LinuxWhat is the OFX file format?
.ofx files are financial data exchange files that carry financial data in the Open Financial Exchange format. The data can include account transactions, bank statements, investment positions, and other information specific to the financial industry.
.ofx files enable the electronic exchange of financial information over the Internet between companies, consumers, and financial institutions. Individual clients typically encounter .ofx files as downloadable statements from bank and credit-card accounts offered by their financial institution. The format is also widely used in electronic banking and personal-finance software imports.
The .ofx format dates to 1997, when it superseded the older .ofc standard and was developed jointly by Intuit, Microsoft, and CheckFree. Version 1.x files are plain-text SGML with a characteristic OFXHEADER:100 header block followed by an <OFX> body; version 2.x migrated to well-formed XML, beginning with an <?OFX ... ?> processing instruction. Both variants are plain text and can be inspected in any text editor.
Today the format is governed by the Open Financial Exchange Consortium and is supported by major personal-finance tools including Quicken, GnuCash, Moneydance, and Banktivity. The closely related .qfx variant is an .ofx file extended with additional Intuit/Quicken-proprietary tags that are not part of the standard specification.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAn OFX file is plain text data with no executable code, so opening it cannot harm your computer. The real concern is privacy, not malware: OFX contains your account numbers, balances, and full transaction history. Don't email it unencrypted, upload it to untrusted online converters, or leave it in shared folders. Prefer offline importers (GnuCash, Quicken) for sensitive statements, and delete the file once imported.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open OFX files
Windows5 apps
Quicken
Paid File > Import (or use the bank's 'download to Quicken') to load the OFX transactions. The original target app for OFX. 
GnuCash
Open-source File > Import > Import OFX/QFX, pick the .ofx, match it to an account and confirm. Free, full-featured accounting. 
Moneydance
Paid File > Import to load the OFX into your accounts. Cross-platform Quicken alternative. 
Notepad
Open-source Open as text to inspect the raw OFX (read-only understanding; won't reconcile it). 
ProperSoft Bank2CSV / Transactions
Paid Open the OFX to view it and convert to CSV/QIF for spreadsheets or other apps. 
macOS4 apps
Quicken (Mac)
Paid Import the OFX into your accounts; the current Quicken for Mac replaces the old Quicken Essentials.
Banktivity (formerly iBank)
Paid Import the OFX into accounts. iBank was renamed Banktivity (IGG Software). 
Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Plain-text SGML (OFX 1.x) or well-formed XML (OFX 2.x) |
| MIME type | application/x-ofx |
| OFX 1.x file signature | Begins with OFXHEADER:100 followed by a DATA:OFXSGML header block, then an <OFX> body |
| OFX 2.x file signature | Begins with <?OFX OFXHEADER=...?> processing instruction or directly with <OFX> |
| Character encoding (1.x) | ASCII or Latin-1; declared in the header via the CHARSET field (e.g., CHARSET:1252) |
| Character encoding (2.x) | UTF-8; declared in the XML declaration |
| Data content | Bank statements, credit-card transactions, investment positions, bill payments, and inter-bank transfers |
| Tag syntax (1.x) | SGML with open-only leaf tags - closing tags not required for data elements (e.g., <DTPOSTED>20240115) |
| Tag syntax (2.x) | Well-formed XML - all tags must be properly closed and attribute values quoted |
| Direct-connect support | Supports server-to-client data pull via HTTPS (OFX Direct Connect protocol) |
| Predecessor format | OFC (Open Financial Connectivity), which OFX superseded in 1997 |
| Developers | Intuit, Microsoft, and CheckFree - joint specification |
| Governing body | OFX Consortium (ofx.net) |
| Related variant | .qfx - OFX with additional Intuit/Quicken-proprietary tags; not interchangeable with standard .ofx |
| Released | 1997 (OFX 1.0); OFX 2.x moved to XML |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.ofx.net |
OFX conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about OFX files.
