Software · head to head
Banktivity vs Moneydance
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version; Moneydance the free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions
- They diverge on capability: Banktivity covers Account tracking, Moneydance covers Bill tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Banktivity and Moneydance actually diverge.
| Attribute | Banktivity | Moneydance |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | one-time |
| Platforms | Mac, IOS | Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android |
| Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Banktivity
- Account tracking
- Bill management
- Investment tracking
- Budget forecasting
Only in Moneydance
- Bill tracking
- Investment monitoring
- Budget tracking
- Financial forecasting
- OFX import
- Windows support
- Linux support
- Android support
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Mac support
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Banktivity
- Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Moneydance
- Investment and net worth trackingnot Moneydance
- Retirement planning projectionsnot Moneydance
- Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Moneydance
Moneydance
- Desktop personal finance management on macOS, Windows and Linuxnot Banktivity
- Importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locallynot Banktivity
- Tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only servicenot Banktivity
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Banktivity
- Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
- Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page
Moneydance
- The free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions
- A one-time Buy Once purchase covers Moneydance 2024 plus one free upgrade to the next major release, not all future versions
- Bank connection features are sold separately as the Moneydance Plus subscription rather than included in the one-time purchase
- Business use requires one licence per computer, while the household licence covers personal use only
Pricing, plan by plan
Banktivity
On request- Monthly$4.99/month
- Full feature access
- Cloud sync
- Annual$39.99/month
- All monthly features
- Discounted rate
Moneydance
On request- Perpetual License$59.99/month
- Full feature set
- Free updates
Which should you pick?
Choose Banktivity if
- You need account tracking.
- You work on Mac, IOS.
- You also want bill management.
Choose Moneydance if
- You need bill tracking.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
- You also want investment monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Banktivity or Moneydance better?
- Neither clearly leads. Banktivity starts at On request and Moneydance at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Banktivity or Moneydance?
- Banktivity starts at On request and Moneydance at On request.
- Does Banktivity or Moneydance run on more platforms?
- Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS. Moneydance runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
- What is Banktivity best used for?
- Banktivity is most often used for personal budgeting and money management on a mac, investment and net worth tracking, retirement planning projections, connecting to over 14,000 financial institutions. Of those, personal budgeting and money management on a mac and investment and net worth tracking are not what Moneydance is typically brought in for.
- What can Banktivity do that Moneydance cannot?
- Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Investment tracking, Budget forecasting. Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Investment monitoring, Budget tracking, Financial forecasting. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Mac support, IOS support.