We need a few QBD distributors to help us validate v0.9.0.
SideQuest now supports QuickBooks Desktop on Windows. The code is shipped, the tests are green, and the connector is in the v0.9.0 zip today. There's one thing missing: we haven't run it against a real customer's QuickBooks Desktop install yet. That's why we're opening a small beta.
Why we're doing this in public
The QuickBooks Desktop bridge talks to QBD via the QBSDK over COM. It's written from Intuit's QBSDK 13.0 documentation. Every uncertain block in the source is flagged VERIFY: in plain English. The unit tests pass against a mocked COM layer, but mocks aren't a Windows VM with the sample Rock Castle Construction company file, and a Windows VM with the sample company file isn't your QuickBooks Desktop with your item catalog, your customers, and your part-number conventions.
So instead of pretending we've validated something we haven't, we'd rather work with a handful of real distributors who run QuickBooks Desktop today. You give us your time and your honest reactions, we give you the full connector free for a year while we shake the bugs out of the QBD path.
What "beta" means here
The QuickBooks Online path is production today and has paying customers. The QuickBooks Desktop path is in beta. Same code base, same Claude prompts, same Insights reports. The difference is that the QBO path has thousands of real POs through it; the QBD path has the test suite and the docs. You're not a guinea pig for the whole product; you're a co-validator for the specific QBD bridge.
What you get
Free for 200 POs/month
For 12 months from your signup date. After that you can renew at the standard tier or walk away with everything you learned. No surprise charges.
Direct line to the founder
Bugs go straight to Paul, not a ticketing queue. We're a small operation; we move fast on real customer feedback.
Co-design influence
The QBD features that ship next (Web Connector unattended mode, advanced inventory, multi-user writes) get built in the order our beta testers ask for them.
Public credit, if you want it
We'll name you in the v0.10 changelog and case-studies page when QBD ships GA. If you'd rather stay anonymous, that's fine too.
What we ask in return
- You run QuickBooks Desktop on Windows (Pro, Premier, or Enterprise, version 2023 or newer) for your business today.
- You install SideQuest against your real company file. Sample data is useful for unit tests; we need real catalogs and real customer part numbers to find real bugs.
- When the bridge breaks, you let us know what broke. A screenshot of the error in Claude Desktop plus a copy of the bridge log window is enough. We do not need polished bug reports.
- An optional 15-minute call once a month for the first three months so we can ask follow-ups. Not required, but appreciated.
- You're OK with us iterating fast on the QBD code. Bug-fix releases may ship weekly during beta.
That's it. We're not asking for testimonials, recordings, marketing rights, or your time outside of those terms.
How it works in practice
Once you're in, the install path is the same as our QBO customers: download the connector zip, run install.bat, and the installer's Step 5b sets up the bridge service. You open QuickBooks Desktop with your company file, double-click start-bridge.bat, click "Yes, always allow" on the one-time Integrated Application trust dialog, and you're live. Ask Claude "list 5 items from my QuickBooks" and you should see 5 real items from your QBD.
If something breaks, the bridge log window stays open on your desktop and the error shows up in your Claude conversation. Forward both to us, we'll have a fix back to you the same week. That's the whole loop.
Apply for the beta
Fill in the form below and we'll get back to you within one business day. We're capping the initial cohort small (think handful, not dozens) so we can give every tester proper attention.
FAQ
What if I'm already a paying SideQuest customer on QuickBooks Online?
Email [email protected] and we'll talk. The beta is aimed at QBD users specifically; if you're on QBO today and want to add a QBD entity, the answer is probably yes and we can work out the details directly.
Do I have to commit to staying after the 12 months?
No. After 12 months you can convert to a normal paid tier or walk away. If you walk, you keep everything you've already done (your cross-reference rules, your past drafts in QuickBooks). We don't hold your data hostage.
What about more than 200 POs per month during the beta?
Soft cap, not a hard one. If you cross 200 a couple of months in a row we'll send you a friendly note suggesting an upgrade conversation, but we will not shut you off mid-month. The goal is to make this easy for you, not to play meter games while we're still validating the code.
How long is "beta" expected to last?
Honest answer: until we have enough real-world usage to feel confident promoting it to GA. Our internal target is two to four months. The 12-month free window is intentionally longer than that, so even if we promote out of beta in month three you still get nine months of free 200 POs/month as a thank-you.
Why is this targeted at QuickBooks Desktop and not QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online support has been in production for months and has paying customers. The QBD bridge is the new code that hasn't run against a real customer's company file yet. The beta is specifically to validate that one path; the QBO path doesn't need a beta program because it already works.
What if the bridge breaks something in my QuickBooks Desktop?
The bridge only sends QBXML through Intuit's official QBSDK, the same API Intuit's own tools use. It can't damage your company file by writing through that path. The integrated-application trust dialog (the one that pops when you first run the bridge) is QuickBooks' own permission system; you control what we can do. Worst case, you click "No" on the trust dialog and the bridge can't talk to QBD at all. If anything looks wrong, close start-bridge.bat and we're disconnected.