What should I use when I have to stop using Quicken on my Mac
June 8, 2011 12:16 PM Subscribe
What Macintosh software or online service should I use when I'm forced to stop using Quicken 2005 this summer?
I've been using Quicken for over ten years, and for the most part I've actually been quite happy with it. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to stop using it this summer when I install OS X Lion, because it is a Power PC app and Lion is dropping support for Power PC emulation.
It looks like Intuit doesn't actually sell Quicken for the Macintosh anymore. They have a new product (Quicken Essentials) which does something that is quite different from what Quicken did.
How do I use Quicken?
I have a register for each of my accounts (checking, money market, credit card, brokerage, etc); I enter or import transactions; I reconcile monthly statements; and periodically I generate reports of income and expenses by category and time period.
I'd be happy to have parts of this process automated, but I don't want my basic visibility and oversight of transactions to vanish. I like knowing what checks I've written (or credit card charges I've made) and which ones have cleared. I like being able to run reports of past transactions to see where my money is coming from and where it is going.
It would be great if the new app or service could import the historical data I have currently in Quicken, though I realize that may be asking too much.
Is there any software on the Mac or online service that does what I want? Is there anything even close?
I would rather not keep an old Mac around or run Windows under VMWAre just to run Quicken
I've been using Quicken for over ten years, and for the most part I've actually been quite happy with it. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to stop using it this summer when I install OS X Lion, because it is a Power PC app and Lion is dropping support for Power PC emulation.
It looks like Intuit doesn't actually sell Quicken for the Macintosh anymore. They have a new product (Quicken Essentials) which does something that is quite different from what Quicken did.
How do I use Quicken?
I have a register for each of my accounts (checking, money market, credit card, brokerage, etc); I enter or import transactions; I reconcile monthly statements; and periodically I generate reports of income and expenses by category and time period.
I'd be happy to have parts of this process automated, but I don't want my basic visibility and oversight of transactions to vanish. I like knowing what checks I've written (or credit card charges I've made) and which ones have cleared. I like being able to run reports of past transactions to see where my money is coming from and where it is going.
It would be great if the new app or service could import the historical data I have currently in Quicken, though I realize that may be asking too much.
Is there any software on the Mac or online service that does what I want? Is there anything even close?
I would rather not keep an old Mac around or run Windows under VMWAre just to run Quicken
You Need A Budget. It's cross-platform on Adobe AIR, has an iPhone app, bank imports, a very large emphasis on awareness and planned spending, an incredibly helpful and active community and stellar tutorials and support. It's not Quicken mainly in that it's primarily a budgeting tool rather than a money-management/graph generation tool, but it's changed my life severely for the better.
posted by Happy Dave at 12:38 PM on June 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Happy Dave at 12:38 PM on June 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
This may be too much of a kludge, but couldn't you partition your hard drive and keep a Snow Leopard installation just for Quicken?
posted by DandyRandy at 12:45 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by DandyRandy at 12:45 PM on June 8, 2011
Response by poster: According to this thread Mint doesn't give you any way to track checks you've written but that haven't cleared. Is that still the case?
I don't want a service that works automagically. I want a service that lets me see my ledgers. Does Mint do that now?
posted by alms at 12:51 PM on June 8, 2011
I don't want a service that works automagically. I want a service that lets me see my ledgers. Does Mint do that now?
posted by alms at 12:51 PM on June 8, 2011
Best answer: You can enter manual checks, yes. Not sure if they automagically match up with the line item in your statement once they clear...
posted by schmod at 1:02 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by schmod at 1:02 PM on June 8, 2011
I use Crossover for Mac to run Quicken 2010 for Windows. The graphics are fugly and it runs a little slow, but it saves me from having to boot into my Windows XP VM for that one program.
posted by photovox at 2:50 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by photovox at 2:50 PM on June 8, 2011
I guess this is just personal expenses (as opposed to small business ?).
