It's no surprise that more than and more than businesses are beginning to use Mac computers in their day-to-day

operations

instead of Windows PCs. About of these businesses too utilize QuickBooks to manage their

accounting

and inventory. Unfortunately, QuickBooks for Mac doesn't take some of the functionality you may need to properly manage your bookkeeping and operations.

What QuickBooks for Mac Can't Practise

Although QuickBooks for Mac looks like it'due south designed to offer much of the same functionality as QuickBooks for Windows, it lacks many critical features.

First, QuickBooks for Mac doesn't offer a sync managing director, web connector, or QuickBooks SDK. This means y'all can't connect with any third-political party applications using QuickBooks for Mac. Many small businesses need this feature in society to automatically sync information with their ecommerce platforms and other sales channels.

Second, QuickBooks for Mac doesn't back up inventory assemblies, a feature supported in QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise on Windows. This is critical functionality for any physical appurtenances business that is assembling products in-house.

As a product-based business, the ability to create assemblies in your QuickBooks accounting system means you can get very granular when tracking inventory and stock, and yous can customize pricing based on assembled items (not just products and instance packs). Information technology's also the merely true way to keep your cost of goods sold completely up to date in QuickBooks without having to do transmission inventory adjustments. This helps drastically with providing accurate fiscal statements every month.

If you lot don't need assemblies, earlier resorting to QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac, you lot should take a closer look at QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Online provides the functionality yous're used to seeing in QuickBooks for Mac, while allowing you to connect to tertiary-political party apps that automate guild management and let multiple users to work seamlessly from any location.

It'due south no surprise that Intuit focuses most of its efforts on QuickBooks Online and not so much on QuickBooks for Mac. If you want to be up to date with all the cool new features, I recommend switching from QuickBooks for Mac sooner rather than later.

How to Run QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac

If you must utilize QuickBooks for Windows, though, and you lot have Macs in your role, don't worry, there are many workarounds you can utilise at your small business organisation to make sure you lot don't miss a beat in your accounting and finances by continuing to use QuickBooks for Windows.

The manner this works is very simple. At that place are multiple tools you can set to essentially run your QuickBooks for Windows software on your Mac figurer.

1. Virtual Machines

Virtual machines allow you lot to run another operating arrangement on your Mac estimator. Think of it similar a figurer within a computer. This allows you to continue to utilise your Mac figurer like you're used to and simultaneously open and run Windows applications.

Below I evidence you what virtual machines volition await like on your Mac. In that location are three different views you lot can give your Windows virtual machine:

Full-Screen View – For a complete Windows experience, run Windows in full screen (Effigy 1) on one display or across multiple displays connected to your Mac.

Full-screen view via virtual machine

Figure i: Full-screen view of QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac via virtual automobile.

Unmarried-Window View – To keep your Windows programs separate from your Mac environment (Effigy 2), run Windows in single-window view.

Single-window view via virtual machine

Effigy 2: Single-window view of QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac (via virtual machine).

Unity View – For a fully integrated feel (Figure 3), run Windows in Unity to run Windows programs without seeing Windows.

Unity view via virtual machine

Figure 3: Unity view of QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac (via virtual auto).

Installation Steps:
  1. Select a virtual auto software program. The about pop are VMware Fusion, Parallels, and Virtualbox.
  2. Buy and install Windows inside your virtual automobile software.
  3. Buy and install QuickBooks for Windows inside your virtual machine software.
Pros:
  • Runs locally on your figurer; no Internet required to access your QuickBooks files.
  • Easily access Mac apps next with QuickBooks and other PC applications.
Cons:
  • Upfront costs:
    • $59–$129 for VMware Fusion
    • $79 for Parallels $79
    • $69–$199 for Windows
    • $399 for QuickBooks Premier for Windows
  • Difficult to use if your company has multiple QuickBooks users since y'all're express to i machine.
  • Not recommended for computers over 5 years quondam. Virtual machines apply a pregnant amount of memory, hard bulldoze space, and CPU.

two. Boot Army camp

Boot Military camp is an app that comes on your Mac. Boot Camp allows y'all to install Windows natively on your difficult drive. After installing information technology, y'all can choose when y'all ability on your estimator if you desire information technology to exist a Windows computer or a Mac calculator.

