Latest Quicken Membership Subscription Information

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Quicken has changed their pricing structure and the various Quicken editions. The price is more expensive than people have paid in the past and payment is based on a yearly subscription. Basically, you now pay a yearly fee for the rights to use the Quicken program.

In case you are looking for an alternative to Quicken, I will first mention the two top Quicken replacements.

After that, I’ll explain the newest Quicken editions, then I’ll talk more about the pricing changes.

Alternatives to Quicken

Understandably, some people are frustrated with Quicken’s change in pricing. For people who don’t normally upgrade Quicken every year, the new pricing can be quite a bit more expensive. Before you take the leap into a Quicken subscription, you may consider trying out one of these two alternatives.

The first alternative is completely free and the other has a free 30-day trial.

1. Empower

My first recommendation is Empower. This program is completely free and is an outstanding product. If you are looking for a program that will show you your complete financial picture in one place, Empower is it. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and lets you keep track of all your accounts in one place. For anyone with investments, it has especially good investment tools that are better than those that come with Quicken. Try Empower for free.

Empower - Excellent Quicken Alternative

Note: Personal Capital is now Empower. Empower Personal Wealth, LLC (“EPW”) compensates TopFinancialTools.com for new leads. TopFinancialTools.com is not an investment client of Personal Capital Advisors Corporation or Empower Advisory Group, LLC.

2. Moneyspire

My second recommendation is Moneyspire. This program is very similar to Quicken, it supports both Windows and Mac, and comes with a free 30-day trial. You can even import your Quicken data into Moneyspire so you don’t lose any history. This is the best desktop personal financial management program next to Quicken and a great alternative if you are looking for a change. Try Moneyspire free for 30 days.

Moneyspire: Another Quicken Alternative

Newest Quicken Editions

Three versions editions of Quicken 2021 for Mac

There are now three editions for Mac users and four editions for Windows users.

Mac users can rejoice because Quicken Starter, Deluxe, and Premier work on both Windows and Mac. Formerly, there was only one limited version of Quicken for Mac, but now Mac users get the same versions of Quicken that are available to Windows users, along with all the great features that have been missing from previous Mac editions.



Four versions editions of Quicken for Windows

The former Quicken Rental Property Manager and Quicken Home and Business editions have been combined into the new Quicken Home & Business. This new edition includes all the features of the former Quicken Rental Property Manager and the former Quicken Home & Business. At this time, Quicken Home & Business works only on Windows computers.



The Windows and Mac versions are nearly identical, with very minor differences. Premier editions and above come with Quicken Bill Pay included for free, a $119/year value. Premier and above also come with free priority customer support.

Compare Quicken versions

New Quicken Price Structure (Membership Subscription)

Quicken is now a membership subscription. Under this new pricing system, Quicken users pay for a 12 or 24 month membership subscription to the software instead of paying for an annual upgrade. Let me explain why I think this new pricing model is a good thing.

First of all, in previous years, many Quicken features would stop working at a pre-determined date, regardless of when a user purchased and installed the software. Under the new subscription model, a user gets a full 12 or 24 months of full Quicken functionality beginning when the user installs and activates the software. This new subscription system is more fair to users because you now get the full term of Quicken usage that you pay for, regardless of when you purchase or install your Quicken software.

A second advantage of the new subscription system is instant access to new features. Under this new system, as soon as Quicken releases an upgrade, enhancement, or new feature, all users get it right away. Under the old system, you had to wait until a new version was released in the fall before getting access to new features. Now, new features will be added and installed continuously, giving you the latest and greatest version of Quicken no matter what time of year you purchase it.

Quicken 2023 bill center

Quicken Premier and Quicken Home & Business users receive Quicken Bill Pay included for free (a $9.95/month value). This Bill Pay feature is also available to Starter and Deluxe users for $9.95/month. This is a $119/year value that’s included free with Premier and above. This alone makes Premier worth the price. You can pay any business or individual in the U.S., making is super easy to pay all your bills on time from one place.

Lastly, Quicken is the best personal financial management product available. I want to see it get better and continue improving. The only way that can happen is if Quicken receives enough revenue to pay for more developers and to show a profit. This change to a membership subscription model will help Quicken receive a more consistent revenue stream to keep the company profitable and working on improving our favorite money management program.

This all comes at a cost of only $2-$4 per month (check out current prices). If you don’t think Quicken is worth this price, I would suggest you try one of the Quicken alternatives listed at the beginning of this article.

Now for some big questions people are asking:

Is Quicken now an online program?

No, Quicken is still a desktop program that you install on your computer. The new subscription membership only changes the way you pay for Quicken, but the program itself is still the same (with updates and new features). Your Quicken data is still saved on your own computer, not in the Cloud. Quicken does come with free Dropbox space, but you do not have to backup your Quicken data to Dropbox unless you choose to do so.

What happens if your subscription expires or you don’t renew? Do you lose access to Quicken?

No, you don’t lose access to Quicken. You’ll still be able to use Quicken to view all your data, enter transactions manually, and view/print reports. Online-based features will be turned off, meaning you won’t be able to download transactions directly from your bank or use Bill Pay, but you will still be able to enter transactions manually and access all your data. If you decide to renew your subscription, all the online-based features will be turned back on. (Note that this does not apply to the Quicken Starter edition. If you are using Quicken Starter, all your data will become read-only when your subscription expires.)

If I install Quicken on more than one computer, do I have to purchase more than one subscription?

With the latest Quicken, you are allowed to install Quicken on an unlimited number of computers. You can even install it on a PC and on a Mac. You only need to buy one subscription. The subscription is linked to your Quicken ID. As long as you are using the same Quicken ID on each device, you can use Quicken on as many devices as you would like.

Where should you go to get a membership subscription to Quicken?

The best option for purchasing a subscription to Quicken is to buy directly through Quicken.com.

Check our comparison chart for the current best prices on Quicken.


New features for Quicken

Quicken New Features for Windows

  • Automatic bill tracking with 11,000+ billers supported
  • More custom report layout options and export to Excel
  • Move and archive investments (Deluxe and up)
  • Better investment performance analysis (Premier and up)
  • Free Quicken Bill Pay included with Premier and up
  • New custom invoices with your logo, color, payment links to Paypal and web links to Yelp (Home & Business only)
  • Email rent reminders, receipts, and business invoices directly from Quicken (Home & Business only)

Quicken New Features for Mac

  • Three versions for Mac: Starter, Deluxe, and Premier
  • Support for 11,000+ online billers for automatic bill tracking
  • Customizable investment portfolio views (Deluxe and up)
  • Investment tracking by lot (Deluxe and up)
  • Loan analysis with variable payment scenarios (Deluxe and up)
  • Free Quicken Bill Pay included (Premier only)

Check Latest Prices for Quicken

260 thoughts on “Latest Quicken Membership Subscription Information

  • I have been a quicken user since the middle of the 1990’s and have upgraded every 5 -6 years. When quicken 2013 stopped downloading stock quotes I “downgraded” to Quicken 2019. I did not realize that it was a subscription service but that is not the problem with Quicken 2019. The real problem is the extremely slow startup time (2-9 minutes), the fact that reminders do not work, the constant updates, the checking auto fill does not update from prior entries from Quicken 2013. I have been on the phone for hours with “customer support” numerous times and NOTHING has been fixed. I am suspicious that they are copying my files during the abnormally long start up time. Thankfully, I saved my files from Quicken 2013 and am going to revert back to that program. Quicken 2019 is the buggiest program I have ever encountered and is not ready for prime time. Their customer support is non-existent and not worth the effort to even dial the phone to call them,

  • HI Nate,

    How does a husband and wife sharing the same computer who have different bank accounts use Quicken?

  • I have subscribed to the 24-month Quicken 2019 membership program, and I still have about one year left. Is it possible to transfer this remaining membership time to Quicken 2020? Or do I need to wait until the Quicken 2019 subscription comes to an end, and then purchase the current Quicken of that time?

  • So basically, instead of paying $60 for Quicken Deluxe for 3 years, (or less with discounts); It’s now $150+ over those same 3 years. The upgrades are minor, in my view over three years. I find this pricing model nothing but beneficial to Quicken

  • I pay my bills via my bank. I download the info to the bank using Quicken. Will I still be charged a monthly fee or can I just buy the 2020 Quicken w/o monthly fees.

  • One thing I do not see mentioned in the article is the fact that once your subscription ends, yea your data is yours and you can continue updating in manually, but you will have a LARGE yellow “MEMBERSHIP EXPIRED” banner across the top of your screen. Not only that, you will have another LARGER “Your Quicken Membership has expired.” banner down the right side of your screen. I would guess that these two banners take up about 30-40% of your Quicken view. It is extremely annoying. Yea it is my data, and in the past I paid every three years for the latest version, but I could use that version for as long as I wanted and didn’t have to deal with HUGE advertising across my screen. Additionally, in the past at some point I would no longer have update access. But at least it was my choice and I could continue using the program with out Quicken shoving the PAY US banners taking up a lot of my screen. I have been using Quicken since 2001 and am highly disappointed in how this new owner of the program has screwed us with no choice. Before you tell me I could change, that is not the point and the other programs come and go. No one has stuck around for long, which means all my data and historical info is gone. I think this is more of a situation they know us long term users are stuck and have to pay and they are taking advantage of that.

  • Hi!
    I’ve been using Quicken forever and from I can see I’m still using a very old version of it… Quicken 2000, version 9.0 (Canadian edition). Will I be able to save my data to use with Quicken 2018?

  • Can you choose to keep your data file of the 2019 version on your computer only, without having to back it up to the cloud? Thanks!!

  • I upgraded to Quicken 2018 Premier on 12/1/18 for $47.80 with a $30 discount. $50 per year seemed high, but I was willing to pay it. My subscription auto-renewed today at the full $74.99. This is ridiculous. There were no emails with a discount for renewing early. This is another case of new customers getting a deal while loyal customers (21 years) are getting screwed. Not much I can do now. I have shut off auto-renew and plan to transition to something else before 12/1/19.

  • I am currently using Quicken 2017. If I decide to buy into the subscription service is my only option from then on to pay Quicken’s annual subscription fee or could I go to Amazon or some other retailer and purchase the then current Quicken software package and thus renew the subscription service by installing the new software package? In other words if I were now to purchase Quicken Premier 2019 with a 1 year subscription and install it, one year from now could I just go and purchase Quicken Premier 2020 from Amazon (assuming their price is lower than directly from Quicken) and thereby renew/extend my subscription?

  • Hi Nate, Thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge and advice about Quicken.

    I’d like to use Parallels or another virtual software solution to run Quicken 2018 for Windows on my MacBook Pro. In particular, I’m thinking about using the Premier or Home & Business version of Quicken.

