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The most productive budgeting tool is one that is easy to use and meets your unique needs. For you to find the most productive, we’ve ranked the 10 most productive budgeting apps based on our research.
Quicken Simplifi tops our list of the most productive budgeting apps, earning 4. 8 stars, thanks to its combination of easy-to-use features and moderate cost. You will be able to set savings goals, how to spend safely without going over budget, and coordinate with your spouse or partner.
You may not find Mint, the once popular budgeting app, on our list because it’s no longer available.
Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and companies, so all are measured equally. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the banking methodology for the ratings below.
We compared 27 budgeting apps to find the most productive one for managing budgets, saving, and spending. For this review, Forbes Advisor focused on apps available to American consumers. The top 10 apps offer a variety of useful features and accessories that can meet a variety of monetary control and private finance needs.
The main points of the application are accurate as of January 13, 2025.
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, by adding your spouse or financial planner.
Why We Like ItSimplifi has all the budgeting features you need to manage your finances in one place. You can import transactions automatically, tag and flag transactions, get real-time alerts for unusual expenses or upcoming bills, set savings goals and run various reports.
What we don’t like Simplifi doesn’t 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 It’s Best ForQuicken Simplifi is best for families who want an all-in-one solution for managing household finances.
Quicken Simplifi costs $35. 88 per year (50% off included) with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The app connects your bank accounts, credit cards, and loans so you can keep track of your overall money and 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. 0 stars).
We chose YNAB because it helps users discover and focus on their money priorities by putting every dollar to work. It has several features for setting goals and creating an effective budget.
Why We Love It We love that YNAB offers adjustable goal tracking (so you can customize your budget as your desires change) and reports to help you better understand your financial habits. YNAB also has a team of experts, guides on common questions, and free information. 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 budget your budget with YNAB. You can’t plan your next salary, for example.
Who is it most productive 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 is accessible from desktop and mobile platforms and voice-activated devices. There is no upfront commitment with YNAB, and you can try 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).
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 Like ItWe like PocketGuard because it lets you choose between the envelope, 50/30/20 and zero-based budgeting methods. You aren’t stuck with a budgeting strategy you don’t like and can fully customize your spending plan to meet your needs.
What we don’t like We don’t like the limitations of the free edition 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 It’s Best ForPocketGuard is a good option for you if you want to keep track of how much money you have left to spend after paying your bills and other expenses. The app can even notify you when you’re close to using up your budget or exceeding a spending limit you’ve set.
The In My Pocket feature helps you manage your coins by showing how many coins you want to save or spend after covering your bills, budgets, and goals. You need to link your bank accounts and credit accounts for In My Pocket. PocketGuard identifies your recurring income, spending, and savings goals and calculates your monthly currencies.
Keep in mind that the app limits some features in the free version, such as tracking your cash flow and the ability to create your own spending categories. The PocketGuard app is available for both iOS (4.6 stars) and Android (3.7 stars).
CountAbout is our top pick for sole proprietors because it has bookkeeping, accounting and budgeting features to help you manage your personal and business finances in one place.
Why we like 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 trial periods on our list.
What we don’t like There is no single edition of CountAbout. It’s a shame that the Standard plan still requires importing transactions manually. Some users also report that they found the app difficult to navigate at first.
Who is it for? CountAbout is ideal for individual and self-employed investors who need 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 you commit.
The Standard plan will allow you to manually enter transactions, 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 charge the receipt symbol upload ($10 per year) and small business billing ($60 per year). The CountAbout app is available on iOS (4. 2 stars) and Android (4. 6 stars).
We picked Empower Personal Dashboard™ (formerly Personal Capital) as the best budgeting app for tracking net worth because of its outstanding reporting, investment management and spend-tracking features.
Why We Like ItWe like Empower because it gives customers a holistic view of their finances, from day-to-day spending to portfolio performance. It also offers desktop capabilities for those who prefer budgeting 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 robo-advisory services.
Who It’s Best ForEmpower Personal Dashboard is best for those who want a free app to show them their overall finances and help them understand their net worth.
The Empower Personal Dashboard™ offers several savings teams designed to help you build retirement and emergency savings and pay off debt. It also has the right consulting team, which adds investment monitoring, investment expense analyzer, monetary planning, money tracking, educational charge planning, and real data. Track net worth over time. All of these teams give you a detailed review of your current monetary situation while helping 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 collect data to produce a complete monetary picture. The app is available for iOS (4. 7 stars) and Android (3. 9 stars).
We picked Monarch because it provides an overview of your finances, allowing you to see all your accounts in one place. It’s one of the best replacements for Mint because, while similar to the now-defunct budgeting app, it offers additional features. Monarch allows you to collaborate with your partner or a financial advisor on your budget and offers more options when creating savings goals.
Why we love it We love Monarch because you can customize your dashboard, choosing what you need to see and what you don’t need to see. Monarch categorizes your trades for you and can access and delete them all in one place. Monarch is available for desktop and mobile devices, 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 will pay $14. 99 or $8. 33 per month for this app and get constant ad-free budget availability.