Installation Steps:
  1. Purchase a copy of Windows. If information technology's a download re-create, put the file on a flash bulldoze or bare disc.
  2. Create a "Fourth dimension Motorcar" backup of your estimator. (Acquire how to practise that on the Apple website.)
  3. On your Mac, launch Boot Army camp Banana. The Boot Camp wizard will sectionalisation and format role of your drive so that yous can install Windows on it.
  4. Connect the flash drive or disc that y'all accept Windows on to your Mac and select it to install on your computer.
  5. After Windows is successfully installed, you tin install QuickBooks for Windows.
Pros:
  • Your computer will run faster than if you lot were running Windows inside a virtual automobile.
  • Internet admission isn't required for mean solar day-to-day QuickBooks apply.
Cons:
  • Upfront costs:
    • $69–$199 for Windows
    • $399 for QuickBooks Premier for Windows
  • Hard to use if your company has multiple QuickBooks users since y'all're limited to one car.
  • You can't utilize your Mac and Windows operations at the aforementioned time. In order to switch from one operating organization to the other, you would have to restart your computer and launch it in either Mac or PC mode.

3. Remote Desktop (Local)

Remote Desktop is exactly what it sounds like. Similar to virtual machines, Remote Desktop allows y'all to access a PC without leaving the comfort of your Mac. If you already have a Windows PC lying around the function, this might exist your cheapest option.

There are two views that show you how you lot can run a remote desktop on your Mac: full-screen view (Effigy 4) and single-window view (Figure 5).

Full-screen view via Remote Desktop

Figure four: Total-screen view of QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac (via Remote Desktop)

Single-window view via Remote Desktop

Figure 5: Single-window view of QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac (via Remote Desktop)

Installation Steps:

This is a summary of the steps you'll demand to accept. For detailed footstep-past-step instructions with screenshots, see official Microsoft Windows documentation.

  1. From the PC, click Commencement, right-click Estimator, so click Properties.
  2. In the left pane, click Remote, then under Remote Desktop, select the option to allow connections (security up to preference). (See screenshots and details on the Windows website.)
  3. Obtain the IP address of the computer you'd like to connect with.
  4. Direct your router (via TCP port 3389) to the IP address you'd similar to connect with.
  5. Obtain your router's IP address so Remote Desktop is able to locate it on the network.
  6. From your Mac, download Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Mac App Store. If your Mac is running OS 10.5.8 and older, use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2.1.one.
  7. Launch Microsoft Remote Desktop and input the credentials obtained on your PC.
Pros:
  • If you lot already own a Windows PC, it's the cheapest solution of the 4.
  • It utilizes very lilliputian memory, hard drive space, and CPU on your Mac.
Cons:
  • Upfront costs (if y'all don't own a PC):
    • $500+ for a Windows PC
    • $399 for QuickBooks Premier for Windows
  • Almost complex and time-intensive setup.
  • Requires network connectivity.

4. Cloud Hosted

If you like the thought of running Windows on your Mac simply don't have a new or fast computer, the cloud hosted solution will be your best bet. This will act but similar the previous solution, but instead of having a PC running somewhere in your role, a cloud hosting company will be powering up the PC and allowing you lot to connect to it. A few providers of such solutions are Correct Networks, HarborCloud, InsynQ, and Cloud9 Real Time.

At that place's no installation required on your part, considering the third-party cloud provider you go with will handle all that's required. Your view will expect very similar to that of a local remote desktop.

Pros:
  • Low up-front end price:
    • Lease QuickBooks instead of paying for license.
    • No need to buy Windows or PC.
  • Low system requirements.
  • Easy setup.
Cons:
  • Requires Internet connection.
  • QuickBooks lease may end upward costing you more than over time if you stay with your third-party host long term.
  • Less control over the automobile on which your QuickBooks file is running.
  • Ongoing monthly fee.

The Bottom Line

Overall, it comes downwardly to what matters most to yous: convenience or upkeep. The solutions that are more convenient and requite you the most flexibility also toll the near (similar virtual machines). These solutions cover the total spectrum, so if you're set on using your QuickBooks for Windows on a Mac, then any one of these four hacks should work out great for your small business.

Have you tried any of these solutions (or other hacks) at your business? We want to hear your thoughts!