QuickBooks Premier: What It Includes and Who Should Use It
QuickBooks Premier sits in the middle of the QuickBooks Desktop line. It has everything in Pro, supports more people, and adds tools built for specific kinds of business, such as contractors, retailers and manufacturers. If you have been searching for “QuickBooks Premier”, this guide explains what it includes, how it differs from Pro and Enterprise, and who it actually suits.
QuickBooks Premier (sold today as Premier Plus) supports up to 5 users and adds industry-specific editions and reports, plus features such as sales orders and bills of materials that Pro does not have. It fits small teams in contracting, retail, manufacturing, nonprofit and professional services. Teams larger than 5 or with very big lists should look at Enterprise.
What QuickBooks Premier Is
Premier is the step between Pro and Enterprise. It covers the same everyday work as Pro: invoicing, bills, bank reconciliation, payroll links and standard financial reports. The difference is that Premier is made for businesses with industry-specific needs, and it lets more people work in the file at the same time. The current name for the product is Premier Plus.
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Users | Up to 5 |
| List size | About 15,000 customers, vendors and items per list |
| Industry editions | General business, contractor, manufacturing and wholesale, nonprofit, professional services and retail |
| Extra features over Pro | Industry reports, sales orders, bills of materials |
| Platform | Windows |
Premier vs Pro vs Enterprise
| Pro Plus | Premier Plus | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users | Up to 3 | Up to 5 | Up to 40 |
| List size | About 15,000 per list | About 15,000 per list | Up to 1,000,000 |
| Industry reports | No | Yes | Yes, plus advanced tools |
| Best for | Solo owners, small teams | Small teams with industry needs | Growing companies, complex inventory |
Our full guide to Pro Plus, Premier Plus and Enterprise goes into more detail on each edition.
What Premier Adds Over Pro
Industry Editions
This is the main reason people choose Premier. Instead of one general version, you pick the edition that matches your work. Contractors get job costing and estimates reporting. Retailers get inventory-focused reports. Manufacturers and wholesalers get tools for tracking what goes into what they sell. Nonprofits and professional services firms get reports shaped around how they operate.
More Users
Pro Plus supports 3 people working in the file at once. Premier Plus supports 5. For a small office with a bookkeeper, an owner and a few staff, that extra room matters.
Sales Orders and Bills of Materials
Premier adds sales orders, so you can record customer orders before they are filled, and bills of materials, so you can track the parts that go into a finished product. If you make or assemble what you sell, those two features alone can justify the step up.
Need QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus? 1-user, 3-user and 5-user versions with instant email delivery.
Is Premier Still Available?
This is where people get confused. Intuit stopped selling new Premier Plus subscriptions to new customers in the US, which is why headlines say Desktop is “going away”. Existing subscribers can keep renewing, and the software itself still works. Intuit does end its connected services (support, payroll, bank feeds) on a schedule tied to the version year, but your company file and the core program keep running. Third-party price lists put a one-user Premier Plus subscription at around $1,400 a year, which is why many owners prefer a one-time license they own. Our guide on what the discontinuation really means has the exact dates.
Who Should Choose Premier
- You have 4 or 5 people who need access to the books.
- You are a contractor, retailer, manufacturer, nonprofit or professional-services business and want reports built for your industry.
- You build or assemble products and need bills of materials or sales orders.
- You want more than Pro without paying for Enterprise.
Who Should Choose Something Else
If you are on your own or have one or two helpers and your books are simple, Pro Plus is enough. If you have more than 5 users, very large lists, or inventory in several locations, move up to Enterprise. Our QuickBooks Enterprise guide explains when that jump makes sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many users can use QuickBooks Premier?
Up to 5 users can work in the company file at the same time. The number you can use depends on the license you buy, such as 1, 3 or 5 users.
What is the difference between Premier and Premier Plus?
Premier Plus is the name of the product as Intuit sells it today. The tools and limits are the same family: up to 5 users, industry editions and industry reports.
Is QuickBooks Premier good for a contractor?
Yes. The Contractor edition adds job costing, estimates and reports built around jobs, which is one of the most popular reasons to choose Premier.
Can I upgrade from Premier to Enterprise later?
Yes. QuickBooks can convert a company file to Enterprise and your data comes with you. Moving back down to a smaller edition is not supported, so make a backup first.
QuickBooks Premier is the right pick when you have up to 5 users and want industry reports, sales orders or bills of materials. Pro covers simple books for less, and Enterprise is for bigger teams and bigger lists. Match the edition to your team and your industry, and you will not pay for features you never open.
KeysDays is an independent reseller of software licenses and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed, or sponsored by Intuit Inc. Feature details are summarized from Intuit’s published information and independent reviews and may change. Check Intuit’s site for the latest.