iPhone app review: Checkbook

On the iTunes app store, there are approximately 1.6 BILLION apps designed to help you manage your personal finances.  There are apps that attempt to fully replicate the experience of Quicken on your desktop, apps with no more functionality than a piece of scrap paper tucked into your wallet, and everything in between.  I have tried them all — that’s correct, all 1.6 billion of them.  The best one of the lot is the aptly named ‘Checkbook.’

As the name suggests, Checkbook attempts to provide an electronic replacement for the paper check register that you keep in your checkbook and never bother to keep up to date anyway.  But, in the case of Checkbook, you will keep your transactions register up to date, because the iPhone Checkbook is actually compelling to use, much more so than a paper checkbook, and in my opinion, much more than any of its current competition.

Here’s what it has going for it:

1. A great, intuitive layout/GUI.  This is an app that’s made to be used.  Everything is in its proper place.  You can open up the app as you walk away from the cash register, and have the groceries you just bought entered into your check register before you reach your car.

2. Speedy loading.  A couple of the apps I tried out took a year and a day to load up, with less than 100 transactions logged.  What would they have been like with 1000 or so?  I don’t even want to hazard a guess.

3. A responsive and friendly developer.  The app is being actively developed with an eye to what actual users want and need, and the developer mans his feedback forum diligently — this is an invaluable asset to the app.

4. Doesn’t try to throw in the kitchen sink.  The app performs its duties very well, and doesn’t attempt to be an all-in-one budgeting and money management solution.

What’s lacking:  As of right now, there’s no way to export your data, nor is there a way to purge old data. There’s also no means of setting up recurring transactions. The developer assures that these features are coming soon, though, and I’m inclined to believe him.

Checkbook costs $1.99 (cheap!), and is available on the iTunes store.