QuickBooks Pro and Premier alternative
Can't buy QuickBooks Pro any more? Here is a desktop program you can
Looking to buy QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier for a new business, a new PC or a second company? You can't: Intuit stopped selling new Pro Plus and Premier Plus subscriptions to US customers after September 30, 2024, and Canadian sales of Pro and Premier ended in April 2025.
AcboBooks is the same kind of program: installed on Windows, a company file on your PC, menus and registers you know. It is sold today, to anyone, for $399.99 once.
No card, no account. Windows 10 and 11. QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus prices and features checked October 2026. AcboBooks is not affiliated with Intuit.
QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus pricing, October 2026
Desktop Pro Plus
existing US subscribers renew yearly; Intuit does not publish the renewal price
Not sold to new customers
Desktop Premier Plus
existing US subscribers renew yearly
Not sold to new customers
QuickBooks Online Plus
where Intuit sends new customers
$140 a month
AcboBooks Pro
$399.99 once
Why people leave
Common reasons businesses leave QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus, and what changes
It is simply not for sale
A new business, a new partner's PC, or a second company file can't get a new Pro or Premier subscription. AcboBooks is on sale now.
You wanted a desktop program, not a browser
QuickBooks Online works in a browser with your data on Intuit's servers. AcboBooks runs on your PC, works offline, and keeps the books in an encrypted file you own.
You wanted to own it
Pro and Premier were once bought outright; now they are subscriptions that turn view-only if you stop paying. AcboBooks is bought once and keeps working.
Payroll was the expensive add-on
Desktop payroll is a separate yearly subscription with per-employee fees. AcboBooks includes US and Canadian payroll in the price.
Side by side
AcboBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus, row by row
QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus answers are from its own published plans and documentation, checked October 2026.
| AcboBooks Pro | QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Your data | ||
| Where your books live | A file on your computer | A .QBW file on your computer |
| Works without internet | Yes (daily licence check when online) | Yes, with periodic licence checks |
| Can a new customer buy it today? | Yes | No |
| Take your data with you | It is a file, encrypted with your password | Only QuickBooks opens the file |
| Doing the books | ||
| Enforced double-entry | Yes, enforced | Yes |
| Payroll | Included: W-2, 1099, T4, direct deposit | Separate subscription |
| Inventory, jobs and classes | Included: inventory, jobs, classes | Yes |
| Imports a QuickBooks Desktop file | Lists, balances, open invoices and bills | Not applicable |
| Cost | ||
| How you pay | Once, $399.99 | Yearly subscription (existing customers only) |
| If you stop paying | Keeps working | View-only for 12 months |
| Price can rise next year | No, you own it | Yes, at each renewal |
Three years
What the same three years cost
A new business that wanted Pro or Premier is offered QuickBooks Online instead; Plus at $140 a month is the plan with inventory and projects.
| QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus (QuickBooks Online Plus) | AcboBooks Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1,680.00 | $399.99 |
| Year 2 | $1,680.00 | $0.00 (updates renewal optional) |
| Year 3 | $1,680.00 | $0.00 (updates renewal optional) |
| Total | $5,040.00 | $399.99 |
At QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus's list price as of October 2026, before any add-ons, and assuming no price rise. AcboBooks includes 12 months of updates and support; renewing updates after that is optional and the software keeps working either way.
Being fair
Who should stay with QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus
If you already have an active Pro Plus or Premier Plus subscription, your accountant works in it, and the renewal price is acceptable to you, staying is reasonable: Intuit says Desktop 2024 has no sunset date. Plan your exit before you ever let the subscription lapse.
What AcboBooks does not do
· A Windows desktop program; a Mac version is coming soon, and there is no phone app.
· No automatic bank feed for most banks; it imports the OFX, QFX or CSV statement your bank provides, and downloads directly from banks that offer OFX Direct Connect.
· Card payments go through a Stripe payment link on the invoice, not a built-in processor.
Moving your books
From QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus to AcboBooks
Bring your QuickBooks Desktop data across in one sitting; the full steps are on the Move from QuickBooks page.
IIF export: lists and opening balances from any edition and year.
Live pull through Intuit's SDK on the same PC (Desktop 2019 or later): lists, open invoices, open bills and credit memos.
Compare the trial balance in both programs at the same date.
Free migration help: we check your import with you on a free 30-minute call. Details on the Move from QuickBooks page.
Menu bar, sidebar, registers: the desktop layout you know.
Invoices, bills and cheques as you are used to.
Questions people ask
Leaving QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus: the practical questions
Can I still buy QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2024?
Not as a new customer in the US or Canada. Only existing Desktop Plus subscribers can renew; Enterprise is the only Desktop edition sold to new US customers.
Is AcboBooks a copy of QuickBooks?
No. It is an independent program with a familiar desktop layout. It reads QuickBooks Desktop data through QuickBooks' own export and Intuit's SDK.
Does my accountant need anything?
No seat or subscription. Give them a copy of the file, add them as a user, or exchange adjusting entries.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. The trial runs for 15 days with every feature, no card and no account. If you buy, nothing is re-entered; the file you were working in simply stops counting down.
What does the licence cover?
$399.99 buys AcboBooks Pro for one business on two computers, for as long as you like, with 12 months of updates and email support. After that the software keeps working; renewing updates is optional, though payroll users need it for each year's new tax tables.
Is my data safe on my own computer?
Each company file is encrypted inside the database with your password (AES-256), so a copied or stolen file can't be read without your password. Back it up like any file; the app can do that automatically each time it closes.
Can my accountant get in?
Yes, without paying for a seat. Give them a backup copy, or add them as a user on your network, or use the accountant invite from inside the app. Their adjusting entries import back without double-posting.
Other comparisons
Leaving something else?
Get started
Try it against your real QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus books.
Download the 15-day trial, bring your lists across, and run one month-end in both. Then decide.
No card. No account. Nothing to cancel.
QuickBooks®, QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier are trademarks of Intuit Inc. AcboBooks is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit. Availability and prices are quoted from Intuit's US pages as of the date shown and may have changed.