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The most productive budgeting tool for you is the one you actually use, whether it’s a full-featured app, a simplified spreadsheet, or more manual means. To help you in your search for the right budgeting app, we’ve ranked ten of the most productive budgeting apps available.
Mint, once a top flexible budgeting app, can no longer be downloaded and does not appear on this list.
Our editors are committed to providing you with unbiased reviews and information. Our editorial content is influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to compare monetary products and companies, so that they are all measured in the same way. You can learn more about our editorial rules and the banking method for ratings below.
We compared 15 budgeting apps to find some of the most productive mobile apps available for managing budgets, savings, and spending. For this review, Forbes Advisor focused on apps available to American consumers. The 10 most sensible applications are offering a variety of useful functions and equipment that can meet the needs of monetary control and private finances.
The main points of the application are accurate as of July 22, 2024.
We chose Quicken Simplifi as the most productive app for managing family finances because it makes it easy to track bills, savings goals, and money flow. Additionally, you can add other people to your budget, adding your spouse or your financial planner.
Why we love it
Simplifi has all the budgeting features you want to manage your finances in one place. You can automatically import transactions, tag and report transactions, get real-time alerts for uncommon expenses or upcoming bills, set savings goals, and generate reports.
what we don’t like
Simplifi does not offer a free trial and we don’t like that they offer you other costs if you pay for your subscription through Google Play or the website’s App Store.
Who is it for?
Quicken Simplifi is ideal for families looking for an all-in-one solution to manage family finances.
Quicken Simplifi costs $35. 88 per year with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The app connects your bank accounts, credit cards, and loans so you can keep track of your money and overall net worth. You can also create traditional expense categories, set savings goals, and get consistent, personalized insights. The Simplifi app is available for iOS (4. 2 stars) and Android (4. 5 stars).
We chose YNAB because it helps users discover and focus on their monetary priorities by putting every dollar to work. Within the app, there are several features for setting goals and creating effective budgets.
Why we love it
We love that YNAB provides adjustable goal tracking so you can customize your budget as your needs evolve and reporting to help you better understand your financial habits. YNAB also has a team of experts, guides on common questions, and free online workshops.
What we don’t like
We don’t like that you can only use cash that’s already in your connected bank account to allocate budget to your budget with YNAB. You can’t plan your next salary, for example.
Who is it for?
YNAB is ideal for others who need to proactively manage their finances and budget every paycheck. This app is not optimized for passive budgets or abnormal usage.
YNAB, short for You Need A Budget, is an award-winning budgeting program that specializes in helping consumers save money and get out of debt. It can be accessed from mobile and desktop platforms and from voice-activated devices. There is no upfront commitment with YNAB and you will be able to check it risk-free for the first 34 days.
YNAB prides itself on focusing on its current scenario and long-term odds rather than reviewing beyond monetary information. The YNAB app is available for iOS (4. 8 stars) and Android (4. 7 stars).
CountAbout is our most sensible option for sole proprietors because it has accounting, bookkeeping, and budgeting features so you can manage your personal and business finances in one place.
Why we love it
CountAbout is the budgeting app on our list with built-in billing and receipt capture features. Additionally, you can create customizable budgets and reports for accounting purposes.
All plans come with a 45-day free trial, one of the longest trials on our list.
what we don’t like
There is no single edition of CountAbout. Es unfortunate that the Standard plan still requires you to import transactions manually. Some users also report that they found the app difficult to navigate at first.
Who is it for?
CountAbout is ideal for sole proprietors and freelancers who have a single platform to manage and control their personal and business finances.
CountAbout offers two plans: Standard ($9. 99 per year) and Premium ($39. 99 per year). Both plans offer a 45-day free trial, so you can check them out before committing.
The Standard plan allows you to enter transactions manually, import Quicken Interchange Format (QIF) files, and view your savings projections. The Premium plan goes even further by connecting to your bank accounts and credit cards, so you don’t want to import your expenses manually.
You can also upload receipt symbol loads ($10 per year) and small business invoicing ($60 per year). The CountAbout app is available on iOS (4. 2 stars) and Android (4. 5 stars).
We chose Empower Personal Dashboard™ (formerly Personal Capital) as the budgeting app to track net worth because of its exceptional reporting, investment management, and expense tracking features.
