QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2024: Features, Requirements and Who It's For

QuickBooks Desktop for Mac is the only native macOS version of QuickBooks Desktop. It is built for the Mac rather than ported, which is why it feels like a Mac app: native menus, Spotlight-style search, iCloud document sharing and a Retina interface. It is also the edition Mac users ask us about most, usually with the same question: is it still the right choice in 2026?

What Mac Plus 2024 includes

• Invoicing, estimates and sales receipts with customizable templates
• Bills, expenses and vendor management
• Bank and credit card feeds with automatic matching
• Basic inventory tracking with reorder points
• Sales tax tracking and reporting
• Time tracking and job costing at a basic level
• 100+ reports, exportable to Numbers or Excel
• Multi-user with up to 3 simultaneous users
• iCloud sharing of the company file between your Macs
• Batch transactions and reminders
• Free automatic upgrades for the subscription term

What it does not include

• Payroll is not built in; you connect to QuickBooks Online Payroll or a third-party service
• No industry editions
• No inventory assemblies, advanced inventory or sales orders
• No direct file compatibility with Windows editions; a round-trip conversion exists for your accountant

Mac Plus vs QuickBooks Online

Many Mac users assume Online is the obvious choice. It often is, but not always.

	Mac Plus 2024	QuickBooks Online
Runs	Natively on macOS, offline	Any browser
Billing	Annual subscription	Monthly
Speed on big files	Fast, local	Depends on connection
Payroll	External	Built-in add-on
Accountant access	Send file or convert	Instant login
Mobile app	View-only companion	Full app
Data location	Your Mac	Intuit’s cloud

Choose Mac Plus if you want a fast, local app and you do not need remote access for others. Choose Online if your accountant needs to log in or you work from several devices.

System requirements

• macOS 13 Ventura or later
• Intel or Apple silicon, Apple silicon supported natively
• 4 GB RAM, 8 GB recommended
• 250 MB free disk plus your company file
• Internet connection for activation, updates and bank feeds

Full details in our system requirements guide.

Important: availability in 2026

Intuit stopped selling Mac Plus to new US customers at the end of September 2024, together with Pro Plus and Premier Plus. Existing subscribers renew as normal. If you are a new buyer, ask any seller exactly how the subscription is provided and registered before you pay. For a new Mac-based business, QuickBooks Online is Intuit’s intended path, and Enterprise can run on a Mac through hosting or a Windows virtual machine.

Moving to or from Mac Plus

• From Windows Desktop to Mac: convert the file inside QuickBooks Desktop for Windows (File › Utilities › Copy Company File for QuickBooks Mac).
• From Mac to Windows: File › Export › To QuickBooks for Windows, then open on Windows.
• From Mac to Online: built-in export, keeps lists and balances, check transaction detail afterward.

Is it right for you?

Mac Plus suits a small business or sole owner who works on one or two Macs, prefers desktop software, does not run in-house payroll, and has simple inventory. If any of those change, Online or Enterprise is the better long-term home.

Have a Mac and not sure? Send us your macOS version and how many people need access, and we will tell you which edition fits. See the Mac edition in our shop.