Since 1992, Intuit’s QuickBooks Desktop Pro in its various iterations has been the go-to accounting system for many independent publishers and other small business owners. I have used it since 1995, when I started my publishing company. It was well-known for being designed for nonaccountants, and I was certainly one of those.
I took a three-session class to learn
the program and found it very user-friendly. Changes by Intuit, however, have
caused many to consider other competitors’ programs instead. My nightmare experience
with recent developments is worth knowing if you’re considering whether to stay
with QuickBooks or, especially if you’re a new user, to start with another
system.
My first version of QuickBooks was a
standalone system with disks that I loaded onto my computer. Over the years, I
upgraded to newer versions, still disks, my last being QuickBooks Desktop Pro
2019, which cost $189 at Sam’s Club. This version was different in that it
required a connection to an Intuit account in order to work. I didn’t upgrade
beyond that because most of the updates concerned payroll, and I am a
solopreneur. Each version that I bought, though, was the same as the previous
one for the features I required, so there was no new learning curve.
Imagine my
surprise when in January, 2026, I tried to log into the program only to get an
error message stating that it didn’t recognize my license number. A call to
Intuit revealed that they no longer supported this version; therefore, I was not
able to use it.
“Why not?” I asked the tech support
person. “Microsoft stopped supporting Microsoft Money in 2011, but I have
continued using it for my personal accounting. They stopped supporting Windows
10 and other prior operating systems, but my old computers still work just
fine. Why can’t I continue to use Desktop Pro 2019 since I paid for it?”
“You’ll have to upgrade to one of our
other products,” she said.
“What are the features in each of them?”
I asked. “Your website doesn’t include this information.”
“What features do you need?”
“Everything in Desktop Pro 2019 except
for payroll. That means Chart of Accounts, Accounts Receivable and Payable,
Invoicing, Inventory, Check Register, Customer List, Product List, and Financial
Reports. I am a solopreneur and the only user.”
“I recommend that you get Desktop Pro
Enterprise Silver,” she said. “You’ll be able to use it on your desktop.”
“Where is that on your website? I see
only Gold at $2210 per year, Platinum at $2717 per year, and Diamond at $5364
per year—definitely geared for large companies or accountants handling multiple
companies.”
“It’s not on there,” she said. “It would
be $166 per month.”
“$166 per
month? That’s $1992 per year.” I paid $189 for seven years of Desktop Pro 2019
usage.
“But you’ll be able to have three
users,” she returned.
Once again, I reminded her that I was
the only user.
“Do you want Enterprise Silver?”
“I guess I’ll have to try it,” I said,
knowing I needed to get my end-of-year reports at the very least. One month of
this subscription would give me the time I needed to research other programs.
After purchasing QuickBooks Desktop
Enterprise Silver, the migration team helped me transfer over my backup file. I
was thrilled to see the familiar flow chart on the home page and the menu bar
looking exactly the same as it always had.
But I soon discovered that this version
allowed 30 users and multiple companies. This was definitely geared for large firms
and professional accountants and was way beyond my needs.
I spent the next two days researching
other accounting software programs. A Forbes
article recommended Oracle NetSuite, Xero, Zoho Books, Freshbooks, and Sage
Intacct as the five best alternatives to QuickBooks. All were online and around
the same monthly charge ($70 per month), but they did not have attractive
layouts and some lacked one needed feature or another.
A user on an online forum stated that
she was still using a very old version of QuickBooks without any problems. I
decided to see if QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2010, a true standalone, was on one of
my old computers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I tried to reload it, but it needed
a program called Flash to install first. Flash has been out of existence since
2020 and I couldn’t figure out how to bypass it in the loading process.
I called Intuit back and stated that Desktop
Enterprise Silver was overkill and again reiterated that I was the only user.
“But you’re an accountant,” the tech
support person said, “and Desktop Enterprise Silver allows you to handle 30
users and multiple companies.”
“As I mentioned, I’m not an accountant,”
I said yet again. “I’m the only user.”
Despite listing QuickBooks under the
Small Business heading on their website, it was obvious that they were pursuing
large firms and accounting companies that could pay the high monthly fees. The
sole proprietors and small business owners were now an afterthought.
“You can have Intuit do your bookkeeping
for you,” he returned.
“How much is that?” I asked out of
curiosity. I had no intention of anyone doing my bookkeeping besides myself.
“$59 per month.”
“No, thanks,” I told him. “I’ll continue
doing it on my own.”
“What features do you need?”
I reeled off the list once again: “Chart
of Accounts, Accounts Receivable and Payable, Inventory, Check Register,
Customer List, Product List, and Financial Reports.”
“Then maybe you should use QuickBooks
Essentials,” he said. “That has everything you mentioned.”
“So why wasn’t that suggested when I
called before?” I asked.
“Most accountants want the features of
the Desktop versions,” he said.
