Best Apps For Keeping A Budget

You already know keeping a budget is often next to impossible. You keep telling yourself that you´ll go to the store this week, but you never do (let´s be honest). No matter what you try, there are always bills that get left behind due to the fact that you just didn´t have any money left over. I don´t know about you, but I just can´t seem to save enough for my long term goals. I make a list of things I want or need, and by the time I get home from work or at the end of the month, it usually goes forgotten or unfulfilled. I know others share my problems. That is why we decided to help you out by doing all the research on some apps that might save your life and make sure that at least your bank account will be happy!

Best Apps For Keeping A Budget

BEST OVERALL
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
Price: $98.99 per year
Bank Sync: Yes
Free Trial: 34 days
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Why We Chose It
You Need a Budget (YNAB) earns the top spot because of the company’s renowned budgeting philosophy and reputation. YNAB says new budgeters typically save $600 in their first two months and more than $6,000 in their first year. Although YNAB is the most costly option on our list, the company offers a 34-day free trial.

Pros & Cons
Pros
Complete budget makeover
Free 34-day trial
Strong customer service and comprehensive education
Cons
$98.99 per year
More time-intensive to learn
Recent sync issues
Overview
YNAB rises to the top of our list because of its budgeting philosophy. The company offers a free trial for 34 days (no credit card required), and after that, the cost is $98.99 per year. If you prefer to pay less upfront, the cost is $14.99 per month.

YNAB offers the ability to sync your bank accounts, import your data from a file, or manually enter each transaction. To begin, the company suggests learning the basics about the app through video courses, a live workshop, or reading a guide. YNAB offers a proactive budgeting approach, rather than tracking what you have already spent, like some competitors.

After signing up, you create your first budget and assign every dollar a purpose, like your rent or car payment, for example. The goal is to eventually get at least one month ahead, so you’re spending money you earned from 30 days ago. The company offers extensive educational resources and customer support to keep you on track.

YNAB says privacy and security are its top priority. The company protects your information by using bank-level encryption for all data, best practices for password security, third-party audits, and more.

BEST FREE BUDGETING APP
Mint
Mint
Price: Free
Bank Sync: Yes
Free Trial: N/A
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Why We Chose It
Mint stands out for a few reasons. It’s one of the most popular budgeting apps available, with 25 million users. The app is free and easy to use for budgeters of all levels. You can also set up bill payment reminders, track investments, and access your TransUnion credit score—all of which makes Mint our choice for the best free budgeting app.

Pros & Cons
Pros
Free budgeting app
Free TransUnion credit scores
Investment tracking
Cons
In-app product advertisements
Some complaints about technical issues
Spending categorization could be better
Overview
Mint offers the best-known free budgeting app on the market. It’s a great option for anyone looking to improve their spending habits. The app is free, but you may see targeted financial product advertisements.

You may sync your financial accounts within the app or manually add transactions. Mint allows you to see all your accounts in one place and keep track of your spending daily. The app automatically organizes your spending so that you can see totals by category at a glance. Mint also offers monthly bill tracking, including payment reminders to avoid late fees. The app also offers the ability to keep track of your investments and check portfolio fees. Mint offers a few education resources like a home affordability calculator, loan repayment calculator, and blog with various personal finance topics.

Mint protects your data through features like security scanning with Verisign, multi-factor authentication, and touch ID mobile access. The company stores your login information in a separate database with multiple layers of hardware and software encryption.

BEST FOR CASH FLOW
Simplifi by Quicken
Simplifi by Quicken
Price: $47.99 per year
Bank Sync: Yes
Free Trial: 30 day
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Why We Chose It
Simplifi by Quicken earns high marks because it offers a personalized spending plan with real-time updates of how much you have left to spend throughout the month. The app syncs your bank accounts to show you where you stand and your progress on financial goals. Simplifi by Quicken also tracks your monthly bills and subscriptions, including those you don’t use.

Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong cash flow tools
Watch lists for mindful spending
Free 30-day trial
Cons
$47.99 per year
Some complaints about technical issues
Overview
Simplifi by Quicken ranks best for cash flow because of the app’s effective tracking capabilities. It’s the best option for staying on top of how much you can spend between your paychecks. The app offers a free 30-day trial, and then you will pay $3.99 per month (billed annually at $47.99) or $5.99 per month if you choose not to pay upfront.

