Personal budgeting can be tricky. That’s where a finance app can be a great assistant and motivator, with budgeting apps being one of the most sought-after types of financial products.
At their core, budgeting apps are pretty straightforward. You configure spending categories and then set up spending limits. Doing this allows you to track your expenses and stay on top of where your money goes.
Most apps allow you to set savings goals to avoid overspending and save money. There are many different budgeting app providers, making choosing one tricky.
In the article, you’ll find pricing, features, and device compatibility information to help you choose the best budgeting apps. Let’s get to it!
9 Best Budgeting Apps
Here are the best budgeting apps you can start using today:
1. YNAB (You Need A Budget)
- Free version: 34-day trial only
- Premium version: $14.99 monthly or $99 yearly
- Top features: Free workshops focus on the long-term, shared budgets
YNAB, short for You Need A Budget, is a budgeting app that aims to change how you see budgeting. It focuses on the long-term rather than the short-term, helping you be proactive with your money.
The app uses four rules to help you get and stay ahead of your expenses:
- Give every dollar a job
- Embrace your true expenses
- Roll with the punches
- Age your money
You can link your bank accounts and even budget with someone you’re sharing expenses with (like your partner or housemate). YNAB’s website also features many workshops and video courses to help you get the most out of the app and your money.
Although there is no free version, YNAB has a free 34-day trial, giving you enough time to test drive the app to see if it fits you.
YNAB is best for people who want to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck and want to ‘age their money,’ living on last month’s income.
2. Empower (formerly Personal Capital)
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: annual fee of 0.89% of your investment assets under $1 million
- Top features: free personalized plan by a professional advisor, investment options, retirement planner
Empower, formerly Personal Capital, is a budgeting and planning app with investing options. You start by opening a free account and linking your bank accounts and investments. This allows you to see your net worth, through which they base subsequent planning.
Once you’ve done this, you can get a free consultation with an advisor who’ll help you build a personalized plan that’s free of charge.
If you like the plan, you can invest directly through Empower – a fiduciary that’s legally bound to put your interests first.
The app also includes a retirement planner and a fee analyzer, among other things – helping you stay on top of your finances while planning for long-term financial goals.
Best for anyone looking at the big financial picture. Empower provides a holistic view of your net worth with an actionable plan and the ability to invest to reach your goals.
3. PocketGuard
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: PocketGuard Plus – $7.99 monthly, $79.99 yearly, or $99.99 lifetime
- Top features: Negotiate better rates, debt payment strategies, net worth tracking
PocketGuard is a budgeting app with more than a few features in its pocket. You can track your net worth by linking different bank accounts, including loans and investments.
You can also set money aside for bills to see how much you can spend without missing any payments.
Speaking of bills, PocketGuard can also help you negotiate better rates, bringing your expenses down. You can also use the app to set up a strategy for paying off your debts with an easy-to-follow schedule.
Data is encrypted using 256-bit SSL encryption, and you can also set a pin and biometric security such as fingerprint access to keep your data safe.
PocketGuard is for the person who wants help budgeting but doesn’t want a lot of bells and whistles or to be overwhelmed. The program is simple yet robust enough to help you reach your financial goals.
4. GoodBudget
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: GoodBudget Plus – $8 monthly or $70 yearly
- Top features: Envelope budgeting system, share and synchronize budgets, debt payoff tracking
GoodBudget uses the envelopes approach to budgeting, where you put income into different envelopes for different expenses.
When spending money, whether bills, groceries, or anything in between, everything has to come out from the right envelope, helping you balance things out before it’s too late.
You can share and synchronize budgets, which is helpful if you share expenses with someone else.
Other GoodBudget features include the ability to pay for significant expenses and debt accounts to help you pay off debt faster.
On GoodBudget’s website, you will also find several financial educational resources, including courses, podcasts, and articles on different financial topics.
GoodBudget is for the person who loves the envelope budget but is ready to move to an electronic version. You’ll have less paperwork cluttering the house but will stay just as organized with your financial goals.
5. Honeydue
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: No
- Top features: Bill reminders, spending limits, compatibility with over 20,000 financial institutions, joint bank accounts available
Honeydue is a budgeting app targeted toward couples who share aspects of their finances. You can track different accounts, including loans and investments.
The app supports over 20,000 financial institutions across five countries.
You can choose what you share and do not share, helping you keep your finances private. The app’s features include bill reminders, budgets with spending limits, and multi-currency support.
The app features a clean and fresh interface that’s easy to use and follow. Apps are available for both iOS and Android devices. However, there is no web version of the app.
If paying for a budgeting app doesn’t make sense to you, Honeydue provides free but robust financial support to help you and your partner get on the same financial page.
6. Rocket Money (formerly Truebill)
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: $3 – $12 monthly
- Top features: Credit Score tracking, saving on bills, a pay advance
Rocket Money, formerly Truebill, is a budgeting app with a few extra nifty features to help you save money and stay within budget.
You can set up a budget that works for you, then use the accompanying tools to help you stay within budget and save money.
The app brings together all of your subscriptions, and you can ask the app concierge to cancel any unwanted subscriptions or try to negotiate a better price.
If you’re finding it hard to save money, the savings autopilot feature could help. The app analyzes your spending habits to customize how much money it saves for you. Money is stashed away in your FDIC-insured savings account held at a partner bank.
Rocket Money is an affordable budgeting app that does almost everything you could need, from automating savings to negotiating bills. If you don’t have time to manage your finances, Rocket Money can do it for you.
