There are mobile apps for just about everything nowadays. This includes online budgeting apps designed to help you improve your personal finances.
Using a budget is an excellent way to eliminate debt, save money, and reach your financial goals faster. With new budgeting apps available to download every year, which ones are the best budget apps for you and your family to improve your finances?
Here are 10 budgeting apps that we like.
Explore The Best Budget Apps
Want to be more in control of your finances? Ready to give every job a dollar? Check out these top budgeting apps!
YNAB
You Need A Budget (YNAB) is budgeting software that allows you to set up and track budgets seamlessly on any device. They allow you to sync your bank accounts easily to the app.
One of the best features is the ability to set and track financial goals. YNAB will break down how to reach those goals, which is extremely helpful.
Get the support you need as well, through forums, easy-to-use guides, weekly videos, podcasts, and live workshops.
YNAB is free to use for 34 days, then just $14.99 a month. YNAB users average $6,000 in savings in their first year of use, which makes the monthly charge a great investment.
Price: $14.99 per month or $99 per year
Related Interview: You Need a Budget (And Here's Why) – with Jesse Mecham
Monarch Money
Are you looking for a modern money management system? Then Monarch Money might be right for you. This fintech tool was designed by tech startup veterans to help people hit their financial goals. Why does that matter? Two reasons! The user experience is top notch. Plus, they understand pain points that come with tech tools. So they designed around them!
This tool can grow with you on your journey. You can easily add a partner to your financial dashboard for no extra cost. That means that if the time comes for you to tie the knot–or not!–you can combine your finances partially or totally if you choose. You can also add other people. So if you have an adult child or you care for an aging parent, you can add them to your dashboard as well.
Price: $14.99 per month or $99 per year
Learn more about this app in our full Monarch Money review!
EveryDollar
This popular budgeting app comes from Dave Ramsey. You can start by creating an account and then set up your zero-based budget.
EveryDollar offers a free version and a paid version (EveryDollar Plus). EveryDollar is now part of Ramsey+. Unfortunately, you can only connect to your bank and view account balances in the paid version.
The free version still allows you to create unlimited budgets, track expenses against your budgets, and get email support. Your EveryDollar account comes with a free trial of EveryDollar Plus, which costs $129.99 a year after the trial ends.
Price: Free version; premium version; $12.99 per month or $79.99 per year
Related Article: How to Save $1,000 in Dave Ramsey's Baby Step 1
Empower
If you are looking for a comprehensive money management program, Empower is a solid choice for your family. Formerly known as Personal Capital, Empower is a powerhouse in the fintech space. Like other apps, you link your bank and investment accounts to be able to track spending, saving, see current balances, and check on portfolio performance.
Empower's app is free to use, but they are looking to upsell you to their other financial services. The good news is you don’t have to upgrade to use their app, which is available on most devices.
Price: Free (will try to sell you financial services)
Related Post: Empower: Free Tools to Help You Build Wealth
Tiller
Tiller is a budgeting app that isn’t actually an app. Wait, what?!
Tiller believes in the power of spreadsheets. Their research shows people are more aware of their financial habits using spreadsheets over a “one size fits all” app. Tiller automatically updates Google Sheets and Excel daily with all your spending, balances and more.
Use customized templates that fit your needs. Because it’s cloud-based, you can access your information from anywhere on any device and also share access with your spouse. Tiller works with 21,000 financial sources so all your accounts are covered.
Tiller will improve your financial awareness without all the manual entry normally needed with keeping spreadsheets. It’s the best of both worlds.
Price: Start with a free 30-day trial and then pay $79/year.
Related Post: Tiller Money Review: Take Your Spreadsheet Budget to the Next Level
Wally
Wally is a simple budgeting app that allows you to follow expenses, create a working budget, and set financial goals for yourself. It is completely free, although they are working on an upgraded version they will release in the future that will have a fee.
Some of the better features of Wally include the ability to save frequent shopping locations for easier data entry as well as assigning recurring income and expenses within the app.
Wally also allows you to scan and save receipts. If you are looking for an app that offers more than just budgeting or can connect to your accounts, one of the other options on our list might serve you better than Wally.
Price: Wally offers two options:
- Standard: Free
- Wally Gold: $99.99 for lifetime access
Pocketguard
Pocketguard is another budgeting app. This one allows users to link their accounts to the app to track spending, including:
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- Loans
- Credit cards
With Pocketguard, you can build a customized budget based on your spending habits. One nice feature is that it lets you know when you have leftover “pocket” money after paying bills and other expenses. Pocketguard allows you to set savings goals, like paying off debt or adding money to investment accounts. You can link a goal and goal account, and Pocketguard will deduct from it monthly from your pocket money.
Pocketguard is relatively easy to use and features charts and graphs to help you visualize where your money is going and what to watch for in the future.
The budgeting app also makes suggestions on how users can save money through partner financial services.
