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Quicken Windows to Mac: what's missing/different for tracking and recording investments etc

Alan Etienne

Can anyone who have used quicken for windows then used the Mac version explain what the differences are especially in regard to recording and analysing investments, reports etc. Or any other significant differences

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Accepted answers

jacobs

Alan Etienne said:

Another question. On the windows version in the calendar you can show a graph / bar chart of the accounts at the bottom. This is useful to check any accounts getting overdrawn during the month. Has Mac got that feature?

I don't use the calendar on Quicken Mac, but I don't see any graph or bar chart available in the calendar. You could create a calendar for a specific account or accounts, and set it to Show Balances, so you'd see the projected balance on future dates. Just not in chart form.

All comments

Frankx

Hi @""Alan Etienne"

I have not personally used the Mac version, however here are links to a number of other posts that should provide you with the information you want.

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20151608#Comment_20151608
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/19884363#Comment_19884363
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20123621#Comment_20123621
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20161229#Comment_20161229
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/19992863#Comment_19992863
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/18925379#Comment_18925379
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7255997/the-difference-in-mac-quicken-and-windows-quicken

Let us know if you have any followups.

Frankx

Alan Etienne

Thank you Frank I will check the links out

jacobs

As you look at the links @Frankx helpfully provided, I'd just caution you to note the dates of the various comments. I skimmed through the links and noted that several of the issues written about have been resolved/fixed/implemented with the passage of time and ongoing evolution of Quicken Mac.

Do you currently have a Mac, or are you asking questions as you consider whether to purchase a Mac? If you have a current Quicken subscription and you have access to a Mac, I'd definitely recommend downloading the Mac application -- which is included with your subscription -- and doing a temporary import of your Quicken Windows data in order to explore the Mac program. People use Quicken so differently that it's hard to say whether the features will be satisfactory or not for another user; it's much better if you can evaluate it for yourself.

I think it's hard to put in writing exactly what's different between Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows because there are many differences -- some of which are inconsequential and some of which may be significant depending on your use.

I'm only a Quicken Mac user, so any knowledge I have of Quicken Windows is reading what other users have posted on this forum. Here are a few things I've seen discussed in terms of investments:

In terms of investment transactions, most things are comparable. However, Quicken Mac doesn't have a transaction type for corporate spin-offs and acquisitions. Depending on your tracking needs, that absence can be a minor inconvenience or require a fair amount of transaction editing for any such transactions in the past.
If your Quicken Windows investment transactions use BoughtX/SoldX type transactions, those are not supported in Quicken Mac; they are handled by two separate transactions for the purchase/sale and for the transfer of funds to another account. These transactions are supposed to convert cleanly, but users have reported problems with these transactions requiring manually clean-up after conversion.
Quicken Mac tracks investment cost basis using LIFO or FIFO; it does not provide Average Cost Basis. (My mutual funds use ACB, so Quicken doesn't accurately calculate my gains; for me, this is not hugely consequential because I use my brokerage statements for my taxes, but it's a big deal for some Quicken users.)
Investment reports are in an incomplete state in Quicken Mac. Currently, most reporting on investments is done via the Portfolio view; it's possible to generate a variety of views of holdings, gains and performance, and these can be printed as reports and/or exported to a spreadsheet. But you can't save each such investment report as its own stored report, as you can for other types of reports in Quicken Mac; you have to configure the portfolio to show what you want each time you want a report. (Reports on investment income by categories can be created and stored, however.) The Quicken Mac reports engine has been re-developed over the past few years, and it seems likely that stored investment reports will be added to Quicken Mac in the future, but for now, investment reporting requires some manual tweaking.

Alan Etienne

Thanks again for all these very helpful explanations. I’m currently considering to purchase the new Mac 24inch. I’ve only used Windows in the past but because I use an iPhone and iPad it make sense to go completely to Apple. I use QuickenWin version 2014 all the time so now considering to purchase the Subscription version, first Windows then Mac. That’s why I have to be sure before I buy a Mac. I assume the Mac version is compatible with Mac 24inch. Thanks again for your help

jacobs

Yes, Quicken Mac is compatible with any new Mac.

If you make the plunge to get the Mac, and purchase a Quicken subscription, you can try using Quicken Mac to see if it meets your needs. If you determine it doesn't, you could install Virtual Machine software on your Mac to run Quicken Windows. There are a fair number of Quicken users who do this to be able to run a Mac but retain desired functionality of Quicken Windows.

Your Quicken subscription covers both Mac and Windows, so there's be no extra cost for Quicken if you switched. For the Virtual Machine, you could chose between VMWare Fusion (free) or Parallels (paid), plus you'd need to purchase a Windows license.

But: be aware that while you can import your Quicken Windows data file into Quicken Mac, you can't go the other way. So if you start out using Quicken Mac, know that if you decide to revert to Quicken Windows, you'll need to do so with your existing Quicken Windows data file and re-enter any work you've done in Quicken Mac.

So it's obviously easier and better if you take the Mac plunge to just stick with Quicken Mac; I'm just sharing an 'escape' strategy back to Quicken Windows that's available if you determine Quicken Mac is inadequate for your needs.

Alan Etienne

I’m nearly sold on the Mac version! There is a possibility I can get access to a Mac to try it out with the windows version alongside as well.
Best wishes
Alan

Alan Etienne

Another question. On the windows version in the calendar you can show a graph / bar chart of the accounts at the bottom. This is useful to check any accounts getting overdrawn during the month. Has Mac got that feature?

Quicken Francisco

Hello @Alan Etienne

To answer your question about trying out Quicken Mac you are able to download both version within the subscription model. This meaning that you're able to also load it up and sign in on Mac for you to try out without having to change anything on your subscription. You should be able to do so by downloading the Mac version down below and signing into the program.

https://www.quicken.com/support/how-do-i-download-quicken-quickencom-after-i-buy-it

If you have any further questions please let us know.

Thanks,
Quicken Francisco

jacobs

Alan Etienne said:

Another question. On the windows version in the calendar you can show a graph / bar chart of the accounts at the bottom. This is useful to check any accounts getting overdrawn during the month. Has Mac got that feature?