QuickBooks Cloud Hosting Pricing Guide: Comprehensive Overview

81% of the people say that price is the top consideration when buying, according to a survey by EML Wildfire.  

Understanding QuickBooks cloud hosting pricing can feel overwhelming—like trying to win a game of Monopoly without knowing the rules. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. 

By breaking down the costs and key factors, you’ll see that choosing the right QuickBooks hosting plan is much easier than it seems—especially when considering versions like QuickBooks Enterprise, Pro, Premier, and Accountant. 

So, there’s no need to stress whether your financial situation resembles a “deed.” Here, we’ll provide all the information you need to comprehend the pricing model and the additional factors involved. 

Let’s check out the essential factors that impact the pricing of QuickBooks hosted on the cloud. 

Factors Impacting QuickBooks Cloud Pricing

1. QuickBooks Version  

The version of QuickBooks you choose plays a significant role in determining the cost of cloud hosting. Over the years, QuickBooks has offered several editions—Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant—each designed for different business needs.

However, it’s important to note that Intuit has discontinued sales and support for QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier. As a result, these versions are being phased out, and users are encouraged to switch to QuickBooks Enterprise or consider QuickBooks Online. 

QuickBooks Pro was the most basic desktop version, suited for small businesses with simple accounting needs. Premier offered more advanced features, including industry-specific tools and reporting. While both Pro and Premier served smaller and mid-sized businesses. 

In contrast, QuickBooks Enterprise remains fully supported and is the go-to choice for larger businesses. It can accommodate more users, manage bigger data files, and handle complex inventory and reporting tasks. QuickBooks Accountant is also still available and is specifically designed for accounting professionals managing multiple client files. 

Due to its advanced features and scalability, hosting QuickBooks Enterprise on the cloud generally costs more than hosting the discontinued Pro or Premier editions. However, for growing businesses seeking flexibility, security, and remote access, cloud-hosted Enterprise is often a worthwhile investment. 

2. Number Of Users

Each user accessing QuickBooks on the cloud typically requires a user license that comes at a price. These licenses are often concurrent, allowing a set number of users to access the software simultaneously, ensuring scalability for growing businesses. The cost escalates with the number of user licenses required. For instance, if you have a larger team of accountants and financial professionals who need access, you will incur higher licensing costs.

The number of users often increases as a business grows. Businesses might hire freelancers to accomplish different tasks, especially during peak times like the tax season. As your team or contracts expand, you can adjust the number of licenses accordingly. The flexibility of user licensing is one of the benefits of cloud hosting, but it’s essential to estimate your user requirements to avoid unnecessary expenses.

QuickBooks hosting allows businesses to pay per user. They can easily add or remove any number of users. All they need to do is convey the requirements to the hosting provider, and they’ll take care of the rest. The QuickBooks hosting provider bills businesses according to their requirements, implying that the charges will increase if there’s an increase in the number of users and vice versa.

The number of users directly affects QuickBooks cloud hosting costs, making it essential to monitor and manage your user licenses effectively to optimize your hosting expenses.

3. Resource Allocation

Resource allocation refers to the computing resources assigned to your QuickBooks cloud hosting solution, including CPU, RAM, and storage. The number of resources allocated directly impacts your hosted QuickBooks environment’s performance, speed, and capacity.

Adequate resource allocation ensures that your QuickBooks application runs smoothly and efficiently. If your business has complex accounting needs, uses multiple integrations, or handles large datasets, you may require higher resource allocations, often at a higher price point.

You can assess your needs and budget to balance resource allocation and cost. Over-provisioning resources can lead to unnecessary expenses, while under-provisioning can result in sluggish performance.

Factors such as the number of users, the complexity of your accounting operations, and the volume of data you manage can influence the choice of resource allocation.

Assess your specific needs with your hosting provider to ensure your QuickBooks cloud hosting environment is adequately equipped for optimal performance.

4. Storage Space

In QuickBooks hosting, all the QuickBooks data files, documents, and related information storage is done in the cloud servers of the hosting provider, implying that the volume of data your business generates and stores in QuickBooks significantly impacts your storage needs and associated costs.

Small businesses with limited data may require only a modest amount of storage, while larger enterprises dealing with extensive financial records, transactions, and documents may necessitate substantially more storage space.

