Quickbooks Online Reviews

“Constant payroll holds and zero help”

Pros

The only real reasons I still use it are that it's affordable and it's the primary platform my bookkeepers already work in.

Cons

After using it for several years, it has been one long frustration. When nothing goes wrong, it's fine enough. But the moment there's any kind of problem, you should expect to spend at least a month trying to fix it. It's honestly shocking and I don't know how much longer I can keep dealing with it. One situation that was completely unbelievable involved a new wholesale retailer who used a fraudulent card. I followed the usual process and did my due diligence, just like I do with my other wholesale customers. The order shipped and then about two months later QuickBooks contacted me saying the payment was fraudulent and that they were reversing $8,000 from my account. As a small business, I simply could not absorb that. During one of what had to be 50 phone calls, a QuickBooks employee actually suggested that I close my account, shut down my bank account and try to avoid paying it. I knew that would only end up in collections. In the end, they took every last dollar back from me through a payment plan. Another issue I dealt with recently was updating my bank account number in QuickBooks. My bank had a fraudulent login so I had to change the account number. At the same time, I had payroll due in two days and I submitted it right away hoping it would still work even though my bank account was temporarily on hold. After I updated the new bank info in QuickBooks, it took five days to verify. QuickBooks kept showing that my account was on hold. When I called, they told me I owed them money for payroll because the payment never cleared my bank, even though QuickBooks had already paid my employees. I then made a wire transfer because I was told the hold would be removed the next day if I did that. It wasn't. I called again and was told they needed to submit a request to remove the hold. The representative kept assuring me it would take two business days. That didn't happen either. I called back again and was given a number for payroll specialists who were supposed to remove the hold. I kept calling that number and got a message saying they were closed because they were in a meeting. At this point it has been over two weeks with no resolution to what should have been a very basic problem. I still can't run overdue payroll and I have another payroll coming up in a week which I doubt this will be fixed in time for. Overall, I can't stand using it and when anything small or major goes wrong, it really feels like there's no genuine support to help you.

“They keep changing things”

Pros

There's a ton of information about it online so when questions or problems come up, you can usually search Google and find some kind of answer. That ends up being important because the customer support is awful. The bank account connection does work really well though and it does a good job of keeping the books organized.

Cons

Over the entire time I've used this product, they've kept "upgrading" the user experience but in reality that means they keep changing how things work every few weeks. On top of learning the software in the first place, you also have to keep relearning the navigation because they reprogram things so often. Worse, it doesn't seem like any of these changes are properly beta tested so there are constant bugs and ongoing issues. One major example is a bug introduced after a programming change in September 2023 that prevents billable time from being added to a project. It was still not fixed by January 2024. Since I provide professional services, that means I can't bill my time to clients which makes the software basically useless for me. There are plenty of other problems too like estimates being emailed out labeled as invoices and every invoice including a "pay here" button that leads to a dead link. These problems never seem to stop and support is practically nonexistent. You submit a ticket and get told to wait until it's fixed. There's no real way to contact anyone, no way to get a status update and no way to push the issue forward. You're basically left waiting for months and hoping they eventually fix it.

“tools that keep cash flowing”

Pros

Their service has been really valuable, especially the billing and invoicing features. Because of those tools, I'm able to stay on top of payments and maintain a healthy cash flow much more consistently.

Cons

it runs on a subscription model and the cost can become a concern depending on how large your company is.

“Locked out with no support”

Pros

Customer support has been disappointing. No positive aspects.

Cons

Customer service has been extremely poor and the backend support has been just as bad. My two-factor authentication code suddenly stopped coming through to my phone which left me locked out of my account for more than three weeks. As a small business owner, I depend on daily access to my accounting software so being unable to get into my account has been seriously damaging to my business. I have not received any real help to fix the issue and because of that, I would not recommend their service to any small business.

“Better reporting and record keeping”

Pros

Switching over from our management system to this made reporting and record keeping much more manageable.

Cons

I haven't run into any issues or downsides with it so far.

“mobility is a big advantage”

Pros

It was simple to set up and using it day to day has been just as simple. The mobility is a big advantage since I can access it wherever I need to and the pricing feels affordable for what it offers. It has also been reliable around the clock which matters a lot when handling accounting tasks and the customer support team stays active and helpful when questions come up.

Cons

A couple of limitations are worth mentioning. Multi-currency support could be better, especially for businesses dealing with different currencies regularly. Scalability can also be a concern so it may not be the best fit for companies expecting more complex growth over time.

“Support mistakes are alarming”

Pros

After about 10 years of using it, for better or worse, we've adjusted to the platform's limitations and more or less learned to work around its shortcomings.

Cons

Lately, the errors from Nov/Dec 2023 and the customer support team's inability to understand the issue or provide real solutions have made me very uneasy. For example, I've been a customer for over 10 years, in the same location, with the same email and phone number and somehow they suddenly mixed up VAT and GST, applying the wrong category and the wrong amount. Even more frustrating, no one seemed able to grasp the mistake, let alone explain how it happened. It took a week just to receive incorrect responses and I'm still waiting for the promised email with the right information. Honestly, it's pretty shocking.

“Frustrating layout and subscription”

Pros

I really value the ability to build reports based on particular needs.

