- Over at U.K. Business Forum we came across the following discussion: Clearbooks vs Quickbooks Online?
Hi all,
I wondered if someone could offer advice. I currently use Quickbooks Pro 2014 (desktop version) for our accounts but this is causing issues because we are exclusive Mac OSX users and it means we have to have a Windows PC sat in the corner for when the account needs to dial in to do our VAT returns. So, I have been looking for either a Mac solution or an online solution.
The main issue with a computer version is the accountant needing to remote access the computer to work on our accounts whereas with an online version, they just log in and away they go.
I have done many trials over the past few months and have narrowed my search down to Clearbooks vs Quickbooks online.
Clearbooks looks like it's going to cost £20+vat per month.
Quickbooks online looks like it's going to cost £13.30+vat per month.
So, on a purely cost perspective, Quickbooks would win.
Can anyone here offer a 'from experience' comparison between the two?
Not many will have used both systems - perhaps an accountant.
I can say that ClearBooks is great. Its not just the software, its the support (free) you get with the laymans questions on how to work it!
I had a ClearBooks trial through our accountant but it was a bit restricted in what I could do and what I needed to ask the accountant to do.
Do you mean that it was necessary for your accountant to do things for you - or that the trial was not good because of your accountants involvement?
I have not used any accountant at all to set up and go with CB
- Thanks x 1
Hi @lumencreative
What exactly do you need the system to do? Whilst many of the online offerings broadly handle the same things as you'd expect, some cope with certain specifics better than others.
And has your accountant specifically recommended one or another?
We then would like a system that can store PDF copies of supplier invoices when we add them to the system.
We are a limited company and we are VAT registered so it needs to be able to handle VAT including reverse VAT.
I suppose the key thing to consider is I need to make a decision as to whether it's worth paying £13-£20+vat per month vs using the Quickbooks PC software we already have.
That is not to say an accountant is not needed. They are experts and def required at year end, but for most stuff they are not needed if you are happy with book keeping.
G
quick books - £19 per month (£13.30 if you buy now without using free trial! so it says on website)
vat exclusive prices
The time saving, accuracy, cloud storage, automatic back ups, access from anywhere in the world, instant reports..... and on and on all for £20 a month? Not worth dithering about.
I bet you will stop using a PC altogether and use CB to send out Quotes instead of your current method.
When it comes to document storage, I must admit I tend to stick to the likes of Dropbox, simply storing everything in 'YYMMDD Supplier' order. Easily searchable from any device and removes what could be a potential headache if you ever moved software provider. (I say 'potential' as the storage side of things isn't really something i've looked at in great detail as yet so can't comment more than that). Clear Books offer something called PDF Cubed but it comes at a cost.
I've used the desktop version of QB but not the online one. If I was comparing desktop QB to Clear Books, Clear Books would win hands down - especially on usability.
Yes, we would stop using a PC altogether and use whichever online version we choose but that's not really the question
I guess for the document storage, we do have a business class NAS solution which could be used instead. Didn't think of what happens if we move to a different provider.
As a side note, i'm surprised your accountant didn't give you full admin rights during the trial - seems pretty pointless restricting certain aspects whilst you're trying to make your mind up.
Was there anything you were still unsure of come the end of the trial or was it just a case of needing to get a feel for it?
I'm trying to avoid getting a trial of Quickbooks online to get the discount they're offering but might sign up with a different email account to see what it's like.
On a side note, my accountant has confirmed that Clearbooks through them is £10+vat per month so not too bad.
That's very kind of your accountant to pass the saving onto you. You'll also get free bank feeds which normally cost an additional £3.50 per month.
Invoicing - there are plenty of templates on there already but if you're tech savvy you can even design your own. The email process etc works well too.
I spent close to 6 months trialling different software for my clients before taking the plunge and even then I was 110% sure until we went live for real - can you ever be?
After a quick glance, there is a limited amount of flexibility with the invoice design with Quickbooks Online but the interface is much nicer. Clearbooks have greater flexibility with the invoice design but not as good in terms of interface.
Decisions, decisions
I have been using Quickbooks Pro, desktop, for a while. I hate it. If something presents a problem quickbooks finds a 'workaround' instead of correcting the software so it works properly. I hate it. haven't tried the online version, so this is probable not much help. Did I mention that i hate Quickbooks?
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