Thanks for joining us here in the Community, TH51.

You've come to the right place for assistance and I'm happy to provide some info about the QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop systems.

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based, user-friendly option for remote access and collaboration, while QuickBooks Desktop is a locally installed software with more advanced, industry-specific features and better inventory management. It really comes down to your type of business and what kind of features you need. 

The following link provides a good comparison of the two platforms: Compare QuickBooks Online to Desktop.

The Community is a great place to hear from other QuickBooks users with first-hand experience, so stick around and see what other responses you receive. Let me know if you have any other questions!

I was told that they are very different.

Yes, correct.

@TH51 

I have used both - Desktop for 20 years and Online for 5+ years.  

Are you using Desktop Enterprise in your business?  All other versions of QB Desktop have been discontinued, and Intuit is aggressively transitioning everyone to Online. 

To answer your question, yes, QB Desktop and QB Online feel very different.  However, the terminology is similar between them (bills, invoices, sales receipts, deposits, vendors, etc.).  Personally, I like them both.  Many die-hard Desktop users hate Online.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

It's my opinion that it's easier for a Desktop user to transition to Online than it is for an Online user to transition to Desktop.  Desktop has many more features than Online, so an Online user who has never used Desktop will have a longer learning curve.  However, I think any good company that trains its new hires should be able to train a strong candidate who has experience using Online to be able to use Desktop effectively in short order.