# QuickBooks Desktop vs 4D Scale

The clearest difference is device support: 4D Scale at 3 against QuickBooks Desktop's 1. 4D Scale also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

QuickBooks Desktop ships an update every 6 weeks, 4D Scale every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | QuickBooks Desktop | 4D Scale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.9 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quickbooks-desktop/id1518924185/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **119** | — |
| Positive reviews | 4.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 206 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Intuit Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/313441566) | [SELLER HARDWARE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792433678) |

## What reviewers say

### QuickBooks Desktop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quickbooks-desktop/id1518924185)

Streamline expense tracking by capturing receipts and bills directly from your mobile device. Automate entries, attach documents for audit trails, and track business mileage with ease. Designed for existing QuickBooks Desktop users to save time and stay organized.

**Highlights:** Scan receipts and automate expense entries, Upload bills and automate bill entries, Attach documents to transactions, Track business mileage with auto-calculated distance, Organize digital audit trails

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Amazing mobile application
- 🚀 Ease and speed of recording transactions
- 💡 AI and OCR capabilities
- ✅ Automatically codes entries
- 🔗 Links to receipts/invoices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes at logo
- 🐛 Takes hours for receipts to show
- 🐛 Doesn't work with desktop version
- 🐛 Zero help on the road
- 🐛 Broken after working

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes at logo screen
- Receipts take hours to show on desktop
- Doesn't work with desktop version
- Broken after working
- Receipt management doesn't work

**Requested features**

- See sales orders or purchase orders on sign-on
- Ability to see documents (sales orders/purchase orders)
- PDF conversion for scans
- Ability to type expense account description
- Get receipt recognition back


### 4D Scale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4d-scale/id1588785013)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QuickBooks Desktop free?

QuickBooks Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 4D Scale free?

4D Scale is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do QuickBooks Desktop or 4D Scale have ads?

Neither QuickBooks Desktop nor 4D Scale shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, QuickBooks Desktop or 4D Scale?

QuickBooks Desktop ships an update every 6 weeks, and 4D Scale every 2 months. Most recently, QuickBooks Desktop was updated on September 25, 2026 and 4D Scale on September 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*