Hi,

Regarding whether to switch to Quicken Online, let me answer from my experience. I've been using Quicken for Windows since 1994 and Quicken Online since 2008. (I'm admittedly biased -- I do work here!)

I use both products to maintain my personal finances, and here's why. I can store very complete details in Quicken for Windows about investments. I also like the budget feature, which is more complete than the one in Quicken Online. And I often use the retirement planner. With so many years of history in it, I just can't give it up.

But in Quicken Online, after getting set up and paying attention to cleaning up my payees, categories, and upcoming transactions for a month or two, it is pretty much on autopilot for 90% of my transactions. So it gives me a place to send my husband to see a quick overall idea of our finances. In particular, I can set up budget goals for categories like Groceries, Household, and Wine (our own custom category that we need to watch) and he can always go to the website from his computer and see if we have budget money left in that category for the month.

Here is a FAQ that goes into the differences between Quicken for Windows and Quicken Online. Or you might find this table of comparisons helpful.

To answer your second question, if you use Quicken Online, your transactions will be online, but you can download them to a file on your computer. Here is an FAQ that shows how it works.

Kate Whelan
Quicken Online Writer

Replies to this message

DelaCombos (Jun 23, 2009 2:40 pm)

spasmo (Aug 27, 2009 10:29 am)

Does upcoming transactios, etc, reflect from the desktop to the online website?

I used to use Quicken Online last year, but got frustrated with the way it worked with US Bank.

Now that MS Money is discontinuing, I decided to go back to Quicken Online for the main reason that my wife and I can view and update anywhere.

However, I'm interested in the desktop version if they both sync, to use more tools.

Thanks.

Replies to this message

KateW (Aug 27, 2009 11:52 am)

Hi DelaCombos,

Sorry I missed replying to this earlier. The desktop and online products don't sync with each other. You can download the same transactions from your banks to each product, so the resulting transactions and balances will be the same.

But any data you manually enter in one product vs the other doesn't sync up with the other.

You probably figured this out already, but just wanted to clarify.

Kate
Quicken Online Writer

Replies to this message

RampantLion (Mar 16, 2010 5:04 pm)

Hi, I have been using Quicken desktop for years, still at version 2007 but getting ready to upgrade. I just started looking at Quicken Online and I like it for the concise overview of my finances it offers.

Does downloading transactions into Quicken Online prevent those same transactions from downloading into Quicken Desktop? If so, would it be possible for Online to update itself but not prevent me from downloading the same things into desktop? I did read a FAQ that telss me how to transfer from Online into desktop.

Dan

I'm watching this, and related discussions for better insite into the synchronicity/connectivity of the various Intuit/Quicken/TurboTax products.

I use Quicken 2010 Home & Business; TurboTax Online; Pocket Quicken; Quicken Online; and, others.

Even Intuit/Quicken Support departments are dis-connected from each other!

In today's age of "connectivity" can't we expect more from our purchases?