
Both of these QuickBooks options are for a three-month subscription. Set the desired options for symbols, decimal places, and negative numbers. Click “OK” to apply the accounting number format to the selected cells. While Excel may be appropriate for small businesses or simple financial analysis, more complex businesses may need additional software to accommodate their requirements.
If your operations are relatively simple—perhaps with just a handful of properties and straightforward transactions—Excel may offer all the tools you need without unnecessary bells and whistles. Its customizable nature can make it both accessible and manageable for smaller-scale management. QuickBooks setup is essential for success in managing your finances.
Meanwhile, Excel tends to be cheaper than many accounting systems. But the cost of a tool like Excel has nothing to do with the sticker price. Ease of use is a crucial factor when choosing between Excel and accounting software. Excel is a general-purpose tool capable of performing complex calculations, but it may require some technical familiarity to use effectively. Yes, QuickBooks Online allows multiple users to access the quickbooks vs excel for small business same data simultaneously, which is ideal for accountants and teams collaborating on financial tasks. QuickBooks Online is designed to serve businesses of all sizes, from freelancers to large enterprises.
- You can tailor templates such as invoices, financial reports, and charts of accounts to align with your branding and accounting preferences.
- With a custom solution you can outgrow anything and you are in 100% control of your data.
- For pricing, our primary concern for an alternative software option to QuickBooks was its starting price.
- QuickBooks Online is ideal for small business accounting and offers a wide range of features to automate daily accounting tasks to save time.
- Most accountants use both accounting software and Excel for bookkeeping.
Try a free 30-day trial and join over 7 million customers worldwide who choose QuickBooks as their accounting solution. QuickBooks is a bookkeeping software that offers a selection of tools tailored to meet the specific needs of small enterprises, covering everything from payroll management to the generation of invoices. In contrast, the spreadsheet application, though versatile, does not offer the same level of specialization for these critical business functions. The advantages of Excel include smoother financial tracking and reporting, ensuring businesses can efficiently handle their accounts with greater accuracy.
Migrating from Microsoft Excel to QuickBooks is Easy
During your one-on-one training, you’ll receive hands-on experience with the program to find the most efficient and convenient setup for your business. Our QuickBooks expert training can get you up to speed quickly so you can tackle it yourself in the long run. This puts your financial data, like bank accounts and cash flow details, at risk.
When comparing accounting software pricing, businesses should look at the upfront costs and the ongoing fees. QuickBooks Online simplifies accounting with automation, real-time collaboration, and tax preparation features that Excel can’t match. When paired with applications like Saasant Transactions, QuickBooks becomes even more powerful, making it an essential tool for modern businesses. In the battle of QuickBooks Online vs. Microsoft Excel, QuickBooks stands out as the clear winner for most accountants and business owners.
For Small S-Corp, QB or Excel?

Aside from it being an intuitive accounting software, it also includes a vast help center full of tutorials, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and webinars to help you master the program. You can also check out our guide on how to do payroll with QuickBooks. Even at the lowest tier, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online can be pricey choices compared to alternatives.
Protecting sensitive financial data is paramount for any business, yet Excel’s security measures fall short. While it’s possible to password-protect spreadsheets or lock specific cells, these actions do not ensure complete safety from cyber threats. The lack of robust encryption features makes Excel vulnerable to data breaches, posing the risk of compromising confidential information such as financial records and personal identifiers.
Also, you can have multiple people access the online files so it is easier to delegate tasks to a bookkeeper and give access to your tax accountant. With the right tools and knowledge, managing your small business finances can become more manageable and less daunting. Try a free 30-day trial with competitive pricing and see how QuickBooks can help you grow your small business. QuickBooks offers tax management features that streamline calculating, organizing, and filing taxes, minimizing the risk of errors and ensuring compliance with tax regulations.
- Many providers are offering discounts for the first few months when purchasing an annual plan, which we also found attractive.
- Top-tier plans can cost as much as $200 per month, but at this level, you get uncommon features, such as workflow automation, advanced analytics and dedicated customer support.
- Many small businesses seem to embrace Excel spreadsheets and QuickBooks as a way of managing their finances.
- However, it lacks crucial features in dedicated accounting software, such as bank feed connections, automated invoices, journal entries, and inventory management.
Additionally, it supports partial payments and lets you import financial transactions from Excel to QuickBooks Desktop or Online. When considering QuickBooks vs. Excel, you need to know what to look for in an accounting software for your unique operations. Excel is the familiar go-to, equipped with a comprehensive set of templates and formulas. You cannot modify or fix anything because its proprietary software. If you are using Excel or Access of both together with macros and other programming, if something is not working, you can hire someone to make it work for you.
If you’re exploring beginner-friendly tools, compare FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks and Wave vs. QuickBooks to find the right fit for your needs. Through QuickBooks Bank Feeds, users can connect their bank accounts directly to the software, allowing for real-time updates of financial transactions. With accounting software, managing your business finances has never been easier. When you factor in the cost of your time as a business owner, even free tools you use that don’t optimize your valuable time can quickly get expensive.

Check out this comparison of features between free spreadsheets, QuickBooks, and other accounting software. Even importer or sync tools are a complete mess and you end up wasting more time fixing data than just doing manual entry. You don’t need to enter the same data on each cell if its properly done, but just one.
The software has a steep learning curve, and it can take some time to get used to. It also comes with a subscription cost, which can be a concern for small businesses on a tight budget. Today I am sharing with you 2 financial software tools that are available for small business entrepreneurs. We wanted to gauge the opinions of real users of these QuickBooks alternatives and turned to third-party websites to get a gauge of how these customers felt about their experiences with them.