QBO vs IIF vs QIF: which file QuickBooks and Quicken actually need
QBO, QFX, OFX, IIF, QIF, CSV: six formats, three programs, and a lot of "file not supported" errors. The short version: QuickBooks Online wants QBO or CSV, QuickBooks Desktop wants QBO (on supported versions) or IIF, Quicken wants QFX (QIF in Quicken for Windows), and Xero takes almost anything but IIF. Here's the detail.
Which program accepts which file (2026)
| Format | QuickBooks Online | QuickBooks Desktop | Quicken (Windows) | Quicken (Mac) | Xero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .QBO (Web Connect) | Yes | Supported versions (not 2023 after May 31, 2026) | No | No | Yes |
| .QFX (Quicken Web Connect) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| .OFX | Yes | No | Sometimes | Yes | Yes |
| .IIF | No | Yes (every version) | No | No | No |
| .QIF | No | No | Yes | New files only | Yes |
| .CSV | Yes (3 or 4 columns) | Lists; Batch Enter in Accountant/Enterprise | No | Mint-format only | Yes |
| PDF statement | Yes (AI extraction, review first) | No | No | No | Yes (supported banks) |
Sources: Intuit's QuickBooks Online and Desktop help articles, Quicken's Windows and Mac help, and Xero Central, checked October 2026. Vendors change these, so if an import fails, check the vendor's current help page.
What each format actually is
QBO: QuickBooks Web Connect
An OFX file with Intuit-specific headers, including a bank ID (INTU.BID). Banks offer it as "QuickBooks Web Connect" or "QuickBooks (.qbo)". QuickBooks Online imports it through Bank transactions > Link account > Upload from file, with a 350 KB limit per file. QuickBooks Desktop imports it through File > Utilities > Import > Web Connect Files and requires you to be signed in to your Intuit account. That's why it stopped working on Desktop 2023 when Intuit discontinued that version's online services.
QFX: Quicken Web Connect
The same idea for Quicken: OFX plus Quicken headers and a bank ID. Quicken checks that the bank ID belongs to a participating institution, which is why home-made QFX files often fail with errors like CC-885. QuickBooks Desktop won't open QFX (Intuit: "Web connect only works with .qbo files"), but QuickBooks Online and Xero will.
OFX: Open Financial Exchange
The generic standard that QBO and QFX are built on. Xero and QuickBooks Online accept it. Quicken for Mac imports it as a "Bank or Brokerage File (OFX, QFX)".
IIF: Intuit Interchange Format
A tab-separated text format that only QuickBooks Desktop reads. Unlike QBO, it's not a bank download. It writes transactions (and lists like accounts, vendors and customers) directly into the company file, with both sides of each entry. That makes it powerful and also unforgiving: wrong account names create new accounts, and there's no duplicate check. Because it's local, it keeps working on any Desktop version, including discontinued ones. See how to import with IIF after bank feeds stop.
QIF: Quicken Interchange Format
The old plain-text Quicken format. Quicken for Windows imports it (File > File Import > QIF File). Older versions restricted QIF to cash, asset and liability accounts, but Quicken's current help says it now works for checking, savings and credit card accounts too. The account has to exist before you import. Quicken for Mac only uses QIF to start a new data file from another program. Xero accepts QIF, and QuickBooks Online tells you not to use it.
CSV
Plain rows and columns. QuickBooks Online wants either 3 columns (Date, Description, Amount) or 4 (Date, Description, Credit, Debit), one date format throughout, and files under 350 KB. Xero wants income and expenses in one Amount column, with expenses negative, and up to 100,000 rows. QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier have no CSV import for bank transactions. Accountant and Enterprise editions can paste rows into Batch Enter Transactions.
Which one should you use?
- QuickBooks Online: QBO if your bank offers it, otherwise CSV. For statements that only exist as PDFs, QuickBooks Online can read the PDF itself. Review its extraction against the statement balance, or convert to QBO with a tool that reconciles first.
- QuickBooks Desktop 2024 or later: QBO via Web Connect for bank-style imports. IIF when you want control over the offset account or need to import into a version without online services.
- QuickBooks Desktop 2023 or older: IIF.
- Quicken for Windows: QFX from your bank if available. QIF works for converted or older data.
- Quicken for Mac: QFX/OFX from your bank. Converted files are unreliable because of the bank ID check.
- Xero: OFX, QFX or QBO, then CSV.
Have the wrong format?
Turn a CSV, Excel or OFX/QFX/QBO download into .QBO, .IIF or .QIF. Columns are detected automatically, you get a preview, and it's free for files up to 100 rows. Have a PDF? Use the statement converter, which checks every file against the ending balance.
CSV to QBO QBO to IIF CSV to QIF PDF statement to QuickBooksFAQ
Is a .QBO file the same as a QuickBooks company file?
No. A .QBO file is a Web Connect download of bank transactions (OFX inside). Your company file is .QBW (Desktop). QuickBooks Online has no company file you can download.
Can I rename a .QFX file to .QBO?
Sometimes it imports, but both formats carry a bank ID (INTU.BID) that the program checks. QuickBooks Desktop may reject a bank it doesn't recognise. It's better to download the right format from the bank or convert from CSV.
Does QuickBooks Online accept QIF?
No. Intuit's own instructions say not to choose QIF. Use QBO, QFX, OFX or CSV, or upload the PDF statement itself.
Can Quicken for Mac import QIF?
Only when you create a new data file from another program's export. For ongoing imports into an existing Quicken for Mac account, use QFX/OFX.
Which format keeps working on old QuickBooks Desktop versions?
IIF. It's a local file format, so it works even after Intuit switches off bank feeds and Web Connect for your version.