It’s common knowledge that QuickBooks is a staple financial software for event businesses of all sizes, and has been for quite some time. Things are changing over at QuickBooks, as a quick visit to their website will make it apparent that they are promoting QuickBooks Online over their traditional Desktop version. That shift is no longer just marketing. Intuit stopped selling most Desktop products to new customers in 2024, and it retires individual Desktop versions on a rolling schedule. Which raises a fair question for event pros: should you be on QuickBooks Online?

Here at Goodshuffle Pro, we say: absolutely!

You may be thinking, “Of course the folks at Goodshuffle Pro think it’s great, they have a partnership with QuickBooks Online and it’s integrated into their software!”

And you’re not wrong. We do have a fantastic QuickBooks Online Integration— but we never would have made that choice for our company if we didn’t think QuickBooks Online was the best financial software out there. So, let’s delve in and look at some of the comparisons between the QuickBooks Desktop version vs. QuickBooks Online.

What’s Happening to QuickBooks Desktop

Two different things get mixed up here, and only one of them affects you right now.

Intuit stopped selling Desktop to new customers. As of the end of September 2024, you can’t buy Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, or Mac Plus as a new US subscriber. Intuit has been clear this isn’t a shutdown: if you already had a subscription, you can keep renewing it, and you still get security updates, product updates, and support. Desktop Enterprise is still sold to new customers.

Individual versions get retired on a schedule. This is the one that actually lands. Every Desktop version has a discontinuation date, and Desktop 2023 passed its date at the end of May 2026.

Here’s what that date means in practice. Your software keeps opening, and you can still get at your files. What you lose is everything that connects to the outside world:

• Live technical support. No more calling anyone.
• Payroll. Taxes stop calculating, forms stop being provided, and the subscription gets deactivated.
• Payments and online banking. No downloading transactions, no online payments or transfers.
• Security updates. Nothing gets patched. For software holding every client and payment record you have, this is the part that should worry you.

If you’re on a Desktop Plus or Enterprise subscription, an upgrade to the newer version is included in what you already pay.

Which Version Am I On?

Worth knowing before you worry about any of this. Open QuickBooks Desktop and press F2. The Product Information window tells you the version and the product number, and the product number ends in the version year.

Security — Is It Up to Snuff?

A main concern for people when switching from a desktop software to a cloud-based software is security. After all, it really seems like all your data is out there in the ether. In a previous post, we discussed the high level of security demanded by both Goodshuffle Pro and QuickBooks Online— I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already, as we review some of the technical nitty-gritty involved in securing client data. In many ways, cloud-based software has become more secure than server-based software. This is because server-based software is all in a single location (e.g. your desktop computer), so your data could be more vulnerable to breach and loss due to hackers, hardware failure, and even theft of the computer itself.

Take Your Inventory Everywhere

From our perspective, the biggest benefit of QuickBooks Online is that it IS a cloud-based software. Event rental company owners are busy people, and we know from experience that they love the mobility of Goodshuffle Pro. You can literally conduct business from anywhere you have a mobile signal or an internet connection— and with QuickBooks Online, that can also mean you can manage your financials from ANYWHERE with pretty much any device with a browser or the QuickBooks Online app.

A Direct Line to Your Accountant

But it’s not just business owners that can access QuickBooks Online from anywhere, it’s your accountants, too (by the way, accountants also love Goodshuffle Pro’s QuickBooks Online Integration). No more having to sync up time to drop off sensitive documents, running to the post office, or having to drop everything to email over a report; everything from invoices to revenue reports are available to your accountant through QuickBooks Online. What a relief!

What QuickBooks Online Costs

QuickBooks Online is sold in four plans. The difference between them is mostly how many people need to get in and how much reporting you want.

Every plan includes two seats for your accountant on top of those numbers, three on Advanced. Intuit usually runs an introductory discount, so the first few months often cost less than the list price. (Prices checked September 2026.)

Most event rental companies land on Essentials or Plus. If more than a couple of people need to be in the books, or you want to track profitability by event, Plus is the one.

Cloud access, backups, and feature updates are included in all four. That used to be the real argument for Online over Desktop, and it’s still true, but the pricing question is simpler now: Desktop isn’t something you can newly buy.

If You Use Goodshuffle Pro

Our QuickBooks integration works with QuickBooks Online only. Desktop isn’t supported, so if you’re running Desktop and you want your rental business talking to your books, moving to Online is the step that makes it possible.

Once connected, signed contracts flow into QuickBooks as invoices, with your line items split into services, product rentals, and product sales. Card and ACH payments land as payments, refunds come across, and deposits get matched up. It runs one way, from Goodshuffle Pro into QuickBooks, so your books follow what’s actually happening in your projects without anyone rekeying it.

Two things worth knowing up front: only projects at Contract Signed status sync, so quotes stay out of your books until they’re real. And turning it on doesn’t retroactively sync everything you’ve already done.

It’s a paid add-on on top of your Goodshuffle Pro plan, and you’ll need an active QuickBooks Online subscription. Full details are in the help center.

Making the Switch

“But I have so much data in the QuickBooks Desktop version, it’d be such a headache to switch!”

QuickBooks Online has your back there, too. They currently offer to transfer over all of your data for free.

We think the choice is clear: QuickBooks Online really gives you the most freedom and flexibility, without sacrificing computing capabilities. It’s pretty much like having your cake and eating it too and sharing said cake with your accountants. Plus, it ties right in to Goodshuffle Pro with our QuickBooks Online Integration.

Want to learn more about Goodshuffle Pro’s QuickBooks Online Integration? Read our articles on what makes our QuickBooks Online Integration the most secure and how to make the switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

Ready to regain control of your event business with all-in-one software?