Knowledgebase: Licence & Activation
[QODBC-Desktop] Understanding QODBC Licensing Terms and Edition Types
Posted by William - QODBC Support on 29 September 2026 05:44 AM

[QODBC-Desktop] Understanding QODBC Licensing Terms and Edition Types

Problem Description:

QODBC offers multiple product editions and licensing options. Choosing the right one depends on your architecture (where QuickBooks and SQL Server are located), usage pattern (single application vs. multi-threaded/remote), and deployment model. This article explains each edition, its use case, and how they work together.

Affected products: QODBC Desktop, QODBC Server, QRemote Client
Expected outcome: You understand which QODBC edition to install where, and whether additional licenses (QRemote, server) are needed for your setup.

QODBC Editions

EditionPriceUse Case
QODBC Desktop (Read-Write) $149/yr (subscription) Single workstation where QODBC connects to a local QuickBooks installation. Designed for direct use from the machine running QuickBooks.
QODBC Desktop (Read-Only / Free) Free Included with QuickBooks Enterprise. Read-only access to QuickBooks data on the local machine.
QODBC Server $499/yr (subscription) Synchronizes QuickBooks data with SQL Server, web/intranet apps, PHP, Terminal Services, or background services. Handles multiple concurrent threads from protected server processes.
QODBC for POS Read-Only $149/yr (subscription) Read-only access to QuickBooks Point of Sale data on the local machine. No evaluation version available - QuickBooks POS support has been discontinued by Intuit.
QODBC for POS Server $499/yr (subscription) QODBC for POS for applications running as a service (MS SQL Server, Python, web applications) with QuickBooks POS.
QRemote Client $75/yr (subscription) Required when QuickBooks is on a different machine than SQL Server or QODBC. The QRemote client resides on the remote/machine and forwards queries to the QODBC instance near QuickBooks.

When Do You Need Each?

All on One Machine (Simplest)

If QuickBooks, SQL Server, and your application all run on the same machine:

  • Install QODBC Desktop (or QODBC Server for multi-threaded/server workloads).
  • No QRemote needed.

QuickBooks and SQL on Different Machines

If QuickBooks is on one machine and SQL Server (or the application querying it) is on another:

  • Install QODBC Desktop (or Server) on the QuickBooks machine.
  • Install a QRemote Client license ($75/yr) on the SQL/application machine.
  • Configure QRemote to forward queries from the remote machine back to QuickBooks.
Important

QODBC Desktop is not a multi-user environment. It cannot handle multiple threads from a protected background server process - that's what the Server Edition is for. Installing Desktop on a SQL server for multi-threaded use will cause failures.

Per-Machine Licensing

QODBC licenses are per-machine. Each machine running QODBC requires its own activated license. Sharing a single CDKey across multiple machines by uninstalling/reinstalling is supported (via deactivation from one machine and activation on another), but simultaneous multi-machine use requires appropriate licenses.

QRemote Trial

A new QODBC Desktop installation includes a 30-day trial of QRemote. After the trial expires, a paid QODBC Desktop (QRemote) subscription is required for remote connections. The free Read-Only edition does not include a QRemote license.

Separate QRemote Server License

A secondary QRemote Server license ($75/yr) is needed when QuickBooks runs on a different machine than the SQL Server + QODBC combination. This applies to:

  • Azure/cloud deployments where QuickBooks is on-premise.
  • Terminal Services environments with distributed components.
  • Any setup where the QuickBooks SDK connection and the SQL/ODBC connection are physically separated.

Identifying Your QODBC License Type

To determine which QODBC edition you are currently licensed for, check the About tab in the QODBC Setup Screen:

  1. Open QODBC Setup. Navigate to Start → All Programs → QODBC Driver for QuickBooks → Configure 32-Bit QODBC Driver → ...
  2. Select System DSN, highlight "QuickBooks Data," and click Configure.
  3. Open the About tab. The licensing information is displayed there:
    • A serial number starting with R = Read-Only license (free, included with QuickBooks Enterprise).
    • A serial number starting with RW = Read-Write license.
    • A serial number starting with S = Server license.
    • A countdown on the evaluation version or "Expired Evaluation" for trial installations.

How to Transfer a QODBC License to a New Machine or Reactivate After Hardware Change QODBC Subscription Renewal - Auto-Renewal and Payment Updates Subscription License Lost After Upgrading to QODBC v24: Downgrade to v23 Required

Keywords:

QODBC Desktop QODBC Server QRemote Client Licensing Subscription CDKey Per-Machine License Server Edition Desktop Edition Read-Only Multi-Threading Remote Connection $75 QRemote License $499 Server License SQL Server Azure Deployment

Support Tickets: AMG-700-31059, CSH-670-69482, EGA-303-89161, FXP-579-54244, MUZ-715-94281, MVC-507-47966, NAH-471-71773, ODV-786-89358, OVS-708-32282, OYI-294-24895, OZL-328-49754, PAB-827-82997, PBN-881-31022, PCC-322-45999, PMG-455-91986, RUL-110-30515, SER-258-45595, SPI-453-95079, SPJ-983-66921, STR-623-66019, STS-553-89342, SZU-369-91252, TJP-466-64617, TNZ-654-77100, TQA-396-74147, TQD-511-50907, UTG-735-91809, UIG-625-91804, UHK-316-64705, UYS-718-19468, UNW-138-38833, UHZ-793-99209, UMN-970-84036, UQN-637-98011, URM-646-59719

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