    I could use your help with the following questions:

    1) What is the minimum computer specs for running Quicken 2018 Windows?
    2) What version of Windows 10 do you recommend I purchase if my only interest is in running Quicken and maybe a couple of other Windows products?
    3) Can Quicken 2018 run on Mac OS 10.12 Sierra (not High Sierra)?
    4) Are there any known incompatibility issues running Quicken 2018 (Premier or Home & Business) with virtualization software?
    5) Does Quicken offer the option to export customer data to CVS file format or are they still holding customer’s data hostage in their proprietary format?
    6) Can I import budgeted income and expense categories from an old (pre-2011) version of Quicken into Quicken 2018?

    Thanks for your help.
    John

    • John,

      Windows 10 Home edition should meet all your needs. Quicken 2018 will run on Mac OS 10.12, so you can certainly try running it natively on your Mac before you try running the Windows version with Parallels. When you purchase a Quicken subscription, you get access to both the Mac and Windows versions, so you can try it without any additional cost. If you still want to try running the Windows version on Parallels, that should work just fine. I know of quite a few people who do this and I am not aware of any incompatibility issues.

      As far as exporting your data, Quicken has always allowed you to export your data to the QIF format, which is now widely recognized by other personal finance software.

      For importing your budgeted income and expense categories from a prior version of Quicken, it should work, but you will may need to take an additional intermediate step of installing and converting your file with Quicken 2013 first, which you can download here. This only applies if your Quicken file is from Quicken 2009 or earlier. If it is from 2010 or later, it should convert directly to Quicken 2018.

  • Nate. Thank you for the detailed review. I current run Quicken 2015 Windows on a MAC using parallels. I see that you are allowed to install the new 2018 on multiple computers, so I assume I can install the new version under Parallels / Windows and another instance on my native MAC. Would such an installation use a single data file, and where would it be stored, on the window partition or on the native MAC. Could I switch between both? Would the data file stay updated even if I work on the MAC version one day and the window version another day. My reluctance to go exclusively to the MAC version is that I use the savings goals extensively. Does the MAC version simply roll up the saving goals into the Master account. A lot of questions but thanks for any insight you can give me.

    • You can install both the Mac and the Windows versions, but they won’t use the same data file and will not stay in sync. There is a conversion process when you go from Windows to Mac or vice versa and it is not recommended to do this regularly. The conversion is meant more as a one-time event, not a daily occurrence. So it really is not practical to use both versions on the same data or to track the same accounts.

  • Interesting and informative site. I currently am using both the 2017 and 2018 versions of Quicken Mac. I used Quicken Windows for many years and was totally satisfied with it. I did run the Windows version using Parallels for several years once I switched to a Mac. That got old for me so I purchased Quicken Essentials when it came out. That did not have true investment tracking and I upgraded to Quicken Mac in 2015. I find that the 2017 version is adequate for my needs. The 2018 version, although it has some new features, is buggier than the 2017 version. I personally do not use any of the new features that Quicken has so far added to the 2018 version. That is just me and I don’t see any need for them.

    The one feature I do miss from the Windows version is the Savings Goal feature. I have had to create a workaround for this which, while ineloquent, works fine in 2017. For some reason, probably related to the new Bills and Income Feature, does not always work in the 2018 version.

    I have tried several of the alternatives to Quicken, but the big downside to this is the fact that you cannot export your investment data from Quicken Mac. If you want to use any alternative, you have to start from scratch. I had to do this when I upgraded to the Mac. The problem with this is that my Financial Institution only downloads the latest 90 days of transactions. I was going to try MoneySpire, but that is an exercise in futility unless I don’t want to track my investments. I am sure this is a quick fix for Quicken, but they do not seem to be in any hurry to fix this.

    As for Parity. I do not see that happening for some time. They have to keep improving and adding features to the Windows version to justify the new pricing model. At the same time they have to add these improvements and features to the Mac product while trying to add the missing features to the Mac version. That would mean more programmers for the Mac than Windows version. Windows users by far make up the biggest segment of Quicken, so that is hard to justify. Granted you now get both for the same price and Quicken now has its users trapped into the renewal cycle so there is no necessary incentive to speed up the parity process.

  • “I want to see it get better and continue improving. The only way that can happen is if Quicken receives enough revenue to pay for more developers and to show a profit.”

    You’re missing an extremely important point. Prior to this change, Quicken’s revenue was to some degree dependent on their developing the product. People upgraded voluntarily only if the new offered product was a worthwhile improvement. (Ignoring the periodic forced upgrades due to disabling features.) No more. Revenue is now decoupled. They will invest in development only to the extent that competitive pressures force them to. There is no need for them to spend a dime in support of the subscription customers.

    • Only time will tell, but I have seen Quicken putting forth much more effort than in prior years to work on improving the product, especially on the Mac side. Once the Windows and Mac products reach parity, Quicken will have to continue improving or risk losing customers to other solutions, such as Personal Capital, Moneyspire, or other tools that are becoming available. If Quicken doesn’t remain competitive, there are other products coming out that will take over the personal financial management space.

  • UPDATE I received the micro deposits in about 3 banking days and was successfully able to create the new Quicken Bill pay account. I was not asked to mail any confidential info anywhere. And the good news is that all my payee info was intact. So whomever wrote that on the Quicken form was incorrect. I did however spend an hour on the phone with a customer service rep in order to get it all set up. Seems like every time there is a Quicken upgrade I go through this pain….

  • Yes, $59.98 for a 2-yr subscription to the Mac/Windows Deluxe version is what I was offered, maybe because I have purchased Quicken in the past. The offer says that’s 40% off the normal fee.

  • I have been running Quicken 2015 for windows which expires the end of April. So I just converted to the new subscription service taking advantage of deal Quicken offered cutting the price to $59 for 2 years. The process of downloading the new Quicken and removing 2015 went smoothly and I tried sending a couple of payments which went fine. But then I saw a checklist, one of which requires upgrading to the new Quicken Billpay. I started to do that and then realized that it appears I will have to recreate all my payees (i have lots). Also I found comments in their forum that Metavante is not very helpful and there seem to be a lot of problems with this upgrade. One common thread is that you are told that they will make two small deposits to your bank account which you have to validate. But people are still waiting for a long time and then find out they have to physically mail copies of utility bills and other personal info to Metavante in order to complete the validation.

    Does anyone have any experience with this? A lot of people wrote that although they have been using Quicken billpay for a LONG time (as have I) that they are now going to use their bank’s free billpay service. If I have to recreate all my payees I might consider the same.

    What are people’s thoughts?

  • I clicked on buy now and Quicken offered a two year subscription for 40% off at $59.99. That comes out to $2.50 per month.

  • First off, Nate, I thank you for your selfless efforts in sharing all this information, and I applaud you for your patience as you seem to answer the same questions over and over without losing your cool! Kudos!

    I just looked at your price comparison page. It only shows the Amazon price for each version of Q2018, and it currently shows the full retail price. This is no bargain! Right now, Quicken is offering H&B for only $59.99 –
    way less than Amazon’s price of $159. The way you described the comparison page, I expected to see prices from Quicken and various online sites such as Amazon, Office Depot, Costco, etc. I’m a little confused.

    Aha – I just scrolled down the page, and here I find the comparisons I was looking for – the prices still seem very high. I know prices fluctuate, but is the page out of date? As I said, Quicken has H&B for $59.99 for one year, as does Costco, in it’s warehouse. As someone who never pays full price for ANYTHING, none of your posted prices look good to me. Just sayin’…

    Keep up the good work.

    • The prices on the comparison chart are updated regularly. One big note when comparing prices: The Quicken.com price is for one year, while the Amazon prices are for 27 months. That’s why the chart also shows an average price/month, so you can compare the prices across the board.

  • Nate,
    Thanks for the great explanations. Question: If I have Quicken installed on two computers, how is the data synced between the two? And what happens if you download bank data while on one device……would that data still download to another device? Seems like a reasonable work around would be to have the data files cloud-stored, with the caveat that only one device could access the file at a time. Any insight would be appreciated!

    • Quicken does not sync between two computers, but some people do store their Quicken file in a cloud-based service like Dropbox and use the same data file on two computers. Quicken does not recommend this because there is a chance the data file can become corrupted, especially if it gets opened at the same time on the two different computers. But I have successfully done this for several years and just been careful never to open it at the same time on two different devices.

      As far as downloading data from the bank, it will typically download to a second device just fine.

  • Thank you Nate for your gift of clarifying so many many things for the average person.

    I run 2007 Quicken for MAC [16.2.4], and am still happy with it in many areas. I use banking, credit accounts, and download from almost all of my bank/credit institutions. I do not use investments, loans, or other features, and I am willing to leave my Attachments behind if necessasary. My issue is having my data file become too old to migrate UP to 2018. Also, I happen to own Quicken 2016 Deluxe [Platform: Windows PC]. My goal is to use 2018 [MAC] Premier at this time.

    DOUBLE MIGRATION QUESTION
    Q1: Is it possible to migrate my 2007 [MAC] file up to a 2016 [Windows] version (which I own)?
    Q2: If you believe that my first question is possible, would I then be able to migrate up the newly migrated 2016 [Windows] data file into a 2018 [MAC] Premier data file?

    Thanks for all your readers submissions, many of their questions have been very helpful! 🙂

    • Daniel,
      It’s tricky converting between the Windows and Mac versions. It usually works, but I would not recommend converting to Windows then back to Mac. Instead, why not just go straight to Mac 2018? The 2018 version does support converting directly from Quicken 2007 for Mac.

  • Sorry Nate, I didn’t look at the comparison chart before commenting but found the $79.99 at OfficeDepot.com. Honestly I do not know the “normal price”, but Quicken’s 12 months for $49.99(4$.17/mo) would be a start.

    But seeing $79.99($3.33/mo) at several retailers, and even the data from the comparison chart makes the language in the article a little misleading. “27-month subscription for the price of 24 months. So you essentially get an extra 3 months on your subscription for free.”

    On a straight up $/month comparison they are the same. At least in most peoples world $3.33 = $3.33.

    You could make the case for the “free Amazon exclusives” as free extra backup storage and access to Premium support, but those are less important to most people.

    • At the time this article was written, Quicken Deluxe was selling for $89.99 at OfficeDepot.com. It is $79.99 now because it happens to be on sale at this time. As I mentioned, the prices change frequently, and Amazon will often have Deluxe on sale for as low as $59.99. Just keep an eye on the comparison chart and go with the best current deal.

