Frequently Asked Questions

SiftDo is a privacy-first personal finance app for Mac, Windows, and iPhone. You import your bank transactions as CSV, OFX, or QFX files, and SiftDo automatically categorizes them using an on-device AI engine called Sieve. Your financial data never leaves your device — SiftDo has no servers that store your transactions.

1. Download SiftDo from siftdo.com.
2. Log in to your bank's website and export your transactions as a CSV file (look for a "Download" or "Export" option in the transaction history).
3. Open SiftDo and drag-and-drop the file, or use File → Import.
4. SiftDo auto-detects your bank's CSV format and imports your transactions.

No account or signup required. You can also try the live demo before downloading.

• Mac — macOS 13 Ventura or later
• Windows — Windows 10 or later
• iPhone — Coming later this year

A web demo is available at demo.siftdo.com — no install needed, but data is not saved between sessions.

SiftDo is signed and notarized by Apple, but macOS shows a dialog for any newly downloaded app. To open it: right-click (or Control-click) the .dmg or app icon, choose Open, then click Open in the confirmation dialog. You only need to do this once. If you see "malware" rather than "unidentified developer," make sure you downloaded from siftdo.com and not a third-party site.

• CSV — exported from most banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Capital One, etc.)
• OFX / QFX — Quicken/Microsoft Money format supported by many credit unions and smaller banks
• Mint export ZIP — import your complete Mint transaction history directly

SiftDo auto-detects the format and maps the columns automatically. If your bank's CSV isn't recognized, you can manually map the columns during import.

Log in to your bank's website (not the mobile app), navigate to your account's transaction history, and look for a Download, Export, or Save as CSV button. Most banks allow you to choose a date range. Download as CSV if available; otherwise OFX or QFX also work. If you have trouble, search for "[your bank name] export transactions CSV".

SiftDo uses an on-device AI engine called Sieve — a 6-stage classification pipeline that analyzes merchant names, amounts, and patterns to assign categories and subcategories to your transactions. Sieve runs entirely on your device; your transactions are never sent to a server for processing.

Free users get a 3-month trial of auto-categorization. Pro and Family subscribers get unlimited auto-categorization. After the trial ends, categories are preserved but new imports require manual categorization (unless you upgrade).

Go to Settings → Export to save all your transactions, categories, tags, and rules as a JSON file. To restore, use Settings → Restore and select the JSON file. On iPhone, the export is shared via the system share sheet so you can save it to Files, iCloud Drive, or another app.

SiftDo deduplicates transactions during import using a fingerprint of the date, amount, and description. If you import the same file twice, existing transactions are not duplicated. Overlapping date ranges across different files are also deduplicated automatically.

SiftDo is local-first — your transactions are stored only on your device. SiftDo has no servers that receive or store your financial data. There is no account required to use the app; you are never asked for your bank login or personal details.

The only data we receive is anonymous crash diagnostics (stack traces, device type, OS version — no financial data) and anonymous subscription status from RevenueCat when you purchase a plan.

Full details in the Privacy Policy.

Your data is stored using OS-level storage (IndexedDB on Mac/Windows, SwiftData on iPhone), protected by your device's built-in disk encryption — FileVault on Mac, BitLocker on Windows, and iOS encryption on iPhone.

If you enable iCloud sync (Pro/Family), your data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. SiftDo never sees the synced data — it's stored in your private iCloud container managed entirely by Apple.

No. SiftDo requires no account to use. The free tier and all core features work without signing up. An Apple ID is required only if you purchase a subscription (via the App Store) or enable iCloud sync. Your financial data is never tied to an account on SiftDo's servers because SiftDo has no servers.

• Free — $0 forever: CSV import, 1 account, manual categories & tags, all charts, 3-month auto-categorization trial.
• Pro — $4.99/month (or $39.99/year): Everything in Free + unlimited auto-categorization, multi-device iCloud sync. 1-month free trial.
• Family — $7.99/month (or $59.99/year): Everything in Pro + up to 3 accounts. 1-month free trial.
• 5-year plans: Pro $99.99 · Family $149.99 — pay once, use for 5 years.
• Bank Connect add-on: $1.99/month — auto-import transactions directly from your bank via Plaid (optional, any plan).

Subscriptions are managed through the App Store (iPhone) or through the in-app subscription manager (Mac/Windows).

• iPhone: Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → SiftDo → Cancel.
• Mac/Windows: SiftDo → Settings → Subscription → Manage → Cancel.

You can cancel any time. Pro features remain active until the end of the current billing period. Your data is never deleted when you cancel.

For App Store purchases (iPhone), refunds are handled by Apple — reportaproblem.apple.com. For Mac/Windows purchases, contact [email protected] and we'll sort it out.

Bank Connect is an optional add-on ($1.99/month) that automatically imports your transactions directly from your bank using Plaid. Instead of manually downloading CSVs each month, SiftDo fetches your latest transactions on demand. Bank Connect is entirely optional — SiftDo works great without it using manual CSV import.

No. Bank Connect uses Plaid's secure authentication flow. You log in to your bank through a Plaid-hosted screen — SiftDo never sees your bank username, password, or login token. Plaid retrieves your transactions and passes them to the app on your device. See Plaid's privacy policy for details on how they handle your credentials.

No. Bank Connect is entirely optional. SiftDo's core features — import, categorization, charts, and tagging — all work without it. Bank Connect is for users who prefer automatic import over the manual CSV download workflow.

SiftDo auto-detects column layouts for hundreds of banks, but occasionally a format is new or unusual. If your CSV isn't recognized:

• Use the CSV Tester at siftdo.com/csv to check which columns SiftDo detects.
• Make sure your CSV has columns for Date, Amount, and Description (the exact names vary by bank).
• Email the CSV (with amounts zeroed out if you prefer) to [email protected] — we add new bank formats regularly.

• Make sure iCloud sync is enabled on both devices: Settings → Privacy & Security → iCloud Sync → On.
• Both devices must be signed in to the same Apple ID.
• Check that iCloud Drive is enabled in your Apple ID settings (iOS: Settings → [name] → iCloud → iCloud Drive).
• Sync can take a few minutes after importing data — give it time before assuming it's stuck.

If issues persist, email [email protected] with your device types and OS versions.

Check whether the missing transactions fall within the date range you exported from your bank (banks often default to 30 or 90 days). Try exporting a wider date range. Also check the Import History (Settings → Import History) to see how many transactions were imported from each file and whether any were skipped as duplicates.

Email [email protected]. We aim to respond within 1 business day.