- Review of: Quicken for Windows
- Reviewed by:
- Published on:
- Last Modified:
Quicken for Windows is the gold standard in personal finance software and budgeting. It remains the app to beat with the most comprehensive features. However, customers have long complained about customer service issues, bank synchronization problems, and a poorly implemented mobile app.
Quicken is the granddaddy of personal finance apps, and it’s the software users love to hate. I’ve been a Quicken user since 1992 — now over 24 years. I used to track every one of my 60-plus accounts with Quicken. We had every bank account, credit card, asset, retirement, investment and liability linked within the software. So to say I’m a power-user of their product would be an understatement. For this review of Quicken Premier 2017 for Windows, I bought a copy from Amazon and converted from my previous test installation of Quicken 2016.
Testing Quicken 2017
To be fully transparent to our readers, I no longer use Quicken on a daily basis and switched to using Personal Capital instead. So with Quicken 2017 I imported what I could from the previous version but also set up new accounts missing from the previous testing. I specifically tested all accounts that had online synchronization, since that appears to be a common problem with Quicken users.
If you are unaware, Quicken is no longer owned by Inuit, as they have sold Quicken to a private equity firm. Long term, I’m not sure what to make of this news or what it means for the future of Quicken.
At one time Quicken was the only game in town. Today that is no longer the case, and you have many alternatives to Quicken to choose from.
Today it’s possible to completely store your financial information online using services like YNAB or what we recommend as the best personal finance service, Personal Capital.
However, these financial aggregation services tend to be read-only and are more for alerts or reporting your finances. Reconciliation and online bill pay aren’t available with these types of services. To be fair, most banks offer online bill pay via their website or mobile app, so the need for online bill pay with your personal finance software has waned.
For individuals who prefer to stay with a locally installed program, there is Moneydance or, if you are looking for a native Macintosh software application, there is Banktivity as well.
But none of the mentioned applications come close to Quicken in market share or the comprehensive personal finance features that make Quicken for Windows still the leader in the industry.
Quicken for Windows Features
| Cost | $39.95–$119.95 |
|---|---|
| Budgeting | Yes |
| Online Synchronization | Yes |
| Bill Payment | Yes |
| Investment Monitoring | Yes |
| Mobile App | Yes – Apple iOS and Google Android |
| Promotions | Save up to 44% |
Quicken 2017 vs. Quicken 2016
So what has changed from last year’s version? It’s another year of Quicken and another very minor update. The major new features are:
- Improved Mobile App — A more powerful mobile app, now with investment tracking (excludes Starter Edition), offline use and enhanced search.
- Redesigned User Interface — Easier to use interface with a new look and feel.
- Automatic Home Value Assessment — By using Zillow, Quicken will automatically determine the value of your house.
The biggest feature for Quicken 2017 is the improved mobile app for Apple iOS and Google Android devices. You can enter transactions manually even if you’re not connected to the internet and sync them later when you are back online. The app offers functionality to search by check number, amount or note/memo.
Quicken also has a refreshed look-n-feel. Again, like most things with Quicken updates, these aren’t not dramatic but subtle changes. The last graphic redesign was in the mid-2000s, so this is a welcome change but nothing earth shattering, either.
The last major new feature is linking up your home with Zillow. This feature is available in the Premier and the Home & Business versions of Quicken. Using Zillow’s Zestimate feature, Quicken will automatically update your property value. No longer do you need to guess your home value; Quicken will do this for you. But keep in mind Zestimate isn’t always correct; from many times testing their service, I’ve found it can be higher or lower than the actual value of comparable homes in your area.
Though not mentioned in the press release, Quicken has increased the retail pricing of the Premier and Home & Business versions by $5.
Features Introduced in Quicken 2016
- See, Track, and Pay Your Bills All in One Place — Link your bills, and Quicken will automatically track the due date and amount due.
- Free Phone Support — Phone support is available Monday to Friday, 5 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time, and you can use their online chat support 24/7.
- Easier Upgrades — Moving from Windows to Mac is easier for older versions of Quicken (2010 and greater).
- Better Reliability of Bank Downloads — Ability to eliminate duplicate transactions.
Features Introduced in Quicken 2015
- Portfolio X-Ray — Available with Premier and higher, you can get insights from Morningstar about your investment portfolio.
- Free Credit Score — This is something Intuit also added to their Mint.com service.
- Mobile Improvements — You can create spending graphs, and syncing occurs faster.
- Improved Options Trades — Ability to better handle options trades.
Features Introduced in Quicken 2014
- Store and Save Receipts — You can take pictures of your receipts and store them within Quicken for later retrieval.