Why we love it
We like Empower because it provides clients with a holistic view of their monetary situation, from day-to-day expenses to portfolio performance. It also offers desktop features for those who prefer to budget on a computer.
what we don’t like
We don’t like that you want to have at least $100,000 in investment savings to use this platform’s automated advisory services.
Who is it for?
Empower Personal Dashboard is ideal for those who need a free app that shows them their overall finances and perceives their net worth.
The Empower Personal Dashboard™ offers several savings teams designed to help you build retirement savings and an emergency budget and pay off your debt. It also has an excellent advisory team, which adds an investment monitor, investment payment analyzer, financial planning, money tracker, educational charge planning, and net worth tracker. genuine time. All of these teams provide you with a detailed review of your current monetary situation and help you plan for the future.
Getting started with the app is simple: all users want to do is link bank accounts, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, and other items in their budget. From there, the app will combine data to produce a complete monetary picture. The Empower app is available for iOS (4. 7 stars) and Android (4. 1 stars).
We chose Monarch Money because it provides information about your finances and allows you to view all of your accounts in one place. This is one of the most productive Mint replacements because, like Mint, it offers additional features. Monarch allows you to collaborate with your spouse or a money advisor on your budget and offers more features when creating savings goals.
Why we love it
We like Monarch because you can customize your dashboard, opting for what you need to see and what you don’t need to see. Monarch categorizes your transactions for you, and you can access and clear them all in one place. Monarch is available for desktop and mobile, unlike many other popular budgeting tools.
what we don’t like
We don’t like that Monarch is rarely very free, like Mint was. You’ll pay $14. 99 or $8. 33 per month for this app, but you’ll get an ad-free budget experience.
Who is it for?
Monarch is ideal for those who need to link monetary accounts and set savings goals and non-public budgets. The app provides a comprehensive private financial platform and you can budget alone or with a partner.
Monarch listens to its users and adjusts things accordingly. According to their website, new features are released every month based on user feedback. Some other wonderful features of Monarch include tracking net worth, investments, invoices and subscriptions, budget transfers, and customizable Expense Reports. Monarch is available on iOS (4. 9 stars) and Android (4. 8 stars). Former Mint users can get a reduction in the introductory price.
We chose the Goodbudget app because it offers an undeniable virtual edition of the proven envelope method. By dividing your budget into envelopes sorted by category, like rent and groceries, Goodbudget helps you plan your spending by giving every dollar a purpose.
Why we love it
We like the Goodbudget app because it’s optimized for budgeting envelopes as a couple or with family members. You can sync a shared family budget with people, and the free edition offers many features.
What we don’t like
We don’t like that Goodbudget doesn’t let you link your bank accounts, meaning you have to keep track of everything manually. You also can’t see all your finances in one place.
Who is it for?
Goodbudget is what you want if you like the concept of envelope formula for budgeting and want to create and maintain a strict spending plan.
The free edition of Goodbudget is similar to the paid edition, Goodbudget Plus. The Plus edition includes the same features with expanded capabilities. For example, the free edition offers up to 20 envelopes to organize your finances, while the paid edition gives you unlimited envelopes.
The platform can be accessed from a mobile device, tablet, or desktop computer. The Goodbudget app is available for iOS (4. 6 stars) and Android (4. 1 stars).
Goodbudget also offers Budget Bootcamp courses to teach users how and why to create a budget that works for them, how to avoid living paycheck to paycheck, how to get rid of debt, and a crash course for dealing with money emergencies.
We believe EveryDollar is the most productive app for getting out of debt, thanks to its zero-based budgeting technique. This technique encourages you to intentionally allocate every dollar of your income toward overspending and work toward becoming debt-free.
Why we love it
We like EveryDollar’s user-friendly interface and the ability to customize budget categories to meet your needs. The app offers a free edition, as well as a 14-day free trial if you need to check out Premium.
What we don’t like
You may not be able to automatically import transactions with this app unless you pay for a Premium subscription. Free plans are locked by manual imports.
Who is it for?
EveryDollar is most productive and suitable for those who are committed to paying off their debt and are comfortable with the zero-based budgeting approach to doing so.
EveryDollar’s flexible plan has essential budgeting features, such as creating traditional categories, manually entering transactions, and setting invoice due dates. You can access your budgets on all devices and family budget percentage circle with others.
The EveryDollar Plus subscription costs $17. 99 per month or $79. 99 per year. Unlock additional features like automatic transactions, bank account syncing, and personalized consistent recommendations for expense tracking. In addition, users also have access to monetary training calls from the organization. The EveryDollar app is available on Android (3. 5 stars) and iOS (4. 7 stars).
