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Review of QuickBooks Online: Is This The Best Cloud Accounting Tool?

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Last Updated on October 1, 2025

QuickBooks Online is a respected cloud accounting giant that has been in the industry for over 2 decades.

It has powerful cloud accounting features for invoicing, payroll, inventory and more, but is it the right software for you?

While accountants and bookkeepers find it easy to use the platform, if you are not in the accounting field some of the features may be overwhelming.

In this review of QuickBooks Online, I unpack it so that you see if it suits your business.

Here’s a quick summary to give you an idea of what the review covers.

Attribute Score
Ease of Use
4.8 / 5
Customer Support
4.8 / 5
Integrations
4.9 / 5
Features
4.8 / 5
OVERALL RATING
4.8 / 5

Pros

  • Market leader with strong reliability
  • Supports many bank and payment integrations
  • Advanced reporting and analytics
  • Built-in payroll and tax features
  • Scalable ecosystem with a large library of 3rd party apps

Cons

  • Higher price than competitors especially for multiple users
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Less flexibility for customization
Visit QuickBooks Online Website

Company background

QuickBooks Online was established in 2001 by Ituit Inc, as the founding company moved from desktop-only accounting to flexible cloud-based accounting software.

In 2013, another major redesign took place to cement its position as a top platform in cloud accounting.

This evolution provided users with real-time access to their finances from anywhere, automated workflows to minimize errors and easy collaboration with accountants.

QuickBooks Online is used by millions of businesses worldwide as it’s trusted for its powerful tools

In addition, it helps you get paid faster, make smarter business decisions and be confident about tax compliance.

While it may not be as beginner-friendly as other cloud accounting companies, QuickBooks Online shines when you need deeper functionality and room to grow.

What makes QuickBooks Online unique?

1. Access your finances anywhere, anytime

QuickBooks Online gives you the convenience of accessing all your finances 24/7 from your office or on the move.

Whether you want to track expenses, send invoices or monitor cash flow, there’s no need to be tied to a desk.

A mobile app is available so that you maximize access from all your mobile devices.

Consequently, you make faster and better business decisions.

2. Easy automation of tasks

The software enables you to automate tasks that include recurring invoices, expense categorization and bank reconcilliation.

Instead of burning precious time on accounting tasks, you spend more time focusing on core business activities.

3. Faster payments

Another benefit of automation means you get paid faster.

No more awkward follow-ups on late payments because you can send automatic reminders to clients.

You are able to receive payments online and check invoice status, all on the platform.

Businesses that use QuickBooks Online report an increase in the rate of receiving payments from clients.

4. Easily scale with you as you grow

QuickBooks Online caters for all business sizes, including freelancers.

As more team members are added, you can easily scale up by incorporating more features that are readily available on the platform.

Payroll integration and inventory management is available, making QuickBooks Online ideal for a product-based business.

There’s no need to change systems if you want to upgrade to more advanced levels like QuickBooks Advanced.

5. Simplifies taxes

QuickBooks Online organizes your income, expenses and receipts throughout the year.

This makes is easy for you to be tax-ready throughout the year.

In addition, you can integrate with TurboTax and give your accountant access to your finances on the platform.

There’s nolonger any need to scramble at the end of the year.

7. Generate smart reports

All the financial data captured on the platform is easily converted to useful reports at any given time.

You can view reports like profit and loss, cash flow statements and many more in just a click.

These reports give you insight into your business, allowing you to see what’s working, what’s not and areas that need improvement.

QuickBooks Online gives more detailed reports than competitors like FreshBooks, which is beneficial for accountants.

7. Huge support community

QuickBooks Online is used by millions of businesses and has tons of support.

This ranges from certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors to YouTube tutors and forums.

This means if you face any challenges or you need to learn more about QuickBooks Online, help is always available.

Features you find in QuickBooks Online are:

Signing up

You can’t activate a free trial without submitting your payment details.

I found this a bit annoying because with FreshBooks activation is fast and only requires your email address.

Invoicing

You receive your payments faster and look professional.

Create and send beautiful, customized invoices and set up recurrent billing.

In addition, you can accept payments directly from the invoice.

Expense tracking

This feature allows you to see where your money goes.

Transactions are imported directly from your bank and credit cards.