  • I looked at the Amazon deal and it looks like 27 months for the price of 27 months. Am I seeing that wrong?
    Normal price 24 months @ $79.99 = $3.33/month
    Amazon price 27 months @ $89.99 = $3.33/month

    • Amazon and other retailers’ prices fluctuate based on sales, promotions, and their whims. The list price for a 2-year membership for Quicken Deluxe is $89.99, which is what Amazon is charging for a 27 month subscription. Not sure where you got the normal price of $79.99, but that would be a sale price of $10 off the list price. That’s why I created the price comparison chart, so you can see what the prices are right now and go with the best deal.

  • Nate,
    Great info on your site!!
    I use Quicken 2016 for Windows on my Mac through the Parellels software due to no Mac quicken.
    If I purchase the new Quicken for Mac will it transfer my info so i can due away with the Parallels program on my Mac?
    Thanks for your help, again great info on your site!!
    Roy Spinetta

    • Yes, your information will transfer to Quicken for Mac. The main thing that doesn’t transfer is if you are storing attachments with your transactions. Those don’t transfer over yet. When you buy Quicken 2018, you get access to both the Windows and Mac version, so I would suggest you install the Mac version and try it out. If you decide you’d rather keep using the Windows version, you don’t have to buy it again. You get both versions for one price.

  • Thank You Nate,
    That did the trick. The report also pointed out many other issues I needed to deal with. Since I had used Quicken since 1992 there were some old (many) transactions connected to accounts that were closed or deleted. That didn’t effect current balances but sure gave me plenty of junk to clean up.
    Thanks again for you help. I will likely update to 2019 when it comes out as I am used to upgrading every two years anyway and the price thru Amazon is very reasonable.
    Jim

  • I just came across your YouTube video, then clicked over to this site. Wow! Thanks so much for putting this all out there.

    I’ve been a Quicken/Quickbooks user since the 90’s, I think. Only upgrade every once in a while. Looks like I might have to again, because now I want to be able to download my banking & credit card account transactions directly to my books. Couple ?s:

    Would I be able to buy a 2017 copy from somewhere right now so I could get it before the mandatory subscription service kicks in? If so, where do you suggest I go to get the cheapest copy I can find?

    I currently have Quicken 2011 Home & Business R 1 (20.1.1.24). Which you could get a Rental Property add-on for, but I never did. Now I want to be able to upgrade to 2017 (2018 only if I have to) so I can do the downloads.

    How would I move my data over? The new ones don’t convert anything that old & I don’t want to lose the biz data by converting to an interim Quicken product that doesn’t have that capability. There’s only 2 things I could think of on how to do it:

    1) By hand, where I download the newer Quicken separately so I could open either one & have them both open & go back & forth and copy each transaction & paste it into the register for the matching account. This would be a long, slow process, but I could do it. (Would that even work?)

    2) I could export all my data to .csv files & save them in Excel, then turn around and import the .csv from Excel to the new version. Although I don’t know how much other stuff wouldn’t export & would have to be set up manually in the new version.

    Also, I would like to use the new app for the Android so I can enter transactions, and especially mileage, on the go. Does it only connect to 2018, or would it work for 2017, too?

    Any answers or thoughts on all this?

    • I would suggest checking ebay for a 2017 version. They are hard to find though.

      When you upgrade to 2017 or 2018 it will import your old data and convert it as part of the installation process. Since your data is from Quicken 2011, it should convert without problems. Most of the problems come when people are running versions earlier than 2010.

      The Android app works with both 2017 and 2018.

  • I’ve used Quicken since 1996. I’m currently on Quicken 2016 Deluxe. I’ve never used online banking or downloading statements and transactions. Always done everything manually except for my Fidelity IRA. Recently I closed that account on my Quicken because it was to hard and very annoying to keep balanced and up to date. I made a investment asset account and now just update the balance manually. My question is a simple one. How long can I keep using Quicken 2016? Will it stop working after 2020?
    I understand the need as a business to stay profitable but I am not really keen on getting trapped into a yearly payment subscription if I do everything manually. I have no need for online banking. I love the software it’s the best. I’ve never had any problems with crashes or corrupt files and I think I owe it all to the fact that I’ve stayed away from online banking.

    • Quicken 2016 will continue working fully until April 2019. After that it won’t do the downloads anymore. Since you’re only entering transactions manually, this won’t affect you and you can keep using it as long as you want. The problem you might run into after several years if you let it get too far out of date is your data file might not convert to the new version. But as long as its working for you now, I wouldn’t bother with upgrading.

  • Wow, this was really helpful. Thanks. I am from the generation that paid bills with a check – by mail. I still spend a half hour each month manually paying all my bills through the banks bill pay system; I do not feel that this impinges on my lifestyle at all. I started out with MS Money decades ago, but quickly switched over to Quicken. I am currently using Quicken 2010. I do not use the Quicken on-line bill pay. All I want Quicken to do is track my money the way I want to track it. I thought that this would be the year that I’d upgrade my Quicken. I went on Amazon and saw “Memberships” and wasn’t interested in that, so I went to Quicken. First of all, without reading the fine print, it doesn’t seem as if there’s an instant download with either them or Amazon. But on the Qucken site it was pretty clear that I would be purchasing a year of Quicken. What’s up with that?! I very QUICKENLY cancelled my order. Decided I’m just going to limp along on my own personal 2010 version that I don’t have to pay RENT for the rest of my life on. Your information really cleared up the what’s up with that question. Obviously they weren’t making enough money and I’m all good with capitalism. I just chose not to participate in theirs.

    • Glad this helped you out. One option you might consider is to buy a one-year subscription to Quicken, then don’t renew it for a few years. You’ll still be able to enter all your transactions manually as you currently do, but you’ll be using the latest version of Quicken with the latest updates and features. The problem with continuing to use such an old version as you are using right now is eventually you won’t be able to upgrade Quicken at all without losing all your data. As your Quicken version gets older, the format it’s using is more and more out of date and has less of a chance of properly converting to the latest format.

  • Nate,
    I really appreciate your expertize. You have clairified most everything I needed to know regarding the 2018 changes. I have used Quicken since the late 80’s and would prefer to stay there. I currently run 2017 Deluxe. I have no problem with them making a profit, in fact I want them to. My concern is that for the past 4 or 5 monthsI have experienced almost daily crashes and since my last update to R15 I can’t get quotes for several stocks that I own. All the historic data is there, I just get a blank for quote and so the market value is zero, as if I sold it all. I tried a fresh install on another computer but as soon as updates ran the same stocks were dropped. At this point I’m just not sure I want to upgrade to 2018 and commit to the annual costs.

    • James,
      I would suggest using the Validate and Repair tool on you data file if you haven’t done that yet. Sometimes the files can get corrupted and cause numerous problems and running this tool can often solve the problem. Just open Quicken and go to File -> File Operations -> Validate and Repair. I hope this helps! Sometimes Quicken can be frustrating because it is such a complex program that has to work with thousands of different data sources.

  • Based on information in your comments, I updated to a subscription account today for Q Home, Business, & Rental Property.
    I downloaded and installed the program directly from Quicken. So far so good. I like some of the new flexible features.
    Why, however, would they not give me the most recent Release when I downloaded? I now discover that I must download the patch (from R2 to R4.10). I realize fixes come in frequently but I would have expected the most recent when I purchased today.

  • I’m considering moving from Quicken 2016 to the 2018 subscription model. I use Quicken two ways – my home accounts and my office accounts. Do you know if I can use one 2018 subscription and use two different Quicken files?

  • Hi –

    I’ve been using Quicken since the days of MacinTax. Been frustrated for YEARS !!! Stood by it nonetheless, (bad money after bad?) Was stuck with Q2007 for Mac for years while it went down the tubes over and over again, because I use bill pay (then through CheckFree®). Finally, came Q2015 and Q2016 (for Mac) and more bugs and breakdowns and rebuilds….
    Q2016 seemed like it might have a chance, then they split with Intuit. Q2016 was stumbling, so I bought Q2017 (for Mac) and I did not put it into service because I was trying to get done with my taxes that year and they finally fixed whatever was giving me headaches at the time.

    So I PAID for Q2017, NEVER used it and they come out with 2018 and it is a subscription to boot…

    What is 2018 gonna give me that 2017 won’t? I feel Quicken should credit my purchase of Q2017 towards the price on 2018.

    If Q2017 is supported til 2020, why would I jump in on Q2018?

      • Thank you for a thoughtful reply and for hosting this board.

        If I may follow up, can you help me understand what I might get from 2018 that 2017 doesn’t have?

        I actually still on 2016 because I fear making the jump until I am caught up on my books and this year’s taxes. I will likely finish taxes on 20167 then up to 2017.

        What’s 2018 got that I don’t have now (or will have with 2017?)

        Thanks again –

        – Walter

        • There are actually quite a few new additions in the 2018 version. Take a look at this chart and expand the new features section to see them all. One of the best new features is you can now export reports directly to Excel format instead of just CSV format. There is also more customization and the whole program seems snappier and more responsive. If you get Premier or above, you also get Bill Pay and premium support included. Having said all that, if you are happy with your current version I would recommend just keeping it until the support period is over.

          • Which raises a question – I have Bill Pay. Like I mentioned two questions ago, it used to be through the bank and CheckFree®. Now it is through Quicken I guess (was through Intuit before Quicken went to Quicken (the company) ?)
            I wonder how I am receiving that feature now – I mean paying for it… asking to the average rep at my bank is often me telling them things they don’t know…I do seem to recall some bill pay fee included in the latest revamp of their checking account services….

          • Just got off the phone with my bank. The bill pay I use (Quicken & my bank) is included as one of my account features. I’m not talking about the Bank’s Bill Pay (Bank’s website version) but the bill pay that I do through Quicken. That’s why I was so confused. I wonder is it some hybrid or do they pay Quicken on my behalf through some agreement or something…

  • Nate —

    I am currently using Q15 Mac. While there are quite a few bugs and poorly designed features, but I am OK with their expense tracking SW. However, I do find their Investment tools and calculators lacking and just simply inaccurate.

    I’ve been looking for alternative SW solutions. It seems like Personal Capital is a top recommended choice, by you and a few other professionals. However, as an engineer, I am very concerned about web security these days, particularly in the light of recent security compromises with Home Depot, Yahoo, Equifax and so on. While some banks do provide read-only access accounts, most dont ( as an example, Capital One does). I am not comfortable with having all my account information including full access user / password being stored in cloud in one depository.

    Hence my follow-up question :
    Is Personal Capital a full web-based solution or does it provide flexibility to limit storing some account and user / passwords locally on desktop rather than cloud?

  • I use the Mac version … the one feature that I really want and miss from the Windows version was the retirement planner, which let you make assumptions about the future and see how your assets will grow over time. Does this still exist in the Windows version, and is it available in the Mac subscription version?