Price: Pocketguard offers 2 different plans:
- Free: $0
- Pocketguard Plus: $7.99/month, $34.99/year, or $79.99/lifetime
Honeydue
Honeydue is one of the best budgeting apps available for couples.
Maybe you have separate bank accounts or perhaps you've joined your accounts together. Possibly, you have a combination of the two. Honeydue can tackle it all and help you and your partner get on the same page screen financially.
After downloading the app and creating an account, both partners choose which accounts to add. Options include checking, savings, credit cards, loans, and investments. The more accounts you connect, the more of your financial picture you can see in one place.
Of course, if you're looking to keep some things private (no ruined birthday surprises, for instance!), you can customize what information is available to your partner.
As you make different transactions, the app will record them for you. Additionally, you do have the option of customizing the transactions as well.
Find Honeydue in the App Store for iPhones and on Google Play for Android users.
Price: Free
Simplifi by Quicken
Recently named the best budgeting app by Wirecutter, Simplifi joins our list of top online budgeting apps.
This budgeting tool aims to help users in four main ways. Use Simplifi to…
- Get a broad view of your finances overall.
- Track your spending and monitor areas of overspending.
- Set and reach savings goals.
- Plan for short-term and long-term goals, savings and otherwise.
Price: $2.39/month, billed annually
Goodbudget
You may be wary of linking all of your financial accounts with your online budget. The good news is you don’t have to. That’s where Goodbudget comes in.
Goodbudget is like other best budget apps that utilize the envelope system. Instead of syncing up your personal accounts, users manually enter information. Yes, it’s more work, but it also keeps you fully invested in what’s going on with your money. It’s a nice middle ground between fully-automated budgeting and reverting to paper envelopes and a pencil.
Goodbudget has a free version, as well as a paid version, which gives you unlimited envelope categories and customer support through email.
Using a less automated app requires discipline for sure, so if that’s not you, opt for an app that does the work for you. But sometimes doing the work yourself allows you to see where your money is falling through the cracks.
Price: Goodbudget offers 2 different plans:
- Free: $0
- Plus Plan: $8/month or $70/year
Other Budget Apps to Consider
Still not sure which of these budget apps are right for you? We have a few others you might want to consider too!
CountAbout
For a simple budgeting tool to use, check out CountAbout. It’s a web-based budgeting tool that allows users to import from other programs like Quicken. Users can quickly sync account information from your bank and other financial institutions.
Other helpful features include:
- Budgeting
- Scheduling payment
- Tracking payments
- Financial Reports
- Recurring transactions
- Attaching receipts and images
Access to specific features depends on whether you have the basic version and a premium version of CountAbout. There’s also an add-on feature for small business owners for an extra fee.
CountAbout is also available on iOS and Android for budgeting on the go.
Price: CountAbout offers 2 different plans:
- Basic: $9.99/year
- Premium: $39.99/year
- Other add-ons available for a cost
Related Article: CountAbout Review: Budget App That Imports from Quicken and Mint
Qube Money
A budgeting app that uses the envelope system model is Qube Money (formerly known as Proactive Budget). Qube simplifies budgeting by splitting your money into several digital accounts, giving every dollar a job.
Qube stands out from other top online budgeting apps. One reason is that customers also receive a Qube debit card. They transfer money to the card and then categorize every dollar into virtual envelopes, called qubes. When it’s time to make a purchase, open the app, and choose which qube you want to pull money from before using your card. As a safeguard, your card is declined if you skip this step.
While Qube is a bit more extreme than other budgeting apps, it works. It tracks all of your spending too, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting any details.
The Qube card requires you to choose a qube through your smartphone. There could be potential issues if you don’t have your phone at the time of purchase or have trouble connecting to the app.
Price: Qube Money currently offers 2 different plans, with a third coming soon:
- Basic: $0
- Premium: $8 monthly
- Family: $15 monthly
Related Video: Why Digital Cash Envelope Budgeting Wins
Copilot
Copilot is a relative newcomer on the scene, and it's making big waves. The idea behind this app is that it will make smart financial suggestions for you based on your current financial behaviors. Instead of picking a tool and completely reworking the way you spend money, users can modify their financial habits in more reasonable and sustainable ways.
You can quickly sync all of your financial data. Then, Copilot starts to build a plan based on your current habits. Once you have a budget set up, you'll see how Copilot functions as a money tracker. Allowing you to monitor your spending pace, recent transactions, and other financial puzzle pieces, such as recurring bills and investments.
Price: Copilot comes with two different price points:
- $13/month for monthly plans
- $8/month for 12 months for annual plans
Which Of The Best Budget Apps Is Best For You?
Regardless of what method of budgeting you use, the above apps can help you gain control of your family finances. Like any financial tool, the best budget apps only work if you give them the attention they need to work properly. Some financial apps require more work upfront, connecting accounts and setting goals. Others are more straightforward.
Most of the apps listed are either free or offer a free trial so you can test them and see what works best for you.
Which one of these online budgeting apps is your favorite?
Please let us know in the comments below!
