Need advice about which Quicken for Mac I should get, Classic or Simple

bookmanjb

I'm currently using Quicken 2007 on a 2015 iMac running Mojave. For a variety of reasons I have to get a new iMac running Sonoma, which is obviously not compatible with Q 2007.

I only use Quicken to track my bank, cash, and credit card accounts, and to run simple reports. That's all. Nothing online.

Which subscription plan would be best for me? Thanks in advance.

jacobs

The most comparable product for you is Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac. It's the successor program to the Quicken 2007 you've been using. It allows you to download transactions online if you should want, but you can enter everything manually as you currently do. The modern Quicken Mac can import your existing Quicken 2007 data file, so you can maintain your existing data, assuming you want to.

There is also Quicken Classic Starter for Mac, which is the same program with some features turned off. It doesn't track investments or loans, but you've indicated you don't do either, so it might be okay for your needs. It has only simple monthly budgets, versus the more comprehensive 12-months annual budgets in Quicken Deluxe. It also doesn't allow you to continue using it if you let your subscription end, whereas Quicken Deluxe allows you to continue using it for manual data entry, with the loss of the right quarter of your screen for a persistent ad/reminder to renew, if your subscription ends. I generally don't recommend Starter for most users, but you might find it meets your needs. The difference in cost from Starter ($42/year) to Deluxe ($60/year) is small enough that I think Deluxe is the better choice for most people. And at this time a year, you might find some discounts on subscriptions which bring the cost of Deluxe down to, or below, Starter.

Quicken now also offers Quicken Simplifi. This is a completely separate product. It is online only, and is really designed to be used with accounts which are downloaded online; it allows manual entry, but it is not optimized for it. It doesn't has more limited reports than Quicken Classic — you can only view them onscreen and can't print or download them. And it will not import your existing Quicken 2007 data. I think most existing Quicken users will find Simplifi frustrating because it lacks features you're used to, unless you're looking for a new, entirely online experience.

I hope that helps you sift through your choices. Feel free to post back if you have additional questions.

jacobs

The most comparable product for you is Quicken Classic Deluxe for Mac. It's the successor program to the Quicken 2007 you've been using. It allows you to download transactions online if you should want, but you can enter everything manually as you currently do. The modern Quicken Mac can import your existing Quicken 2007 data file, so you can maintain your existing data, assuming you want to.

There is also Quicken Classic Starter for Mac, which is the same program with some features turned off. It doesn't track investments or loans, but you've indicated you don't do either, so it might be okay for your needs. It has only simple monthly budgets, versus the more comprehensive 12-months annual budgets in Quicken Deluxe. It also doesn't allow you to continue using it if you let your subscription end, whereas Quicken Deluxe allows you to continue using it for manual data entry, with the loss of the right quarter of your screen for a persistent ad/reminder to renew, if your subscription ends. I generally don't recommend Starter for most users, but you might find it meets your needs. The difference in cost from Starter ($42/year) to Deluxe ($60/year) is small enough that I think Deluxe is the better choice for most people. And at this time a year, you might find some discounts on subscriptions which bring the cost of Deluxe down to, or below, Starter.

Quicken now also offers Quicken Simplifi. This is a completely separate product. It is online only, and is really designed to be used with accounts which are downloaded online; it allows manual entry, but it is not optimized for it. It doesn't has more limited reports than Quicken Classic — you can only view them onscreen and can't print or download them. And it will not import your existing Quicken 2007 data. I think most existing Quicken users will find Simplifi frustrating because it lacks features you're used to, unless you're looking for a new, entirely online experience.

I hope that helps you sift through your choices. Feel free to post back if you have additional questions.

bookmanjb

Thanks so much for your clear, comprehensive, and extremely helpful answer.