Compare
Desktop accounting you own, against the software you rent
Honest, dated comparisons with the products small businesses in the US and Canada leave most often. Each one says who should stay put.
You buy it once
$399.99 for one business on two computers, with 12 months of updates and support. No monthly fee, no per-seat charge, no price rise next spring.
Your books are a file on your PC
Works offline. Encrypted with your password. Back it up, copy it, hand it to your accountant. Nobody can lock you out of your own records.
It does the whole job
Double-entry ledger, invoices, bills, bank statement import, payroll with W-2 and T4, inventory, jobs, multi-currency, multi-user on the office network, QuickBooks Desktop import.
By product
Leaving one of these?
One page each: why people leave, the row-by-row table, three-year cost, how to move the books, and the questions people ask.
By what you want
Already know what you are looking for?
In general
Owned desktop software, subscription cloud software, and free tools
The pattern behind every product comparison. The subscription column describes cloud accounting services as a class, not one vendor.
| Feature | AcboBooks | Typical cloud accounting | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your data | |||
| Where your data lives | Your computer | Vendor's servers | Your computer |
| Works without internet | Yes | No | Yes |
| Account or sign-up required | None | Yes | None |
| Take your data with you | It's a file — always | Export, often partial | It's a file |
| Automatic backup before changes | Yes, on your drive | Vendor-held only | No |
| Doing the books | |||
| Enforced double-entry | Yes | Yes | No |
| Closed-period lock & audit trail | Built in | Usually | No |
| Bank feeds | OFX + statement import | Yes | No |
| Payroll & W-2 e-file | Included | Add-on | No |
| Multi-currency, per-document rates | Included | Higher tiers | Manual |
| Inventory, jobs & classes | Included | Higher tiers or add-on | Manual |
| Print cheques & statements | Yes | Varies | No |
| Imports QuickBooks® Desktop | Lists + transactions | Varies | Manual |
| Working together | |||
| Multi-user | Office network, record locking | Internet | Conflicts |
| Accountant access | Free — copy the file or add a user | Often a paid seat | Email the file |
| Works on the PCs you already own | Windows 10/11, offline | Any browser | Yes |
| Cost | |||
| How you pay | Once — $399.99 | Monthly, per seat | Free |
| Price can rise next year | No — you own it | Commonly | No |
| Updates & support | 12 months included | Included while subscribed | None |
"Typical cloud accounting" describes common subscription products in general, not any single vendor.
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