Now that QuickBooks Desktop is Discontinued What are Your Options?

Last year Intuit announced they were going to stop offering support for QuickBooks Desktop as of May 31, 2024 and that existing Desktop users had until July 31, 2024 to upgrade to a QuickBooks Desktop Plus plan if they wanted to stay with the Desktop platform.

At this point, that means if your business is still using Desktop, you only have four options:​

1. Continue to use Desktop as an unsupported platform
2. Move to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
3. Switch to QuickBooks Online
4. Migrate to another platform entirely

​Let’s evaluate these options! 

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​Staying with Desktop as is: Using an unsupported accounting platform (which means you do not have access to live support or receive security updates) is not a shrewd business move because it’s not a sustainable solution. Operating without security updates on an obsolete platform is only going to get harder and harder to leave behind as time goes on because the best migration resources are always available in the immediate wake of a big change announcement. As more time passes, companies that are still on Desktop are eventually going to find that their functionality will fail to keep up with their business needs and their ability to get help in making a move to another platform is going to get more limited. Staying put isn’t going to be feasible in the long run, so the sooner you strategize about what to do next and execute on your plan, the better off you’ll be.
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1. Continue to use Desktop as an unsupported platform
2. Move to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
3. Switch to QuickBooks Online
4. Migrate to another platform entirely

Upgrading to Enterprise: Should you upgrade to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise? For companies without significant inventory to manage, Desktop Enterprise is going to be far more platform than they need, which means upgrading will likely be a waste of money. There are likely far better accounting platforms that will meet your needs, either within or outside of QuickBooks’ suite of offerings.

1. Continue to use Desktop as an unsupported platform
2. Move to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
3. Switch to QuickBooks Online
4. Migrate to another platform entirely

Moving to QuickBooks Online: Get ready to start working in the cloud because if you want to stay with QuickBooks as an accounting software provider, QuickBooks Online (QBO) is really the only smart option for most businesses at this point. Given the fact that Intuit is pushing hard to get existing Desktop users into QBO plans we can assume that’s where the future of their accounting platform is headed. And when it comes to accounting, it pays to be in the group that’s keeping up with industry changes instead of lagging behind!

If you don’t feel comfortable making this kind of switch yourself, you can hire an accounting services company to handle the migration for you and get you set up on QBO. Since it would just be for short duration project work, hiring this type of support is typically a cost-effective option to ensure that everything is brought over effectively. It also allows you to make the switch without placing a burden on your existing bookkeeping and accounting staff that are likely already stretched thin with their day-to-day duties.     

Contact us to make the switch to QuickBooks Online today!

​Leaving QuickBooks for a Competitor: Of course, you don’t need to stay with QuickBooks at all if there’s another accounting software that would fit your needs better. Other platforms like Wave, Zoho, Sage, Xero, Kashoo, and NetSuite have been gaining popularity over the years due to their robust capabilities, so QuickBooks is certainly not your only platform option these days.

Change is always difficult, and there’s a lot to consider when saying goodbye to your old accounting system, especially if you have been a loyal user of one platform for most (or all) of your company’s history. Before you decide to migrate elsewhere, take the time to:

1. Identify your Goals – Understand why you want to make a change and what you hope to accomplish through the process.
2. Do your Research – Research and test drive today’s top accounting platforms to find one that will fit not only your company’s needs but also your team’s skill level.
3. Get your Books Ready – Clean up your financial records to prepare them for the migration.

If you need help with any of these steps, or while undertaking the migration process, find a capable business partner to take the lead. In the same way that an accounting services provider can oversee the upgrade from Desktop to QBO, an accounting company can also handle the full-scale migration from one platform to another. They can ensure that everything gets migrated over properly, troubleshoot issues that arise along the way, and do the clean up work needed to resolve idiosyncrasies between the two platforms once the migration is complete.

Contact us for QuickBooks migration help today!

​When you need help deciding what to do next as a legacy QuickBooks Desktop user, we can help! Let our team of experienced fractional accountants guide your company through the process of responding to this kind of change! We have been offering accounting migration services to small and mid-sized businesses just like yours for almost two decades. Our U.S. based team does part-time, project, and interim accounting work for companies looking that need an outsourced accounting partner. Contact us today to find out more!