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Software · head to head

QAD vs QuickBooks

QAD logo

QAD

Software

Cloud and on-premise ERP for manufacturers

From
$2000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QAD no price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link; QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • They diverge on capability: QAD covers Financial management, QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QAD and QuickBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where QAD and QuickBooks differ
AttributeQADQuickBooks
Starting price$2000/month$30/month
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded19791983

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in QAD

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply chain
  • Inventory management
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT integration

Only in QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

QAD

  • ERP for manufacturers covering production execution and schedulingnot QuickBooks
  • Supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory controlnot QuickBooks
  • Quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturingnot QuickBooks
  • Field service and enterprise asset managementnot QuickBooks

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot QAD
  • Invoicingnot QAD
  • Expense trackingnot QAD
  • Financial reportingnot QAD
  • Tax preparationnot QAD

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

QAD

  • No price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • Field service management, enterprise asset management and quality management are presented as separate functional areas rather than a single priced bundle

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

QAD

$2000/month
  • Standard$2000/month
    • Financial management
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$4000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • Priority support

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

Which should you pick?

Choose QAD if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
QAD review

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Questions people ask

Is QAD or QuickBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. QAD starts at $2000/month and QuickBooks at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QAD or QuickBooks?
QAD starts at $2000/month and QuickBooks at $30/month.
Does QAD or QuickBooks run on more platforms?
QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is QAD best used for?
QAD is most often used for erp for manufacturers covering production execution and scheduling, supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory control, quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturing, field service and enterprise asset management. Of those, erp for manufacturers covering production execution and scheduling and supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory control are not what QuickBooks is typically brought in for.
What can QAD do that QuickBooks cannot?
QAD covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Inventory management. QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.
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