---
title: Migrating from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online for Acctivate users
description: Acctivate can be reconnected to QuickBooks Online after migrating from QuickBooks Desktop
---

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October 29, 2026

# Migrating from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online for Acctivate users

Acctivate integrates with QuickBooks Desktop (Enterprise, Pro, Premiere editions) as well as QuickBooks Online.  If Acctivate has been integrated with your QuickBooks Desktop QuickBooks file and you need to migrate your QuickBooks company file to QuickBooks Online, you will need consider the following:

- A fee for converting your Acctivate database to connect to your QuickBooks Online company file is charged as this migration does take some time and work.
- Migrating your QuickBooks company file to QuickBooks Online is a one-time migration.  You can't go back to QuickBooks desktop.
- You must be using a US edition of QuickBooks Desktop and Online.
- You **MUST** have a clean Acctivate/QuickBooks desktop sync before migrating to QuickBooks Online. Please contact the Acctivate Support team if you need assistance with cleaning up and sync errors.
- You **MUST** use the QuickBooks Online Tool to migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.  Third party services or tools are NOT supported for this process.  
    - [How to migrate your QuickBooks Desktop company file to QuickBooks Online using the online tool](https://youtu.be/Lb0mBFBjcmk?si=jbzz7QeiMqffKip-) (YouTube Video).

- - The option to "**Export all of your company data**" is **required** when using the online tool. This allows Acctivate and QuickBooks Online to maintain accurate customer balances while still allowing invoice details and other list elements to sync with your QuickBooks Online company.
    - It's **strongly recommended** that QuickBooks Desktop Jobs be moved as sub-customers. [When selecting the pre-migration task, use the **Choose how to move your jobs** option to select **Move all jobs as sub-customers**](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-product-orders/move-jobs-quickbooks-desktop-quickbooks-online/L2p7mSa2r_US_en_US)**.**

- Once you migrate to QuickBooks Online, the Acctivate Support Team will need to assist with updating the Acctivate database to accept the syntax on the shared linked records from QuickBooks.
- Please Plan ahead.  Prior to migrating your QuickBooks company file to QuickBooks Online, please notify Acctivate Support beforehand in order to allow our Team to schedule a Support Specialist to handle the necessary database updates.
- Please review the [differences between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online and how they impact Acctivate](https://hub.acctivate.com/articles/differences-between-qbo-and-qbd?hsLang=en).

If you have additional questions, please reach our to your Customer Success Manager or [Acctivate Support](https://acctivate.com/support).

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