7. Stash
- Free version: No
- Premium version: Stash Growth $3 monthly or Stash+ $9 monthly
- Top Features: Spaces to organize and track money, advice and educational material included, investment options
Stash is an investment app that includes features for budgeting and banking. Stash is for those looking to invest their money, with many features centered around building wealth.
Even so, the app includes automatic budgeting, savings tools, advice, and educational material to help you manage your money and build wealth.
The app uses a system that’s closely related to the envelopes system that many budgeting apps use.
However, instead of sorting money into envelopes, it gets sorted into spaces where you can add goals1 and keep tabs on your spending.
There are two plan tiers to choose from, ranging from $3 per month to $9 per month. Regardless of your plan, you get financial counseling services to help you improve your money management skills.
Stash is for the beginning investor who wants to have budgeting and investing all in one app. You’ll track your spending, make robust investing decisions, and be on your way to reaching your financial goals.
Paid non-client endorsement. See Apple App Store and Google Play reviews. View important disclosures. Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. 1 Money moved into a Goal must be moved back to the bank account available balance to be used and does not earn interest.
8. EveryDollar
- Free version: Yes
- Premium version: $17.99/$79.99 yearly and $129.99/year (Ramsey+)
- Top features: Free version available, personalization options, debt tracking
EveryDollar is a budgeting app available with three programs: free, Premium, or Ramsey+. The Premium and Ramsey+ versions have a free 14-day trial. The free version is quite limited, while the paid versions have more features.
The app uses a system of categories and line items to plan and account for every dollar that comes in or goes out. You can also easily create funds for large ticket items and track recurring payments.
On top of that, you can track debt, including payments and interest, to help you make sure you maintain an accurate picture.
Setup is easy, and the app promises you you can get done in under 10 minutes. There are many personalization options to help you make sure you can create a budget that works for you.
EveryDollar is for the budgeter who loses sleep at night over finances, wants to save more money, and needs someone to take the reins on their budget. EveryDollar helps you understand where every dollar goes and where it SHOULD go to reach your goals.
9. Opportun (formerly Digit)
- Free version: 30-day free trial
- Premium version: $5 monthly
- Top features: Personal loans and automatic savings
Opportun (formerly Digit) is primarily a savings and loans app with some budgeting features that help you save money. You can tell the app how much money you need and by when, and it will automatically save money for you.
You can also use the app to help with credit card debt and student loans.
Opportun lets you set unlimited savings goals and helps you learn how to set aside money to reach them. It also helps eliminate overdraft charges, providing automatic transfers so you don’t pay unnecessary fees.
Opportun is for the person who spends before they save. Opportun makes saving effortless, and helps you reach your financial goals.
How to Choose the Best Budgeting App
There are many options for finding the best budgeting app for you. We all have different goals, and finding an app that helps you meet them is important. Here are the things to keep in mind in your search for the right app for you.
1. Goals
Think about your savings goals and what you hope to achieve with the app. Some apps come with a bank account, others to help you build wealth, while others are there simply to help you manage your finances.
Think about what’s important to you and what you’re looking for regarding your financial well-being, and don’t settle for anything less.
2. Features
With no two apps the same, it’s worth considering which features are essential to you to help you narrow the list of contenders.
Do you prefer automation, or are you worried about privacy? Are you OK with the app connecting to your checking account and other accounts, or would you prefer to enter each receipt manually?
Consider the app’s functionality, as this can make budgeting a breeze (or a nightmare).
3. Access
How you access the app also varies from one app to another.
Most come with a mobile app that you can download from the App Store if you have an Apple device – or Google Play if you have an Android device. Some apps offer different features on different platforms, while some offer no apps at all.
Methodology
To create this list of the best budgeting apps, we considered the following factors:
- Syncing: We looked for apps that offered the opportunity for automatic syncing if desired, as well as the option to opt out and enter transactions manually if desired.
- Transparency: Budgeting with a partner is much easier when you both have access to the same information. We looked for apps that offered the ability to share in real time so both partners are on the same page.
- Affordability: Since we’re talking about budgeting, it wouldn’t make sense to overspend on an app for it. We looked for apps with reasonable pricing and free trials to give you a chance to see what they are like.
- Accessibility: We realize not everyone is comfortable accessing financial information on their phones. We looked for programs that offered mobile and online apps to give you options.
- Security: When dealing with finances, your information must be protected. We only recommend apps that use the highest-level security to protect your information.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do budgeting apps work?
Many budgeting apps link to your bank accounts via Plaid, a service that securely transfers financial information. The apps then access your bank accounts, track your income and spending, and help you analyze how to handle your finances to reach your financial goals. Most automatically sync to your accounts and provide real-time information and advice to help you.
Are budgeting apps safe?
Never assume a budgeting app is safe; always do your due diligence. To ensure an app’s safety, it should use bank-level security and two-factor authentication. The app shouldn’t store any of your personal information, and it should have read-only access to your bank accounts.
What budgeting app doesn’t require you to link your bank account?
YNAB doesn’t require you to link your bank account if you aren’t comfortable. While you can link it for automation, you can also input your information to create and manage your budget manually.
What happened to Mint?
Mint shut down as of January 2024. However, many other budgeting apps help you create a budget and reach your financial goals. Unfortunately, many of them have a monthly fee, but if they help you keep your finances on track, it could be well worth sacrificing a couple of cups of coffee a month to cover it.
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