Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
Quicken Essentials offers numerous useful tools to track your finances on the Mac, but it falls short by leaving out some important features found in Windows versions. The interface has been rebuilt from the ground up to make Mac users feel at home by following the design and navigation schemes of other Mac programs like iTunes. All of your accounts, transactions, credit cards, reports, and program tools are easily accessible from the left sidebar (what they call the Source List), showing all the information for each in the main register window. Like iTunes, you can click and drag to expand columns in the register and also sort by column heading with a single click.
Intuit strove to make it easy to set up accounts and import data from old versions of the program, Windows versions, and old users of the now defunct Microsoft Money. The import process is less than intuitive, however, forcing you to go through multiple steps even to import data from your Mac version of Quicken 2007. Also, those with large amounts (multiple years) of data are in for a long wait. Some import actions require the use of an external converter, which seems like it ought to have been part of the import process already and something you shouldn't have to deal with.
Where Quicken Essentials shines is for those who are new to tracking their finances. A wizard guides you through the process of adding bank accounts, credit cards, and ongoing monthly expenses like car payments or rent, making it easy to track all your spending habits. In addition to your transactions, you can view charts and graphs that detail your spending over a given period of time so you can make adjustments in real life to make your income work better for you. Quicken Essentials will also let you view activity in individual accounts or view a ledger of all your accounts so you can assess your overall financial health. Unfortunately, those hoping to use Bill Pay or track their investments will be disappointed with Quicken Essentials because Intuit chose to leave Bill Pay out of the Mac version and you only get the barest minimum of information regarding your investments.
Quicken Essentials does a great job categorizing your expenses, accurately identifying the ways you're spending your money automatically. For added convenience the software lets you download your transaction data, obviating the need to enter transactions manually. The program's budgeting tools are top notch as well, making it easy to analyze your spending categories and draw up a realistic budget.
Overall, Quicken Essentials for Mac is still not as feature-rich as its Windows counterpart, but succeeds if you're just looking for a way to keep an eye on your finances. Unfortunately, those with more complicated needs such as investment tracking or automatic bill pay may need to fire up Quicken in Windows using Boot Camp or any of a number of other virtualization programs.
Publisher's Description
From Intuit:
View your accounts all in one place. Our completely reimagined interface makes it easier than ever to see where you can save more and spend less.
Save time and money. Quicken automatically categorizes transactions so you can see where your money's going and pay down debt.
Avoid pesky overdraft and late fees. See your current balance, including upcoming bills and paychecks so you always know where you stand.
What's new in this version: We're very excited about the all-new Quicken Essentials for Mac. Not only does it solve the core Quicken jobs better, it also provides the ease of use and elegant user interface Mac customers have come to expect from their applications. Our Quicken Mac 2007 and earlier users should note that this is a brand new product, so some of the features you've grown used to may not be included.
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All versions:
1.4 starsout of 63 votes
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Current version:
1.4 starsout of 59 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Worthless, and worthless support, used to love quicken"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
easy entry and easy reports. quicken used to be one of my favorite programs.
Cons
Won't download my accounts, when switching from old (!!!, they never upgraded for mac) quicken, it put in a bunch of phantom numbers. Therefore it wasn't my real data any more.
Summary
POS
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"Complete waste of time and money!"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
OS 10.7 compatible
Cons
Won't import files downloaded from my bank. The only Quicken option is to pay a monthly fee for direct-connect. I could pay $50 for a file conversion app but why pay for a separate app to make Quicken work?
I contacted customer service and received a reply that was clearly a mass reply file, despite the fact that it didn't answer or address my concerns.Summary
Don't waste your money. Try another program. Intuit has no interest in treating Mac owners as well as Windows owners.
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"Don't waste your time or money!"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
I could not think of any.
Cons
Very difficult to use and it took hours for my sister and I to figure out how to use Quicken Essentials. My sister has used Quicken for PC's for several years, and we thought it would only take a short time to download and add all of my financial information. What a nightmare! It took hours just to perform simple operations. When I purchased Quicken Essentials I was very disappointed in how may hours it took just to figure out how to use this version. Hate it. How did Intuit go from good to horrible. Looking for something new.