Receipts are attached to respective expenses, which are categorized to keep records organized.

Bank reconciliation

Your books are kept up-to-date and accurate with less effort.

QuickBooks Online connects to your bank, allowing transactions to be matched at the clink of a button.

Reporting and dashboards

Comprehensive reports enable you to make smarter business decisions.

Reports are generated anytime, anywhere and are accessible on your mobile device.

Inventory management

This is available in the Plus and Advanced plans.

You’re able to track your inventory to avoid inaccuracies of stock levels.

Stock levels are automatically updated as you buy and sell.

Project profitability

You get this feature in the Plus and Advanced plans.

Allows you to know which projects are bringing in the most money and which ones are the losers.

You’re able to track income, expenses and time spent on each project at a glance.

Multi-User access

With this feature you collaborate with your team securely.

You invite team members, your acocuntant or bookkeeper and give them specific permissions.

Tax tools

Make tax period easy and straightforward.

Calculate tax and sales tax automatically based on location and transaction data.

Mobile app

Manage your business on your mobile device without any hassle.

Create and send invoices, recors expenses and check your cash flow.

The app is available for Android and iOS.

Price and value

There are 4 plans to choose from, all which come with a 30-day free trial and money-back guarantee.

I noticed that sometimes the Essentials Plan is omitted, depending on whether you’re accessing a free trial or a promo offer.

The reason behind this is not clear but technically there are 4 pricing plans.

quickbooks online pricing

You can start with the lowest plan and upgrade as your business grows.

That way you’re not locked into a plan with features you don’t need.

Most users find that the subscription pays for itself as your business becomes more efficient through faster payments, less errors and better financial insights.

The company offers generous discounts in the first year for new users so that you test the platform at a low cost.

A lot of features are built-in even in the lowest tiers and you get a lot of value without relying on external plugins.

Payroll support is built-in without relying on third party plugins unlike some competitors.

If you’re serious about growing your business and get access to advanced accounting tools, this platforms delivers the best value.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each plan:

Simple Start Plan

This is best for freelancers and solopreneurs who are just starting out.

Monthly subscription is as low as $1.90 per month for 6 months.

Features you get are:

  • Income and expenses tracking
  • Unlimited invoices and quotes
  • Bank integration
  • Insights and reports
  • Give access to your accountant
  • Tax preparation

Essentials Plan

You need this plan if you’re a small team and are a service-based business that doesn’t need full inventory or project tracking.

Monthly subscription is as low as $2.80 per month for 6 months.

You get everything in the Simple Start Plan, plus these features:

  • Manage bills and expenses
  • Track employee time
  • Multicurrency support
  • For 3 users, plus your accountant

Plus Plan

This plan is best for growing businesses handling multiple projects.

Monthly subscription is as low as $4 per month for 6 months.

You get everything in Essentials Plan, plus these features:

  • Manage recurrent bills and transactions
  • Track inventory
  • Support 5 users and add your accountant
  • Tax preparation
  • Up to 40 classes and locations
  • Manage budgets

Advanced Plan

This is the top plan with access to ALL features and is suitable for established businesses looking to scale up.

Monthly subscription is as low as $38 per month for 3 months.

You get all features in the Plus Plan and also:

  • Unlimited items in Chart of Accountants
  • Unlimited classes and locations
  • Manage up to 25 users
  • Automate workflows
  • Access to advanced reporting tools
  • Custom reporting fields and more

There are no hidden fees in all the plans and billing is done monthly.

You can cancel your subscription or switch plans without any hassle.

What are users saying?

I got the feedback from trusted review sites like Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra.

While the majority of reviews were positive, there were some areas that users complained about.

Positive reviews:

  • Praised for its time-saving feature through automation of accounting tasks
  • Mobile convenience allows access to business finances anywhere, any time and on any mobile device
  • There’s no need to switch platforms as your business grows as each plan avails tools needed at each stage
  • It’s easy to share your finances with your accountant or tax professional

Negatives:

  • Some first-time users felt overwhelmed at the start as the learning curve is steeper than other platforms like FreshBooks
  • Customer support is a hit or miss especially on busy days

Despite these shortcomings, QuickBooks Online delivers excellent value for money.

Is QuickBooks Online right for you?

