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Without subscription can't use Quicken starter version

Cmterg27

Dear Quicken, all the messages I got saying I had to renew or I wouldn't be able to download account data, etc and upload updates to the program, never said I could manually enter new data. I have been using this for about 30 years. I've bought a new version every 4-5 years.
I do not need the downloading tools.

You have lost a loyal customer.
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jacobs

@Cmterg27 First, I want to let you know that you aren't speaking to Quicken management here — just fellow Quicken users and a handful of Quicken moderators.

Second, buying a new version every 4-5 years went out the door when Quicken switched to subscription pricing back in 2018. It was publicized at the time of that change and ever since that Quicken Starter becomes read-only if a subscription lapses, while Quicken Deluxe and Premier can continue to be used for manual transaction entry. If you've been using Quicken Starter since 2018, you have apparently been paying to maintain a subscription until now, and if so, it's only a few dollars more per year to switch to Quicken Deluxe, which you could then continue using after your subscription expires.

If you can find a program which meets your needs for free, and you don't mind losing your history in Quicken and learning a new program, go for it. I'd just note that QuickBooks is not free, and I don't think Capterra produces personal finance software.

Chris_QPW

jacobs said:

I'd just note that QuickBooks is not free,

That is an understatement! It is like 10 times more expensive than Quicken and is also a subscription to boot!

NotACPA

@Cmterg27 Your profile indicates that you're running Q2017. If that's still true, then it's been a while since you've been able to download anything. Why the big fuss this time? And, if you've been on Starter this whole time, it's gone into read-only mode before. Again, why the fuss now?

Cmterg27

@NotACPA I don't use the download part of the program. I've never had to pay every year to use manual inputs. Now I have to. I'm not going to pay every year. I'll just go back to making my own excel file like a used to 30 years ago, if I can't find something that doesn't require buying a new version or membership every year.

Cmterg27

jacobs; I figured Quicken would monitor this site to see what their customers have to say. But maybe not. Anyway they have lost a loyal customer

Didn't know QUickBooks cost so much.

volvogirl

You won't have to pay every year. Just upgrade to Deluxe 1 time to start. Then you can keep using it manually after it expires. Only the Starter Version goes into read only mode.

jacobs

@Cmterg27 As has been noted above, the point is if you want to use the program manually, you can do so after you pay for a one-year Quicken Deluxe subscription. You can then continue using it manually indefinitely, until some macOS update makes it necessary update again. (There is a caveat: once your subscription lapses, Quicken steals the right 20% of your Quicken screen for a persistent reminder to renew your subscription. As long as you can live with that by either making your Windows quite wide or doing a little horizontal scrolling, you can keep using the software without paying each year.)

Cmterg27 said:

jacobs; I figured Quicken would monitor this site to see what their customers have to say. But maybe not. Anyway they have lost a loyal customer

Not to be too cold-blooded or cynical about it, but if you're buying the program only every 5 years or so, that amounts to $10/year or less of revenue. I certainly can't speak for them, but I'd say the type of customer they truly value is one who maintains a steady subscription for years and decades. Loyalty cuts both ways, and I'd think that people who only pay one out of every 5 years just aren't as important or valuable to them as those who pay every year.

In any case, they have been using the current subscription pricing for four years now, so they have lots of metrics about renewal/retention rates; I'm sure that if they find their pricing strategy is chasing away customers they need to retain, they'd modify the pricing. But so far, there have been no changes in the subscription pricing program, other than small increases in cost. Who knows that the future will bring.

As for whether it's worth paying for a subscription, that's a decision each of us has to make for ourselves. I have my entire financial history wrapped up in Quicken, and find it offers me an excellent way of viewing all my finances in one place — and I've decided that's worth a few dollars a month to me. To someone who uses the program very lightly for only tracking a single checking account, it's understandable if that user reaches a different conclusion about the value.

Best wishes whichever way you decide to go forward.