To get started, you have to sync bank accounts, and then you will have a complete snapshot of your finances. The app automatically categorizes your spending, tracks recurring bills and subscriptions, and stays on top of upcoming expenses.

One standout feature is the app’s custom watchlists, which allow you to limit spending by category or payee. Also, the custom spending plan monitors cash flow to make sure you never spend more than you make. Simplifi by Quicken offers tips while you’re using the app, but there’s also a blog full of educational content at your fingertips.

Security and privacy are top priorities for Quicken, the app’s parent company. Quicken has been trusted with sensitive financial data for decades (since 1984) and continues to work on new security measures. The app uses 256-bit encryption to transmit banking data and keeps the information confidential.

BEST FOR OVERSPENDERS
PocketGuard
PocketGuard
Price: Free/$7.99 per month, $34.99 annually, or $79.99 one-time fee, lifetime subscription
Bank Sync: Yes
Free Trial: Free version available
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Why We Chose It
PocketGuard made the cut because the app helps curb overspending. The company uses an algorithm to track your income, expenses, and savings goals to tell you how much you can spend every day. These spending limits make it easier to quit overspending and take control of your financial goals.

Pros & Cons
Pros
Free basic budgeting app
Cash flow at a glance
Easy to use
Cons
PocketGuard Plus has a cost
No phone support
Some complaints about technical issues
Overview
PocketGuard earned the top spot as best for overspenders because its features focus on helping users control overspending. The app offers a free and a paid, premium version, PocketGuard Plus.

To get started, you need to connect your checking, savings, and credit card accounts. The app can see what you are spending, where to save, and reminds you when credit card bills are due. PocketGuard’s “In My Pocket” feature uses an algorithm to identify how much money you can spend based on your income, upcoming bills, goals, recent spending, and budgets.

The app offers a smart bill reminder to keep track of due dates and shows where you may be able to negotiate for lower bills. There’s also an automated savings feature, which allows you to set a goal and save for it. PocketGuard automatically moves the money to a bank account on your behalf.

PocketGuard Plus offers additional features like creating your categories, changing transaction dates, the ability to export data, tracking cash, managing ATM deposits and withdrawals, and splitting up transactions. The company also publishes an educational blog for additional opportunities to learn.

PocketGuard prioritizes security with 256-bit encryption, a four-digit PIN, and biometrics like Touch ID and Face ID as another layer of protection.

BEST FOR BUILDING WEALTH
Personal Capital
Personal Capital
Price: Free, Paid Investment Service Available
Bank Sync: Yes
Free Trial: N/A
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Why We Chose It
Personal Capital scores high because the company offers the best free tools for wealth building. You can sync your financial accounts in one place to track your net worth, plan for the future with the Retirement Planner, and use the Fee Analyzer to check portfolio fees.

Pros & Cons
Pros
Free wealth management app
Retirement Planner tool
Education Planner tool
Net worth tracking
Fee Analyzer tool for your portfolio
Cons
Less focused on budgeting
No option to manually add transactions for budgeting
Sales calls for wealth management services
Overview
Personal Capital lands at the top of our list with the best app for building wealth. You can use the product’s dashboards to sync accounts for a complete picture of your finances. The company’s primary app is free, with the option to add investment management services for 0.89% of your money for accounts under $1 million.

Unfortunately, Personal Capital doesn’t allow you to add budgeting transactions manually, but you can manually add investments without syncing those accounts. You can use Personal Capital’s budgeting tools to see your total income and expenses every month. While you can’t create specific goals, you can add a budget, compare to previous months, and see your spending by categories.

Although the company’s budgeting features aren’t as comprehensive as others, Personal Capital does offer better investing tools. You can use the dashboard to see changes to your net worth over time, and Personal Capital’s Fee Analyzer gives you a closer look into your portfolio fees. You may also prepare for the future with the company’s Retirement Planner tool or save for college with the Education Planner tool. Personal Capital’s blog, Daily Capital, covers a range of financial planning topics for beginners to more experienced users alike.

Personal Capital protects your data with encryption, fraud protection, and robust authentication. No one has access to your individual login credentials, and the company’s partnership with Yodlee, a veteran financial technology company, offers another layer of security.

Best free budgeting app

Conclusion

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