Block does a good job of pointing out the advantages of QuickBooks vis-a-vis Peachtree here. If you are thinking of purchasing one or the other, you might want to consider his ideas.
He is correct that there are a large number of QB add-ons, and that the SDK provides an API (application programmer interface) that is very functional. I suspect however, that the number of downloads of the SDK indicates more that it is free and there is interest than that this many products will be built for QuickBooks. One should also know that some of the add-ons will not work together so if you need one, you're good. If you need two, be sure they are compatible.
The point that is omitted is that almost no one purchases QuickBooks because it has all the features they need. They purchase it because it is (a) very inexpensive (I almost wrote cheap), and (b) many bookkeepers and CPAs know it. These are very important considerations, and are part of the reason that Data Guidance Group supports the product.
However, with any software selection, it is important to understand the needs of the business before purchasing. There are some things that QuickBooks does not do or does not do well which indicate a need for other options. There are also things that SAP or J D Edwards does not do or does not do well. All of these need to be considered.
To put it succinctly, a partner in the CPA firm I worked for 20 years ago once asked me, "What is the best computer?"
My answer (still): "That all depends on what you are trying to do."
QuickBooks-Blog.com: QuickBooks vs. Peachtree, QuickBooks add-ons
Comments (2)
Hi Bob Palmer:
Thanks for your Thinking Tech post: QuickBooks vs PeachTree. Clicks from it are in my http://QuickBooks-Blog.com/ logs.
You are very right that the best computer / program depends on what you are trying to do. Seeing your post, right after rereading my well-worn copy of Inside Intuit, made me recall a QuickBooks vs PeachTree point. Intuit created QuickBooks, when Peachtree was a dominant market leader, because many early Quicken home checkbook program users were business people. It found they hated accounting and did not want accounting programs. They wanted easy ways to write checks, pay bills, keep bank balances, reconcile bank accounts and invoice.
Doing this with screens that look like related common business forms, in a designed drop-dead-simple way, let early QuickBooks versions crush PeachTree and many others. Only later did QuickBooks get a hidden audit trail and user (internal) controls, to placate many shocked CPAs.
Posted by Mike Block QuickBooks CPA | December 30, 2009 4:14 AM
Posted on December 30, 2009 04:14
Mike,
I'm glad you're getting some clicks from it. Since you like history, here's a little more.
PeachTree was at one time a modular product. I had a doctor's group in the 1980s that needed a G/L, and purchased the PeachTree G/L for $595. The architecture of the product (from which it still suffers a bit) caused it to drop behind in the 1990s, and the original company that had developed it went bankrupt. The product resurfaced as (I seem to recall) PeachTree Complete III, and was no longer sold as a modular product. The product has lumbered along for years since.
It still has some serious stability problems, though once Sage sorted out the 500 (I'm exaggerating...a bit) versions they sold at one time, the remaining product (starting with PeachTree for Windows) seemed to be stable enough (as stable as QuickBooks).
The issue with PeachTree and QuickBooks has to do with support for broad functionality (e.g. pricing models) and logistics (e.g. shipping, warehousing, etc.) The add-ons that add this functionality have the same issue as they did in the 1980s and 1990s. One or two are fine...more than that and many times they don't work together. For example, QuickBooks has Warehouse Management ES as well as Service Management. However, they don't play together (they were developed by two different companies and branded).
I think CPAs (and I teach CPE for a lot of them with glazed-over eyes because it isn't about the audit or the tax return) need to keep in mind that because the CPA profession is a technical one, many CPAs put blinders on when it comes to business operations. Software in businesses is more today than a vehicle for keeping the bank balanced, the vendors paid, and customers sending checks. Software is the hub for information, and the information that bargain basement products keep is more limited than mid-market products. We (as a CPA profession) have a responsibilty to keep the total needs of the client in perspective, not foist a product on companies becasue it meets our needs. The client needs are paramount.
Posted by Bob | December 30, 2009 12:21 PM
Posted on December 30, 2009 12:21