If you are not sure if QuickBooks Online is for you, I’m here to help.

Let’s start by looking at attributes that make you a perfect user of this platform.

You need to strongly consider QuickBooks Online if:

  • You have a growing business and want a cloud accounting solution that grows with you
  • You need robust accounting features like inventory tracking, multi-user access or project profitability
  • You want to automate repetitive admin tasks and free time to focus on core business
  • You want easy collaboration with your accountant or other team members
  • You want built-in financial reports so that you make smarter data-driven business decisions
  • You don’t mind the slight learning curve in exchange for greater control over your business finances

On the other hand, QuickBooks Online might not be for you if:

  • You’re a complete newbie who is overwhelmed by too many features
  • You only need basic invoicing and expense tracking
  • You want a free cloud accounting solution
  • You don’t need inventory management, payroll or multi-user functionality

Bottom line:

The good news is that if QuickBooks Online is not for you, there are other cloud accounting solutions that I’ve also reviewed.

Keep in mind that free platforms often have limited features which may not be ideal when you plan to scale your business.

This platform is a bit challenging to master but once you master it, you understand why millions of businesses trust it.

Our final verdict

My take:

QuickBooks Online is undoubtedly a cloud accounting powerhouse loaded with ALL the features you need for excellent business accounting.

It provides advanced accounting tools, deep financial insights and the ability to grow with your business.

If you’re a product-based business, you can take advantage of the inventory management feature.

This platform is not for everyone as I highlighted above, but if you’re serious about business growth give it a shot.

A strong competitor is Xero but if it’s too limited for you QuickBooks Online is the perfect alternative.

Visit QuickBooks Online Website

FAQ

Yes, QuickBooks Online comes with payroll but it's not available by default. Once you subscribe to a plan, QuickBooks Payroll is added to the dashboard as an integrated service. With the feature you can run payroll, pay your employees or contractors and also file payroll taxes, right on the platform. Note that QuickBooks Payroll is a paid add-on.

QuickBooks Online has generous discounts for beginners with the Simple Start Plan starting at $1.90 per month for 6 months (normal is $19 per month), Plus Plan starting at $4 per month for 6 months (normal $40 per month) and the Advanced Plan starting at $38 per month for 3 months (normal is $76 per month).

Yes, collaboration with clients is possible on QuickBooks Online especially if you are an accountant or bookkeper. If you're a business owner, you can invite clients as users with limited permissions. Take note that QuickBooks Online is mainly optimized for internal team collaboration. If you want more client interaction, use tools like FreshBooks.

Yes, the QuickBooks Online mobile app is available on iOS and Android. Users find it reliable although the advanced features you find in the desktop version are limited or simplified in the mobile app. With the app you can send invoices, track expenses, generate reports and even snap photos of receipts on the go. You get real-time syncing with the desktop account, which users find to be convenient.

You can generate several useful reports so that you make smart business decisions. These include Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statements. You also generate sales, expenses and tax reports. In higher plans you can unlock advanced reports like project profitability, inventory tracking and custom perfomance dashboards. You can easily download or share reports with your team.

Yes, with QuickBooks Online your team members can track time individually, especially in the Plus Plan and Advanced Plan. Employees or contractors can log hours directly within the platform. This helps you bill clients and manage payroll accurately.

QuickBooks Online customer support can be a hit or miss. Subscribers of higher plans find live chat and phone support helpful. However, others have reported a slow response especially during peak hours. Overall, customer support is decent but some competitors are praised for consistent support.

QuickBooks Online has more advanced features and better scalability than FreshBooks. It is best for product-based businesses that need inventory management. However, FreshBooks is beginner-friendly and is best for freelancers and small businesses that need easy invoicing. Xero has a clean interface with strong app integrations. Sage is mainly for larger businesses with industry-specific needs and it can be complex for smaller businesses.

Wrapping up

QuickBooks Online is one of the highly-rated cloud accounting tool that is mainly suitable for product-based businesses.

It is highly trusted by millions of businesses but if you’re a service-based business, check out FreshBooks as it is optimized for that.

Take advantage of the free-trial available in all 3 plans, but if you’re still exploring, check out these other top cloud accounting softwares.

Visit QuickBooks Online Website

Comparisons:

Calvin Chisango
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