Business Central vs. QuickBooks: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Having the right accounting solution at your fingertips can take the hassle out of financial management. The question is, what’s the “right” platform for your business? With so many software solutions out there, it can be tough to choose the best fit for your company. 

During your search, two of the names you’ll no doubt come across are Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and QuickBooks. In this Business Central vs. QuickBooks head-to-head, we’ll provide a rundown of each option so you can get the most bang for your buck. Whether you need to perform basic accounting or want advanced reporting capabilities, this guide will provide the answers you’re looking for. 

What’s Business Central?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, often referred to as just “Business Central” or “BC,” is an all-in-one enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. It runs on the public cloud and provides virtually unlimited scalability. 

Business Central is designed to manage finance, sales leads, customer interactions, master records, and much more. It has a web-based reporting portal and can provide real-time insights into the state of your business.

What Types of Businesses Is BC For?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is incredibly versatile and scalable. It can meet the needs of micro-businesses, mid-sized organizations, and just about everything in between. While it does have enterprise-grade tools, BC is geared toward small-to-mid-sized organizations. 

What’s QuickBooks?

Whereas BC is an all-in-one platform, QuickBooks focuses exclusively on financial management. That said, it excels at streamlining this vital business process. 

Developed by Intuit, QuickBooks can track transaction volume, create audit trails, facilitate comparisons in accounts, and much more. There are several versions of QuickBooks, the two most notable of which are QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Online Plus. Online Plus is more economical and basic, whereas Enterprise has more robust tools for larger businesses. 

Who Is QuickBooks’ Ideal Customer?

QuickBooks can meet the financial management needs of just about any business. If your company needs a straightforward, user-friendly financial management system without the bells and whistles of a full ERP, you can benefit from QuickBooks. 

The Enterprise version has the better toolkit, which includes purchase comparisons, valid audit trail functionality for compliance purposes, and a whole lot more. But Online Plus packs plenty of punch for small-to-mid-sized businesses and has a no-nonsense design.

Business Central vs. Quickbooks

Deciding between Business Central vs. QuickBooks isn’t all that easy. To make an informed decision, you’ll need to consider your unique organizational needs, user preferences, integration capabilities, and much more. We’ve outlined how these two compare in some key areas so you can get the right solution for your business.

Users

Business Central is designed for users who need an ERP system that grows with their business. You can add tools as your needs evolve and adapt to changing business requirements. BC can meet today’s needs and prepare you for the unforeseen challenges of tomorrow. 

QuickBooks is tailored for users who primarily need an accounting tool. It’s easy to learn and use, with a quick setup and no frills attached. If you want a solution you can start using fast, QuickBooks is a good option. 

Organizational Needs

Want to get rid of disparate technologies and consolidate business processes into a single platform? Business Central can help you manage everything from inventory to sales and much more. It provides a holistic view of your business, empowering decision-making and setting the stage for long-term growth.

QuickBooks is focused on one thing: getting your finances in order. It does this exceptionally well. If you are happy with your other tech but simply need better accounting capabilities, look into QuickBooks.

Accounting Needs

Business Central offers in-depth accounting features and supports multi-currency transactions, complex account structures, and advanced reporting. Whether you do business domestically or abroad, it can adapt to your needs.

QuickBooks is simpler, but it covers the essentials of accounting well. It is sufficient for businesses with standard accounting requirements. 

Cloud Preferences

Business Central is cloud-native, which means it’s built to leverage the public cloud for scalability, security, and performance. If you are already working on the cloud or interested in making the leap, BC is a great addition to your digital infrastructure. 

QuickBooks offers both cloud-based and on-premise solutions, allowing flexibility in how you manage your financial data. The on-premise approach involves more upfront costs. However, if you are already managing other applications using your own servers, deploying QuickBooks on-premise makes sense. 

Reporting Capabilities

Business Central enables you to generate reports about almost any business process. You can track inventory, implement transaction comparisons, and gain real-time insights into the state of your business. It also integrates with Microsoft’s Power BI for advanced analytics.

QuickBooks has user-friendly reporting functionalities that are more than adequate for small and micro-businesses. However, it may fall short for larger enterprises that need detailed, custom reports. 

Integration

Business Central seamlessly integrates with the entire Microsoft ecosystem. You can connect BC to Outlook, Microsoft Office, Power BI, and SharePoint. It also offers integrations for a broad range of third-party applications.

QuickBooks offers integration capabilities as well. But it is generally more limited than BC. As such, you’ll have to manually input data from your other applications to QuickBooks and vice versa. Alternatively, you can develop custom integrations, but the process is expensive and time-consuming. 

Security

Business Central has top-notch security features. The platform adheres to international compliance standards, too, so you won’t have to worry about the integrity of your data.

QuickBooks, especially in its cloud-based offerings, also provides solid security measures. That said, to obtain the same level of protection offered by BC, you’ll have to implement some supplemental security provisions.

Reports and Audits

Business Central offers extensive audit trails and reporting features. It allows you to take the hassle out of compliance and avoid regulatory penalties.

QuickBooks provides basic audit trails. If you run a small business and don’t face heavy regulations, they’ll probably suffice. 

Deployment Complexity

Typically, the easier a solution is to deploy, the fewer features it offers, and vice versa. This rule is important in the Business Central vs. QuickBooks comparison. Business Central can be more complex to deploy because it offers many features and customizations. But you’ll enjoy a strong return on your investment. 

QuickBooks is known for its ease of setup. Even users with minimal accounting knowledge can get it up and running fast. Nonetheless, you’ll have to come up with a plan for addressing your non-accounting business needs. 

QuickBooks Is Great, But BC Is Better

QuickBooks is a simple, affordable, and user-friendly accounting solution. But if you want an end-to-end business management platform, Business Central is the clear choice. 

Business Central is not only packed with tools but is supported by a huge community of independent software vendors (ISVs) like Cavallo. Our mission is to provide dynamic BC add-ons designed to expand the software’s capabilities and rapidly increase the value users can get out of their ERP. Fill in the gaps with a robust, no-code workflow engine and user-friendly UI, and never let an order slip through the cracks again. Visit our page on Microsoft AppSource or book a demo to learn more.