Why is QuickBooks recommended by OnlineAdvisor.com? Considering that there are other accounting and bookkeeping products and services offered in the marketplace, with some at a less expensive price, it would seem that there are some great options. We've looked at them, but we're still recommending QuickBooks.

Here are our reasons why we think QuickBooks is still a great option:

Longetivity.

We've used QuickBooks for over 20 years. That's a long time. Intuit has been around for even longer than that. They've been able to get rid of a lot of the “bugs” in their programs and are focused on long-term profitability and efficiency.

Widely respected.

Back when we started our business, we chose a different accounting program. However, when we talked to our accountants, they told us to go with QuickBooks. Since then, we've moved our accounting to another firm – but we haven't moved away from QuickBooks. Every accountant we've worked with has told us they prefer QuickBooks. Not only that, as marketing professional who have accountants and bookkeepers as clients, we've consistently found that they prefer QuickBooks. When our trusted advisors tell us not to change, we respect their expert opinions – and we stick with them.

Collaboration with all of the banks.

There may be a bank which QuickBooks doesn't work with, but we haven't found that bank yet. Virtually every bank in North America has an account established with QuickBooks to sync records and update account information. From the global banks to the one-branch, small-town bank, QuickBooks works will all of them. Bank account reconciliation is very easy with QuickBooks.

High capabilities.

When we start a new venture, the requirements are fairly small. When that venture grows, we want a program that grows with it. For an established business with years of records, we need the capacity and the necessary capabilities in that case, too. QuickBooks can be used for a starting venture or a larger organization – it's scalable. We like that.

Modular.

QuickBooks is really good at offering particular functions and services for various types of companies and organizations. From construction companies to service organizations, there are options out there that apply to what you need. You can “turn on” and “turn off” functions as you need them.

Additional QuickBooks recommended plug-ins.

Intuit realizes that they can't build and offer everything that can be added to QuickBooks, so they stick to what they do well. Other companies, however, have built plug-ins that enhance the QuickBooks recommended experience. As of right now, there are over 500 possible plug-ins for QuickBooks recommended for all kinds of services. From time tracking, bank reconciliation, e-commerce connections and more, you have a lot of additional power and capabilities within those plug-ins.

Saying all that, there are plenty of people who are frustrated with QuickBooks. We get it. We have clients who use QuickBooks and have some challenges. What we've found is that those clients have specific, unique needs that are not easily solved with a QuickBooks recommended solution that Intuit offers “off the shelf.” In those cases, the company requires some customized software solutions. In most cases, Intuit has options and solutions available. In very unique cases, Intuit doesn't have the solutions they need – yet. The reality is that QuickBooks can't be “all things to all people,” but they're a lot closer than they've ever been.

Let us know what you think and what questions you may have for us. We might not be able to answer all of them, but we're glad to help!