EmailBest Reviewed
Accounting Software
- Best personal accounting software Quicken 2009 Deluxe *Est. $50
- Alternative personal accounting software Money Plus Deluxe *Est. $55
- Budgeting and debt-management software You Need A Budget Pro *Est. $50
- Free personal accounting software GnuCash *Est. $0
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- Detailed account tracking
- Budgeting and savings tools
- Convenient interface
- Reported software bugs
- Ads in transaction register
- Expensive phone support
- Doesn't track investments
We found the most credible comparison reviews for Quicken 2008 Deluxe at CNet.com and About.com. CNet.com tests Quicken Premier rather than Deluxe. Two comparison reviews at About.com are much more detailed -- one comparing it with Money Plus Premium, feature by feature, the other comparing Quicken 2008 with earlier versions. Reviews at PC World and Money magazines are also useful, and more than 120 owners rate and review Quicken 2008 Deluxe at Amazon.com.
Most professional reviews recommend Quicken 2008 Deluxe as the best personal accounting software, saying it has a slight edge over Microsoft Money, its top competitor. In addition to detailed tracking of checking and savings accounts, Quicken 2008 includes convenient integration with online banking sites, as well as with PayPal and the iPhone. The software also provides tools to help pay bills on time and achieve savings goals. Categorizing now includes tags, and navigation is also improved. But reviews say that those using the 2007 version have no reason to upgrade. Owners note drawbacks to the 2008 version, including ads in the transaction register, bugs and -- as with earlier versions -- a heavy drain on computer capacity plus expensive phone support. The new Billminder alert works only with Windows Vista. Though Quicken 2008 Deluxe tracks 401(k), IRA and 529 college savings accounts, reviews recommend stepping up to Quicken 2008 Premier (*est. $90) if you want to track investments in stocks and bonds.
Our Sources
1. CNET
CNet.com tests the Premier version rather than the Deluxe, but calls Quicken 2008 overall "a solid finance package," rating it 7.3 out of a possible 10, though testing did cause one crash of Windows Vista, and tech support loses points for inaccuracy. The handful of owners reviewing Quicken 2008 here voice bitter complaints, giving it a very low rating of 2.6 on the same 10-point scale.
Review: Quicken Deluxe 2008, Jeff Bertolucci, Sept. 5, 2007
2. About.com
This head-to-head comparison of Quicken and Money Plus 2008 includes many details left out of most reviews. For example, the bill reminder in Money can run on Windows XP, and Money stores the images of receipts outside its database, Quicken inside. This review is especially useful because any one of the feature differences could be significant, depending on your priorities. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Quicken vs. Microsoft Money, Shelley Elmblad
3. About.com
This review compares Quicken 2008 with earlier versions. The details here could make a difference in your decision, but the review concludes that most existing Quicken users don't need to upgrade. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Quicken 2008 Review, Shelley Elmblad
This review compares Quicken 2008 Home and Business with the equivalent Money Plus software for small business accounting, but many of the comments also apply to Quicken 2008 Deluxe. For example, Quicken lets users download transactions from financial institutions for three years, while Money forces an upgrade after only two.
Review: First Look: Business Tools Help Quicken Edge Out Money Plus, Yardena Arar, Sept. 21, 2007
5. Money MagazineDetails/Subscribe
This review tests only the 2007 versions of Quicken and Money, but also covers lots of alternatives that are priced less or even free. The review says both Quicken and Money are good products, but finds both "so big that they can run slowly and be difficult to navigate."
Review: The Best Personal-Finance Software, David Futrelle, Aug. 30, 2007
6. Amazon.com
More than 120 owners review Quicken 2008 Deluxe here, with the average rating of three (on a five-point scale) making more sense when you see that people seem to either love or hate the software. Complaints focus on several bugs, including corrupted files and an aggressive renaming function that decides it knows better than you do.
Review: Quicken 2008 Deluxe Reviews, Contributors to Amazon.com
Accounting Software Runners Up:
2 picks including: About.com…
2 picks including: About.com…