      • Nate, do you have an opinion on why the important features of Quicken Windows have to be added to the Mac version at a decrepit snail’s pace? Obviously, Quicken employee programmers. Obviously, they have access to the Mac Windows code. Why in the world do they not simply add all the Windows features to the Mac version?! Why do they perpetually promise more features in the future for the Mac version while leaving it pitifully inferior to the Windows version year after year after bloody year? This question boggles my mind because Quicken has everything to gain and nothing to lose by making the two versions equal.

        • Nate, thanks for your response – I’m still a little confused … Quicken says that if you subscribe to the 2018 Mac version you also get access to all of the advanced Windows features. I take it from your message that the retirement planner is not available in the Mac version, and so I feel like this statement is pretty misleading.

          But I am wondering: if I went through the trouble to stand up a Windows environment could I use the Windows and the Mac versions with a single set of data?

          Thanks for your help.

          • When you subscribe to Quicken 2018, you get both the Mac and Windows version. But I would recommend choosing one or the other rather than trying to use both. The Mac version is almost on par with the Windows version, but does have a couple of things still missing, such as the retirement planner, tax planner, and some of the reports. But it is the best Mac version so far in my opinion.

        • I know the Mac version is a completely separate code base, which requires a different team to maintain it. Quicken has been adding programmers to the Mac team with the goal of bringing the Mac version to the point where it matches the Windows version completely. This takes time as it is a massive program with a lot of features. Since Quicken became a separate company from Intuit in 2016 they have been working hard to make this happen. I feel your pain on this and am looking forward to more additions and improvements to the Mac version.

  • Hi Nate,
    I am not a Quicken user. I used QBooks in the past. I am wanting to start using a financial software again. The Home, Business and Rental Properties looks to be a good fit for me. Do I need to purchase a hard copy first and then a subscription or just the subscription 2018 version?
    Thanks
    Steven

    • Just the subscription. You will still download the program and install it on your computer (or if you prefer you can order a CD and install it using that). When you subscribe, you will set up a Quicken ID, which you can then use to activate and log in to the Quicken program.

  • I have been using Quicken 2013. I recently purchased 2017 but am unable to convert the file. I have googled and found no solution. Am I screwed?

  • Nate
    Thanks for all the great Quicken info. Maybe you could help me with an upgrade question. I am currently using Quicken 2016 Home and Business on Windows 7 pro laptop. We closed our consulting business in 2017 and going forward do not need the business features, nor rental property. I am assuming we can switch to Deluxe or Premier when we do upgrade to 2018 or 2019.
    However, I do not want to lose access to the business data stored in QHB 2016 as I may need it for tax or other legal reasons. I understand?? that if I upgrade to Deluxe or Premier I will lose access to the business specific data in 2016 QHB in the new version. for instances, invoices, customer data etc.
    So, can I upgrade to 2018/2019 Deluxe/Premier, import what will come over and still use 2016 for access to the old business data?
    Thanks for anything you can share regarding this.
    Monte

    • Monte,

      If you downgrade to Deluxe or Premier, all your data will transfer over. You won’t lose any data, it will just be converted to regular Quicken accounts instead of invoices and such. But the data will still be there. You won’t have access to any of the business reports though, so I would make sure to pull all the reports you think you might need before you downgrade. Also, make sure to keep a backup copy of your file before you downgrade so if there are any problems with the conversion, you’ll still have a copy of the original. If you really need to, you can always uninstall whatever version of Quicken you are currently using at some future date and install Quicken H&B 2016, then open your original file and get what you need. Then uninstall it and reinstall the current version again.

  • Does the 2018 version allow for investments in commodities? if not are there any plans for future versions to allow investments in commodities?

    Will the new version allow the notes for a transaction to be printed out in any of the reports.

    • No, Quicken still does not track commodities. You can enter these manually by creating a new security in Quicken. You’ll also have to update the price manually.

      Yes, you can print the notes for your transactions in the reports. Pretty much any report that show transactions will be able to print the “Memo” field from the transaction.

  • Nate, can you set the MAC check register to have the “classic” look (example from 2014 Windows version check register green and white split line) and will it work with OS High Sierra? I really only use the check register feature of my 2014 version, with that said would I have the check register in the Mac Starter or do I need to move up to Deluxe to get the same / similar check register?

    • You can’t change the appearance of the Mac check register, but yes, Quicken 2018 for Mac does work with High Sierra. If you get Quicken Starter, you won’t be able to import transactions from your old version of Quicken, so if you want to keep your current data, you’ll need to get Deluxe instead.

    • No, you cannot change the fonts in Quicken for Mac. The only adjustments you can make to the register appearance are to change the columns and there are four choices to change the row height (Comfortable, Cozy, Compact, and Tiny).

  • Nevermind! Found the answer to my question in the FAQs:

    “When does my Quicken membership activate–date of purchase or registration?
    If you purchase directly from Quicken, your subscription is activated on your date of purchase. If you purchase from a retail store, your subscription is activated when you install Quicken and enter the activation code that came with your purchase. You can confirm your activation date by logging into your account on Quicken.com.”

    https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-subscription-membership-faqs

    Thanks anyway!

  • Hi Nate, you’ve created a fantastic resource here (both your original post and your thorough answers to the questions and comments).

    My question is this: you say “a user gets a full 12 or 24 months of full Quicken functionality beginning when the user installs and activates the software.” ARE YOU SURE? I couldn’t find anything official about that, and another forum says the opposite. It’s important because I am buying now (on an Amazon sale with TurboTax combined), but I won’t be installing until next spring. So, if it’s not true, I’ll wait to buy when I need it. I just want to make sure before I lay down $150 (for the Home, Business and Rentals version).

    Thanks for confirming one way or the other (and linking the answer to a source, if possible)!

    Jim

    • When you buy from a retailer, Quicken has no way of knowing that you bought it until you install and activate it using the supplied activation code. If you are waiting a really long time, the activation code might expire or something, but there shouldn’t be a problem if you don’t wait too long. I would not be concerned about buying it now then installing in a few months.

  • Not many folks use Quicken Windows Saving Goal Accounts, but i do. Besides the unfamiliar register interface in Quicken Mac, the absence of the Saving Goal Accounts is the main thing that’s kept me using Quicken Windows on my Macs (via PITA virtual machines).
    For 2018, I cannot find any info on this feature. Do you know if Saving Goal Accounts have finally been included in Quicken for Masc?

      • The problem with that workaround is with reconciling the checking account. There’s never an actual withdrawal in the account to match the transfer in Quicken, so Quicken demands to do an opening balance adjustment each month. When one transfers the goal account back to the checking account it requires a reverse “opening balance adjustment.” So it’s possible, but it’s messy and not elegant.

        • That’s a good point. The only way around that is to not mark those transfers as “cleared” when you reconcile. Then your balance will be accurate without Quicken entering a balance adjustment, but you’ll have a list of uncleared transactions every time you reconcile. Then when you’re ready to transfer the money back into the original account from the savings goal account, just delete the original transfer instead of entering a new transaction.

  • I’ve been using Quicken forever, and am currently using Q2015 Premier. Some of your earlier posts have confused me a bit as to what the difference is between Deluxe and Premier regarding what can and can’t be done with ‘investments’.
    Would Deluxe still download my Fidelity transactions? Some of the previous posts made it sound as if it would, so I’m not sure why I’ve been choosing Premium. I don’t need to do any more than know the current value of the various funds.

    By the way, you are doing an excellent job of making a hard choice easier and more palatable.

    • Yes, Deluxe will download your Fidelity transactions, but doesn’t have the additional investment tools that let you see performance over time or compare your performance against the market. But it will download your transactions and updated stock quotes.

  • With the new subscription model for Quicken will I be able to use two different Quicken files with one subscription? I do work for a non-profit and track their finances on my computer using Quicken. Of course, I use the same Quicken version for my own Quicken file.

  • We have two older WINXP computers that I am trying to retire. I have one Windows 10 computer. t I would like to move my “Quicken 2009 Deluxe” files onto the newer Win10 computer. Can I move the files onto Quicken 3013 on WinXP computer and then move them to Quicken 2018 on my newer Win10 computer?

  • Nate, This is a great explanation and discussion. I am not sure I agree on the value proposition however as I only upgrade every couple of years or so. I am now on 2015 and will be forced to upgrade this year anyway. But this means that my total cost of ownership just doubled or tripled (based on my past upgrade pattern). I have been a loyal client for many,many years and most likely I will upgrade. Just wanted to point out that not everyone upgrades every year and that skews the cost comparison.

    Now to a question or two
    1) right now I see my projected balances by looking at the calendar. It seems like this functionality has changed. Is that correct?
    2) I like to look at my list of scheduled payments to see what is coming up. From prior discussions here it seems like that is not possible or at least quite different. Your thoughts? perhaps the fact that future scheduled transactions show in the register will be an acceptable replacement. I would have to work with that for a while.
    3) Can you still “skip” on instance of a recurring transaction easily?

    • Rich,
      Are you on Windows or Mac? For Windows, the scheduled payments remain basically the same as what you have now, just with a slightly nicer looking interface. You can still see everything in one list and you can still skip an instance if you need to.

      You can still see projected balances on the calendar and also on a dedicated “Projected Balances” graph on the “Bills & Income” tab, which allows you to customize it a bit more and see different time ranges.

  • I’ve used Quicken 2005 for Mac just for writing checks and keeping track of 2 bank accounts and generating reports for categories of spending and payees. Would these 12 years of information be transferred if I bought a 2018 version? Should I just try to load that 2005 version onto my new IMac? The 2005 version meets my needs.

    • The 2005 version is long past the support period, so it won’t be receiving updates anymore. If it meets your needs, you should be fine keeping it, but the problem you’ll eventually run into is it won’t work on newer versions of MacOS. Quicken 2018 will not convert the Quicken 2005 for Mac data now either. It is just too old of a format and no longer supported. I would recommend you upgrade to Quicken 2018 and begin a new data file with a fresh start.

  • Got an email pestering me to upgrade and when i looked at it carefully noticed the /yr behind the price and did some investigating and found your page. Wonderful explanation. You answered all my questions.
    I’m using 2016 so I have time before I jump into the subscription deal. I understand their point on R & D costs but think with Quicken’s popularity it would have been doing better than you said it was or is. Don’t like the idea of subscriptions either especially if they end and leave you high and dry.
    Again, thanks for the information.
    Great Job!!

  • Thank you, Nate. Your explanations are quite helpful. I am a 25+ year Quicken user (home, business and investments) and while I certainly don’t relish paying more annually, I appreciate what a great tool it is. So glad they are still in business and hope they are able to rebuild a reliable reputation.