Cons

There is quite a bit about it that I do not care for, especially the monthly subscription model and the way the interface is laid out. It feels like the product is being redesigned to suit people who are not accountants and do not have formal training or experience. In the process, important accounting elements are being stripped away, including proper terminology and date integrity. That actually makes it harder to work with as an accountant, while also giving clients the impression that they can handle everything on their own. Then I end up having to go back in and clean up the mistakes which takes far more time and usually means I have to charge them more than if I had just done the work myself from the beginning.

“Recommended from my end”

Pros

After more than two years of using it, I'd definitely recommend this app. It has held its Editors' Choice recognition for small business accounting and bookkeeping software for a long time and it still deserves that reputation. It helps create and track invoices efficiently and QuickBooks Online saves both accounting professionals and clients a lot of time with automation tools like recurring transactions and bank feeds. It also keeps track of costs and bills automatically, includes an automated backup service and feels very customer-focused.

Cons

Some banks still aren't configured to download transactions.

“Remote access is amazing”

Pros

It is amazing that it can be accessed anywhere, especially when working remotely or needing to check things while away from the office.

Cons

The customer support has been disappointing. Problems are hard to get resolved and payroll issues in particular don't seem to get the help they need.

“Simple once you get the hang of it”

Pros

After the initial learning curve, the system becomes very simple to work with. The reports can be customized in a lot of ways which lets you view exactly what you need, right down to the smallest detail.

Cons

It's possible to get overly detailed and end up creating too many categories which can make the accounting process more complicated over time.

“Powerful syncing and remote access”

Pros

After using it for years, I still appreciate how simple the interface feels while still offering a lot of power. Having multiple people log in and work from different locations, whether in the office or remotely, is absolutely essential for our team. The way it connects with our CRM and payment portal has been fantastic. It keeps all of our products synced with the CRM which lets our sales team build quotes and sales orders directly from there. Honestly, it has been a complete game changer for our company.

Cons

I'd really like to see a dedicated point of contact instead of having to go through customer service and speak with a different representative each time.

“Support delays ruined it”

Pros

Back in 2015, this worked perfectly for me and I had zero complaints for years. I used to be completely happy with it but by 2023 the app really went downhill and the support team seemed to fall apart right along with it.

Cons

Everything was okay until the 2023 updates started causing problems. Since then, customer support has been unbelievably bad and my account has been stuck on hold for more than a month because of mistakes on their side. I've sent in the same requested information at least a dozen times and wasted over 20 hours on the phone, only to hear, "we'll escalate it, sir," without anything actually getting fixed. At this point, I'm beyond frustrated with the company.

“Performs well”

Pros

It handles the job it's meant to do and it does it at a high level. The accounts payable workflow runs well, fits nicely with modern processes and doesn't take much training to get people up to speed. Its inventory management features also make stock control much simpler and give us all the information we need to manage inventory properly.

Cons

A recurring frustration was being told to submit a feature request which honestly wasn't very satisfying. That came up most when dealing with issues around order reporting and payment-related complications.

“Missing client texting options”

Pros

Receipt capture worked really well and the automatic categorization was spot on. I honestly have no complaints about that part at all, they got it right.

Cons

there's no way to send anything to clients by text from either the mobile app or the online version. Hardly anyone relies on email anymore and that's exactly the issue, texts get opened all the time, while emails only get a tiny fraction of attention. That makes this a real problem.

“Brilliant support around the clock”

Pros

What really stands out is the 24/7 customer support. I can reach them by phone, chat or email anytime which has been very convenient.

Cons

A few features available in the Desktop version are still missing from the online version.

“Takes a lot of routine work off my plate”

Pros

Between the automatic invoicing, the built-in payroll module and reports that can be sent out on their own, QuickBooks Online takes a lot of routine work off my plate. The customer service has also been excellent and the software provider has been genuinely supportive whenever needed. Even the receipt capture, while not the most advanced option out there, still works well enough to get the job done.

Cons

At the moment, I'm still getting used to the new tax feature so I can file year-end accounts properly. It has been a bit of a learning curve but once I fully understand it, I can see it being a real game changer for the way I run my business. The whole process should end up being much faster and save me a lot of time.

“Accessible for a wide range of users”

Pros

Running finances with it feels very simple because the interface is user-friendly and simple to move around, even on the go. It is accessible for a wide range of users, especially people who do not come from an accounting background. The platform also includes a broad set of features for handling financial tasks such as invoicing, expense tracking, payroll and reporting. On top of that, it connects with many third-party apps and services, including payment processors and business management tools which adds a lot of convenience.

Cons

There is still a learning curve if you are not familiar with accounting principles or common financial terms so some time is needed to fully understand the software. Pricing is another common concern since the cost can feel high depending on the version and subscription plan, especially for small business owners. It may also fall short for users who want a lot of customization because the system is more focused on standard business processes than flexibility.

“Regular updates and improvements”

Pros

They keep rolling out updates regularly and it really feels like the overall user experience keeps getting better.

Cons

The chart of accounts still could use more work, especially when it comes to supporting non-posting accounts.

“Cant do without it”

Pros

Using all the features feels very simple which makes this app essential for running a business. I'd honestly be lost without it.

Cons

I do wish for a faster way to reconcile since that's the part I enjoy the least in QuickBooks Online. It's not that the software makes it hard but it does take more time than most of the other tasks in the application.