Here are the three ways in which the amount of QuickBooks data can affect the pricing of QuickBooks hosting plans:

• Tiered storage plans: Many hosting providers offer tiered storage plans, which allow businesses to choose the amount of storage space they need based on their requirements. For example, a hosting provider might offer a tiered storage plan with the following options: 10 GB of storage for $10 per month, 20 GB of storage for $20 per month, 50 GB of storage for $50 per month, and 100 GB of storage for $100 per month.
• Overage fees: Some hosting providers charge overage fees if a business exceeds its allocated storage space. For example, a hosting provider might charge an overage fee of $0.10 per GB for every GB of storage a business exceeds.
• Scalability: Some hosting providers offer scalable storage options, which allow businesses to increase their storage space as their needs grow. For example, a hosting provider might offer a scalable storage plan that allows businesses to start with 10 GB of storage and then increase their storage space to 20 GB, 50 GB, 100 GB, or more.

As a result, hosting providers typically charge customers based on the data they store. It may be done on a per-gigabyte basis or through tiered pricing plans where customers pay a higher price for each additional storage tier.

5. Backups

Data backups are typically included in QuickBooks hosting pricing. Most hosting providers offer automatic, daily backups of QuickBooks data, which are stored in a secure offsite location. It implies that you do not need to worry about backing up your data, and they can be confident that their data is safe and secure in the event of a disaster.

However, your business needs managed backup for your data with premium backup features, such as the ability to restore data to a specific time or back up data to multiple locations. In that case, you have to take that service additionally.

The base price usually includes Basic data backup services, ensuring your QuickBooks data is regularly backed up. Backup frequency and retention periods may vary based on your plan.

6. Security

Keeping your QuickBooks data secure is essential for any business. When choosing a QuickBooks hosting plan, it’s important to consider the security features offered. Most providers encrypt data, use firewalls, and implement access control measures. Some providers offer additional features like multi-factor authentication (MFA), dedicated IP addresses, and web application firewalls (WAFs).

However, some cloud providers charge extra fees to implement measures to protect Company files and data. However, if you go for a trustworthy hosting provider, they’ll take care of unwanted attacks. They’ll also protect the data from possible harm at all levels without incurring any extra cost.

Furthermore, reliable cloud hosting providers deploy regular security patches to offer best-in-class services to their customers. It reduces operational costs and helps you focus more on your core competencies.

Suppose you want bullet-proof security for your critical data without pricing constraints. In that case, you can opt for managed security solutions that protect with real-time analysis, dashboard-enabled visibility & monitoring, threat intelligence and prediction, and more.

QuickBooks hosting providers include basic security with multiple protocols in their pricing plans, keeping your data secure from cyberattacks.

7. Customer Support

Hosting providers offer varying customer support levels, from basic support to premium support packages. Basic support typically includes email or ticket-based support with standard response times. Premium support may include phone support, 24/7 availability, and faster response times. Premium support options often come at a higher price.

QuickBooks hosting providers provide round-the-clock customer support via various means, such as phone, chat, email, etc. This eliminates businesses’ need to depend on the IT team, giving them an excellent opportunity to save a lot of money and effort in hiring IT staff.

The level of customer support and response times you require can affect pricing. Premium support and faster response times often come at a higher price point but provide peace of mind and quicker issue resolution.

8. Basic-level Customizations

Customization in QuickBooks hosting allows businesses to tailor their hosting environment to specific requirements, enhancing the user experience and operational efficiency. QuickBooks hosting pricing packages include basic customization features, such as creating custom reports and dashboards. However, more advanced customization features, such as modifying the QuickBooks application code or integrate QuickBooks with other applications, may be available as add-ons or at an additional cost.

• Customized User Interfaces: Some businesses prefer a user interface that aligns with their branding or operational workflow. Customizing the appearance and layout of QuickBooks can be done for an extra fee.
• Workflow Automation: Custom scripting or automation of repetitive tasks within QuickBooks can be tailored to your business processes, streamlining operations and saving time. These custom workflows may require a separate investment.
• Integration with Industry-Specific Software: If your business relies on industry-specific software, you may require custom integration with QuickBooks. For example, a law firm might need QuickBooks to integrate with legal billing software. Custom integrations can be added for an extra cost.
• Reporting Customization: Custom reports and dashboards designed to provide insights specific to your business’s financial data can be added to the hosting environment for an additional cost.