  • Back in May you said you did not want to see Quicken go to a subscription model, but now you say it is a good thing. What changed your mind? I’ve been using Quicken for a long time and my latest version is the 2015 Premier. I’m not sure I like the idea of paying $75 a year for a new version. Since I’m coming up on three years, will the ability to download current account values be discontinued on my current version? I’ve only really used my program to keep track of account values. I’ve got a lot of investment accounts between a brokerage account, DRIPs, and mutual funds. I’m taking a long look at Moneyspire and thinking that might be my best option. Thoughts?

    • I was hoping Quicken wouldn’t go to a subscription model, but now that it’s happened I think they’ve handled it well. There is a lot of extra value in the new subscription, such as the ability to use both Windows and Mac versions, you can run Quicken on an unlimited number of devices, and Premier and up come with Bill Pay and Premium support included. I know this is a necessary thing for Quicken to survive as a company, which to me is very important since I want to keep using their product. The price comes out to just about $2-$4 per month, so I think that’s still worth it for the value I get from Quicken.

      If you are still using 2015 Premier, your download functionality will end in April 2018. At that time, if you want to keep full functionality in Quicken, you will need to purchase a subscription.

      I am recommending Personal Capital for people who have a lot of investment accounts. It has very good investment tools and it’s completely free, so it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. You can sign up here.

  • Hi Nate, I’ve been running QMac16 and QWin17 via Parallels concurrently for the last 3 years. I have found the two versions to be entirely different! The Windows version has FAR more capability, in particular in its ability to provide investment related reports and the ability to print them. I have not upgraded the Mac version because it seems to lack these features. I am hearing that the two versions are now similar?? I would love to upgrade to QMac2018 if this is true and I guess the only way I can find out is to try it. So if I upgrade my Mac version can I still use my QWin17 running on the Mac? I am still skeptical about the Mac version.

    • I’ll be doing a review video of the Mac version in the next week or so. But you are right, the Windows version is still more capable, but the Mac versions are quickly coming up to speed. That is the main effort for the Quicken development team. The nice thing about the new subscription model is you get access to both the Windows and Mac versions with your subscription, so you can try both and use the one you like best.

  • Hi Nate – I came across this article via Google search and will now be bookmarking your site for future reference. Thanks for all the info!

    I have a question about online invoicing/payments. I have used Quicken Rental Property Manager for several years to manage our 20 rental units. When I saw that Quicken 2018 was going to offer online invoicing/payment, I was excited to see a new and useful feature. ( I was also somewhat dismayed, as I JUST got half of my tenants to sign up for online rent payment via Cozy – go figure.) At any rate, I was hoping that Quicken would be like QuickBooks invoicing/payments where ACH receipts are free. But in looking into it further, is it true that payments are only facilitated via PayPal link? As PayPal takes a 3% cut, regardless of payment method (credit/debit card or ACH), it is not a cost-effective option for monthly rent collection of ~20,000.

    I have been looking for an ACH rent collection option that doesn’t (1) collect a large monthly fee, (2) take a significant % of the transaction off the top, (3) require my tenants to sign a bunch of forms, or (4) hold the cash for a week before depositing. I know that’s wishful thinking, but Dwolla (and others?) used to offer a simple, fast, extremely low-cost transfer service. I guess that’s why they were bought out…

    Even if the transfer takes a few days, it would be convenient to have the ACH integrated with Quicken (similar to QB). But if PayPal is the only option, then maybe I’ll hold off on the 2018 “upgrade” for another year or so. Any insight on this?

    • The only online payment option with invoicing is currently the Paypal link you can include on the invoice, as you surmised. The biggest nice feature with rental properties in Quicken 2018 is you can email rent receipts from within Quicken, but this does not include any tie-in with a payment system. Sorry I can’t offer a better option.

  • I’ve been using quicken since it came on 5 1/4 floppies and am one of the users that only upgrades about every three years. Extremely disappointed by the switch to a subscription model but not surprised. (who wants revenue from a customer every three years when you can get it annually)

    I am a quicken home and business user and wonder if you can recommend any alternatives for that market segment. I am an un-incorporated contractor who mainly gets 1099’s … The distinction between home and business purchases is fluid and doesn’t boil down to separate accounts but what the item/service is used for and how it is tagged. I also use it for billing and tracking receivables. – I know, I drive my accountant nuts. So a “quickbooks” style accounting system is overkill and your recommendations seem to be strictly in the “personal” space.

    Lastly, I’m disappointed in Amazon… they obviously cut a deal with quicken to remove 2017 editions of the software in exchange for being able to offer their discounted price. I just purchased Home and Business 2017 from [link removed] for $31 … Hopefully I have until 2020 to find an alternative

    • I wish I could recommend something for Home & Business users that is on par with Quicken, but it really is by far the best. I know some people have gotten by with Moneyspire by setting up custom categories to track business expenses, but it doesn’t have the invoicing features of Quicken.

      If you are willing to go the QuickBooks route, there is now a web-based version of QuickBooks for self-employed people that is reasonably priced, but much more than Quicken. It will allow you to track business and personal expenses. You can check it out here and get a free 30 day trial.

  • I’m sorry, but there’s no way this is better than before. In the past, we paid roughly the same amount and got 3 years of service. Maybe if you’re upgrading every year htis makes since, but for the other 90% of users, they just upgrade when Quicken forces them too. I know this, because the reason there’s a 3 year limit on financial downloads is because people weren’t upgrade 15 years ago. Why would you? Quicken’s new features are normally not needed and their support is possibly the worst support I’ve ever endured. What’s more they’ve been notorious for not fixing bugs release after release (and that goes back over 20 years).

    Being the best when you’re essentially the only game in town is faint praise indeed. Was planning an upgrade after 2016 expires, but now I’ll either enter them myself or use a free service, but I’m not paying 25/year for Quicken. Cut that in half and I’ll jump back in.

  • Thank you. This was a great thought out article which helped me (a 25 year Quicken user) understand Quicken’s new model. I was thinking of upgrading and noticed the word subscription. I googled and here is where I found out great info. I was enlightened that I can continue using my current version of Quicken until it is no longer supported. I was like others and usually only upgraded when it was necessary, not realizing there was a 3 year period of support. When I do purchase, I will try and remember to use your link to help support people as yourself, who are sharing their knowledge with others by writing free articles.

  • More and more software vendors are moving to subscription-based products. Having recently worked for a marketing company in the subscription sphere, I say with confidence that the driver behind this is to ensure both consistent revenue and future revenue. Sure, having a better product will often result, but do not be fooled. The primary driver is better and more predictable income flow.

    I only use the most basic functions in Quicken, so I have gotten away with upgrading every 3 to 4 years. Only once in 20+ years of use was I forced to upgrade because something stopped working. I guess time will tell if a multiyear subscription is more affordable than buying an upgrade every once in a while. I do not deny this is likely a better solution for those that need to upgrade every year, but I believe it will cost me more in the long run – a disappointing change that has started me down the path of looking for an alternative product.

  • I’ve been using Quicken for years – upgrading every 3 years. I don’t see great improvements so why upgrade every year?? I never use the download option – I input every transaction to keep my financial awareness up. Also I pay bills from my bank for free. The improvement I’ve always wanted to see was in reports flexibility and budgeting. I haven’t found budget useful and use reports for my year-end needs; useful but not great.

    • If you always enter your transactions manually and don’t use any other online features (such as downloading stock quotes, bill pay, credit score), then you can keep using your current version of Quicken as long as you like. It will keep working forever. However, if you want to get the newest features and updates, you would need a subscription. As long as you buy Deluxe or higher, you can buy a one or two year subscription, then let it expire for a couple years before renewing again. You will still be able to enter transactions manually even if your subscription has expired.

  • Installed Quicken 2018 yesterday on both of by computers. Purchased 27 month subscription from Amazon. The software is much improved over the 2016 version that I was using. Operates more efficiently. Looks great too. The subscription price is worth it. All of the information that you have placed on this blog has been accurate. Thank you very much.

  • Nate – thanks for the great info. It’s odd that the Quicken web site completely side-steps the fact that they have switched to a subscription model. The only way I could tell was the pricing is now listed as $xx / year.

    Excellent article!

  • I have been using quicken for the past 5 or 6 years for my rental property. Do you know of other products that can track rental income? It would be sad to see Quicken go the way of Microsoft Money.

    • I don’t know of anything that is specifically designed to track rental income, but you can use some of the other personal financial management programs by setting up custom categories. I’ve done that with Quicken before I started using the Rental Property version. Just create a category for Rental Income and for Rental Expense, then add subcategories to each of those based on your needs. You could add things such as Rental Income, Security Deposit, Repairs, Supplies, etc. You can do this with both of the Quicken alternatives I listed at the end of the article. However, I don’t see Quicken going away any time soon. With the new subscription model, they have strengthened their financial position and should be around for the foreseeable future.

  • Current Amazon price for Premier is $77.99 for 27 months. That’s $2.89 a month.

    Yeah, I do think there should be some accommodation for those who bought 2016 and 2017, but the thought of losing Quicken in my financial life is more scary than $2.89 a month, or even $5 dollars a month. I can’t get that angry. Quicken goes under, then I’d be angry.

  • I have Quicken 2015 Starter and have used it primarily to categorize expenditures and download tansactions from multiple banking institutions. I “updated” today and found out all about the new pricing plan that you describe so well above. Thank you. After my “update” there is no longer a “File” button with the customary pull down menu that allows for things like Backup, and Import of transactions, etc. I know you are not “customer support” but I am wondering if this is part of the plan… or am I missing something simple. Appreciate your help in advance….. or refer me to customer support if you think they will have an answer. Thank you .

  • Nate, we have used Quicken for years dating back into the early 90’s. My wife and I are both using Mac computers now and using Money Dance for our finances. Thinking about converting back to Quicken now since the upgrades to 2017-18 make it a little more user friendly. Will Quicken 2018 convert the Money Dance files or will we need to start from scratch?

    • You can try using Money Dance to export your data to a QIF file, then you can import that QIF into Quicken and Quicken will do its best to import the file correctly. It’s not 100% guaranteed because Quicken does not control how well the QIF file is formatted from Money Dance, but it does work for a lot of users.

  • This is a huge ripoff. All it does is guarantee Quicken a purchase every year. The claim “First of all, in previous years, many Quicken features would stop working at a pre-determined date, regardless of when a user purchased and installed the software” is false. I’ve used Quicken versions for up to 4 years before upgrading. It worked perfectly and interfaced with my bank flawlessly. The only reason I’ve upgraded is to get up to speed with the latest features. Obviously Quicken wants to force annual upgrades so annual fees are the answer. At the end of the subscription period it will shut down and hold your data hostage until you pay up.

    • A lot of people are upset with the new Quicken pricing. That’s completely understandable. I would rather pay less for Quicken too, but I still think it’s worth the price.

