Quicken Vs. Quickbooks Software
When choosing between Quicken and Quickbooks, you should consider several factors. Will you be using the software for personal or business accounting? Will you need the program to keep track of investments or payroll? How much do you want to spend on the software? All of these questions will help you determine which software is best for you.
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Learning Curve
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Of the two programs, Quicken offers a simpler interface that requires less training than Quickbooks. While this means you will spend less time learning Quicken, it also means that Quickbooks has less features than its competitor.
Features
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Quicken features simple checkbook accounting, a retirement saving plan wizard, auto mileage tracker, loan tracker with amortization, emergency files for logging household inventory and the ability to download transactions for Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit cards.
Quickbooks allows users to manage payroll, log detailed transactions, add on 3rd-party applications, track inventory and create invoices, accounts receivable forms and other necessities of small business management.
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Considerations
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Before buying either program, consider the reasons why you're buying the program. If you're buying the program to do simple household finances, Quicken will probably fully meet your needs while keeping the program simple enough that you can easily update your finances without much work. If you're buying the program to manage your small business finances as well as to keep track of payroll and business expenses, Quickbooks will allow you to control payroll and do a number of other business management tasks through its interface.
Versions
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Quicken is available in four different versions: Quicken Online, Quicken Deluxe, Quicken Premier and Quicken Home & Business. While Quicken Home & Business does have some simple business functions, it will not allow you to manage payroll through its interface as Quickbooks does.
Quickbooks is available in seven different versions: Quickbooks Simple Start, Quickbooks Pro, Quickbooks Premier, Quickbooks Premier Accountant Edition, Quickbooks Premier Contractor Edition, Quickbooks Premier Nonprofit Edition and Quickbooks Premier Professional Services Edition.
Price
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Depending on the version you choose, Quicken ranges in price from $40 to $80.
Quickbooks also varies in price according to version. Prices begin at $150 with some versions costing over $400.
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References
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