9. Data Migration

Data migration is a fundamental aspect of transitioning to QuickBooks cloud hosting. Hosting providers typically include data migration services to ensure a smooth and secure transfer of your existing data to the cloud-based QuickBooks environment. This inclusive approach involves assessment, data mapping, extraction, transformation, testing, user training, and post-migration support.

Data migration is often included in the pricing of QuickBooks hosting plans. The hosting provider will help you move your data from your old QuickBooks installation to your newly hosted QuickBooks environment.

Additional Costs in QuickBooks Hosting Pricing

Extra Hosted Applications

In some cases, businesses may need to host additional applications alongside QuickBooks in their cloud hosting environment. These additional applications may include specialized accounting software, productivity tools, or industry-specific applications.

Hosting providers typically charge an extra fee for each additional application hosted. The cost may vary based on factors like the complexity of the application and the resources it requires.

Adding extra applications to your QuickBooks hosting environment can provide a consolidated platform for all your business needs. However, it’s important to carefully assess the necessity and compatibility of these applications and their impact on the overall cost.

Additional Managed Backups

While primary data backup services are often included in the base pricing of QuickBooks hosting, businesses with specific data protection and retention needs may opt for additional managed backup services.

Some of the premium services typically come at an extra cost and include more frequent backups (hourly or real-time) to reduce data loss risk, longer retention periods for historical data access, especially for businesses with compliance requirements, customized backup schedules aligned with your business’s operational hours and peak usage times.

Licensing Costs

Licensing costs for QuickBooks itself are typically separate from the hosting fees and may be considered an additional cost. Depending on the specific QuickBooks edition you choose (Pro, Premier, or Enterprise), the number of licenses you require, and any necessary upgrades, licensing costs can vary.

When budgeting for QuickBooks cloud hosting, it’s essential to factor in licensing costs. Some hosting providers offer bundled packages that include QuickBooks licenses, while others may require you to obtain licenses separately.

The choice of QuickBooks edition and the number of licenses needed should be based on your business’s financial management requirements and the complexity of your accounting operations. Discuss licensing options and costs with your hosting provider to ensure you have the appropriate licenses to meet your business needs.

Navigating QuickBooks Cloud Hosting Pricing with Ease

When choosing a QuickBooks cloud hosting provider, it is important to consider your specific needs and budget. If you are looking for a provider that offers excellent customer support and SLAs, be prepared to pay more. However, some providers offer good value for money, with basic customization features and decent customer support.

Ace Cloud Hosting delivers a complete QuickBooks hosting solution, designed to make your move to the cloud smooth and stress-free. With automatic daily backups, flexible data migration, and competitive pricing plans, we prioritize both security and customer satisfaction.

Ace Cloud Hosting is an Intuit Authorized Commercial Hosting Provider and QuickBooks Solutions Provider, ensuring genuine licenses and competitive pricing. Our expert team offers 24/7 support, so help is always available when you need it.

FAQ’s 

Why Accountants Are Embracing QuickBooks Cloud Hosting? 

Accountants are embracing QuickBooks cloud hosting for its anytime-anywhere access, real-time collaboration, enhanced data security, automatic updates, and cost-efficiency. It simplifies workflows, boosts productivity, and supports remote work seamlessly. 

Is QuickBooks cloud hosting secure? 

Yes. Reputable hosting providers use encryption, firewalls, multi-factor authentication, and regular backups to protect financial data. 

Can multiple users access QuickBooks in the cloud at the same time? 

Yes. Cloud hosting allows multi-user access with real-time collaboration, improving productivity and accuracy. 

How is QuickBooks cloud hosting different from QuickBooks Online? 

QuickBooks cloud hosting gives remote access to the full-featured desktop version, while QuickBooks Online is a separate web-based product with different features and limitations. 

Can I use my existing QuickBooks license with cloud hosting? 

Yes. Most providers allow you to bring your own license, though they may also offer licensing options as part of the package. 

Is cloud hosting scalable as my business grows? 

Absolutely. You can easily add users, increase storage, or upgrade resources based on your evolving business needs.