      As for holding your data hostage, that is not true. Quicken has guaranteed you will still have access to your data and be able to manually enter transactions after your subscription expires. You just won’t have the ability to download transactions from your bank, update stock quotes, or sync with a mobile device. Pretty much everything else will still work, forever.

      If you aren’t happy with Quicken and don’t think it is worth the price (which comes out at around $2 to $4 per month), I would suggest you try one of the alternatives I’ve listed at the bottom of the article.

      • Not being able to connect to the bank is just the same as shutting it down and making it useless. I’m just blowing off steam here because after all the smoke and mirrors it’s just a ploy to boost their bottom line. I buy Quicken once every 3 years so at $50 that breaks down to $1.39 a month, far less than the $2 to $4 a month that’s going to be forced on people if they want to stay with it. I’d switch to other software but my bank (and many others) won’t interface with them. Well, that’s my rant so I’ll leave it at that but thanks for all the response.

  • Not sure I understand the dropbox backup feature in 2018. I already have a dropbox account. Is there any reason not to keep my quicken data file in my own dropbox folder? Wouldn’t this accomplish the same thing. I haven’t used quicken in several years due to a file corruption issue. don’t want to do anything that would increase the likelihood of another loss of data.

    • The Dropbox backup feature from Quicken just gives you additional Dropbox space, which you can use for Quicken backups (or anything else you want to use it for.) You will get a coupon code from Quicken which you then enter in your Dropbox account. It will increase your existing Dropbox space. So you don’t sign up for a new Dropbox account, just keep using the one you have, but you’ll get more space added to it. (To get your Dropbox coupon code, sign into Quicken.com using your Quicken ID. You’ll see a link to “Redeem Dropbox offer”.)

  • I read on another online review of Quicken 2018 that once the subscription expires, you can no longer make MANUAL entries of data. In other words, the program only works with prior data and nothing new (income, checks, etc.) can be added. That review is several months old. You seem to be saying otherwise. Has this restriction on MANUAL data entry been removed?

  • Mr. Phillips,

    Great website and great information. I, too, am a long time user of Quicken. I travel a lot and have always used my laptop with Quicken installed as a backup to what I have installed and use on my desktop PC. When I enter data on one device, I use the backup data file to restore the data on the other device. That way I am always running two parallel systems. I am a great believer in backups. With the new membership setup you have described, will I have to purchase two memberships, one for my desktop and one for my laptop?

  • Kind of funny (strange) that this new model is good for business yet it sounds like a fair amount of customers don’t like it. This might be the real crack in the rock for another company to step up with a good solid throwback to quicken of old. The alternatives should step up hard and fast before Quicken realizes the potential loss that could be coming. Maybe I’ll be wrong, but many great companies have failed after they start the spiral that is out of line with their customer base.

  • Great analysis. I currently use Q 2017 Home & Business version, but do not use any of the features above the Deluxe version. Over 8 years ago I did create some invoices in the H&B version, but don’t need them in the database now. If I now get 2018 Deluxe instead of H&B, will my database convert properly? Will the old invoices disappear?

  • I have Quicken 2016 Premier and use to download transactions from both bank and Vanguard – and also investment value updates. Will this functionality be retained for three years from purchase – until 2019 as was the old way, or do I need to upgrade to new subscription model earlier to continue to be able to download transactions / update investment values?? Thanks

  • To be fair, I have not tried the new Quicken 2018. But there are many good reasons to postpone the “upgrade”, at least until Quicken makes a more reasonable offer to users of existing, fully supported versions of the product.

    By upgrading now, users lose the support they paid for when purchasing their existing product. I have Quicken 2016, which is fully supported through 2018. If I “upgrade” to the new, membership based service, I get no credit for the remaining year of support that I have coming to me.

    The new features are minimal and many users will have no use for them.

    The “bonus” features, touted as being such a great value, are nearly worthless. Dropbox already offers 2 GB of data storage for free and Google Drive offers 15 GB for free. Many banks include online billpay services for account holders.

    Quicken technical support has failed to distinguish itself from the shoddy support provided under Intuit. Support reps clearly follow a flow-chart script. Which seems to be “backup your files, do a validate and repair, and if you still have problems it must be because your data is corrupted so you need to revert to an earlier backup of your data.”

    The great mystery is why Microsoft stopped making their much better product, “Money” and why no one has since stepped up to provide the much needed direct marketplace competition that would drive Quicken to make a better product, offer better technical support, and be mindful of the needs of their customers. While they are the only game in town, of course they are going to play these types of games and extract every cent they can from their customers!

    • I hear you. Quicken 2016 will continue to be supported until April 2019. It is no different from previous years in that a user can choose to upgrade to the latest version or keep using their older version until the three years is up.

  • I maintained 14 quicken files separately (or 14 separate accounts), one quicken file for my personal account, and 13 separately quicken files for 13 rental properties. I don’t need the on-line features.

    Question: Does Quicken 2018 allow me to open each Quicken file separately? Or I need 14 licenses to maintain 14 separately quicken files ?

  • I have Quicken 2017 and am very happy with it
    I have no need for online bill pay or the other features
    For how long will my Mac Q2017 work if I don’t upgrade to the online version?
    Will there ever be an upgrade to keep up with new Mac OS as they come out if I don’t do the online subscription?

    • Quicken 2017 will continue to function with all features and receive updates until April 2020. There is no guarantee that it will function with new Mac OS versions though. For that guarantee, you would need to update to the latest version (Quicken 2018).

  • Can quicken 2018 and quicken 2016 be installed on same machine. I want to buy the business version for my daughters business and keep my personal premier version separate.

    • No, you can only install one version. But, the Home & Business version has all the same features as the Premier version, it just has some additional business tools. I would recommend you just create a new Quicken data file for your daughter. You can use multiple data files to completely separate your finances from your daughter’s. To create a new file for your daughter (or yourself), just go to File -> New Quicken File.

  • I know a lot of people are concerned about storing their data online but will Quicken 2018 allow you to store your current data in the cloud or only the backup? This way I can access from more than one computer other than the way I do it using Dropbox. I would assume this would allow me to use the moble app too.

    • The only way to do that is to use something like Dropbox to keep it synced (but just be careful about pausing syncing while Quicken is open). The Quicken cloud syncing is only used to keep the Mobile App updated. It doesn’t keep your data synced between multiple computers. I’m hoping this feature will be added soon.

  • This is going to be strange, I’ve been upgrading every year just for the heck of it I guess (probably wasting my money). I don’t use anything but the checkbook with reminders. And share between my Android phone and computer. Now they want a subscription so I can pay for features I don’t use? Not now, but I want to know is if I do not upgrade, can I still use the checkbook features between my phone and computer? That is all I use, I backup my data to my second drive anyway. If I lose the feature of writing on my phone, then transferring it to my computer, I will need to find something else. (Preferably with the ability to transfer the Quicken info to it. Any recomendations?

    • If you are currently using Quicken 2017, it will keep working with all features until April 2020, so you don’t have to upgrade or subscribe until then. At that time, if you want to keep syncing between your phone and computer, you would need to upgrade and pay for the subscription.

  • Nate, thank you for this page and your explanation of their new pricing structure. Quicken’s main website does not really make this change clear to existing users.

    I think I got my answer from one of the post above, but I just wanted to clarify for my situation.

    I have Quicken Deluxe 2017, and based on the Quicken end-of-life page, it looks like I should be able to continue using that version thru April 30th, 2020.

    So, other than not getting some new features, I can save money for a little while and continue using the 2017 version fully (downloading transactions/etc) until that time period.

    Then in 1st quarter of 2020 make the purchase of a subscription at that point, and hopefully a good deal as you indicated with Amazon’s 27-month option.

    Sound about right? Thanks in advance!

  • I saw the information about being able to store backups out on the cloud in Dropbox. My question before I upgrade is whether the new Quicken version will in any way now force me to store my portfolio data or the backups out on the web, either in Dropbox or some other place. I have no desire at all to store a portfolio of brokerage accounts or loans or other financial information out on the web. Look at what Uber had to finally admit just today and there are so many others. Tomorrow it could be Dropbox. I want to keep my data completely private and encrypted on my own computer.

  • I use Quicken Deluxe 2015 and will continue to do so until April 2018. I am disappointed however that the Deluxe version for 2018 has dropped the ability to download quotes, which I have always done with the Deluxe version. It’s not really advertised either, that that feature has been dropped. It had always been there. Now, if you want investment tracking with quotes so you know your actual balance, you have to get the Premier subscription.

    • I’ve verified with a couple people who are using Quicken Deluxe 2018 that it does still download quotes, so you won’t lose any features you have now. Deluxe just doesn’t have the additional investment tools that are included in Premier.

  • Nate, I am in the market for a Money management software but have had issues with one that will set up properly with my Military pay. The Midmonth always have to be handjamed because it doesn’t have all of the taxes and stuff taken out, it is all in the end of month statement and as we move from place to place we can get advances in our salaries to offset moving and relocating cost, I have not figured out how to compensate for those either, does either of the ones you recommend makes this easier?

    • There isn’t a program that can enter it for you directly from MyPay, so if the numbers vary each month you will have to enter them manually if you’re wanting to track the withholdings that are taken out. Quicken will handle this using a split transaction, which will allow you to enter the amounts for each withholding. If you are OK with just keeping track of the actual amount you receive in your bank account, you can just use the bank transaction download to get the amount automatically.

  • I have been using Quicken for 20+ years and recently noticed that Quicken requires you to login to its server when downloading transactions from financial institutions. I don’t like the idea of my transactions stored on Quicken server or DropBox (think Equifax data breach). I have a secure backup option already in place and don’t need that service forced on my from Quicken. So I have been exploring alternatives to Quicken. I don’t need Bill Pay nor budgeting. I do not need mobile access. What I do use Quicken for is the tracking of my investments and income/expenditures by category. I download transactions and investment prices. Most importantly, I need the ability to manually input data into my register and to describe and categorize income & expenses as I like – very useful for project management, tax organization, etc. – and bank descriptions are too generic. I also reconcile my bank accounts. Do any of the newer financial software things satisfy these requirements? I have heard that some are read-only.

    • Liz,
      I have listed two Quicken alternatives at the bottom of this article. I believe Personal Capital would meet your needs bests based on what you list here, however, they are cloud-based. I’ll answer your questions about the Quicken Cloud by replying to the other comment you left.

  • I have Quicken Deluxe 2017. Will I be able to automatically download my transactions and stock prices as I do presently until April 2020? And then I should buy the Quicken subscription? Thanks for your reply.

