Quicken 2018 for Mac debuts, switches to subscription-only model

Posted:
in Mac Software
Quicken on Monday released the 2018 Mac edition of its personal finance software, making upgrades in areas like bill payments and investments, but primarily transitioning to a subscription-only model with Starter, Deluxe, and Premier packages.




Each tier scales up included features. The Starter package is aimed at "short-term financial goals," while Deluxe offers a more conventional featureset. Premier, finally, lets people "maximize...investments by improving portfolio performance and minimizing taxes," Quicken said. A Home, Business & Rental Property subscription is reserved for Windows users.

Each Mac subscription also comes with 5 gigabytes of Dropbox data for backups.

The new bill payment system introduces a streamlined workflow, with the ability to pay over 11,000 billers. Investment functions offer specific lot tracking and a customizable portfolio view, while loan tracking has been expanded with things like "what if" scenarios.




One-year Quicken subscriptions cost $34.99, $49.99, and $74.99, respectively. Two-year subscriptions are available only at retail, and cost $49.99, $79.99, and $119.99.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 40
    In the age of online banking, who still buys programs like Quicken?  $35/year or more?  No thanks.
    toysandme
  • Reply 2 of 40
    In the age of online banking, who still buys programs like Quicken?  $35/year or more?  No thanks.
    Online banking doesn't obsolete personal finance. If anything, the two work well together. That said, Quicken, especially on the Mac has been horrible for many years now. I've long since switched to what is now Banktivity (formerly iBank). It's great and far better than Quicken ever was.
    zroger73toysandmecornchip
  • Reply 3 of 40
    randominternetperson said:
    In the age of online banking, who still buys programs like Quicken?  $35/year or more?  No thanks.
    Uhhh... "Accounting"?

    I been using Quicken since I had a Tandy 1000 HX computer which must have been around 1989.

    I do NOT like the subscription software model. I typically use the same version for several years until OS upgrades render it unusable. The subscription software model forces me to pay for an upgrade that is unnecessary. As such, I'll continue to use my current version of Quick for Mac as long as it functions. After that, I'll probably no longer be a Quicken user. One frustrating part is that I have decades of financial information stored in Quicken that can be difficult or impossible to transfer elsewhere.


    jeffharrisdysamoriatoysandmedaviatortallest skilcornchip
  • Reply 4 of 40
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    techconc said:
    In the age of online banking, who still buys programs like Quicken?  $35/year or more?  No thanks.
    Online banking doesn't obsolete personal finance. If anything, the two work well together. That said, Quicken, especially on the Mac has been horrible for many years now. I've long since switched to what is now Banktivity (formerly iBank). It's great and far better than Quicken ever was.
    Then you have never tried the newer Quicken versions, especially Quicken 2017. And as for the loathing of subscription apps, they’re not going away. For many people they make sense rather than buying a newer version every year. Maybe not for those whose try to keep old versions forever and then bitch when some macOS update kills it.
  • Reply 5 of 40
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quicken on Monday released the 2018 Mac edition of its personal finance software, making upgrades in areas like bill payments and investments, but primarily transitioning to a subscription-only model with Starter, Deluxe, and Premier packages.

    And with that... I am now officially an ex-Quicken user. 

    Quicken on the Mac was a disaster when I last used it.  It's one of the primary reasons I still run Windows on my Mac.  Quicken 2016 and Quicken 2017 left my online banking interface inoperable so I do all my reconciliations manually, and don't even bother updating my investment accounts.

    Even though I already subscribe to Adobe CC (photography) and Office 365, there is no way in hell I'm going to do that with Quicken.  I will keep Quicken and Quickbooks running forever on its current state as a virtual machine and be done with it.  Time to look elsewhere.

    I've been using Quicken since Windows 3.1 days... Buh bye...

    I suppose it would be interesting to place a short position on Quicken.  I think they're going to tank.
    zroger73toysandme
  • Reply 6 of 40
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    The last several versions - ok, all of the Quicken versions for Mac - have gotten pretty negative reviews, and the previous version was $75 with not trial option. At least the subscription lets you try it for $35. That said, I agree that the subscription model is annoying. I used an older version of Quicken for years and never upgraded because the new versions offered nothing that I needed.

    I ditched Quicken years ago and have been using Moneydance. More features, works well, great support. Good upgrade policy. The only drawback is there's no iPad version available. Banktivity and Moneywiz are also frequently mentioned as solid apps. Unfortunately, many of the personal finance apps now charge ongoing fees for online access, so it amounts to the same thing as an app subscription. I'm not certain, but I believe part of it may have to do with fees that financial institutions charge for online access.
  • Reply 7 of 40
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    sflocal said:
    Quicken on Monday released the 2018 Mac edition of its personal finance software, making upgrades in areas like bill payments and investments, but primarily transitioning to a subscription-only model with Starter, Deluxe, and Premier packages.

    And with that... I am now officially an ex-Quicken user. 

    Quicken on the Mac was a disaster when I last used it.  It's one of the primary reasons I still run Windows on my Mac.  Quicken 2016 and Quicken 2017 left my online banking interface inoperable so I do all my reconciliations manually, and don't even bother updating my investment accounts.

