Quicken Classic vs Simplifi: What's the difference?
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Quicken Classic and Simplifi are both personal finance management tools offered by Quicken, but they cater to different user needs and preferences. Quicken Classic is a desktop-based application with robust features for comprehensive financial planning, including investment tracking and bill management. Simplifi, on the other hand, is a web-based service designed for ease of use with a focus on budgeting and expense tracking through a modern, intuitive interface. Many would say that Simplifi is aimed at the younger generation looking for a mobile-first experience, while Quicken Classic is aimed more at the more seasoned home finance manager that wants extensive tools. Below is a comparison chart highlighting the key differences between Quicken Classic and Simplifi.
| Quicken Classic | Simplifi | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Desktop-based (Windows or Mac) with mobile companion | Mobile-first, Web-based |
| Pricing | Yearly subscription (around $70-$100/year) | Yearly subscription (around $50/year) |
| Access | Desktop, some web & mobile synchronization | Web and mobile access |
| Transaction Downloads | Direct Connect, Express Web Connect, import Web Connect files 1 | Express Web Connect only |
| Budgeting | Traditional category-based budgeting | Spending Plan based on income and bills |
| Bill Management | Bill Manager with online bill pay | Bill tracking with reminders, no bill pay |
| Investment Tracking | Real-time quotes, advanced tools | Basic portfolio tracking, delayed quotes |
| User Experience | Traditional design, robust functionality | Modern, user-friendly interface |
| Mobile App | Good, but less detailed | Excellent, detailed and comprehensive |
| Tax Planning | Detailed tax tracking and export, best with Premier version | Basic tax-related transaction tracking |
| Business Features | Rental property and business tracking | None |
| Support | Comprehensive help and support options | Extensive help, chatbot, live chat |
Footnotes
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What are the Direct Connect, Express Web Connect, and Web Connect connection methods? Direct Connect is a standard for personal finance programs (like Quicken) to communicate with a financial institution, but it is becoming increasingly rare to be offered by financial institutions due to the high costs for maintaining the service. Express Web Connect (sometimes referred to as Quicken Connect) is a cloud-based approach where an aggregation server “screen scrapes” the information from your bank’s online banking system, or your financial institution offers a special data feed that the aggregation server connects to. Web Connect files are transaction files you manually download from your bank’s online banking system, then import into Quicken. You can read more about Quicken’s connection methods on their website. ↩
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