Quicken is one of the most popular software options for managing your personal and business finances – but can you download an older version of Quicken to use on Mac or Windows?
It’s possible to continue using an older version of Quicken, provided it has yet to be discontinued. However, if you’re a new customer planning to download Quicken on your Mac or Windows PC, you will need to download the latest software version.
Find out what you need to know about downloading and using Quicken and the latest software versions that offer you the best user experience.
1. How Do I Upgrade My Quicken Software?
Downloading the latest version of the Quicken software ensures you can access its full range of features and be confident that the software works optimally.
The good news is that it’s easy to upgrade Quicken, and you don’t need to worry about downloading an old software version.
As soon as you download transactions from your bank, Quicken automatically checks that you’re on the latest release.
However, if you want to check yourself before connecting Quicken to your bank, you can find the relevant information by going to Help > About Quicken.
Here, you will have the option to “Check for Updates,” which you can select to discover if you are running the latest software version.
If an update is available, a prompt will appear on the screen, allowing you to install it. You can then follow the necessary steps to upgrade to the latest software version.
2. Do I Have to Upgrade Quicken Every Year?
If you want to continue accessing the full range of Quicken services, you need to subscribe and ensure that you pay the fee on time every year or risk losing some of the helpful features that make managing your personal accounts easy.
Quicken is subscription-based software, meaning you must pay a monthly or annual sum to access the software’s features.
Helpfully, if you sign up for the auto-renew option when you cancel your subscription, you don’t need to upgrade Quicken every year manually.
If your subscription expires, you will still have full access to and ownership of your data, enabling you to view, edit, export, and manually enter transactions, even if you’re not currently paying a fee to subscribe to the software.
However, when you stop paying for your subscription, you will not be able to access online Quicken services, including transaction downloads, quotes, mobile syncing, and customer support.
3. Where is Old Quicken Files Stored?
Quicken allows you to back up and preserve your financial data, which is a good way of safeguarding your records should you experience computer failure or any other issues with your primary computing device.
One way of backing up your data is to save your files to the Quicken Cloud. Just remember to destroy old hard drives that could have sensitive data on them before you decide to transfer to the cloud.
When you sign up for Quicken, you are given 5GB of online storage with Dropbox, which you can use to store important files and financial data.
Crucially, even if you stop paying for a Quicken subscription, you can still access your financial data and files from the Cloud.
This is helpful if you need to share your details with a third party like an accountant or if you wish to migrate to a different Cloud-based accounting software.
4. How Much Does the Latest Version of Quicken Cost?
People sometimes want to run older versions of Quicken to avoid paying for a running subscription, which is understandable.
That being said, Quicken is one of the most affordable accounting software options out there, and the current pricing structure is as follows:
- Starter – $3.49 per month.
- Deluxe – $4.99 per month.
- Premier – $6.99 per month.
- Home & Business – $9.99 per month.
- Simplifi (Quicken’s personal finance tracking) – $3.99 per month.
If you’re on the fence about subscribing to the latest version of Quicken, you can sign up for a thirty-day free trial to experience the software before committing to a purchase.
As such, given that you need to download and run the latest version of Quicken to experience the software’s broad range of features, the current pricing structure is more than reasonable.
Subscribing can help you with your personal and business finances.
5. What about Quicken Alternatives?
Quicken is widely regarded as one of the best and most affordable expense trackers and is available for Mac and Windows.
That being said, it’s not the only way to keep track of your finances, and several other options are available.
One such option is Personal Capital, which is free to use and helps you with various aspects of your budgeting. It even has crypto integration, helping you manage multiple parts of your portfolio without issue.
Other options include Tiller, PocketSmith, CountAbout, and Moneydance, which provide a reasonable price for excellent budgeting and financial planning tools.
So, other options are certainly available if you no longer wish to use Quicken.
Conclusion
While running an older version of Quicken might be possible, it makes sense to upgrade to the latest version of the software so you can enjoy all of its key features.
Keeping Quicken up-to-date also ensures you can easily access your financial information, but you will need to make sure that you subscribe to a paid plan to access all of the available features.