    Even though I already subscribe to Adobe CC (photography) and Office 365, there is no way in hell I'm going to do that with Quicken.  I will keep Quicken and Quickbooks running forever on its current state as a virtual machine and be done with it.  Time to look elsewhere.

    I've been using Quicken since Windows 3.1 days... Buh bye...

    I suppose it would be interesting to place a short position on Quicken.  I think they're going to tank.
    Then explain why my “online banking interface” is operating perfectly with quicken 2017. Bank checking and saving accounts, credit cards, My Stifel Nicolaus IRA and investment accounts all update regularly without issue. I use the auto-reconciliation feature all the time. As the banks and credit card companies change their security requirements for login it’s a simple matter to update those requirements in Q2017. Oh, and bill pay works too. So one man’s “disaster” is another man’s functioning as advertised financial app I suppose? Certainly Quicken 2017 is not the be all, end all of banking apps but it isn’t the piece of crap you describe either. 
  • Reply 8 of 40
    jimtjimt Posts: 16member
    sflocal said:
    Quicken on Monday released the 2018 Mac edition of its personal finance software, making upgrades in areas like bill payments and investments, but primarily transitioning to a subscription-only model with Starter, Deluxe, and Premier packages.

    And with that... I am now officially an ex-Quicken user. 

    Quicken on the Mac was a disaster when I last used it.  It's one of the primary reasons I still run Windows on my Mac.  Quicken 2016 and Quicken 2017 left my online banking interface inoperable so I do all my reconciliations manually, and don't even bother updating my investment accounts.

    Even though I already subscribe to Adobe CC (photography) and Office 365, there is no way in hell I'm going to do that with Quicken.  I will keep Quicken and Quickbooks running forever on its current state as a virtual machine and be done with it.  Time to look elsewhere.

    I've been using Quicken since Windows 3.1 days... Buh bye...

    I suppose it would be interesting to place a short position on Quicken.  I think they're going to tank.
    "I suppose it would be interesting to place a short position on Quicken.  I think they're going to tank."

    Don't bother selling Intuit, the company that USED to own Quicken. Intuit sold both the Mac and Windows versions to a private company. 
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 9 of 40
    Not really a subscription model, you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel. No monthly payments...
  • Reply 10 of 40
    mrboba1mrboba1 Posts: 276member
    LenardH said:
    Not really a subscription model, you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel. No monthly payments...
    Um, just because it's not monthly doesn't make it "not a subscription model". Do people pay monthly for a monthly magazine? Nope, they pay yearly, and it's called a magazine subscription.

    If you buy a standard application, you can use it in perpetuity (as long as your system runs).
    You buy this Quicken and then stop paying, you don't get your magazine software anymore.

    edited October 2017 randominternetpersondysamoriajbdragonpscooter63cornchip
  • Reply 11 of 40
    LenardH said:
    Not really a subscription model, you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel. No monthly payments...
    "What happens to my data if my subscription is cancelled or expires?

    The Quicken Data Access Guarantee means that whether you renew your subscription or not, you'll always have full access to and ownership of your data. You can view, edit, export, and manually enter transactions and accounts for Deluxe and higher versions, even after your subscription ends*. Access to online services, such as transaction download, quotes, and mobile sync, along with access to Quicken Support, will end if your subscription does."

    dysamoria
  • Reply 12 of 40
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,350member
    LenardH said:
     you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel
    That reads exactly like a subscription model. Being annual instead of monthly doesn't make it any less of a subscription, just maybe cheaper, and easier to pay.

    I haven't used Quicken in years so can't comment on its functionality, but if one uses it regularly then the pricing doesn't seem much more than annoying, if that. I'm not a fan of subscriptions, but that seems to be the future.
  • Reply 13 of 40
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    lkrupp said:
    Then explain why my “online banking interface” is operating perfectly with quicken 2017. Bank checking and saving accounts, credit cards, My Stifel Nicolaus IRA and investment accounts all update regularly without issue. I use the auto-reconciliation feature all the time. As the banks and credit card companies change their security requirements for login it’s a simple matter to update those requirements in Q2017. Oh, and bill pay works too. So one man’s “disaster” is another man’s functioning as advertised financial app I suppose? Certainly Quicken 2017 is not the be all, end all of banking apps but it isn’t the piece of crap you describe either. 
    How the heck would I know why yours works and mine doesn't?  Quicken 2016 and Quicken 2017 (for Windows) both exhibited the exact same problem... Online banking would work for a few sessions, then mysteriously stop working with errors saying it can't connect to my institution (Wells Fargo and Bank of America).  Deactiviate accounts, re-activate online banking, would work, download current, and old-transactions that have already been reconciled, then stop working again, rinse and repeat.  I lost track of the number of support tickets I've submitted to no avail until I eventually gave up.  Prior to Quicken 2016, I've never have a problem with online banking.  This is all running on a clean-install of Windows 10 used solely for Quicken and Quickbooks.

