• Solarsys
• June 30, 2025

Can you back up your QuickBooks Online files?

Well, it depends on your plan.

If you intend to use or are using QuickBooks Online Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus plan, you cannot create a backup. Only the Advanced plan (Singapore edition), which Intuit launched a few months ago, allows you to backup and restore your files.

What’s a backup anyway?

Think of a backup like making a photocopy of important documents. It saves a complete copy of all your business data in a safe location in case something goes wrong with the original.

Here are some common reasons people want backups:

• You wish to revert a wrong tax (GST) filing.
• You want to roll back your file to the last closing date.
• You wish to undo this month’s transactions.
• Things may get messy, and you want to start fresh.

“But I’ve been fine without backups for years!”

Yes, you are not wrong to think this way. Here’s the thing: QuickBooks Online runs in the cloud, which means Intuit (the company behind QuickBooks) already has its backup systems running 24/7. They automatically copy your data to multiple locations, or rather, they mirror the server storage to a different site.

Think about it—if everyone’s accounting data disappeared, Intuit would be in huge trouble. They have way more to lose than any of us, so you can bet they are taking this seriously.

So, do you upgrade to QuickBooks Online Advanced?

Maybe.

The price jump to the QuickBooks Online Advanced plan is steep. Consider upgrading if the backup feature is a must-have for you.

What else do you get with QuickBooks Online Advanced?

If you are thinking about upgrading, here is what else comes with the Advanced plan:

• Up to 25 users (instead of 5)
• Unlimited classes and locations (instead of 40)
• Unlimited chart of accounts. (instead of 250)
• Revenue recognition tools.
• Custom user role permissions.
• Fixed assets module.
• Spreadsheet Sync.
• Workflow automation.

The bottom line.

Most small businesses don’t need to upgrade just for backups, but if you’re doing complex transactions or want extra control, it might be worth it.”

What matters most is that you feel confident about your data security—whether that’s trusting the cloud or having your backup copies.