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Simple Checkbook Register Program?

N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 10, 2007
3,247
1,276
I am tired of using paper check registers for tracking my various bank accounts.

Figured I could do it directly on my Mac using some sort of software. Hopefully that software has iCloud features and maybe even an iPhone software companion.

Looking at the Mac App store, most to all the checkbook software programs have negative ratings. The big problem is that they only handle one account and don't allow transferring to other accounts. I don't mean electronically through the bank, just from one register to the other.

Quicken might be the solution I need. A bit expensive, but if it handles multiple check registers and transferring from one account to the other, that is exactly what I need.

I don't need to interact with the bank directly. Most banks charge extra for that.

Any suggestions on software? In advance, thanks for the help.
 
Look at Moneydance, it will do what your want and is less expensive than Quicken which I found to be quirky

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Look at Moneydance, it will do what your want and is less expensive than Quicken which I found to be quirky Moneydance gives you a free trial of 100 entries
 
MoneyDance is a good one. So is iCompTA.



You can download a desktop trial of iCompTA I think.



I would have recommended PocketMoney which was what I was using, but the original developer passed away and the torch didn't get passed on very well. For all intents and purposes Catamount is out of business though they still sell the software on their site.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys.

Hard to decide which one to go for...

Moneydance looks more polished but no iPhone companion app.

iCompta is vastly more expensive, but has an iPhone companion app.

Will have to weigh out the two, but greatly appreciate your help.
 
I don't know where you're getting prices from, but iCompta is $22 for OSX and about $4 for the iphone or iPad app. You only have to buy the iOS app once to use it on both the iphone and/or the iPad. Total cost around $26!





Moneydance is about $50
 
I stand corrected.

Looks like iCompta is the more reasonable choice. Less expensive and a free 30 day trial.
 
The more I use iCompTA, the more I like it. I would like it to be cross platform as I bounce between Apple and Windows quite a bit. But, alas, the only truly cross platform that shares easily with all platforms was PocketMoney.
 
Everyone,

Thanks so very much for your help.

Downloaded and purchased iCompTA for both OSX and iOS.

Both for about $26 (or thereabouts)

Easy program to use. You can transfer totals between accounts. Exactly what I needed.

Appreciate the advice. Highly recommended program if you are looking for the same.
 
For spreadsheet aficionados, a check register file is an easy one to create. And doing so costs no money, just the time spent having fun and being creative.
 
Gregg2 said:
For spreadsheet aficionados, a check register file is an easy one to create. And doing so costs no money, just the time spent having fun and being creative.
Click to expand...

I have better things to do than having fun and being creative. ;)
 
If you want something more forward-thinking and better than a basic checkbook tracking program, look at YNAB (You Need A Budget).

I've been using it for three months now and have fallen in love with it and subsequently began saving a lot of money too by properly budgeting.

They have free videos and live webinars available and a nice support forum as well.
 
If anyone is still reading this thread...

After trying iCompta and You Need A Budget...

You Need A Budget is the clear winner. Great program!
 
NJRonbo said:
If anyone is still reading this thread...

After trying iCompta and You Need A Budget...

You Need A Budget is the clear winner. Great program!
Click to expand...

Be sure to take advantage of their (YNAB) free webinar's and online videos. They also have a nice encouragement, infrequent (read, not annoying) email list you can sign up for and weekly podcasts of usually under 10 minutes in length by the owner/founder of the company.
 
Since 1988, I've used my own (self-created) spreadsheets for keeping track of my savings and checking accounts.

Easy to create and I archive each year's and then begin anew.

Back around 1988, I started by using Microsoft Works' SS module.
Then, moved to ClarisWorks, and later AppleWorks.
With the demise of AWorks, I'm now using a very nice (and compact) SS app called "Tables".

It was a little work, but I've archived and updated all my previous years, and can quickly dig up any transaction all the way back to '88, if I need to...
 
Fishrrman said:
Since 1988, I've used my own (self-created) spreadsheets for keeping track of my savings and checking accounts.

Easy to create and I archive each year's and then begin anew.

...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think a finance app is overkill. I still use a pen for the checkbook and savings account. But I have multiple spreadsheets for tracking expenses, budgeting, income, investments, etc.
 
While I have used spreadsheets in the past, and wouldn't argue with those that find them sufficient, I just never really liked doing it that way.



I recommended iCompTA early in the thread and still think it is one of the best Apple only checkbook programs. But for me I wanted cross-platform. I had PocketMoney but that has gone away even though the website is still there (catamount.com) and it seems that you can still buy the Windows version there. But the app in both the OSX and iOS app stores is gone. And it seems it will die with the developer, RIP. :(



So I've been testing and trying out different ones. Didn't find any online versions that I like or that were reasonably priced if you wanted the features that count.



So I've settled on MoneyDance. Runs on practically anything out there and is similar in some ways to iCompTA. Cost is $50 and that covers any and all computers you own. iOS and Android apps are available for free but are really just designed to light use with the full version.



If you only run one OS (Windows, OSX or Linux) then setup is straightforward. But if you use both Windows and OSX as I do, you have to do some things manually to get along with the differences and Dropbox. Something to do with the way the Windows vice the OSX versions want to save to Dropbox by default. It isn't difficult to make the changes and if you have issues, the support, even though email/forums only, is excellent.
 
Quicken 2015

I have been using Quicken Essentials for years. While not the best software, I have managed to make it work to meet my needs. Today I received an email from Quicken telling me that if I didn't buy Quicken for Mac 2015, I would still be able to use Essentials, but would lose my connectivity in April. Intuit wanted $75 for 2015; Amazon wanted ~$45. I bought 2015 from Amazon. This 2015 software isn't worth $1. What a poorly conceived piece of garbage. Visually it is far inferior to Essentials. I downloaded 2015 and converted my data file. Then it added all sorts of strange transactions to my accounts basically screwing up years of data (fortunately you can go back to Essentials.) Long story short... I've deleted 2015 and have gone back to Essentials. Come April, I will not be able to go online to download transactions. I'll just do it manually. One checking account... one credit card... not to difficult.
 
This may not help anyone, but I dropped my checkbook register many years ago. I use my online bank account to add merchants and pay directly from there. Everything gets recorded in an easy to view/understand online check register. You can add a new merchant in two minutes if you type very slowly.

My bank takes care of the hard work, first it checks to see if the merchant will accept electronic checks, if not it sends a bank check in the mail. For example, my car payment gets electronically transferred and my ex-wife gets a physical bank check in the mail ( her account number is 666 ).

Best of all, it's free.
 
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