Quickbooks or Xero or Kashflow?

Quickbooks or Xero or Kashflow?

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Which software is recommended for doing bookkeeping for clients. If you have trialled more that one of these then please share your feedback. If you recommend a desktop based one then please shout out.

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
04th Dec 2013 11:41

Probably best you trial them yourself

Hi - I seem to have spent most of the past couple of years researching, talking about and using Cloud accounting but have still only used 3 in full (Clear Books, FreeAgent & Xero).

The problem is that there are now over 20 Cloud systems on offer, each marketing themselves as the perfect solution, and so, unless someone is retired and bored, the chances of you finding someone who has used any 3 are very low.

From my point of view, even with 20 to chose from, there's no perfect system and, because there will be a mix of accountant and client users you will invariably have to consider at least 2 systems to best match the users' capabilities as well as what the business needs.  For example some will want payroll, stock, project costing, sales orders, multi-currency and others won't and not all systems provide all of these facilities as standard.

PM me with any specific questions if you wish.

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By pauljohnston
04th Dec 2013 12:35

We looked at

Zero

Liberty

Quickbooks.

I suspect that all accountants will have to have knowledge of three.  For the moment we are using Quickbooks  because we have clients withy desktop versions and they find it easier to use a familar format

Thanks (1)
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By BigBadWolf
04th Dec 2013 14:57

Xero or VT

VT is great, cheap and easy to use and fantastic as a desktop system, it may not fit the bill for clients with additional requirements such as stock or purchase orders. 

Xero is pretty good and have a look at clearbooks too 

 

I would avoid quickbooks & kashflow.

Thanks (1)
KCL
By davidakime
11th Dec 2013 12:38

Xero for me

Has to be Xero as they are the leading vendor in this market space.

 

Kashflow is a okay and with the recent acquisition by Iris may have added benefits in the future e.g. intergration, improved user interface etc

 

Also worth a look is Clearbooks

 

Hope this helps

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
11th Dec 2013 12:47

david?

Whilst I also use Xero and think the system is good, for the right sort of clients, why do you consider them to be the leading vendor?

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Replying to Red Leader:
KCL
By davidakime
11th Dec 2013 12:53

Xero

Because whatever they do, the rest do 6 - 12 months later

Xero will fit any client, almost any size, except those who need detailed stock reporting/control, or those who want very tailored reporting (not how I said want rather than need!).

I do think that now Kashflow has been bought outright by Iris they could be one to watch

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By carnmores
11th Dec 2013 14:06

well look at QB online its been tarted up proper!

furthermore one can upgrade the desktop version to the online version (last 2 years free)

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
11th Dec 2013 13:35

Hmm?

David - There are over 20 other systems and so, unless you've looked at them all, I'm not sure you can say they all follow Xero's lead.  

Specifically there are several aspects of ClearBooks & FreeAgent (the other two that I use) where Xero has had to catch up or has still to do so, for example in sales/purchase orders, emailing documents to attach, integrated payroll, project accounting, EC Sales lists and EU VAT recording in general. 

Yes, there are many facilities that can be used with Xeo to make it all encompassing however many involve buying 3rd party add-ons.

Similarly, whilst Xero is a good bookkeeping tool it certainly doesn't ft all of my clients and I have found it far easier to train & educate clients in say FreeAgent than I ever would Xero.

Before I'm accused of Xero bashing (again) I'm not, two of my larger clients use & like it, what I am bashing is the automatic assumption that it is the bee's knees of cloud accounting just because of it's huge marketing budget and worldwide user base.  

We went down the same road with deskbound accounting software only in those days there were only 1 or 2 others to chose from.

 

Thanks (1)