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"Disappointed and saddened"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
NONE, I am sorry to say
Cons
I have used Quicken for the Mac since it first came out. I used to recommend it to my clients however, I am sorry to say that this iteration is so oversimplified and so awkward I recommend clients NOT upgrade from previous Quicken products.
Summary
It is so sad that Quicken "dumbed" down Quicken for the Mac and made the interface anything but intuitive or helpful. As soon as I am finished with this year's taxes I am getting a new program.
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"Awful waste of money"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
none i can think of
Cons
cannot write a check
poor interface
worthless to me -
"Do not waste your time or money on this product."
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
None. Non-correctable problem makes it useless. Unbeleivable in today's world.
Cons
Installed Quicken For Mac 16.1.2 (build 21.817.400) New version auto-enters incorrect data which cannot be corrected. Quicken does not have the will, the ability, or the support to correct this problem, making the program useless.
Summary
Do not waste your time or money on this product.
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"Don't Waste Your Money on This Program"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
Only barely adequate for the most simple checkbook accounting
Cons
Difficult to download transactions from online accounts; Tech support is not helpful and they just tell me they are working on the problem. I was able to download transactions from a credit card account, then one day I couldn't. I hassled with Tech Support for over 3 months and they never resolved the problem. I got tired of emailing them, yet it annoyed me no end to pay for an accounting program that doesn't help me with my accounting.
Summary
I wanted a simple accounting program to keep track of my bank statements and credit card accounts. Quicken for Mac is not able to do that with any consistency. I waste too much time and energy inputing data that it can't download.
I feel totally ripped off by the Quicken Mac version. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Quicken, for putting out such a half-assed program and charging people for it. -
"Want to like it but can't..."
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
I'm fine with the limited functionality and I like the look and feel of the software.
Cons
Quicken Essentials uses a different financial institution list than Quicken for Windows, so I can't do online updates for my 401(k) like i could in the Windows version. Why would you have different lists of financial institutions for different versions of Quicken? And why would the Mac Essentials version exclude one of the largest 401(k) providers in the country? This makes no sense.
Summary
On the plus side, when i finally got through to tech support - two calls and a total of 30 minutes of hold time - they quickly agreed to give me a refund when i asked for one. For that i added an extra star.
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"horrible automation"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
Uses Quicken format.
Cons
Automated features that are slow, difficult or impossible to configure, and counterproductive. Lack of Quicken features.
Summary
This is a horribly frustrating piece of software to use. It has many problems but the most difficult for me to overcome is the date picker. You can't de-automate this. You can't avoid the picker popping up. And it's slow. So if you're used to ten-key entry or are just fast at entering your data, you're going to get incorrect entries, even if you're on a very fast Mac. Then there are other bad choices made by the designer; for example the default action for many edits you might make is to change all similar items, a design decision that can (and has, for me) destroy data. The default should be to NOT dump or alter existing data! I thought I could deal with the lack of features that so many complain about. But I've seen few complaints about what has actually turned out to be the problem, all these really odd design decisions that make the program frustrating or counterproductive.
I hate this software. As soon as I get a break in my workload, I'm going to drop it for GnuCash or something else. A sharp rock and a rotting log would be a better accounting tool. -
"Not even a full program"
Version: Quicken Essentials 2010
Pros
nothing but a glorified checkbook register
Cons
Unable to track loans at all. Windows allow you to enter the parameters of the loan to amortize all the payments, however, this is not available in Essentials. I am starting to regret getting a mac, the programs or lite versions or non-existsant. In addition, to reconsile,you are required to have the balances for each one of the account even though they are connected through the web. So you are unable to use the online account balance. A lot of work!
Summary
I have used money management software for years, ever since linking your account online was possible. I believe that software was more advanced than Essentials 2010. It also concerns me to see such a discrepancy between CNET review and the user reviews. I guess I should have listen to the users out there instead of who I thought the "experts" were.
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