We use the business version of https://www.xero.com/personal/ and it is very good indeed.
posted by southof40 at 3:29 PM on June 8, 2011
We use the business version of https://www.xero.com/personal/ and it is very good indeed.
posted by southof40 at 3:29 PM on June 8, 2011
Best answer: I've been using iBank ever since I switched over from PC to Mac and I'm quite happy with it. I use it just like I did with Quicken (i.e. minimally for tracking purposes and the occasional report to see where the money is getting drained.) The other thing I quite like about it is the iPhone app that syncs with the desktop software. That way I don't have to save receipts. I can enter the item into my iPhone register as soon as I purchase it, and then just sync it up when I get home.
The only thing that irked me a little was that none of my financial institutions could be setup for automatic downloads through the software. Not that big of a deal, as I can access my account at the institutions website and download the file with the appropriate date range in Quicken file format (.qfx if I remember correctly - iBank reads these just fine) and import it into iBank. Works exactly like Quicken for balancing (although it did take me a bit to get used to the import screen and how it worked.)
posted by Rewind at 4:21 PM on June 8, 2011
The only thing that irked me a little was that none of my financial institutions could be setup for automatic downloads through the software. Not that big of a deal, as I can access my account at the institutions website and download the file with the appropriate date range in Quicken file format (.qfx if I remember correctly - iBank reads these just fine) and import it into iBank. Works exactly like Quicken for balancing (although it did take me a bit to get used to the import screen and how it worked.)
posted by Rewind at 4:21 PM on June 8, 2011
Response by poster: iBank looks like it could be the answer. I'll check it out.
Mint also looks interesting, but I'm still bothered by the fact that there is no way to see how it works without signing up and giving them my bank account info. Does anyone know if there is any place on the Mint website where they provide screen shots of what their interface actually looks like? For all the fancy "intro videos" they provide, I haven't been able to find that most basic info.
posted by alms at 4:46 PM on June 8, 2011
Mint also looks interesting, but I'm still bothered by the fact that there is no way to see how it works without signing up and giving them my bank account info. Does anyone know if there is any place on the Mint website where they provide screen shots of what their interface actually looks like? For all the fancy "intro videos" they provide, I haven't been able to find that most basic info.
posted by alms at 4:46 PM on June 8, 2011
I use iBank. It has some UI quirks that annoy me, but overall, it has done a fine job of getting me off Quicken.
If it matters to you, iBank can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.
posted by browse at 5:21 PM on June 8, 2011
If it matters to you, iBank can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.
posted by browse at 5:21 PM on June 8, 2011
Best answer: There are some votes for iBank and Moneydance on this thread on the Bogleheads forum (and more comments on another thread). There's also a very positive mention of SEE Finance, which I hadn't heard of before.
SEE Finance offers a free download and screenshots.
Moneydance also has some screenshots and also offers a free download.
Looks like it's time for me to try a couple of these my own self.
posted by kristi at 7:24 PM on June 8, 2011
SEE Finance offers a free download and screenshots.
Moneydance also has some screenshots and also offers a free download.
Looks like it's time for me to try a couple of these my own self.
posted by kristi at 7:24 PM on June 8, 2011
Response by poster: Found them:
posted by alms at 7:45 PM on June 8, 2011
Mint.com ScreenshotsThanks for all the other pointers. It looks like there's something that will serve.
posted by alms at 7:45 PM on June 8, 2011
Best answer: Intuit has a program called Quicken Essentials that will work on the Intel only operating system for the Mac. It is not as full features as Quicken 2005, but if you primarily use it as a ledger and run basic reports by category then it should suffice. You can't pay bills through the interface, but that is the only feature I missed when I switched.
posted by dgran at 6:56 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by dgran at 6:56 AM on June 9, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks all. I've tagged this as resolved.
posted by alms at 1:12 PM on June 13, 2011
posted by alms at 1:12 PM on June 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
My accountant parents *hate* it because it's entirely automated. YMMV.
From what I remember, the Mac version of Quicken was pretty ghastly compared to the windows one. If you don't like Mint, maybe consider running the Windows version in a Windows VM (VMWare, Parallels, or VirtualBox are all good options. VirtualBox has the added benefit of being free.)
posted by schmod at 12:35 PM on June 8, 2011