Really appreciate this, and thanks for checking us out! Fair point on the ‘Book a Call’ CTA, we've got a demo environment setup to explore so might be better to switch the accountant CTA over to that.
On Excel’s dominance, we hear that loud and clear. We’re not trying to fight it, but we do think a built-in spreadsheet unlocks some powerful automation and AI-driven workflows that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. And yes, accessing sheets via the API is possible!
On the long-term commitment, good question. We did pivot in the past, but this is the problem we’re committed to solving. SMB accounting is broken, and we’re in it for the long haul.
Thanks for the feedback! Pricing has come up here and that's on us for not making that page more transparent. (1) We're not here to gouge small businesses/startups (2) we're a startup and flexible on pricing.
We'll update that page to be more clear. What are you paying for QBO currently?
Both these comments raise a great point on longevity of the product/support for migrating to other products. Everything can be exported to csv (and in an easily readable format that can be ingested by other accounting software -> QBO, Xero, etc...).
We still support customers from past pivots (albeit on maintenance mode).
It's not about the ability to migrate to other products. If I switch to your product, I need guarantees that you will not screw me over pricing 5 years down the road when you need to increase your revenue figures and that if you go out of business I can still run your software, which I've spent time learning and migrating, on my own.
Appreciate the thoughtful feedback. You're right that accountants play a huge role in software adoption, and we’re spending a lot of time talking to them to understand their workflows.
That said, we think the landscape is shifting. AI and automation are changing how accounting gets done, and the next generation of software won’t be about preserving unintuitive workflows. It’ll be about eliminating unnecessary manual work and giving both businesses and accountants better tools.
QuickBooks has deep roots, but businesses today expect more than just accountant-approved tools. They want real-time insights, automation, and software that works for both them and their accountants.
Thanks! We're focused on small businesses/startups. Out of the box no it doesn't support automatically calculating federal quarterly tax estimates. You could have a live sheet with a formula for this that updates as your income changes though
Ok, thanks. Handling calculation and payment of quarterly federal taxes is a big deal and reason a lot of small businesses use Quick Books Self Employed. Perhaps look into it, I know I would consider switching.
Fair point, Excel is the standard, and we’re not trying to replace it. But an embedded sheet lets us do things that an add-in just can’t, like asking AI a question and having it generate a full sheet with supporting data instantly. The experience won't be the same if you have to open that sheet in excel instead of seeing it embedded in the app.
We think that’s a powerful complement to Excel, not a replacement. And of course, exporting to Excel/Google Sheets is always an option.
Counterpoint: the product vision that is already on display here is going in a great direction, and colocating a spreadsheet with your accounting app is a great idea. I love the idea of being freed from having to use excel for particular aspects of my accounting flow. You've got the export. People that want to keep their painful workflows can be masochistically happy.
This is clearly not an attempt to replace Excel, it's an attempt to accomplish a set of use cases in a better way than clunky export-import flows.
On Excel’s dominance, we hear that loud and clear. We’re not trying to fight it, but we do think a built-in spreadsheet unlocks some powerful automation and AI-driven workflows that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. And yes, accessing sheets via the API is possible!
On the long-term commitment, good question. We did pivot in the past, but this is the problem we’re committed to solving. SMB accounting is broken, and we’re in it for the long haul.