Business Central vs QuickBooks
Business Central
Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits
QuickBooks
All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant)
Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and QuickBooks are both cloud software that small and growing businesses use to run their accounts.
QuickBooks, part of Intuit, covers bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting for 10 million businesses; Business Central, from Microsoft, is an ERP connecting finance, sales, service and operations for 55,000 small and midsize companies.
Business Central vs QuickBooks: side by side
“Not published” means the vendor does not state it.
| Business Central | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | ERP connecting finance, sales, service and operations, working with Outlook, Excel and Teams | Cloud-based accounting software covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting, with a desktop edition (QuickBooks Desktop) |
| Best for | Small and midsize businesses in distribution, retail, professional services, manufacturing, construction, energy and non-profits | All types of businesses, from the self-employed to small and growing companies, plus accountants (QuickBooks Online Accountant) |
| Founded and HQ | Not published | Part of Intuit, headquartered in Mountain View, California; founding year not published |
| Ownership and funding | Owned by Microsoft | Part of Intuit Inc. (INTU); Chair and CEO Sasan Goodarzi |
| Customers or users | 55,000 companies | 10 million businesses worldwide |
| Pricing | Essentials US$80, Premium US$110, Team Members US$8 per user a month, paid yearly (UK: £61.50, £84.60, £6.20 ex VAT) | US list prices: free plan; Simple Start US$38 a month, Essentials US$85, Plus US$140, Advanced US$340 |
| Deployment and markets | Cloud; available in 157 countries and 50+ languages | Cloud (QuickBooks Online) and desktop (QuickBooks Desktop); local sites for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions |
Main differences
Business Central links finance with sales, service and operations for sectors such as distribution, manufacturing and construction; QuickBooks covers bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting.
QuickBooks has a free plan and US plans from US$38 to US$340 a month; Business Central costs US$80 (Essentials) or US$110 (Premium) per user a month, paid yearly.
QuickBooks serves 10 million businesses, from the self-employed to growing companies, and accountants; Business Central serves 55,000 small and midsize companies.
Business Central is available in 157 countries and 50+ languages; QuickBooks has local sites for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and other markets, plus a desktop edition.
Which to choose
Choose Business Central if
- You need sales, service and operations in the same system as finance, and work in Outlook, Excel and Teams
Choose QuickBooks if
- You are self-employed or a small business that wants bookkeeping, invoicing, payments and payroll at a monthly price
Compare further
Common questions
What is the difference between Business Central and QuickBooks?+
Business Central is an ERP that brings finance, sales, service and operations together and works with Outlook, Excel and Teams. QuickBooks is accounting software for bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, payroll and reporting, in the cloud or as QuickBooks Desktop.
How much do Business Central and QuickBooks cost?+
Business Central costs US$80 per user a month for Essentials, US$110 for Premium and US$8 for Team Members, paid yearly (£61.50, £84.60 and £6.20 ex VAT in the UK). QuickBooks in the US has a free plan, then Simple Start at US$38 a month, Essentials at US$85, Plus at US$140 and Advanced at US$340.
Which countries are Business Central and QuickBooks available in?+
Business Central is available in 157 countries and 50+ languages. QuickBooks has local sites for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and 11 other countries and regions.
Part of Accountio’s accounting technology coverage.
