guide · August 5, 2026
How to Switch from QuickBooks to AccountingWise
Step-by-step migration guide: export from QuickBooks Online, import into AccountingWise, and verify your books tie out.
How to Switch from QuickBooks to AccountingWise
Switching accounting software sounds daunting. It doesn't have to be. If you're on QuickBooks Online, AccountingWise can rebuild your chart of accounts, contacts, and full journal-entry history from an Excel export, usually in one sitting.
Before you start
Export from QuickBooks Online: chart of accounts, customers, vendors, and transaction detail (journal entries)
Pick your plan: Company Silver or Gold for businesses; firm plans if you're migrating client books
Set a cutover date: typically the start of a month or quarter
Step 1: Export from QuickBooks
In QuickBooks Online:
Go to Reports and export your Chart of Accounts
Export Customer and Vendor lists
Export Journal or Transaction Detail by Account for the period you want to migrate
Save everything as Excel (.xlsx) files.
Step 2: Import into AccountingWise
Open the QuickBooks importer
Drop in your exported files
Review the preview, AccountingWise maps accounts, contacts, and entries
Confirm the import
The importer is duplicate-safe and includes a one-click undo window if something doesn't look right.
Step 3: Connect bank feeds
After history is in place:
Link bank and card accounts through Plaid
Let Smart Assign learn your categorization patterns
Reconcile from your cutover date forward
New transactions post to the same ledger as your imported history.
Step 4: Verify your books tie out
Run these reports and compare to QuickBooks:
Trial Balance: debits equal credits
Balance Sheet: assets = liabilities + equity
P&L: spot-check a few months against QBO
If something's off, use bulk reclassify to fix miscategorized entries in batches.
For firms migrating multiple clients
Repeat the import per client file. Each client gets an isolated ledger under your firm login. Use all-client roll-ups to verify every book ties out before you close the QuickBooks subscriptions.
Common questions
Will I lose history? No, the importer rebuilds journal entries from your QBO export.
Can I run both in parallel? Yes, during cutover. Most firms run one month in parallel to verify.
What about open invoices? Recreate or import open AR/AP as part of your cutover checklist.