With the recent decision by Massachusetts to require software vendors to support open standards, it’s worthwhile to note on a somewhat unrelated topic how pleased I am that GnuCash keeps my financial data in an open format. I have not used Quicken for years, but it’s disturbing to note how screwed users of Intuit’s flagship product are. For example, if you want to acquire your statement information for your Discover Card, you will find this disturbing notice. (Unfortunately Discover does not allow you to download a raw OFX file, so you’re out of luck if you don’t own a copy of Quicken or Money. I find that nasty, being locked into either of these proprietary choices to access my statement information or simply being shut out.)
Q: Why am I having difficulty downloading my Discover Card transactions into Quicken?
A: Intuit, the maker of Quicken, discontinues a version when it is older than 3 years. To resolve this, a software upgrade is necessary for you to continue downloading your Discover Card transactions into Quicken.
(Emphasis mine.)
While GnuCash definitely has some deficiencies, it’s far superior to having your own, personal information held hostage by Intuit. Thanks, but no.