  • I am very confused. In one of your posts it indicates my data is stored on my PC. However, in earlier discussions my data is stored and secured by quicken servers, a feature which if the case will cause me to move to another product.

    the only place i want my financial data is on my server and with regulated financial institutions. i can guarantee you that quicken will evenutally start using the data for marketing and advertising revenue.

    so can you provide more information on data storage and access.

    anybody who believes that a software vendor can provide or is really all that concerned about security for your financial data is ignoring all the data breaches that have occurred in the last couple of years.

    • Quicken will provide secure online storage as an additional service, but you have to activate that first. If you choose to use the Mobile App, Quicken will sync your data with their servers in order to facilitate synchronizing it with your mobile device. This is completely optional and you can choose not to do this as part of the installation process. Quicken will also synchronize some of your data file with their servers during the One Step Update process, but this is also optional. You can choose not to allow your data to be synced with Quicken’s servers by clicking on Tools -> One Step Update, then uncheck “Sync to Quicken Cloud”. So you can definitely use Quicken 2018 without your data being stored on Quicken servers.

      • I don’t see anywhere that I am able to uncheck “Sync to Quicken Cloud” In fact, when I go to Tools>One Step Update, Quicken 2017 automatically asks me to login to Quicken server, and persists even if I no longer want to enter One Step Update. On these screens, I do not see any reference at all to Quicken Cloud. I spoke to Quicken a while ago and was told that I couldn’t avoid this.

        • Liz,

          Quicken does require users log in to Quicken using a Quicken ID. This replaces the old Intuit ID. It is not used for storing your information in the cloud, but to verify that you are a valid user for the program. This is now required to use Quicken. Once you login with your Quicken ID, nothing else is stored on the Quicken cloud if you don’t want it to be.

          You can try this: Go to Edit->Preferences. Then click on “Quicken ID, Mobile & Alerts”. Then click “Account to sync”. You should see a list of you accounts there, and you can uncheck them all to prevent them from syncing with the Quicken cloud. Note that the Quicken cloud syncing is only used to sync with your mobile device. Quicken does not store your financial data in the cloud other than for syncing with your mobile device. If you unchecked the “Sync with mobile device” box during the initial Quicken setup, it shouldn’t be syncing anything with the cloud to begin with.

          You can also try this: On the menu bar at the top (with the icons) click on the little arrow next to the update icon (looks like a circle with an arrow). You should see a short menu. Click on Update Settings. Then you should see a list of all your accounts. At the bottom, you should see the option for “Sync to Quicken Cloud”.

  • This is great info, thanks.

    If I buy the 2 year download from Staples, what’s the installation process? Do I need to uninstall my current 2017 version first and do a clean install? Or install right on top of the current?

  • What a joke. Sorry, it is not a ‘good thing’.
    It a new company that has to make money fast and feel a subscription model is a good way. They are not unique. Most companies have moved this way.
    Next will be pay to play on software. You buy keystrokes and when you run out you have to buy more!

    I am looking for alternatives but after being a 10+ year customer I am not anxious to switch.

    • The main reason I say it’s a good thing is because we still have Quicken. I was afraid they would go under a couple years ago. Now Quicken is improving and has a sustainable business model. I don’t like the new prices either, but a company has to make a profit to survive–and I definitely want Quicken to survive. It’s the best there is.

      If you are looking for an alternative, scroll to the bottom of this article. I recommend two alternatives. I’ve used both extensively and both are very good at what they do. They are not as full-featured as Quicken, but they are the best alternatives there are.

      • Does any of the alternatives store your data locally? Or are they all stored in the cloud? I’m still not comfortable storing my data online – too many data breaches. Can any of them import data from Quicken to be able to track cost basis for my stocks?

  • With Quicken Deluxe 2016 my investment quotes are updated when I update. Will I have to switch to premier to get this service. Basically If I use 2016 Deluxe now will I loose anything upgrading to 2018 deluxe

    • Investment quotes are usually only supported in Premier and above. Are you sure you are currently using Deluxe? You will need to purchase Premier if you want to continue receiving investment quotes.

      • Nate,
        I have Quicken 2017 Deluxe and my investment, banking, credit card, etc. transactions are updated as Russell was asking. So they won’t be in the 2018 Deluxe version?

        • All your banking, credit card, investment and other account information will update as normal. I was referring specifically to updating stock quotes, which is a feature of Premier. Deluxe will update your investment accounts.

          • Nate,
            Thanks for replying. I actually have 2017 deluxe but yes I have a watchlist and during the onestep update the quotes on my watch list update. So that is now a premier option is what your saying?

  • Mike,
    Nice job laying out all of this information.

    If I buy 2 subscriptions from Staples; as an example. I would activate the first subscription now.

    Can I activate the second subscription two years from now when the first subscription expires?

  • If I purchase the 2 year subscription of Quicken Premier from Amazon and decide that I don’t want it and cancel the subscription within the 30 day cancel period, what happens to the software that was downloaded and would I be able to revert back to my 2015 version of Quicken.

    • Mike,

      I would recommend you make a backup of your Quicken data file before upgrading. Then, make sure you still have the installation CD or downloaded file for Quicken 2015. That way, if you decide you don’t like Quicken 2018, you can cancel the subscription and simply uninstall Quicken 2018 from your computer. Then you’ll need to re-install Quicken 2015 and import the data file you backed up prior to upgrading.

  • First off, thank you Nate for facilitating this site, your prior replies to this subject, and information. My question revolves around the differences between Quicken for Mac and Quicken for Windows. I’ve been running Quicken for Windows since its inception and most recently within a VM on a Mac Mini. This was due to prior ‘advantages’ with the Windows versions over Mac versions (where running natively would have been preferred) when comparing past application features and report options. You’ve mentioned a few times there are apparently still minor differences and I’m wondering if you could elaborate on any features that are still Windows only?

    • I would be happy to elaborate. First, I’ll mention that with a Quicken 2018 subscription, you get access to both the Windows and Mac version, so if you decide you don’t like the Mac version, you can still use the Windows version without paying for another subscription.

      There are some minor differences in the user interface (such as color toolbar icons in the Windows version), but that’s to be expected since they are for two different operating systems. The main feature differences are:

      * Windows has more customization options for reports and can export reports directly to Excel
      * Windows can move/archive investment transactions
      * Investment performance tracking is more robust in Windows (Buy & Hold Comparison, Include “All Shares” for cover short transactions)
      * There are not any business or rental property tracking features in Mac versions yet
      * The process for using Bill Pay is different between Mac and Windows

      I believe this sums up the main differences. Hope this helps!

      • Thanks for the quick reply Nate. As long as I can in essence try or test the Mac version to see if it fits my personal usability needs, and if not revert to the Windows version, I see no immediate downside.

        I assume if I do end up deciding after the fact to go back to the Windows version I can convert the Quicken 2018 Mac data file(s) to their Quicken 2018 Windows counterpart or are there any back-forth conversion issues you or anyone else has noted? I ask this additional clarification since you noted there are differences on transaction archiving. This has me a little concerned that once I convert and use the Mac version for say a month or two, I’ll have no info in that version to then re-convert to the Windows version should I want to use that instead.

        • You should be able to import between Mac and Windows without trouble, but I would recommend limiting this as much as possible. At a minimum, make sure to keep a backup of your original file before starting this process, so in the worst case scenario you will only lose a month or so of data. I wouldn’t expect you to run into any problems, but you’ll want to prepare and plan for the worst, just in case there is a hiccup.

  • I use Quicken 2016 for Mac (have for many years) and interface with my banks online bill pay and download transactions from the bank (don’t use Quicken Bill Pay). I’m perfectly happy with the current software–don’t really see the need for new features. If I choose not to upgrade, when will the interface capability be terminated?
    What are the limitations of the starter subscription (I don’t really use the investment tracking capability, so most of the upgrades are not relevant)?
    Finally, is the data import automated if I purchase the CD from Amazon (or other retailer)?

    • Quicken 2016 for Mac will stop working for downloading in April 2019.

      The Starter version will not import data from previous versions of Quicken. It is really for people who haven’t used Quicken before and want to try it out.

      Yes, regardless of where you purchase Quicken, when you install it the data will be imported automatically from your previous version of Quicken.

  • I usually wait and get Quicken at Costco, which I believe to have been cheaper than elsewhere. I never really did any hard comparison though. Any idea if Quicken 2018 subscriptions will be available through them?

    • I don’t believe Costco is offering Quicken 2018 at this time. I have not seen it there yet. With Quicken’s new subscription membership model, it is not being sold at as many retail locations as in the past. I have found in previous years, however, that Amazon is usually cheaper than Costco, but Amazon is not currently offering a significantly discounted price. Hopefully they will be lowering their prices soon.

      • I just bought Quicken Deluxe with a one-year subscription, at Costco, yesterday (12/29/17), for $39.99
        or $3.33 / mo. This was the first I’ve seen them there. I just checked Amazon, and they have Quicken Deluxe with a 2 year membership (for 27 months) for $89.99, or $3.33 / mo.. This is exactly the same price as the 1 year membership at Costco, and buying it for only one year lets you decide if you want to continue to have download functionality in the future.

    • Amazon is working on getting the downloads working with the new pricing model from Quicken. At this time, they are only sending out CDs. The CD will come with an activation code and a link to download the software if you don’t have a CD drive.

  • Where is the Quicken program installed? Is it installed on my Windows PC? I want my data stored on my computer only; not stored in the cloud.
    Would you please clarify these areas for me?

  • I’m using Quicken 2007 for Mac because my one trial of Quicken Essentials a few years back lacked reporting features and had other inadequacies. It sounds like new versions have remedied that. The online features are not something I use but will Quicken continue to support 2007 or do I run the risk of upgrading my OS and suddenly having a nonfunctional and even worse non-upgradable version of Quicken?
    Second question since I don’t use on-iline features it sounds like I should buy the Deluxe version instead of the Starter version so if I choose to not continue my subscription I will still be able to use Quicken without the on-line features.
    Thanks for all your efforts.

    • I would recommend upgrading before Quicken 2007 is no longer supported. It really isn’t supported now, but you can still convert a Quicken 2007 file to the newest version of Quicken. I don’t know how long that will be possible though. I agree with you that Quicken Deluxe would probably be the best option.

      • I have been using 2007 for Mac for a very long time and I love it. Some of the key features I’d like to understand in the 2018 version:

        1. Auto downloads from the bank that I accept and reconcile on a weekly basis. I use USAA.

        2. Open my accounts in different windows at the same time like checking and credit card. The accounts are different colors so they are easily distinguishable.

        3. Set up auto payments, not to pay but to record in the various accounts. Then I “pay them forward”, I.e. record them to the ledger in the future to understand future balance risks

        4. Accounts (like credit cards) never go away. They basically can be hidden from the quick link buttons at the top. We all know that as credit cards get compromised, we get new ones and transfer balances.

