What are businesses replacing QuickBooks with?
Most businesses leaving QuickBooks move to Xero, Zoho Books, FreshBooks or Sage, and larger firms to NetSuite or another ERP. Many are not leaving QuickBooks at all, just moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online. The right choice depends on your country, your accountant and the other software you use.
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A lot of the switching talk comes from QuickBooks Desktop. Intuit stopped selling new subscriptions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus and Mac Plus to new US customers after 31 July 2024, while Desktop Enterprise continues. Existing users were pushed to think about what comes next, and many simply moved to QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks is far from obsolete; it remains one of the most widely used small business accounting tools in the US.
Those who do leave usually go to one of a few cloud tools. Xero is popular in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and has a large accountant network. FreshBooks suits service businesses and freelancers who mainly send invoices. Sage is common in the UK. Zoho Books appeals to businesses that already use Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps, or want strong local tax support in places like India and the Gulf.
Is Zoho better than QuickBooks? It depends on what you value. Zoho Books ties directly into Zoho CRM, Inventory and Zoho One and is often cheaper for a given set of features. QuickBooks has a bigger US accountant community, more third-party apps and deeper payroll options inside the US. If your accountant only works in QuickBooks, that alone can decide it.
Growing firms with several entities, complex inventory or manufacturing sometimes skip the small business tools and move to NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics or Odoo. Whichever way you go, plan the migration carefully: decide how much history to move, map your chart of accounts, and run both systems side by side for at least one month-end close before you switch off the old one.
Key points
- Common replacements: Xero, Zoho Books, FreshBooks, Sage, NetSuite
- Many Desktop users move to QuickBooks Online instead of leaving
- QuickBooks is not obsolete; Desktop sales to new US users narrowed in 2024
- Zoho Books fits best if you already use Zoho apps
- Ask your accountant which systems they support before switching
Common questions
Is QuickBooks becoming obsolete?
No. QuickBooks Online is actively developed and widely used. What changed is that Intuit stopped selling several QuickBooks Desktop editions to new US customers after July 2024.
Is Zoho better than QuickBooks?
For businesses already on Zoho CRM or Zoho One, Zoho Books often fits better because the apps share data. QuickBooks has more US accountants, add-on apps and built-in US payroll depth.
How hard is it to move off QuickBooks?
Lists, open invoices and opening balances move easily. Full transaction history takes more care. Plan a cut-over date and reconcile both systems before switching.
Sources and further reading
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Written by Flowpeak, a Zoho implementation partner. Zoho pricing and features change, so confirm current details on the official Zoho site. Free checklists | Ask us a question