The first product to be released with an “i” name was the iMac, 18 years ago. For many it marks a turning point for Apple. While it didn’t happen overnight, it marked the beginning of a long run of “i” names in Apple’s product line. Remember iDVD and iPhoto? And of course the iPod, iBooks and iWork? While there are a few Apple products still embracing the iNames (iPhone and iPad come to mind), the nomenclature had its run and, quite frankly, is feeling old.

iBank was first released 13 years ago and, at the time, the name “iBank” was perfect. But over the last few years a couple things have nagged at us. First, iApp names have felt dated and too tied to Apple. Second, we were never able to secure the iBank dot com domain. Third, the word “iBank” is used internationally to describe a type of money transfer, e.g. “you can just iBank me that payment”. And fourth, “iBank” is sometimes used as an abbreviation for investment bank. This all builds up to a steep hill to climb to truly own the name of our products.

So today we are announcing the end of the iBank name and the beginning of our new name for our apps: Banktivity. If you are scratching your head wondering how this name came about, it’s rather simple. It has the same core, “bank”, which we love and then it comes from joining “bank” and “activity” — Banktivity. Yeah, say it out loud, it’s OK. It’s hard to get used to a new name, it might feel foreign, that is all very normal. But say it a few more times and let it sink in, and before you know it, it will become second nature.

 

Banktivity

(You can say it again out loud.)

 

 

From this point going forward, new releases of our apps will use the name Banktivity. We are keeping the version numbers the same to help with any potential confusion. Specifically, our apps will be renamed the following:

iBank 5 for Mac -> Banktivity 5 for Mac

iBank for iPhone -> Banktivity for iPhone

iBank for iPad -> Banktivity for iPad

iBank Investor -> Banktivity Investor

This is a big change: we expect these names to carry us far into the future and hopefully we won’t ever feel the need to change them again. You will begin seeing these new names roll out in our products over the next two days.

Before I go, I want to be clear about something. This name change in no way signals some other cultural shift at IGG. We are still producing the same great apps, with the same dedicated team working hard to bring you the best personal finance software for Mac and iOS.

Here’s to 12 great years served by iBank and to an even brighter future for Banktivity!

-Ian

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412 comments on “Banktivity is the new iBank

  • I’m usually sensitive to name changes but I’m fine with Banktivity. I’ve gone from using iBank to Quicken Essentials and back to Banktivity. I prefer it to Q Essentials. However, one thing that really bugs me is that the split transaction feature is bad. I usually get cash out and then categorize my cash expenses as they happen during the week or month against the total cash I originally withdrew. I have to manually calculate and input the new cash total in the split section. This is automatically done in Quicken Essentials. Please fix this.

  • Ian
    I would like to Upgrade Banktivity 5 to the new Banktivity 6 for my Mac computer
    Is this now available?
    I have issues with my Banktivity 5 and wondered if this would cure them? Besides I like to keep upgrading anyway.

  • I am a Microsoft Money users since the ’90.. and I’ve been trying to switch to the Mac for the past 10 years. I’ve tried everything that is on the market. I gave a good 3 moths test to Ibank and decided against it. i’ve now spent at least 150 hurs to manually reinput my accounts of the last three years in order to test Banktivity 6. Awsome product. 95% there… A few hoorible things however hold me back. They seem simple enough to fix.
    1. When you require a list of the transaction associated with a tag, you simply SHOULD NOT get everyline of the split transaction where the tag was. You simply want the lines (details) of the total.
    2. The tag should allow you to break-out an asset/liabilities account. The way to do is rather misterious – especially if you have split trasactions. It seems that you have to place the tag while being in the account you want the tag to be, not on the split line where the account is indicated. very confusing. I could not get it to work.
    3. Reports dont ALWAYS need to have a sub-total by account. You should be able to have a report of transactions with the account on the line, not as sub-total.
    With these three small changes, it may be the right time to switch…

  • I am still using iBank 4.7.3. I did not realize about the Banktivity change until today, when I encountered a problem preparing for my taxes, and could not access iBank, and found that trying to download from my bank as I’ve always done in the past is not recognizing my password and is locking me out of my bank accounts at the Northern Trust website. They have no support to explain why this is happening. My iBank says I can update to iBank 6 but doesn’t mention Banktivity. Can you advise on how best to proceed? Thanks.

  • I use Banktivity 6 on a Mac. When I’m at home I use it on my larger monitor with a Mac mini. I also have a MacBook that I use when not at home, can I use the software on both Macs to keep my accounts up to date?

  • I still have the old iBank software on my Mac and iPhone. Until recently (due to the upgrade) I am no longer able to use it on my phone. Do I have to repurchase the software as Banktivity?
    If I have to repurchase as Banktivity, will my iBank data transfer over?

  • I have been using iBank and now Banktivity on my iMac for more than five years now and I’m happy with it. However, I am contemplating changing my home computer for a Windows machine. Is there a Windows version of Banktivity yet for me to migrate my accounts to?

  • I still been a followe of ibank since ibank 4. I have the old iBank software on my Mac and iPhone. The recently IO11 upgrade, I am no longer able to use it on my phone. Do I have to repurchase the software as Banktivity for both MacBook and iPhone?
    If I have to repurchase as Banktivity, will my iBank data transfer over?

  • I looked for a long time for a program to manage my checking account on my Mac. I wanted something to replace a windows based program. I began with Banktivity 5 and upgraded to Banktivity 6. I also purchased the program for my iPhone. I cannot tell you how happy I am with this software. I no longer have problems balancing my account due to missing transactions etc. This is absolutely the best software I have ever used. Thank you so much for creating this type of software for a Mac. Its the BEST!

  • I have used iBank for some time and am still very happy with it. Recently I can no longer download data from TD Bank. I was told by your rep that TD Bank was redoing it’s site and iBank could not work with it until they were finished. It is now several months; has this been resolved yet? How do I correct this?

  • I have been using IBank 3.3.1. Yes it is old but It is a basic checkbook program which does not require connecting to my bank fortunately. The reporting feature leaves much to be desired as well as not being able to name & create income categories. Will the new name version be as simple and NOT have to connect to my bank with better reporting and ability to create income and expense categories?

  • Is it possible to sync Banktivity between Mac and iPhone over WiFi as was the case with iBank? I have not yet upgraded because I am not willing to use a cloud service (except my own perhaps).

  • I have been using iBank 4 for a long time and would like to update to the new Banktivity 7. Can I simply purchase the new version and have all my data imported or must I purchase and update to an earlier version first. If so, how would I do this most efficiently?

  • I still use the ibank 3.5.5 with my mac OS 10.14. For some time ibank is “saying” to me that if I update my mac, I won’t be able to use ibank anymore. So my question is; can I open my ibank files on bankactivity? And does bankactivity work with newer versions of mac OS?
    Thannk you

  • I have several years of financial data created with an older version of Banktivity and I need to export the data into excel format to repurpose in different applications. Is it possible with out purchasing the upgrade since I don’t want to use Banktivity.

  • Can I just buy the software and not have to purchase a subscription…I have used iBank since 2010 and if it were subscription, that would have cost me $1k. I have professional audio software that costs less.

    • Hi Bruce,

      Thanks for the question. In short, you can purchase once and the software will remain unlocked indefinitely, similar to our old purchasing model. However, all of our “connected services” now require an active subscription in good standing. Our connected services are all of the things that essentially have ongoing costs for us, like tech support, Direct Access bank connections, stock quote downloads, cloud sync, and so on. You can read more about our subscription here.

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