Short answer: it’s not either/or. QuickBooks is accounting/finance software; Salesforce is CRM (sales, service, marketing). Most small businesses that “scale” use QuickBooks and a CRM; if they pick Salesforce, they usually integrate the two. However, what’s MORE important is to use something. If you’re not using ANY software to run your business, you’re behind. Also note, Salesforce is the market lead in all things ‘sales’ and ‘CRM’. However, Intuit Quickbooks, with it’s tighter integration of Malchimp and awesome blend of agentic AI into QuickBooks is becoming the default operating system for small business success.
If you’re not using any software to manage your cash flow and know
- your profit and loss
- your balance sheet
- what categories of revenue your business have
- your gross profit and net profit.
Knowing your numbers is essential for business success, says Marcus Lemonis, The Fixer.
He’s partnered with Intuit Quickbooks and with Salesforce, which led me to unpack – what’s what.
Which is “best” for a small business?
- If your core need is bookkeeping (invoicing, bills, payroll, inventory costing, tax prep): QuickBooks is the default pick in the U.S. and has aggressively shifted new customers to QuickBooks Online; Intuit stopped selling most new Desktop subscriptions in the U.S. after Sept 30, 2024.
- If your core need is managing pipeline, customer service, and multi-channel growth (teams, territories, SLAs, automation, analytics, AI agents): Salesforce is the CRM category leader by market share.
- Best practice for $100k–$10M revenue companies: use QuickBooks for finance; add Salesforce when you have >3 sales/service staff, longer B2B cycles, field service, or you need repeatable processes and reporting. Connect them via off-the-shelf connectors on Salesforce AppExchange (DBSync, Breadwinner, MuleSoft Composer). (
What types of small businesses fit each?
- QuickBooks-first: trades & contractors, retail/e-commerce, studios/creative shops, distributors/light manufacturing (esp. QuickBooks Enterprise for inventory).
- Salesforce-first (with QuickBooks in the back office): B2B sales teams, agencies, SaaS, financial/professional services, field service (HVAC, installers) using Salesforce Sales/Service + Field Service.
Current market share (what the research says)
- CRM: Salesforce led worldwide CRM with ~20.7% share in 2024 (IDC).
- Small-business accounting (U.S.): multiple trackers estimate QuickBooks as the clear leader; published estimates range from ~62% to ~83% depending on methodology and definition of “SMB accounting.” Treat these as directional, not definitive.
Examples (by “type”)
- QuickBooks examples:
• Manufacturing/wholesale needing lot/serial tracking (QuickBooks Enterprise).
• Film/production supply distributor using Enterprise for complex inventory. - Salesforce examples:
• Field service brands (e.g., window/door providers) using Salesforce Field Service for dispatch, schedules, and ROI at scale.
• Broad SMB customer stories across services, consumer goods, nonprofit, manufacturing, etc.
Recommendation by revenue band ($100k–$10M)
- $100k–$1M: QuickBooks Online (+ Payments/Payroll/Mailchimp). Light CRM is optional; consider adding Salesforce when lead tracking and service volume grow.
- $1M–$5M: QuickBooks Online or Enterprise (if inventory), plus Salesforce Sales/Service for pipeline, quoting, and case management; enable a packaged QuickBooks–Salesforce connector.
- $5M–$10M: Formalize Salesforce (roles, forecasts, SLAs, Field Service if applicable) + QuickBooks (or evaluate mid-market ERPs if complexity/locations explode). Integrate for quote-to-cash and AR visibility.
Related
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