    Ever since they re-hashed the user-interface to clean it up, rendering performance took a hit and them removing/modifying navigation buttons requiring my using my mouse/trackpad more often instead of my keyboard was more of a pain.  This all started at release 2016.

    This is all on a 2015 iMac 5K with 64G of RAM so it has way more than enough horsepower to run what should be a lite package.

    So if it works fine for you, good.  Had it worked like that for me that past few years, I would honestly be inclined to consider a subscription, but in my reality they dropped the ball, and hard.  I'm not the only one in the pool and other users/friends have similar issues.  Quicken's software took a bad direction, has bad support, and the quality of their software went downhill quickly.  Making it a subscription model is almost an insult to users that had put up with its shortcomings for years.  They haven't given me any reason to believe that going subscription is going to magically improve the quality of their software.
    dysamoria
  • Reply 14 of 40
    mrboba1 said:
    LenardH said:
    Not really a subscription model, you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel. No monthly payments...
    Um, just because it's not monthly doesn't make it "not a subscription model". Do people pay monthly for a monthly magazine? Nope, they pay yearly, and it's called a magazine subscription.

    If you buy a standard application, you can use it in perpetuity (as long as your system runs).
    You buy this Quicken and then stop paying, you don't get your magazine software anymore.

    According to Quicken's support FAQ, if you stop paying for the software you no longer get software updates nor do you get online access to banks, credit cards, or investments. You can, however, continue to enter transactions manually, run reports, and export data just like you could in previous versions of Quicken.
    dysamoriarandominternetperson
  • Reply 15 of 40
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    Huh. Another piece of software i will never pay a subscription to...
  • Reply 16 of 40
    lkrupp said:
    techconc said:
    In the age of online banking, who still buys programs like Quicken?  $35/year or more?  No thanks.
    Online banking doesn't obsolete personal finance. If anything, the two work well together. That said, Quicken, especially on the Mac has been horrible for many years now. I've long since switched to what is now Banktivity (formerly iBank). It's great and far better than Quicken ever was.
    Then you have never tried the newer Quicken versions, especially Quicken 2017. And as for the loathing of subscription apps, they’re not going away. For many people they make sense rather than buying a newer version every year. Maybe not for those whose try to keep old versions forever and then bitch when some macOS update kills it.
    I think there is less incentive for developers to make more adventurous improvements when they have your dollar already in their pocket. When you have to actively decide whether or not to upgrade, they are more likely to entice you with real value. Sure, a subscriber can cancel if not happy, but Most subscribers just plain forget they even have a subscription and continue eat what’s put before them. 
  • Reply 17 of 40
    I quit Quicken and switched to Banktivity when Quicken got more interested in hawking loans than servicing the Mac community. I understand they eventually put back the features they took out, but too little, too late for me. No regrets. 
  • Reply 18 of 40
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    I personally stayed on Quicken 2007 until the end of last year when I finally moved to 2017. I have been using Quicken since version 1 so I have my entire banking and investment history in Quicken. I heard all the complaint with Quicken money, 2015 and 2016 so I stayed away and had no choose but to move to 2017 because 2007 was no longer support on Sierra. There are a few feature which I miss from 2007, but they fix a number of issue with online banking specifically with investments account which was not supported in 2007. Over all 2017 works well, and organized things better than 2007 did. Personally I am not going to 2018, no need to pay Quicken to help me optimize my investments. The only issue i have is the online balance in the mobile app not matching what I show on the Mac, this is has been an on and off issue with Quicken 2017.

    For those who switch to other banking software, I played with them all, and yes Quicken did not keep up, mostly from GUI stand point, but those other software were simplistic, especially when it came to investment activities. If all you were doing was checking and credit cards they were probably fine. I personally like how Quicken use to minor your check registry. But time moves on and no one really records checks in their registry anymore. Hell I hardly write a check today. I mainly use Quicken to monitor all my various investment accounts. Since using online balance reconciliation I had very few issues.

  • Reply 19 of 40
    mrboba1mrboba1 Posts: 276member
    78Bandit said:
    mrboba1 said:
    LenardH said:
    Not really a subscription model, you pay for the new version and If you don't want it next year you cancel. No monthly payments...
    Um, just because it's not monthly doesn't make it "not a subscription model". Do people pay monthly for a monthly magazine? Nope, they pay yearly, and it's called a magazine subscription.

    If you buy a standard application, you can use it in perpetuity (as long as your system runs).
    You buy this Quicken and then stop paying, you don't get your magazine software anymore.

    According to Quicken's support FAQ, if you stop paying for the software you no longer get software updates nor do you get online access to banks, credit cards, or investments. You can, however, continue to enter transactions manually, run reports, and export data just like you could in previous versions of Quicken.
    Since I'm not a Quicken user - what did the previous Quicken application give you? Could you keep the online access to your information with a purchase of a standalone app? Or was there another level that you needed to purchase to have those features? If it's the latter, then I cede the point. If the former, however, then my point stands firm.
  • Reply 20 of 40
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    Any word on Canadian-specific support?
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