QuickBooks is great — at the books.
QuickBooks is strong, widely-used accounting software.
Its built-in inventory is basic, and it doesn't run a real sales-order or purchasing workflow with approvals and 3-way matching — so trading teams bolt on a stock-and-orders app and run two systems. Cobalt runs the operation in one place and exports clean, VAT-ready data for accountant handoff, so QuickBooks stays your accounting.
Best fit in one line.
Choose Cobalt ERP if…
You want real sales orders, purchasing, 3-way match and live stock in one operational system — and to keep QuickBooks (or your accountant) for the books.
Choose QuickBooks alone if…
Your needs are mostly bookkeeping with light stock, and you don't run a real sales-order or purchasing workflow.
How they compare.
Cobalt runs operations; QuickBooks runs accounting. They work together.
| What you need | QuickBooks + inventory app | Cobalt ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory accounting & filing | Yes — QuickBooks' core strength | No — operational finance + handoff |
| Sales orders & approvals | Basic; real workflow needs an add-on | Built in |
| Purchasing & 3-way match | Basic; needs a separate app | Built in |
| Live stock & multi-location | Basic in QuickBooks; deeper via add-on | Built in |
| Customer portal & WhatsApp ordering | Not in QuickBooks; varies by add-on | Portal built in; WhatsApp ordering |
| Number of systems to run | Two (QuickBooks + inventory app) | One operational system |
| VAT-ready invoices | Yes (in QuickBooks) | Yes (operational, exports to QuickBooks) |
| Pricing | QuickBooks subscription + the add-on app | Flat monthly for the operational system |
When Cobalt is the better call.
Quotes, sales orders, approvals, purchasing and 3-way match — beyond QuickBooks' basic stock.
Live, order-linked stock across locations, not a light add-on to an accounting tool.
Hand QuickBooks (or your accountant) tidy, VAT-ready exports and keep the accounting you trust.
Pricing and implementation, plainly.
Cost and effort matter as much as features for a small team.
Cobalt is flat monthly pricing with no per-seat surprises, and most teams are live in under a week with no consultants needed — see the pricing page for current plans. With QuickBooks you pay the QuickBooks subscription plus a stock-and-orders app for real operational features. Cobalt is one flat monthly price for the operational system, with QuickBooks kept for the books. For a like-for-like cost comparison of the operational tooling, the pricing page breaks it down for a team of 15.
Frequently asked questions.
Is Cobalt ERP a replacement for QuickBooks?
No — they're complementary. QuickBooks is accounting; Cobalt is operational ERP for sales, purchasing and stock. Most customers keep QuickBooks for the books and use Cobalt to run the operation, handing clean data back.
Isn't QuickBooks inventory enough?
QuickBooks has basic stock, but not a real sales-order or purchasing workflow with approvals and 3-way matching. Trading businesses usually add a stock-and-orders app — two systems to sync. Cobalt does it in one.
Does Cobalt export to QuickBooks?
Cobalt produces VAT-ready invoices and clean CSV exports structured to import into QuickBooks (and Xero or Sage). This is clean handoff by design — structured export rather than a direct live API integration.
Can my accountant keep using QuickBooks?
Yes. Cobalt is built for accountant handoff — your accountant keeps the statutory accounts in QuickBooks while you run trading in Cobalt.
Is Cobalt cheaper than QuickBooks plus an inventory app?
Cobalt is one flat monthly price for the operational system; with QuickBooks you pay the subscription plus a separate inventory app. The pricing page shows the operational-tooling comparison.
Related pages.
Keep QuickBooks. Run the operation in Cobalt.
One operational system for orders, purchasing and stock — with clean, VAT-ready handoff to QuickBooks. Sign up and try it.
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