Simplifi pricing - was $47 now is $71

2

Comments

  • Nicholas
    Nicholas Member

    Welp, I just checked again and the renewal price has been updated. I didn't receive any notifications either.

  • EL1234
    EL1234 Member ✭✭✭✭

    You were right - I got the email about the price increase (will be in November)

  • I fully agree that a 50% price increase is completely outrageous, even with new features. I could understand a 10-15% increase, but this makes me strongly reconsider my subscription. Please change course on this price hike!

  • KP_9
    KP_9 Member ✭✭✭

    I agree that this price hike is too high. I current pay for three different subscriptions: one for myself and two for college-age family members to help them learn good money habits. They don't use it often but at the old price, I could justify paying to keep it available for their occasional usage. The new price, though, is too expensive to justify their limited use, so I'll be canceling those two subscriptions and only keeping mine.

    If the cost of the new Zillow integration is the driver behind the increase, I really wish that could have been transparently shared with the community right up front, before implementation, to see if users' appetite for the feature would be different in light of needing to pay significantly more for it. If I'd known it would drive a steep cost increase, I'd have happily gone without. Frustration with the general lack of transparent communication has been a common theme across this Community, frequently bubbling up in threads about everything from product roadmap updates to issue resolution, so please consider adopting a greater transparency model with your users across the board.

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    I sure hope that Quicken didn't incur a net 50% increase in costs due to adding something like Zillow integration, while at the same time adding a bunch of new subscribers. If so, what a horrible decision and/or execution. It's more likely a move to charge more like what the market will bear. That I could understand. I might not like it, but I could understand it. It's silly to keep blaming former MINT users for things that Quicken does that people don't like. Quicken takes my money, just like they take everybody else's. And to be clear, MINT WAS free. I never gave them one dime. That's free by any reasonable definition of the word.

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭

    mint was cost free (you paid with your info, which was used to give you ads or offers), but it’s now nonexistent so there’s no point comparing things today to something that doesn’t exist. It was not a good business model, obviously.


    Rob Wilkens

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    Saying I paid for Mint is like saying superusers here are paid by Quicken.

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭

    We are compensated a little, but not like an employee or contractor. I probably got over $100 in free stuff this year.


    Rob Wilkens

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    I stand corrected. I paid nothing for mint, while quicken does in fact compensate it's superusers.

    Anyhow, it's more likely quicken is just upping the subscription price because they can. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they looked at the market and did the math.

  • Bgz
    Bgz Member ✭✭✭

    I respect the Superusers a lot for all their insights and help with a lot of issues. However, they do seem to be the only ones supporting (or rationalizing) a 50% price increase. This kind of feels they are mostly independent users helping but have to support Simplifi at the end of the day..!

    Personally, our data is used everywhere, by even shopping at 7/11. So I am not bothered that much with my data being used. I get pitched for card offers anyways. What matters to me the principle of how a significant price increase is done sneakily without proper notification. I was offered 25$ first year and then $45 next year… so the commitment is out of the window and that bothers me more..!

  • neon45
    neon45 Member ✭✭✭
    edited November 4

    This price thing seems to be in the Quicken tradition. I got tired of them always changing their data bases and holding me hostage. It seems not much has changed. Now they refuse to do something as simple as let us Export our Investment transactions, that are all screwed up with the Schwab move.

    I also noticed that Quicken charged my Credit Card a dollar and then credited it back. I called Quicken and foreign voice said they were just making sure I actually had an account they could bill.

    And, oh, by the way… here's my email with the $47.88 price staring 11-13-2024

    [removed - discruptive]

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭

    For the record, despite being a “superuser”, I myself tried two other Money Management apps earlier today because I am always curious. For one, they were both more expensive than Simplifi’s higher price, for another, they just weren’t as good and didn’t have the same bank support (one came close, but the app itself was awful, imho). Superusers are not required to have any particular opinion on the product. I think “what the market will bear” is part of it, but there were definitely increased costs with third party tools and info.


    Rob Wilkens

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    As users, we don't know that this price hike is driven, at all, by increased costs, of any kind. Only Quicken knows that. I wasn't aware that some superusers are compensated by Quicken and don't pay for their subscriptions. That is a pertinent fact when it comes to reviewing discussions such as this one.

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 3

    For the record, as a superuser, I am NOT a quicken employee, and we rarely get tiny spoonfuls (very tiny) of insider information in a superuser message board here. We probably aren't supposed to share that information directly, but we are supposed to be aware of it. In general, I've only shared information that I knew usually after it became public. I know, for example, depending on usage some of these features (I don't remember if this was plaid, zillow, credit scores - all three of which were relatively recent add-ons - something like that or maybe all three) may cost even more (or not be available at all).

    [EDIT TO NOTE: I am aware I take risks sharing any of this info, I could lose my status, but would likely stay a user.]

    [EDIT TO NOTE ALSO: If you consider my compensation "value" (not dollars, there are none) it is way below minimum wage relative to the time i spend here, I'm not paid to promote the product and can have any opinion.]


    Rob Wilkens

  • TheReal702
    TheReal702 Member ✭✭✭

    As a new user, I was charged $43.13 a couple weeks ago. This was an introductory price, and I was advised that it would go to the prevailing rate upon renewal.

  • neon45
    neon45 Member ✭✭✭

    I called quicken at 650-250-1900 this morning. I mentioned to the service rep I had an email showing my new subscription at $47.88. After a short hold he came back and verified the price. If I got billed for $71.88 to call them back to take care of it.

    I saved that email for confirmation. Good Luck.

  • Norm6257
    Norm6257 Member ✭✭✭✭

    I recently received an email informing me that my Simplifi subscription price is going to be increasing. It's not a modest increase… the subscription price is going up over 50%.

