What Does Quicken Home and Business Do That QuickBooks Can’t?

Managing finances as a solopreneur, freelancer, or rental property owner often means juggling personal and business expenses. While QuickBooks dominates small business accounting, Quicken Home and Business  fills critical gaps for hybrid users—tracking personal budgets, rental income, and side gigs in one place.

Let’s break down TurboTax Home & Business 2022 and Deluxe 2021/2023 so you can file confidently, save money, and avoid IRS headaches in 2025 too.

This `, QuickBooks’ limitations, and who benefits most from each tool. No upsells—just clarity to fix your financial workflow.

Quick Overview: Quicken Home and Business vs. QuickBooks 2025

FeatureQuicken Home and BusinessQuickBooks
Personal Budgeting✅ Advanced tracking & forecasting❌ Basic or nonexistent
Rental Management✅ Tenant tracking, Schedule E❌ Requires third-party add-ons
Investment Tracking✅ Real-time portfolios❌ Limited to business assets
Tax Reporting✅ Personal + business❌ Business-focused only

5 Financial Struggles Quicken Home and Business Solves (That QuickBooks Doesn’t)

1. “I Need One Tool for Personal and Business Finances”

QuickBooks’ Gap: Designed for businesses, QuickBooks forces users to maintain separate systems for personal budgets, leading to app overload.

How Quicken Home and Business 2025 Helps:

  • Unified Dashboard: Track personal bills, freelance income, and rental expenses in one view.
  • Custom Tags: Label transactions as “Personal,” “Business,” or “Rental” for clean reporting.
  • Case Study: A freelance graphic designer reduced financial admin time by 60% by ditching spreadsheets and QuickBooks’ disjointed setup.

2. “Tracking Rental Properties Is a Nightmare”

QuickBooks’ Gap: Lacks built-in tools for rent collection, tenant records, or Schedule E prep.

(Ad)

Quicken’s 2025 Solutions:

  • Rental Property Manager:
    • Automate rent reminders and deposit tracking.
    • Store lease agreements and maintenance logs.
    • Auto-generate Schedule E reports for tax season.
  • Portfolio Analysis: Compare rental ROI against personal investments.
Click here to read  Is Kindle Unlimited Worth Subscribing To? A Guide to Maximizing Your Reading Experience

Example: A landlord with 3 properties saved 8 hours/month on bookkeeping using Quicken’s rent tracking.

3. “I Want to Monitor Investments Alongside My Business”

QuickBooks’ Gap: Only tracks business assets (e.g., equipment), not personal stocks or retirement accounts.

Quicken’s Edge:

  • Real-Time Investment Sync: Connect to Fidelity, Vanguard, etc., to monitor IRAs, 401(k)s, and crypto.
  • Performance Reports: Compare investment gains against business revenue.
  • Tax-Loss Harvesting Alerts: Get prompts to offset capital gains with losses.

4. “Forecasting Irregular Income Is Stressful”

QuickBooks’ Gap: Focused on stable business cash flow, not gig workers’ variable earnings.

Quicken’s Tools:

  • Income Forecasting: Predict lean months using historical side hustle data.
  • Debt Reduction Planner: Prioritize high-interest debt during high-income months.
  • Scenario Modeling: Test “What if?” situations (e.g., losing a big client).

5. “I’m Overpaying for Features I Don’t Need”

QuickBooks’ Issue: Starts at **33/month∗∗(vs.Quicken’s6.99/month) and upsells payroll, invoicing, and inventory add-ons.

Quicken’s 2025 Value:

  • No Upsells: Includes rental, investment, and business tools in one plan.
  • Offline Access: Use without internet (unlike QuickBooks Online).

Quicken Home and Business

When to Choose QuickBooks Instead

QuickBooks still excels for:

  • Scalable Invoicing: Customizable templates, bulk billing (available on Essentials (61/month)∗∗and∗∗Plus(94/month) plans).
  • Payroll Integration: Automate tax filings and employee payments (add-on cost: $45+/month).
  • Multi-User Access: Up to 25 users on Advanced ($221/month).
Click here to read  And There Are Many Reasons To Try Google Chrome!

Step-by-Step: Migrating from QuickBooks to Quicken Home and Business

  1. Export QuickBooks Data: Save as .QBO files.
  2. Import into Quicken: Go to File > Import > Web Connect.
  3. Categorize Transactions: Use Quicken’s AI-powered suggestions.
  4. Set Up Rental/Investment Accounts: Link property or brokerage accounts.

Comparison

ToolBest For
Quicken Home & BizFreelancers, landlords, investors
QuickBooks Simple StartMicro-businesses, solopreneurs
QuickBooks EssentialsGrowing small businesses
QuickBooks PlusBusinesses with inventory
QuickBooks AdvancedMid-sized companies

FAQs: Quicken Home and Business vs. QuickBooks

Q1: Can Quicken handle payroll?
No—use QuickBooks (33+/month∗∗+∗∗45/month payroll add-on) or Gusto for payroll.

Q2: Does Quicken support multi-user access?
Limited to 2 users vs. QuickBooks’ 25 (on Advanced plan).

Q3: Can I track crypto investments in Quicken?
Yes! Syncs with Coinbase, Binance, and 20+ exchanges.

Q4: Is Quicken’s mobile app reliable?
2025 updates improved sync speed and offline mode.

The Verdict: Who Needs Quicken Home and Business?

Choose Quicken if you:

  • Manage rentals or freelance gigs alongside personal finances.
  • Want integrated investment tracking.
  • Need tax-ready personal + business reports.

QuickBooks remains better for:

  • Businesses with employees or complex invoicing (via Essentials or Plus tiers).
  • Users needing advanced inventory or project accounting.
SmashingApps.com participates in various affiliate marketing programs and especially Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to any of the linked sites from us.