We chose Credit Karma as the most productive app for tracking your credit because it helps you make the most sensible adjustments to your score and financial health. It’s not a true replacement for a budgeting app, however, its spending and net worth tracking equipment makes it useful for managing money.
Why we love it
We appreciate the fact that Credit Karma gives you an overview of your monetary health. You can categorize expenses, track expenses throughout the month, and monitor your net worth in other accounts. You also have access to various credit monitoring equipment that alerts you. when your score is adjusted and gives you personalized recommendations for your score.
what we don’t like
We don’t like that Credit Karma doesn’t provide budgeting features common in other apps, such as the ability to create traditional budgets or set financial goals.
Who is it for?
Credit Karma is ideal for those who need to monitor their credits and gain insight into their overall monetary strengths and weaknesses.
Credit Karma is a free app that provides you with access to your credit reports from TransUnion and Equifax. It also provides cash control teams to keep track of your expenses and control your net worth.
When Mint closed in 2024, a portion was absorbed through Intuit Credit Karma. You can link accounts from thousands of US monetary establishments to track your net worth. However, not all features and past data supported in Mint need to be had in Credit Karma. The Credit Karma app is available for iOS (4. 8 stars) and Android (4. 7 stars).
We chose PocketGuard as the most productive app for tracking expenses thanks to its undeniable interface. It shows how much cash you have, how much you spend on bills, and how much you have left. The app also shows you a personalized pie chart of your expenses. To overspend, you can set spending limits right in the app.
Why we love it
We like PocketGuard because it allows you to choose between an envelope, a 50/30/20 budget, and a zero-based budget. You won’t be stuck with a budgeting strategy you don’t like, and you’ll be able to completely customize your spending plan to meet your needs. needs.
what we don’t like
We don’t like the limitations of loose editing of this app. If you want all the features, such as the ability to customize your spending categories and enter information manually, you want to pay for the Plus edition.
Who is it for?
PocketGuard is what you want if you want to keep track of how much you have left to spend after paying your expenses and other expenses. The app can even notify you when you’re about to miss a set spending limit or run out of budget. .
The In My Pocket feature helps you manage your coins by showing how many coins you want to save or spend after you’ve covered your bills, budgets, and goals. Linking your bank and credit accounts is necessary for In My Pocket. Pocketguard identifies your income, expenses, and recurring savings goals and calculates your monthly currencies
Note that the app limits some features of the free version, such as tracking your money and the ability to create your own spending categories. The PocketGuard app is available for iOS (4. 6 stars) and Android (3. 7 stars).
We found Fudget to be the best option for those looking for simplicity in a budgeting app. It lacks many features found in competing apps, but its undeniable strategy could appeal to users who find other devices too complex or cluttered.
Why we love it
Fudget all the features that can make it difficult to use other budgeting apps. All you want to do is enter your income, upload your expenses, and mark the fees as paid or unpaid (almost like a checkbook). Fudget also allows you to replace currency symbols and languages.
What we don’t like
Fudget’s simplicity is its greatest strength and greatest weakness. You can’t sync accounts, automate expense tracking, or track your net worth. Additionally, many of the app’s features are only available in the paid version.
Who is it for?
Fudget will possibly appeal to the school’s best students or the school who need to be informed about how to budget without being overwhelmed by complex functions. It is also useful for those who have an undeniable monetary scenario or are tracking their expenses for an express purpose or category of expenses. how to renovate your home.
Fudget’s free plan includes up to five quotes and 250 entries on a single device. Fudget Plus subscription costs $19. 99 per year or $14. 99 every six months. Unlock unlimited quotes and entries, multi-device syncing, and additional features like folders. , reminders and a calculator. The Fudget app is available for iOS (4. 7 stars) and Android (4. 6 stars).
To create this list, Forbes Advisor analyzed 15 budgeting apps. We ranked the budget app on 18 knowledge aspects in the categories of customer ratings, app-related pricing, security and encryption of customer data, desktop availability, and capacity for app percentage. someone else.
Here is the weight assigned to the category:
Budget apps with a higher overall score relative to their number of reviews are at the top of our list, as are those that are absolutely free. We’ve also prioritized mobile apps with complex security features, such as biometric authentication, multi-factor authentication, and encryption. Apps that allow you to connect unlimited accounts have moved to the top of our list, as have apps that also have an online page edition and allow you to share with family or friends.