    The justification for the increase is that Simplifi has added features and improved the service.

    Well… duh! Of course a product offering should always strive to add features and improve the service.

    That's not justification for such a massive increase in the price of the subscription. And since I have two subscriptions to Simplifi, this is going to be extra difficult to accept.

    When I got into Simplifi it was because I thought the service offered was a reasonable value, but mostly I trusted that Simplifi would be improved with missing features and capabilities. I certainly did not expect that improving Simplifi would result in such a massive price increase.

  • Coach Natalie
    Coach Natalie Administrator, Moderator admin
    edited November 11

    @Norm6257, I went ahead and merged your post with this existing feedback thread.

    Thank you all for leaving your feedback regarding the price increase!

    -Coach Natalie

  • neon45
    neon45 Member ✭✭✭

    Well, we'll see how this works out. I was billed $71.88 today. I called Quicken support at 650-250-1900 and the agent transferred my over to Simplifi. The call went to the "supervisors" voice mail that I answered with my information. I am fully expecting a refund with my email from them as I posted above.

    So, I just got an email saying "Your subscription has been canceled". What the heck is going on?

    Called back and talked explained to a new agent. Put on hold, he came back on and I had a new email. I was a subscriber again at $43.13. He arranged a little bit a discount from my letter.

    Give them a call. It can't hurt.

  • The price increase is definitely not great, but I feel like I'm saving at least $75 (or getting $75 of value) per year by using Simplifi. A lot of the new features are quite handy, and I am hopeful to see great new features. What is concerning is the precedent that this sets. What happens a year from now at renewal? Another 50% increase? At least give existing users a discount for sticking around.

  • RockLee
    RockLee Member ✭✭✭✭

    @ebig123321 "What happens a year from now at renewal? Another 50% increase?"

    If the price becomes too high you leave! There is plenty of competition out there. I'm still with Simplifi at $77.85 for the next year even though I have frustrations with the app. But, I looked at some alternatives at renewal time and didn't see anything better for my needs. Maybe that changes next time around.

  • Does anyone remember when we used to buy software outright? $70.00 would have been expensive for quicken even then. Given inflation I would pay the $70.00 if it was a lifetime subscription. But as it is I'm outta here.Ivealready found one of those "alternatives" $70.00 a year KMA

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭

    The difference between the "you own it" purchases and a SaaS like this is: Everything with this app is REMOTELY STORED and RUN REMOTELY, meaning they have to keep a series of computers (probably not just one) powered on 24/7 (electricity costs), connected to the internet (costs to be connected), they have to maintain this software (developer costs) and keep the systems secure and up and running and keep backups (IT Costs), They also have to pay 3rd parties for bank connectivity as well as things like Zillow and Credit Score (provider costs) and there are probably other daily/monhtly costs I'm not mentioning here for them. Why these costs? It's so you can access these features from anywhere you are on any device. All of these online apps have these costs, not just Quick Simplifi.

    The days where you bought and owned software for (typically $40) a fixed amount, is with those solutions back then, the software ran on your computer, if there was a problem with that it was your problem (if you lost your data, you lost your data), there were no updates if your bank didn't work tough, and good luck accessing it from another device like a phone/tablet/other-pc.


    Rob Wilkens

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    I agree $72/year is overpriced. Arguments to the contrary by those that don't pay for their subscription are not convincing. They are not only not convincing, they miss the mark entirely. And I don't need any lectures either.

  • RobWilk
    RobWilk Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭

    My only point in the previous message was that -all- cloud services have costs that do not exist when compared to locally run software.


    Rob Wilkens

  • UrsulaA
    UrsulaA Superuser ✭✭✭✭

    This includes the free subscription. There are only 4 super users who spend at least 10 hours per month on the community to help other users and test early access features.

    Simplifi User Since Nov 2023

    Minter 2014-2023

    Questionable Excel before 2014 to present

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    Well, my subscription was renewed at the previously agreed upon rate of $47.88/year. Next year's rate will be $71.88, unless Quicken raises it again before then. In the meantime, I've started using another service in parallel. It looks good so far. No fees. One of the big ones. I don't mind paying for a service like Simplifi, but I think this 50% price increase is just unreasonable. I've got up to a year to make up my mind.

  • Wedo778
    Wedo778 Member ✭✭✭✭

    What do you believe a fair price is and what are you basing your number on?

    I've looked at the competition, none of the solutions are perfect (Simplifi included). All of the competition is more expensive, or does not even automatically pull from banks. So while no one ever wants to see a price increase and everyone always wants to pay less, I'm not sure how to evaluate this as overpriced.

  • dsfreddy
    dsfreddy Member ✭✭✭

    It's subjective. It's my opinion. I am unable to make any credible statements about "all the competition." Same with respect to what everyone wants or does not want. But I appreciate your response. I will say that I can easily afford the $72 per year. It's just that I don't usually pay for things I don't want or need and I often look for lower cost alternatives that meet my needs, even for smallish purchases.

  • Bgz
    Bgz Member ✭✭✭


    You can argue about pros and cons of what the service offers for next 10 years and if it is worth the price or not. You can  justify or argue against why the prices were increased. But at the end of the day, my point is much more fundamental than that.


    We need to ask ourselves what is fair. Does increasing rates by 50% without any email notification fair by any means. It screams sneaky and dishonest.

    Second point, I was promised initial rate of 25$ for first year and then 45$ for the next year. Isn’t that a commitment to honor?

    The 2 above sneaky and dishonest practices are indefensible and if anybody comes to Simplifi’s defense on this, I will lose all respect for them (no matter how much you have helped me or the community). I guess that’s why no one has commented on these points from my earlier posts rather concentrating on justifying the price increase about new services and what not.