“Again, I am not an accountant.
How much is QuickBooks Essentials?”
“It’s $75 per month, but right now you
can get three months at half-price--$37.50 per month.”
“What does it look like?” I searched
their website for it. “I’m accessing the demo, but it’s not a demo. Just sales talk
like ‘Expert guided setup you can rely on,’ ‘Maximum deductions for tax
savings,’ ‘Save time for more accurate books,’ and ‘Crush your sales goals.’”
“Do you want me to set it up?”
If I had to go to a whole new system, I
told myself, it might as well be with one that had all the required features.
In addition, I theoretically wouldn’t have to worry about incompatibility with
my backup file. “Okay, I’ll try it,” I muttered. “Please cancel the Enterprise
Silver version. I want my money back.”
“I’ll process
QuickBooks Essentials then send you to the migration team. You’ll have to talk
to Billing about a refund.”
Of course….
“I’ll send you a link to QuickBooks Essentials
once I set it up.”
A few minutes later, his message with
the link showed up in my inbox. When I clicked on it, this is what I saw:
“That doesn’t even look like a software
program,” I protested. “Why can’t it have the look and feel of Desktop Pro?”
“It’s an online version,” he returned.
“It has all the features of Desktop Pro 2019.”
“That layout doesn’t look like
QuickBooks at all.”
“I can download the Classic View
app for you.”
Classic View? I had high hopes that this
would be my good old Desktop Pro flowchart layout. “Go ahead, please.”
He downloaded the app and my Essentials
screen suddenly changed to one similar to the previous design. “That is not an
improvement. Are there any manuals or training?”
“No manuals. You can get one of our experts
to help you.”
“And how much is that?”
“$25.00 an hour.”
“No, thanks.”
I was again
connected with the migration team. I told the tech that I wanted to migrate the
file from my backup drive and not the one on Enterprise Silver to ensure
correct migration.
“Oh, no, I’ll take the one from
Enterprise Silver,” she said.
“Please let me use my backup file,” I insisted,
but my objections fell on yet another set of deaf ears.
She began migrating the file from
Enterprise Silver. When it finished, she said, “Now log in and check your
data.”
“What’s the URL for direct access?” I asked
and explained that I had only the link that the previous tech had sent me via
email.
“Just use that,” she said.
“You mean I have to go into the tech’s
email message in order to link to my accounting program?” But I did as she said
then gaped in surprise at the screen, which displayed as the post-Classic View
version. “The tech downloaded the Classic View for me. Where did it go?”
“We’re not using that anymore. Everyone
using Essentials is on the Modern View.”
“So why did he download the app onto my
account?”
“Please check your data.”
With a sigh, I checked and saw names in
the customer file and payments in the check register. “Looks okay so far.”
After we got off the phone, I took a
closer look. The file had not transferred correctly. I was fuming! That’s
what I had feared with moving to another company’s program and if the file
wasn’t loaded from my backup drive.
I quickly printed all the reports that I
needed for the 2025 taxes and my CPA from Desktop Enterprise Silver, which was
still live. At least things will be correct for the IRS.
Since then, I have loaded transactions
into QuickBooks Essentials even though the menus aren’t in a logical order and
I’m spending a lot of time just figuring out where everything is. In addition, I
don’t want to have to start all over again with another company’s software. I
will leave the prior years’ info as is and add a correction factor into the
account balance based on the totals in my bank statements. I still don’t have a
proper login URL. I’m too exhausted from this ordeal to call them back for one
yet.
Going through
this transition was a nightmare. A colleague who had the Essentials Classic
View is now totally lost with the Modern View. Everything is rearranged. I
wouldn’t be surprised at all if Intuit changes the layout again.
So, if you’re planning to use QuickBooks
for your small business, be aware of the problems I had with the software and Tech
Support. If you’re starting from scratch, you may not run into issues beyond
trying to teach yourself the program, but you may want to test out the others I
mentioned to see if any are more user-friendly. They are in direct competition
with QuickBooks Essentials, offer a free trial period, and their monthly charge
is about the same.
If you’re with another accounting
software, though, and are switching to QuickBooks or going from one version of QuickBooks
to another, take care. Your data may be at risk of corruption. And having to
pay a high monthly charge rather than a few hundred dollars for years of use is
aggravating.
Intuit's shift from standalone versions
of QuickBooks Desktop Pro aimed at nonaccountant small businesses to a
subscription-based model aimed at large companies and accounting firms has
really changed the game for many loyal users. We are facing challenges with the
complicated online versions, rising costs, and customer service that doesn’t
seem to recognize or care about our needs. Intuit’s focus on premium
subscriptions has hindered the accessibility and user-friendliness that
originally made QuickBooks so popular. Intuit should pay attention to the
diverse needs of all its customers so they don’t lose touch with the very
people who helped them succeed in the first place.