With more than a portion of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, according to several surveys, budgeting is key to helping others free themselves from monetary hardship and create monetary stability. The United States has noticed an immediate escalation in housing and healthcare prices around the world. 30 years, leaving less cash to spend on savings and retirement.
Not having a money plan or budget in place can cause stress and overwhelm you, leading to increased spending, living beyond your means, and perpetuating destructive cycles. But having a budget together as part of your overall cash control can make a big difference, not only helping you achieve your financial goals, but also reducing stress and anxiety and your overall quality of life.
Creating and managing a successful monthly budget is all about knowing how much cash you’re coming in and how you’re spending it. Your income source deserves to be greater than your expenses, and you deserve to have enough leeway to differentiate yourself. cash each month for savings and retirement. If your balance is rarely where you’d like it to be, it’s time to create a budget plan.
To begin making a budget plan, make a list of your sources of income and expenses. Connecting your bank accounts to your favorite budgeting app is the easiest way to do this, but you can also do it manually with pen and paper or a spreadsheet.
Next, separate your ongoing expenses from your variable expenses. Fixed expenses are those that are not replaced month-to-month, such as housing, utilities, insurance, childcare, and loan bills, in addition to cars, student loans, or credit card bills. Variable expenses include groceries, entertainment, dining out, vacations, and streaming services. Finally, consider monthly contributions for savings goals such as retirement or an emergency fund.
If your expenses exceed your income, first take a look at your variable expenses to see where you can cut the budget. After that, you can take steps to reduce your ongoing expenses, such as moving to a domain with lower rents or refinancing your debt.
Budgeting for groceries can be tricky – everyone wants to eat. If you’re not sure how much to budget for groceries, compare your expenses to the USDA meal plan. Keep in mind that special nutritional restrictions may increase your grocery bill.
If you need to lower your grocery bill, meal prep plans can help. Create a weekly plan to prepare recipes that use percentages of ingredients or pantry staples. Meat is a big expense, so adopting a meatless Monday meal can also help reduce grocery costs. Buying in bulk instead of single-use packaging can also save you money.
Vacations can be a profitable savings resolution if you have some wiggle room in your budget. The first step in budgeting for your vacation is to determine how much you need to spend and when you should go. If you’re contemplating a beach vacation for $5,000 a year, you can break it down into a monthly savings goal of about $420.
Not sure if you need to dedicate it to an expensive trip?Consider less expensive features, such as a road trip, or keep an eye out for a bargain. Budgeting for a vacation means having the budget available when airfares drop or the ambitious ski chalet becomes available. You have to book.
To calculate how much you’re worth spending on rent, use the 28/36 rule. This budgeting rule states that you don’t deserve to spend more than 28% of your total source of pre-tax income on housing or 36% of your total source of income. source of income on general debt, which can come from housing and a car payment or student loans. Using this rule, if you earn $3,400 per month, you can get up to $952 in rent and $1,224 total per month toward debt repayment. .
Sharing an apartment or space can help reduce your housing budget, as can moving to a less expensive area. If finding more affordable housing is an option, you may want to look into other areas of your budget to cut costs.
Aside from purchasing a space or a car, a wedding is one of the largest expenses most people will ever pay, costing tens of thousands of dollars.
If you’re saving for a wedding, first who might be willing to contribute. Family members can offer to pay for an aspect of a wedding or give a contribution of a set amount to use for whatever you and your future spouse see fit. Next, figure out how much you and your spouse can contribute.
Once you have a foundational budget, how you will allocate your funds. List typical wedding expenses and determine which one is most important to you. Some must-haves of the campaign include:
Focus your spending on the pieces you appreciate most. If you want to cut costs, check out wedding planning apps.
Budgeting is a procedure that begins with identifying your monetary goals as well as observing your spending and saving habits. When you truly perceive how much money is coming in and going out, you are better prepared to deal with the expected and unforeseen demanding monetary situations that life throws at you.
The mindset you adopt when managing your cash is important. Establishing a budget is an essential first step to taking control of your finances. If you’ve never worked with a private budget, it may take a few cycles for your behavior to recover. And if you have a money behavior you want to improve, the right app can help.
