accessibility and cost savings.
QuickBooks Hosting at a Glance
QuickBooks hosting, also referred to as hosted QuickBooks or QuickBooks cloud, means installing the desktop version of this application on a cloud server, enabling software access via the web on any device and at any location.
If you want to switch to QuickBooks cloud, it is paramount that you understand the differences between traditional QB desktop and QB on the cloud.
7 Differences Between QuickBooks on Cloud Vs. Desktop
Desktop-hosted QuickBooks |
QuickBooks Cloud |
| Can only be accessed on the device where it is installed | Can be accessed on any device via the Internet and from any location |
| Lacks advanced security measures and anti-hacking tools | Powered with the top-rated security methods to ensure data safety |
| Involves frequent sharing of QB files between team members | Ensure efficient collaboration between team members and simultaneous access to the same data files from different locations |
| Requires significant time and resources for infrastructural scalability | Easy to scale the QuickBooks hosting plan chosen based on evolving business needs |
| Involves additional expense of regular IT maintenance | The IT maintenance cost to be borne by the cloud hosting provider |
| Has a greater risk of permanent data loss due to environmental disasters | Provides disaster recovery facility to minimize the impact of data loss during disasters |
| May result in performance issues with multiple add-on integrations | Easy to integrate as many QuickBooks add-ons as you need without facing any performance lag |
Let’s explain each of these differences to help you make an informed decision.
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Software Accessibility
Hosting QuickBooks on a local computer system does not allow you to work on it when you are not around. However, with QuickBooks cloud, you can access the software anywhere and anytime.
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Security of Data and Software
Conventional desktop systems usually do not have advanced security systems to secure the saved financial data. With QuickBooks hosting, you will benefit from top-quality security measures deployed on the cloud to protect your data.
Also Read: How to Choose the Best QuickBooks Cloud Hosting Provider?
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Collaboration between Team Members
While using a traditional QB desktop, users have to exchange the same files multiple times with each other back and forth for corrections. On the other hand, QB cloud hosting allows multiple authorized users to simultaneously work on the same files, saving time and effort.
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Scalability
Scaling the in-house IT infrastructure up for changing business requirements requires significant investments and resources. But with QuickBooks cloud, you can upgrade the cloud computational resources by selecting a better, higher cloud hosting plan.
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On-premise IT Maintenance
When you use QuickBooks in a desktop environment, the responsibility to maintain this environment falls on you. When you switch to QuickBooks cloud, this responsibility gets transferred to the hired cloud solution provider. Their team will take care of the IT maintenance needed to deliver seamless QB access.
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Disaster recovery
The risk of facing irreversible data loss during an environmental disaster is higher with traditional QB desktops. However, a renowned QB hosting provider can help you back up the data during unforeseen situations to minimize their adverse impact.
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Integration of Add-ons
Your QB desktop setup may only support integrating a limited number of add-ons and face performance lag on adding more add-ons than it can support. QuickBooks cloud, which is hosted on an HPC server, is a good alternative and allows you to integrate as many add-ons as needed.
In the comparison of QuickBooks Cloud Vs. desktop, one can easily see the apparent winner. With QuickBooks cloud, you will enjoy enhanced team collaboration, higher uptime, and remote software access.
Want to switch to QuickBooks hosting today? Give us a call at – 1-855-583-7486.