- Memorized Transactions Show Up in Register — This is perhaps the new feature I like best. Previously you had to enter memorized transactions, but this feature will display future events within the register before entering the transaction.
- Overall Speed Improvements — While I did not conduct exact performance tests, it seems Quicken 2014 was much more responsive.
- Mobile Synchronization Improvements — Many users complained how Quicken’s mobile synchronization was broken in 2013. Intuit claims this feature has been improved, and my testing thus far confirms it.
- Budget Improvements — Users also complained about the budget changes in 2013’s edition. Quicken added two options that should satisfy users who want their budget displayed while including and excluding specific transactions.
- More Connectivity Resolutions — Quicken 2014 makes it even easier to fix connectivity issues with your financial institution.
Features Introduced in Quicken 2013
- Quicken Mobile — First version of Quicken Mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
- Synchronization Improvements — Gave a step-by-step process to help with bank synchronization problems.
- New Budgeting Functionality — But many users complained about this new functionality, and it was improved in 2014.
Quick Comparison
|  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Read the Review | Read the Review | |
| Rating | Rated 4 stars | Rated 4.5 stars | Rated 4 stars |
| Budgeting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Investment Monitoring | Yes | Yes | No |
| Promotions | Up To 50% Off | FREE | FREE First Two Months |
| Compare More Personal Finance Software | |||
Technical Requirements
Quicken’s requirements have always been the middle to low end of new computers. The specs listed below shouldn’t be an issue if your hardware is less than three years old. These are similar specs needed to run Quicken 2011–2016. I would recommend a slightly more powerful machine than listed. Note that Quicken 2017 does not support Windows XP, which has been EOLed.
- CPU — 1 GHz (I recommend a more powerful CPU)
- Operating System — Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (32- and 64-bit)
- Memory — 1 GB or more (I recommend at least 2 GB; 4 GB or more being ideal)
- Hard Disk Space — Up to 450 MB, up to 1.5 GB if .NET is not already installed
- Display — 1024×768 or higher resolution, 1280×1024 for large fonts
- Internet — 56 Kbps (broadband recommended for online services)
- Sound — Sound card and speakers recommended
- Printer — Any printer supported by Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10
- Additional Software (included in Quicken installer) — Microsoft .NET 4.0 or later
- Mobile Requirements — iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad: Requires iOS 8 or iOS 9. Android mobile and tablet: Requires 3.0 or higher. Windows Phone and Blackberry: Not compatible at this time.
Using Quicken for Windows on a Macintosh
I’ve been using Quicken since my first MS-DOS computer in 1992. Now that I am a Macintosh user, the question becomes how do I run Quicken for Windows on my Macintosh?
Even with the release of Quicken 2017 for Mac, it doesn’t have every feature the Windows version has or function exactly the same way.
For some, there’s still the need to use Quicken 2017 Premier for Windows.
One way is to use VMware Fusion. If you want to find out more about this process you can read my article, “How to Run Quicken for Windows on a Mac.”
The added benefit of virtualizing Windows is an additional layer of security. Since no other software is installed on that instance, you don’t have to worry about any rogue viruses or software compromising your finances. This technique is also possible when running a Windows-based machine.
Pros
- Most Comprehensive — The most complete personal finance software app. Can help plan your future, for individuals just starting out to people with multi-million-dollar portfolios and near retirement.
- Strong Portfolio Management — Allows the tracking of multiple financial portfolios with stock quote updates.
- Bill Pay — For banks that support it, you can write checks directly within Quicken's Bill Pay service. Web-based aggregation sites do not offer this service.
- Robust Budgeting — One of the more robust budgeting tools.
- Improved Mobile App — 2017 introduces an improved mobile app.
Cons
- Unknown Future — Intuit has sold Quicken and the future of the product is unknown.
- Synchronization Issues for Some Users — Some users have reported synchronization issues in previous editions, though it's mostly financial institution specific.
- Poor Customer Service — Intuit has a long history of poor customer service for Quicken. Hopefully the new owners have made improvements with this edition.
- Requirement of Desktop Software — Millennials who use their smartphone as their only device will not be able to use Quicken's mobile app since it requires purchasing and syncing with their desktop software.
Quicken Review and Summary
Quicken is now published by an independent company. The new features are minor at best. The mobile app improvements are good, but nowhere near the same functionality as Personal Capital’s mobile app.
As stated previously I personally no longer use Quicken and been using Personal Capital for the past few years.
If you are one of the Millennials whose smartphone is their only and primary device, using Quicken will be a non-starter for you. Quicken requires you to purchase the desktop application, which then sends your information to their free mobile app. So the mobile app does not stand on its own.
