PocketSmith vs Monarch Money: Pricing and Quicken Import

Monarch Money costs less for most US households at $99.99 a year, and PocketSmith is the better buy if you want long range forecasting or you are bringing years of Quicken history with you. PocketSmith runs $119.88, $199.92 or $319.92 a year on its paid plans and imports a Quicken QIF file directly. Monarch Core is $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month, has no free plan, and imports CSV only, so a QIF has to be converted before Monarch will read it.

Last updated September 10, 2026. Monarch prices, plan features, trial terms and the current promotion were read the same day from monarch.com/pricing. PocketSmith plans, limits and file formats were read from my.pocketsmith.com/plans and the PocketSmith Learn Center on September 9, 2026.

How much does PocketSmith cost compared with Monarch Money?

PocketSmith costs $9.99, $16.66 or $26.66 a month billed annually on its Foundation, Flourish and Fortune plans, which is $119.88, $199.92 or $319.92 a year, or $14.95, $24.95 and $39.95 billed month to month. Monarch Core costs $99.99 a year, which works out to $8.33 a month, or $14.99 month to month. Monarch Plus is $199.99 a year, shown as $16.67 a month.

The headline prices hide what actually sets the PocketSmith bill. Accounts and budgets are unlimited on every paid PocketSmith plan. The tiers differ by the number of automatic bank connections and the length of the forecast: Foundation allows 6 connections from one country and a 10 year forecast, Flourish 18 connections from any country and 30 years, and Fortune unlimited connections and 60 years. A household with checking, savings, two credit cards, a mortgage, a 401(k) and a brokerage account is already at seven connections, which puts it on Flourish at $199.92 a year, about twice the price of Monarch Core.

Monarch's pricing has its own fine print. New members get 30 percent off the first year with the code WELCOME, valid only on the annual Core plan billed directly by Monarch rather than through Apple or Google, which brings year one to about $70. Budget for $99.99 from year two. On both Monarch plans a partner can be added at no extra cost, and you can share read-only access with a financial professional.

Is PocketSmith better than Monarch Money?

PocketSmith is better for forecasting and for bringing old financial data with you, and Monarch Money is better as a lower cost everyday budget shared with a partner. PocketSmith projects balances 10 to 60 years ahead from scheduled income and bills, and reads QIF, OFX, QFX and CSV files. Monarch has the cleaner interface, costs less than every paid PocketSmith plan on annual billing, and adds business and retirement tools on Plus.

The difference shows up in what you open the app to do. PocketSmith is built around a calendar: paychecks and bills sit on dates, and the forecast shows whether an account dips below zero months from now. People who already run their money in a spreadsheet tend to like it. Monarch is built around a monthly budget and a dashboard, with less to configure before it feels useful. If your question is where last month went, Monarch answers it faster. If it is whether you can afford something next spring, PocketSmith does.

Can PocketSmith or Monarch import Quicken data?

PocketSmith imports Quicken data directly as a QIF file and publishes a Quicken migration guide. Monarch Money cannot read a QIF. Its manual importer takes CSV files in the web app, so a Quicken export has to be converted to CSV first. Neither app opens a Quicken .QDF data file, so both routes start with an export from Quicken.

For someone leaving Quicken Classic on Windows, the first step is the same for both: export each account as a QIF and choose the full date range rather than the default. PocketSmith takes that file as it is. For Monarch, turn the QIF into a CSV with date, description and amount columns using a QIF to CSV converter, then upload it to the matching Monarch account. Our Quicken to Monarch Money guide walks through the Monarch side. Quicken for Mac has had no QIF export since 2007, so Mac users start from a CSV report whichever app they pick.

Can I export my data out of PocketSmith or Monarch?

Yes, but only as a spreadsheet. PocketSmith exports transactions to CSV or XLSX, and Monarch lets you download transactions as a CSV. Neither writes a QIF, OFX or QBO file, so your history leaves either app as columns you map by hand into whatever you use next.

That makes the QIF you export from Quicken worth keeping after the import succeeds. It is the most portable copy of your history you will have, and neither app will produce another one. If part of that history belongs to a side business or a rental, a copy of the same QIF can go to QuickBooks as a .qbo Web Connect file, which is what the converter at the top of this page produces. The steps are on our QIF to QuickBooks Online page.

Does Monarch Money have a free version?

No. Monarch Money has no free plan. It offers a 7 day free trial and then bills $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month for Core, and a payment method is required to start the trial, so cancel in settings before the trial ends if you do not want to be charged. PocketSmith works the other way round: a permanent free plan with automatic bank feeds, 2 accounts, 12 budgets and a 6 month projection, and no time limited trial on the paid plans.

Is PocketSmith worth it?

PocketSmith is worth it if you will use the forecast. The paid tiers mostly buy a longer projection and more bank connections, so a household that only wants to categorize last month's spending pays for capability it will not touch, and Monarch Core does that job for less. If you want to see whether a car purchase, a move or a job change leaves you short two years out, nothing else at this price models it as well.

Does Monarch Money have a desktop app?

Not a native one. Monarch lists web, mobile and iPad as the places you use it, and CSV import runs in the web app. PocketSmith has the same shape: a browser app with iOS and Android companions and no local data file. If a desktop program that keeps your data on your own computer matters to you, look at Moneyspire or Quicken Classic instead.

Which is better for a Quicken user with rental property or a side business?

Monarch Plus is the closer fit of the two, because at $199.99 a year it adds business income and expense tracking, P&L reports and tax-prep exports. PocketSmith has no Schedule C or Schedule E reporting on any plan. Neither app does invoicing or double entry bookkeeping, so a rental portfolio or a business with an outside accountant still belongs in QuickBooks Online. Our QuickBooks for rental property page covers what that setup costs.

The household return is a separate job either way. Neither budgeting app files taxes, and once the year's categories are clean, tax filing software that reads your W-2s and 1099s finishes the return without retyping the numbers.

PocketSmith vs Monarch Money: which should you buy?

Buy Monarch Money if you want the lower price for a household with many accounts, a budget you can set up in one evening and a partner on the same plan, and you are comfortable converting your Quicken QIF to CSV first. Buy PocketSmith if you plan months and years ahead, you want QIF history imported with no conversion step, or you would rather start on a free plan before paying anything.

Either way, do the Quicken export while Quicken is still installed and working, and keep a copy. Our PocketSmith vs Quicken and Monarch Money vs Quicken comparisons cover what you give up on each side of the switch.

Related reading: what Monarch Money costs, Monarch Money vs YNAB, Quicken alternatives, personal finance software for Mac.