        5. When writing a report, the report reaches across multiple accounts to give the answer.

          • I have given it a try – have purchased 2018. Two questions:

            1. I’m a bit confused on scheduled transactions. In Quicken for MAC 2007, there would be a list of scheduled transactions listed separately. In 2018 I don’t see this. Rather, the scheduled transactions seem to be directly in the register. When i imported the file, I saw the ones I scheduled forward but not the list. Then, in attempting to find out what was schedules and what was not, I right clicked on once or the forward transactions and selected ‘schedule.’ That duplicated the transaction in the register but now there is a small clock next to the new one. The old one didn’t have this so I deleted it. Is this the process for scheduling transactions and will they automatically come in? What if I want to pay it forward, say 6 months, in the register to predict the register in the future ? (Sort of like a short term outlook)?

            2. I can’t seem to find how to set the time of the automatic download. In 2007, this was done at night and the transactions were waiting on me to bring in or match.

          • Scheduled transactions that come up within the next 30 days are shown in the register. To see all your scheduled transactions, click on the “Bills & Income” tab. You’ll see a button for Bills, for Income, and for Projected Balances. All of these show you scheduled transactions. You create a new scheduled transactions directly from the register you want it to come from or go to by clicking on the register, then clicking the Schedule button at the bottom of the window. The Projected Balances button under the “Bills & Income” tab will also let you predict your future balances.

            To set up automatic downloads, click on the “Accounts” menu, then “Setup Automatic Downloads”. This should allow you to schedule when your accounts get updated.

          • Hi Nate – this is different. I followed your instructions – indeed see the place to connect to the bank accounts. I went through the process and got to the point where 3 accounts were found. Quicken give me the ignore the action or to link. There are problems linking to the accounts I already have. For one account (credit card) to which it is suggesting a link, it is linking to the wrong account. I can’t change it. For the others, say the checking, it don’t give me an opportunity to link at all. It is ignore or create a new account. That would mean, I presume, that the old checking account that i have had for years is now stranded. Obviously that isn’t what I want. Any way to get quicken to link to my old accounts?

            I do see the projected balances (graphical). I’ll have to get use to that. In Quicken 2007, I’ve run the balances 6 months in advance to spot trouble. I see the projection goes six months but not sure, by your explanation, I can load the forward looking transactions six months.

            Chris

          • Update – I was able to link the accounts correctly. Rather do them all at the same time, I did each individually.

            Thx

          • Nate
            Update – I see now how to look forward in future bills. Once can set it to look 30 days, 90 days, six months, etc. In fact, the new Quicken is better. In 2007, one could record the future transaction as far out as you want but once recorded, the scheduled ones that is, that was it. They were in the register. With this new version, one can change the settings, say to 6 months and then back it back to 90 days.

            Regarding the download, the product seems to update only when it is opened. So one has to wait a bit for the transactions to come in. With 2007, that was a scheduled function so the transactions were waiting there for you to download. Not sure I like this one.

            Chris

          • Nate

            One additional reply/question. When the program opens, there is a rotating circular arrow toward the top on the left. I’m wondering, is that meaning that the program is downloading data? Is it supposed to download when opening? I don’t usually see it downloading. I go to the menus and ask it to download. Then it does.

            Does one have to manually request a download?

          • That circular arrow is a button you can click to start the update/download process. If it is making a rotating motion, that means it is currently updating. When you first open Quicken, you might notice it rotating if it is downloading stock quotes, but normally it won’t update your accounts unless you tell it to by clicking it.

  • How does the mobile app communicate with the desktop software? Is there any way for both my wife and I to have quicken access from each of our computers? Hosted service would be nice

    • The mobile app and the desktop software sync through the Quicken cloud. Unfortunately, Quicken does not yet support syncing between desktop software on two different machines. Some people use a service like Dropbox to keep their data file synced between multiple machines, but this is risky because it can corrupt the data file. At this time there isn’t an officially supported or recommended way to do it. It is a feature that will hopefully be coming out in the near future, but at this point I can’t say when.

      • I am one of those that use Quicken on two computers and keep my data on dropbox. I make sure I turn off the sync before I open Quicken and turn it back on when I exit. I have had no trouble doing this for years. My question is, is the only option for buying 2018 through an online download? Will I have no choice but to buy the subscription for both computers now?

        • David,

          If you buy Quicken 2018 from Amazon, at this time you will get a CD. But whether you get a CD or download Quicken, you are allowed to install it on multiple computers. You do not need to buy a subscription for both computers. The license allows installation on all of your computers.

          • Nate, I want to understand as clearly as possible the issue of a single subscription license used on multiple devices. Is the same activation code I buy used on all devices? Does Quicken simply reference my Quicken “ID” when I install on multiple devices? I currently have Q-2015 on 5 devices. Is there a device limit under the new subscription structure? Is there a link to Quicken you can proved where they discuss multiple devices? TIA.

          • With the new subscription model, there is no limit to the number of devices on which you can install Quicken. (Under the older versions, the license agreement limits you to 3 devices.) With Quicken 2018 you can install it on as many devices as you desire. Your subscription is linked to your Quicken ID, so you have to use the same Quicken ID on each device. You are also allowed to use an unlimited number of Quicken data files, as long as you use the same Quicken ID for them. Here’s a link to Quicken’s official response on this question: https://www.quicken.com/support/can-i-install-quicken-multiple-computers

  • How much are you paid to post this review and by whom. When I click your Amazon link do you get a kickback. Seems like full disclosure isn’t present here.

  • Maybe I’m not understanding the pricing logic but if I purchase through Amazon then it’s $4.81/month while at Staples it’s $4.17/month. How does that make Amazon a better deal? I know you’re getting the extra Dropbox space but that’s “free” as is the extra 3 months so why would I pay an extra $30 for free extras?

    • The prices at Amazon and Staples fluctuate, so we put together a price comparison chart with the latest prices displayed. That way you can see what the current best deal is, broken down by cost/month. You are correct that at the time you wrote this comment, the Staples price was better than the Amazon price.

  • I signed up for quicken 2018 two days ago and have heard or read nothing about my sign up as of November 1, 2017. What is the status of my signup?

    • Donald,

      Where did you sign up for Quicken? If you did it through Quicken.com, you should have received an email with a confirmation of your order. You will need to sign in at Quicken.com to download the software.

      If you purchased it through Amazon, you will be receiving a CD in the mail, along with a link to download the software if you prefer that instead of using the CD.

      If you purchased it somewhere else, you will need to contact the place you purchased it from for further instructions.

  • As a Quicken Premier 2017 user, who doesn’t use any of the transaction downloads or bank tie-ins (I enter everything manually), it sounds like I have no reason to upgrade. About the only “automated” feature I use is updating the NAV of my investments on a daily basis. Am I missing something? I used to upgrade only every 2-3 years anyway, but I’m thinking that holding on to the current version makes sense.

    • You are correct. If you don’t use any of the online-based features, such as transaction downloads, you do not need to upgrade. Quicken will continue to work for you indefinitely. The main reason to upgrade would be if you want to get the latest updates, new features, bug fixes, and any security patches.

      • Are you suggesting that Quicken will not provide security patches and bug-fixes for current versions of Quicken? Quicken 2016 is supposed to be supported for 3 years. That 3 years of support was paid for by the purchaser when he bought the product. By upgrading early, the user loses the support that has already been paid for! In exchange for a handful of minor product upgrades.

        To compensate for this, Quicken should be offering their loyal users of a product that is still supported more of a discount that what is being offered to a new user of the product. Instead, they are urging existing users to “take advantage” of their upgrade offer, locking them into the software subscription service. Not cool at all!

        • All prior versions of Quicken will continue to be supported for the standard 3 year period. Users who have these previous versions do not have to upgrade to Quicken 2018 unless they want the new features and continual updates. Quicken 2015 will continue to work and receive updates until April 2018. Quicken 2016 until April 2019. And Quicken 2017 until April 2020.

  • I’m using Quicken 2017 Premier. It used to be that downloads and updates stop after 3 years at which time I upgrade to the new version. What will happen to the download functionality of Quicken 2017? Will it stop if I don’t get Quicken 2018?

    • If you upgrade to Quicken 2018, the download functionality will expire when your subscription expires (if you don’t renew it). If you continue using Quicken 2017 instead, you will be able to continue with full functionality including downloads until April 2020.

  • Does Quicken 2018 for Mac, work like quicken for windows?
    Can quicken for windows files be imported to a new Mac version?
    Which version do I need for simple register & down loading of banking do I need?

    • Quicken 2018 for Mac is very similar to the Windows versions. There are some minor differences, but overall they are the same. Quicken 2018 for Mac will import from any Quicken for Windows version from 2010 and later.

      For simple downloading of bank transactions, I would recommend Deluxe. It will give you everything you need, without any extra features that you won’t use. (I don’t recommend Starter because it is so limited).

  • If I purchase a 2-year subscription to Quicken Premier at a retailer (Costco, Office Depot, etc.), when Quicken 2019 comes out this time next year, will I be able to upgrade to that for free?

    • Gene,

      You won’t every have to worry about upgrading again. They won’t be doing annual releases anymore. You will receive updates as they are released, without having to do anything extra. It is all included in your subscription. When your two years are up, just renew the subscription and you’ll continue receiving updates without having to install a new version.

      • So if the subscription begins upon install and “upgrades” are free for the life of the subscription, could I purchase the software now (due to employer reimbursement requirements), continue using my Quicken 2016 until the three year online transaction download period ends, then install and use Quicken 2018 with the full subscription period and the most recent software updates?

      • I don’t care for Quickbooks on line version with auto updates. Changes are too frequent and you spend way to much time learning new changes and not producing efficiently.

        Changes need to be periodic with a pre notification identifying what they are going to be

  • You are not really getting much of a discount with the Quicken from Amazon. Just checked Amazon and it was $130 for the 27 month version of Premier. I can get Quicken 2018 from Quicken for what I assume is 15 months at either $75 (retail) or $67.50 ($135 total for 27 months) as I have been a loyal customer for over 25 years. I used to get a bundle of Quicken and TurboTax from Amazon at a good price, but I assume now that is out of the picture as they are separate companies. Guess we are all going to see price increases for our financial software.

    • If you purchase Quicken 2018 from Quicken.com, you are only getting 12 months, not 15 months. Amazon’s prices change frequently, but I’ve found they are almost always much lower than Quicken.com. You can see current Amazon and Quicken.com prices on our comparison chart.

  • I’ve used Quicken for over 25 years along with the online bill pay for several years. I’ve never relied on it’s investment features because they are not accurate. I especially don’t like the automatic placemaker entries I’ve seen recently. Will the investment downloads from my broker accounts be optional or will they be automatically downloaded?

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