New users who like the idea of keeping their personal finance information on their desktop might want to seriously consider Quicken, as it still has the most features of any personal finance app. And for individuals who want their data stored offline, Quicken is still the best bet.
Existing users of earlier versions who still want to use Quicken should probably upgrade to this version, as it does improve some of the previous annoyances. Hopefully, Quicken did not introduce new bugs in the process. Typically with Quicken it takes a few upgrades to fix any of the bugs missed during testing.
As I’ve mentioned previously, we are no longer recommending Quicken as the best personal finance software tool. We are recommending Personal Capital for individuals who need tools to focus on investment tracking, and YNAB for budgeting.
Save up to 44% Off Quicken From Amazon
Amazon’s pricing is almost always cheaper than paying retail from Quicken. Much cheaper. As of the publication date, here’s the sales price of each version of Quicken.
Amazon frequently changes their prices. The prices listed below are updated hourly.
Confused on which one to pick? I recommend Quicken Premier 2017 for its investment features.
| Version | Retail Price | Sale Price | Discount | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quicken Starter for Windows | $28.30 | 29% | Learn More | |
| Quicken Deluxe for Windows | $48.54 | 35% | Learn More | |
| Quicken Premier for Windows | $67.27 | 39% | Learn More | |
| Quicken Home & Business for Windows | $66.89 | 44% | Learn More | |
| Quicken for Mac | $45.45 | 39% | Learn More |
Comments
Quicken is a piece of crap. I just updated to 2017. I’ve been using the mobile app for years. Suddenly the entries on the app won’t sync and no one at Quicken can explain it or even care. I spent 3 hours with a “technician” who finally just said it was a file problem and passed it along to someone not even available for 3 days. I told her there was a log that was generated and was ignored. She couldn’t explain the error messages from the upload attempt and kept trying to get me to go back to a backup from 2016. I’m done with this worthless crap. If only I could get my money back…..
I’ve been using Quicken for years however starting with 2016 the product has become more trouble than it’s worth. Accounts I’ve had working forever suddenly fail to communicate. Resetting the account results in 6 months of duplicate downloads which must be manually deleted. This seems to happen randomly on different accounts though checking has failed three or four times over the last three months. Printing checks now fails though it worked yesterday. Writing the CEO of Quicken resulted in a senior tech making an appointment which never happened. I’m totally leaving this behind for myself and my clients.
Beware that Quicken is changing its pricing model to annual subscription. and worse when your subscription lapses you’ll no longer be able to update your own data. This change is already in effect in the Canadian version of Quicken and Quicken has confirmed that it will be coming to the US, probably in the 2018 edition.
Quicken Inc should reverse its decision to change to a subscription that makes the user's data read-only if they stop paying
Thanks for the info it’s not official yet and will have more info with the 2018 release of Quicken.
I have spent several hours with tech support for Quicken 2017. the product is not an improvement over the previous version. nothing worth spending $ on. in fact it is worse. printing reports is next to impossible, no page formatting is available. the tell me they are working on it but it has been weeks and why was the new version released without proper testing. too many print screens are so large that the controls are off the screen. again no pre-testing. have used it for years but now may be the time to change. definitely looking for an alternative.
I have been using Quicken Premiere 2017 since October. I don’t use the bill pay. I love the alerts, for bill pay, income, works good. Quicken also does a good job on investments. Setting up accounts through your bank and investment companies, is a breeze, good downloading into Quicken, I have tried different Mac versions of personal finance, I switched to a windows computer to use this program, nothing compares to this program, love, love, love it!
I too have (had) been using Quicken since mid 80s and moved last year to Personal Capital. while I like that program I feel the need for; Ability to create new categories or Ability to add a new transaction on the fly, or splitting transactions or recording a cash transaction or a Quicken like budgeting capability AND ability to import from Quicken.. Unfortunately PC does not do any of these BUT I think I did find a good alternative option in a product called Count about (countabout.com).. I suggest you give it a try as I could import all my quicken data in a few minutes along with quicken categories intact.
If I upgrade from Quicken H&B 2014 to H&B 2017 will it stop hounding me for my quicken password when I do online updates? Thanks.
Just upgraded to 2017 yesterday, and asked for a refund today. 2017 version is truncating passwords at 12 characters. My 2015 version did not have that problem. Very disappointed in this decision since every character adds exponential effort to crack. Also couldn’t connect to my IRA provider and on my 401K it inexplicably doubled my balance. Finally had to wait on hold for 30 minutes just to get the refund, and they removed email as an option for support. Going downhill fast! I’m done with Quicken.