A budgeting app is an app designed to help you optimize your spending and save the possible choices you make monthly. By bringing all of your monetary commitments and goals together in one place, a budgeting app can give you greater visibility into your potential money options and habits.
Similar to apps you’d likely use at your bank or credit union, a budgeting app can offer additional features, such as setting money goals and tracking money in multiple money accounts. Budgeting apps can sync with your bank and credit card accounts to provide a comprehensive view of your finances.
Some budgeting apps will use a quick budgeting technique, such as envelope budgeting or zero-based budgeting, while others will use the budgeting technique more generally, allowing for customization to meet your needs. A comprehensive budgeting app allows you to track your spending, manage recurring bill payments, set savings goals, and manage monthly cash flow.
Choosing a budgeting app may seem like a small solution compared to other private finance options, but the right budgeting app can make a big difference in your private financial life.
When deciding on a budgeting app, make sure to think about your wishes and goals first. The right budgeting app can give you useful information and insights about your spending and savings. But before that happens, identifying your monetary goals will allow you to narrow down your chances. Find the budgeting app that’s right for you.
Aside from your goals, here are some features to consider before committing to a budgeting app:
Budgeting apps are the only way to manage your cash and track your expenses. Here are some budgeting app opportunities to consider.
While mobile apps are convenient for daily budgeting, you may prefer the software for a more physically powerful money tracking experience. Software like QuickBooks or Quicken offers expanded capabilities beyond budgeting, such as tax software integration and payment monitoring. However, those extra features sometimes cost more than mobile apps, so be aware of what you can spend.
Spreadsheet budgets are highly customizable, making this approach ideal for anyone who wants something more convenient than budgeting apps. With a spreadsheet, you can record your income, track your expenses, and see where your weekly or monthly cash is going. Excel and Google Sheets are popular options.
The 50/30/20 budgeting approach lends itself well to budgeting with a spreadsheet because you can divide expenses, discretionary expenses, and savings into categories within the sheet and assign individual expenses to each category. To get started, use our 50/30/20 budget calculator.
For some, creating a detailed budget may not be mandatory or may seem too complex. When this is true, simply tracking your expenses can also be a good way to start. You can do this by periodically checking your bank or credits. card statements or through an app. Spending tracking apps like Mint give you a review of your spending by category. While you can use Mint to set a budget, you can also use it to sync your other bank accounts and see your activity more clearly. .
If you like a mobile app, you’ll probably prefer manual budgeting. Budgeting without the help of generation is a smart way to take responsibility for your spending. Envelope budgeting or money filling is a displayed formula to visualize your budget that can be done manually.
When you are paid, you will distribute part of your salary in envelopes. Each envelope will be designated for an express category, such as rent, food, or gas. With this system you give a target to every penny of your salary and you can’t spend beyond what’s in your envelopes.
Yes, budgeting apps are worth it, especially when you understand what your money goals are and use the right app to reach them. According to anecdotal reports, some budgeting apps save education users thousands of dollars in the first year alone. In addition, consumers make more thoughtful purchases by tracking their spending and cash flow.
Budgeting apps are a wonderful tool to make sure you stick to your budget, not just make plans. They can give you insight into your spending habits, identify where your cash goes, and where you can make improvements.
As with any app, whether or not it is valuable depends largely on how you use it. A challenge with budgeting in general, whether it’s through an app, spreadsheet, or more manual means, is committing to not only having a budget, but also making money decisions accordingly. Many other people find that the interactivity and automation provided through a budgeting app helps them stay motivated and more aware of their personal finances.
Rachel Murphy, editor-in-chief of Forbes Advisor Banking, and Cassidy Horton, financial critic and editor, contributed to this report.
Here are several wonderful flexible budgeting apps that can meet your needs. However, the flexible budget app for you is the one that will meet your private monetary goals. To find the right app for you, feel free to download a few and check them out for yourself.
While many budgeting apps claim to have easy-to-use interfaces, everyone has other tastes and preferences. It’s hard to say which budgeting app to use, however, those seven highly rated budgeting apps are designed to provide a positive user experience.
The most productive budgeting app for couples is Honeydue, a free app that promotes transparency and collaboration between two other people managing their money together. Other cheap apps for couples are Goodbudget and YNAB.
If you don’t need percentages of your bank account data with a budgeting app, YNAB allows for file-based transaction import as well as manual and automatic tracking. Goodbudget also doesn’t log in to your bank account, but it does ask you to record transactions manually. .