Budgeting isn’t the most exciting money-related activity, but it is the key to unlocking money's full potential. By following a budget, you can quickly identify the money pits that leave you cash-strapped and work on reining in the runaway expenses.
Fortunately, you can count on intuitive, feature-rich money management apps to help you breeze through the budgeting process. These financial superheroes let you take charge of your finances, optimize spending, and polish your money habits.
Mint, for seamless budgeting
Mint is popular with busy folks looking for a quick, convenient budgeting solution. The free budgeting app syncs with your bank accounts, credit cards, bills, loans, and investments. It’ll track your expenses and group them into categories. Customize the categories, set the spend limits, and Mint will alert you when you’re almost maxing out.
Mint’s curated insights will help build your net worth and improve your credit score. Use the app to pad savings, pay down debt, and track your money goals.
YNAB, for zero-based budgeting
You’ll love YNAB if you prefer a hands-on approach to budgeting. The app uses a zero-based budgeting system, which requires you to justify every expense on your budget. It connects to your bank accounts and credit cards. You can define the categories and allocate funds to them. Use the app to track your expenses, and you’ll become more intentional with your money.
YNAB is a paid app. It’ll cost you $14.99 monthly or $99 annually after a trial.
EveryDollar, for a simple budgeting experience
EveryDollar is perfect for folks who prefer a simplified budgeting process. The free version is barebones. It won’t link to your bank account, so you must manually enter all transactions. You can customize the categories and set bill payment reminders.
The bells and whistles of the premium version cost $12.99 a month or $79.99 a year. You can link your bank, savings, and investment accounts. This paid version of EveryDollar automatically tracks your expenses and provides custom recommendations based on your spending habits.
Prism, for flawless bill payment
Prism takes the tedium out of the bill payment process. This free budget app lets you track your income, account balances, and expenses. But Prism goes further to ensure you never incur a late fee. When you add your bills, the app will send you payment reminders.
Unlike other apps, Prism lets you pay the bill directly from the app and schedule payments. The Prism app is free.
Spendee, for shared household budgeting
Spendee is perfect when managing a shared household budget. You can rope your roommates and family into the budgeting process without forcing everyone to share their financial data. The app lets you create and share custom wallets. With this app, you track expenses and set spending limits for each category. You can set bill reminders to avoid late payment penalties.
The free version only supports manual planning. To sync your bank account, you must pay $22.99 a year for the premium version.
PocketGuard, for simple, personalized budgeting
PocketGuard is ideal for anyone who craves simplicity. The app curates your expenses and automatically updates the balance to help tame your spending. You can track your finances manually or link your bank accounts and credit cards. PocketGuard does all the heavy lifting for a hands-on budgeting experience.
There's a free version, but you can upgrade to PocketGuard Plus for $7.99 per month or $34.99 per year if you need a debt payoff plan. A lifetime purchase costs $79.99.
Goodbudget, for no-frills envelope budgeting
Goodbudget adds a digital twist to envelope budgeting. It’s a no-frills app that doesn’t link to your bank account. Instead, you’ll need to enter the account balances manually. You’ll then set the spending limit for each envelope. Goodbudget is excellent if you’re looking for hands-on budgeting experience and don’t mind the extra work.
You can opt for a free version with limited envelopes or upgrade to Goodbudget Plus for $8 a month or $70 a year.
Honeydue, for shared budgeting
Honeydue is a free budget app and a great pick if you are budgeting with a partner. You can link your credit cards, bank accounts, loans, and investments to the app. Honeydue creates automatic expense categories; then, you can customize them to suit your needs.
You can cap monthly spending limits for all categories, and the app sends an alert when nearing them. You can also set bill payment reminders and chat with your partner on the app.
Mobills, for colorful budgeting
Mobills adds a dash of color to your budgeting process. The app syncs with your bank account, credit cards, and loans. It’ll organize your expenses into categories and let you set the budget and define the spending limits. It turns the data into colorful interactive maps.
The free option offers limited functionality. You can unlock more features by upgrading to $14.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Simplifi, for exceptional expense tracking
Simplifi rolls technology, simplicity, and convenience into a simple budgeting solution. The app syncs with your credit cards, bank accounts, and 401(k). It’ll help you track your income and expenses, set spending limits, and automatically generate custom spending plans. Simplifi’s exceptional tracking capabilities uncover hidden subscriptions to help you save money.
At $2.39 per month or $28.73 per year, Simplifi delivers powerful insights to improve your money management skills. The app offers a 30-day free trial.
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