As a long time user of Quicken I can see its weaknesses. Great tool for a young person’s financial management, and actually not bad for tracking investments. However, with no disrespect to millennial programmers, I need to devise too many workarounds for investment transactions.
I’m an old fart with a sizable portfolio. Mortgage long paid off, no debt except for current credit cards. Use electronic banking from both my bank and brokerage accounts. Multiple brokerage accounts. Mobile app is fine for updating expenses while on the road, but otherwise need the desktop version.
Try to enter a Required Minimum Distribution from a taxable IRA to a regular investment account with the brokerage withholding taxes, a common transaction, into Quicken. I spent a lot of time setting up the taxable transactions so the standard reports work. That’s for a cash distribution; I shudder at the thought of a ‘distribution in kind’ of stock. One can’t dream these transactions up, but they exist.
Great for the basics, but I don’t see any good alternatives for those of us who have graduated, so to speak.
I can tell you that the change of ownership is going to be wonderful for Quicken. Good things are coming! They are more into customer feedback and the feedback of their tech support reps. They are focused on one product and want to make it great again. There are many new techs in training and customer service will be the best ever. How do I know this you ask? I am a Quicken Tech support and I am excited for all the new changes. If you ever need to call us we are happy to help you and remember, be nice to your tech support rep (please!)
( This is same comment I posted for the Sale of Quicken article but thought it applicable here)
The sale of Quicken by Intuit is welcomed by me. I am a longtime user of Quicken since 1991 when data was put on diskettes. So you can imagine the size of my data file now (actually I will tell you – 129MB and I don’t use images or receipts) . Unlike what was recommended by Quicken, I did not summarize/consolidate my data every year to shrink the data size because I wanted to have the large data history for searches. I have been totally discouraged by the terrible quality of the product the last few years. Many times the tech support reps would tell me my data file was too large. Not the right answer! I would call in to get support and they would promise me a fix and every year that I would get updates, the quality got worse. Some bugs have been there for years. I was considering moving on to another product but which one could import all my historical data and make good use of it? A few months ago when I called in for support, I finally got a hint that something was changing – the support team were not from India it seemed and they knew more about the product. Recently, I became part of the beta team testing out Quicken 2016 product fixes and later 2017 because I thought testing the product with my large data file would be helpful. I can say so far I am impressed with the intent of the developers appearing to desire to not only fix the problems but deliver enhancements. It looks like the culture has finally changed. I am finally thinking that I won’t have to move on if they truly keep going their current direction. I am going to give them a little more time now. I am finally optimistic.
Quicken remains the only game in town for people with many (more than three let’s say) accounts, investments, and particularly if they own a small business and don’t want to use Quickbooks (which does not work well for personal accounts).
“If you are one of the Millennials whose smartphone is their only and primary device, using Quicken will be a non-starter for you. ” Anyone who can manage all their finances with a smart phone app only probably does not have enough money or bother with Quicken or has a professional accountant or financial planner managing everything.
I have a Personal Capital brokerage account and occasionally look at the free dashboard but it has more problems syncing with accounts than does Quicken and has no importing, no long-term historical data and no reporting.
Thanks for letting me know what is new in the 2017 update and it hardly seems worth $40 for a refreshed interface over the 2016 version. I have not used the mobile app yet so cannot comment on that. If the remote entry and sync feature works well, that would be a useful tool, although it’s not like I have many transactions during the day where I don’t get a receipt or it is not charged to a credit card. Anyway, the problem has been knowing that purchases family members made (not me) and I don’t see them using the mobile app to record that.
Next year’s version will be the big thing. Will the new owners switch to a cloud version? Will they switch to a subscription service?
I moved from Quicken for Windows 2015 to Quicken for Mac 2015 and it handled most of my needs. Lack of budgeting was a big deal but I eventually did that with Everydollar.com. I skipped Quicken 2016 for Mac because I didn’t see any features that interested me at all. Bill pay at $10/mo holds no appeal to me when I only pay a few bills a month, mostly through direct draft or the free bill pay service at my bank.
I did upgrade to Quicken for Mac 2017 over the weekend to try out the new budgeting feature. That feature is on par with what I recalled form the Windows version. it still lacks the ability to track transfers, so a $2,000 mortgage payment that is $800 interest and $1,200 principle is only shown in the budget as $800 interest as the principle is a transfer to the mortgage balance, and the budget ignores that completely.
Overall, I am glad though I did the upgrade. The 2017 UI look better than the 2015/2016 UI, and the mobile app is better.
If you are the kind that is wringing out every feature of Premier for Windows, then the Mac version won’t work for you, but if you are doing basic finance tracking with investments, budgeting, and tax reporting, Quicken for Mac 2017 is worth a try IMHO if you are using macOS.