Software · head to head
Moneydance vs Quicken
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Moneydance the free trial is limited to 100 manually entered transactions; Quicken quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
- They diverge on capability: Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Quicken covers Budget creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Moneydance and Quicken actually diverge.
| Attribute | Moneydance | Quicken |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $3.99/month |
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
| Founded | 2001 | 1983 |
Identical on both: 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 Moneydance
- Bill tracking
- Investment monitoring
- Budget tracking
- Financial forecasting
- OFX import
- Linux support
- Android support
Only in Quicken
- Budget creation
- Bill management
- Investment tracking
- Tax planning
- Credit cards
Both cover
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Windows support
- Mac support
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Moneydance
- Desktop personal finance management on macOS, Windows and Linuxnot Quicken
- Importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locallynot Quicken
- Tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only servicenot Quicken
Quicken
- Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot Moneydance
- Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot Moneydance
- Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot Moneydance
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Quicken
- Quicken Simplifi (cloud version) costs $3.99 annually if billed yearly, but renews at full price $6.99/month unless cancelled before renewal
- Renewal pricing significantly higher than introductory rate; annual cost jumps from $47.88 (promotional) to $83.88 (regular renewal)
Pricing, plan by plan
Moneydance
On request- Perpetual License$59.99/month
- Full feature set
- Free updates
Quicken
$3.99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Quicken review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Moneydance if
- You need bill tracking.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android.
- You also want investment monitoring.
Choose Quicken if
- You need budget creation.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- You also want bill management.
Questions people ask
- Is Moneydance or Quicken better?
- Neither clearly leads. Moneydance starts at On request and Quicken at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Moneydance or Quicken?
- Moneydance starts at On request and Quicken at $3.99/month.
- Does Moneydance or Quicken run on more platforms?
- Moneydance runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android. Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- What is Moneydance best used for?
- Moneydance is most often used for desktop personal finance management on macos, windows and linux, importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locally, tracking investments and budgets without a cloud-only service. Of those, desktop personal finance management on macos, windows and linux and importing and reconciling bank and credit card transactions locally are not what Quicken is typically brought in for.
- What can Moneydance do that Quicken cannot?
- Moneydance covers Bill tracking, Investment monitoring, Budget tracking, Financial forecasting. Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning. Both handle Bank accounts, Investment accounts, Windows support, Mac support.