QuickBooks is accounting software built for running a business: invoices, bills, reports and a ledger your accountant can work with. Quicken is a money manager built for personal and household finances: spending, budgets, savings and net worth. If you're tracking a business, start with QuickBooks. If you're tracking your own money, Quicken usually covers it.
The confusion is understandable. The names sound alike, and Quicken even sells an edition with business features. But they're made by different companies now. Intuit makes QuickBooks, and Quicken has been a separate company from Intuit since 2016, so the two products have grown apart.
Here's how I'd think about it, and where each one starts to creak.
The one-line difference
QuickBooks answers the question "how is my business doing?" Quicken answers the question "where is my money going?" Those sound close, but they lead to very different tools.
A business needs to send invoices, track who still owes you, record bills, and produce reports that an accountant or bookkeeper will recognise. QuickBooks is designed around that job. A household needs to categorise spending, plan a budget, watch accounts in one place and see the overall picture. Quicken is designed around that job.
That's the whole story in two sentences. Everything else is detail about where the overlap runs out.
QuickBooks and Quicken side by side
| QuickBooks | Quicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Small businesses, freelancers and self-employed people running their books | Individuals and households managing personal money |
| Made by | Intuit | Quicken, a separate company since 2016 |
| Main job | Business accounting: income, expenses, invoices and bills | Personal finance: spending, budgets, accounts and net worth |
| Invoicing customers | A core feature | Some business tools in the Home and Business edition |
| Reports | Business reports an accountant will ask for | Personal spending and planning reports |
| Accountant access | Widely used by accountants and bookkeepers | Less common for business bookkeeping |
| Where it runs | Online version plus desktop editions | Apps for computer and phone |
| Plans | Paid plans; compare the current plan pages | Paid plans; compare the current plan pages |
I've kept plans out of the table on purpose. They change often, and both companies show their current options on their own plan pages, so check there before you commit to either.
When Quicken is enough
Quicken is a good fit when the money you're tracking is mostly your own. If you want to see your accounts together, set a budget, watch spending drift, and understand where the month went, it does that job well. That's what it's known for.
It can also stretch a little into side-income territory. If you earn a small amount from a side project, have no employees, send only the odd invoice and your accountant is happy with a tidy, categorised summary at tax time, an edition with business features might be all you need. I wouldn't push it further than that.
The test I'd use is simple. Ask whether you need to answer to anyone about your numbers. If it's only you, Quicken is fine. If a customer, a lender, a partner or a tax adviser needs formal reports, you're moving into QuickBooks territory.
- You mainly want a budget and a clear view of household spending.
- Your business income is small and simple, with no staff and few invoices.
- Your accountant is comfortable with a categorised export rather than full books.
- You like seeing personal accounts, bills and savings in one place.
When you've outgrown it
You'll usually notice the moment. Invoices start going out regularly, and you can't remember who has paid. You're keeping receipts in a shoebox and guessing at categories. Your accountant asks for a profit and loss report and a balance sheet, and you can't produce them without a lot of fiddling.
That's the signal. QuickBooks is built to take over at that point: customers, vendors, bills, invoices and reports sit together in one set of books. If you're weighing it against other accounting tools too, our comparison of Xero vs QuickBooks is a good next read, and FreshBooks vs QuickBooks helps if invoicing is your main pain.
Other signs you've outgrown a money app:
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- You've hired someone, even part-time, and need to track what you owe.
- You sell products and need to know what's in stock.
- You want your accountant to log in and see the books directly.
- You're mixing personal and business spending and can't untangle it at year end.
The last one is the quiet killer. I'd always keep business money in its own account, whichever software you choose. It makes everything easier to categorise, and it keeps your accountant happy.
Using both
Plenty of people end up with both, and it's a sensible setup if you keep the jobs separate. Quicken handles the household: your budget, your savings goals, your personal accounts. QuickBooks handles the business: invoices, bills and reports.
The rule that makes this work is not mixing the two. Don't run business spending through a personal card and then try to sort it out in Quicken. Give the business its own bank account and card, connect those to QuickBooks, and leave your personal accounts to Quicken. You'll thank yourself in January.
If you do have to move a few business transactions across, ask your accountant how they'd like it handled first. A quick conversation now saves a clean-up later, and they'll tell you what they need to see.
Other options worth a look
Neither of these tools is right for everyone. Here are a few other products I'd look at, depending on what you need. I'd also point you to our list of QuickBooks alternatives if you want a wider spread.
- FreeAgent: online accounting built with freelancers and small UK businesses in mind. It suits you if you want something simple that matches how self-employed people work.
- GnuCash: free, open-source double-entry accounting software you install yourself. It suits you if you like control and don't mind a steeper learning curve.
- YNAB: a budgeting app built around a particular way of planning your money. It suits you if your real problem is personal budgeting rather than business books.
- Akaunting: open-source accounting software you can host yourself. It suits you if you're technical and want to own the setup.
Make accounting or money app? See how to get it featured on this list.
Frequently asked questions
Is Quicken good for small business?
It can work for a very small, simple side income, especially with an edition that includes business features. But it's built for personal finance. If you need invoicing, bills, customer tracking and reports an accountant expects, QuickBooks is the tool built for that.
Can QuickBooks do personal budgeting?
It isn't designed for that. QuickBooks is built around business accounting. If your main goal is a household budget, a personal finance app such as Quicken is a closer fit.
Are QuickBooks and Quicken made by the same company?
No. Intuit makes QuickBooks. Quicken has been a separate company from Intuit since 2016, so the two products are developed independently.
Can I move from Quicken to QuickBooks?
Often in part. Bank data can usually travel as exported files, so moving history is often possible. Check the current import options in QuickBooks before you start, keep your Quicken file as a backup, and ask your accountant how much history they need.