Who It’s Best ForMonarch is best for those who want to link multiple financial accounts and make custom budgeting and savings goals. The app provides a comprehensive personal finance platform, and you can budget on your own 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, bills, and subscriptions; budget renewals; and customizable expense reports. Monarch is available on iOS (4. 9 stars) and Android (4. 7 stars). Former Mint users can get a reduction in the introductory price.
We believe that 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 to overspending and work toward being debt-free.
Why we love it We love EveryDollar’s easy-to-use interface and the ability to customize budget categories to fit 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 LikeYou won’t be able to import transactions automatically with this app unless you pay for a Premium subscription. Free plans are stuck with manual imports.
Who is it most productive for? Every dollar is more productive and appropriate 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 fundamental budgeting features, such as creating traditional categories, manually entering transactions, and setting invoice due dates. You can access your quotes on all devices and the percentage circle of family quotes with others.
EveryDollar Plus subscription costs $17. 99 per month or $79. 99 per year. Unlock additional features like automatic transactions, bank account synchronization, and consistent personalized recommendations for expense tracking. Additionally, users also have access to monetary training calls from the organization. The EveryDollar app is available on Android (3. 9 stars) and iOS (4. 7 stars).
We picked Credit Karma as the best app for tracking your credit because it helps you stay on top of changes to your score and financial health. It isn’t a true replacement for an everyday budgeting app, but its expense tracking and net worth monitoring tools make it useful for managing money.
Why we like it We like 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 across all accounts. You also have access to several credit monitoring teams that alert you when your score changes and give you personalized advice to improve your score.
What We Don’t LikeCredit Karma doesn’t provide common budgeting features found with other apps, like the ability to create custom budgets or set financial goals.
Who is it most productive for? Credit Karma is more productive and suitable 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 gives you access to your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports. It also offers money management tools to track your spending and monitor your net worth.
When the Mint closed in 2024, a portion of it was absorbed through Intuit Credit Karma. You can link accounts from thousands of U. S. monetary establishments. To keep track of your net worth. However, not all of the features and data from the past supported in Mint can be obtained in Credit Karma. The Credit Karma app is available for iOS (4. 8 stars) and Android (4. 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 attract users who find other devices too complex or cluttered.
Why we like Fudget all the features that can make other budgeting apps difficult to use. Simply enter your income, upload your expenses, and mark fees as paid or unpaid (almost like a checkbook register). Fudget also allows you to replace currency symbols and languages.
What we don’t like about 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 would likely appeal to top school or high school students who need to be informed about how to budget without being overwhelmed by complex features. It is also useful for those who have an undeniable financial situation or are tracking their expenses for a specific purpose or spending category, such as renovating their home.
Fudget’s free plan comes with up to five budgets and 250 entries on one device. The Fudget Plus subscription costs $19.99 per year or $14.99 every six months. It unlocks unlimited budgets and entries, multi-device syncing and additional features like folders, reminders and a calculator. The Fudget app is available for both iOS (4.7 stars) and Android (4.8 stars).
We chose the Goodbudget app because it offers an undeniable virtual edition of the proven envelope method. By breaking down your budget into envelopes sorted by category, such as rent and groceries, Goodbudget helps you plan your spending by giving every dollar a purpose.
Why we love it We love the Goodbudget app because it’s optimized for budgeting envelopes as a couple or family. You can sync a shared family budget with others, 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 most productive for? Goodbudget is most productive for you if you like the concept of using the envelope formula for budgeting and need to create a strict spending plan.
The loose edition of Goodbudget is similar to the paid edition, Goodbudget Premium. The Premium edition includes the same features with expanded capabilities. For example, the loose edition offers 20 envelopes to organize your finances, while the paid edition provides you with unlimited envelopes. .
The platform is accessible from a mobile device, tablet or desktop. The Goodbudget app is available for both iOS (4.6 stars) and Android (3.9 stars).
Goodbudget also offers Budget Bootcamp courses to teach users how to avoid living paycheck to paycheck, get out of debt, and create a budget that works. Goodbudget also offers a crash course for dealing with money emergencies.
To create this list, Forbes Advisor analyzed 27 budgeting apps. We ranked each budgeting app on 18 data points within the categories of consumer ratings, costs associated with the app, security and encryption of consumers’ data, desktop availability and the ability to share the app with someone else.
The following is the weighting assigned to each category:
Budgeting apps with a higher overall rating relative to their number of reviews ranked higher on our list, as did those that are completely free. We also prioritized mobile apps with advanced security features, like biometric authentication, multifactor authentication and encryption. Apps that allow the ability to connect an unlimited number of accounts moved toward the top of our list, as did apps that also have a website version and allow for sharing with family or friends.
You set a budget so you can do the things you need to do.
“How to finance not only your daily needs, but also your aspirations: this is the goal of everyone, everywhere, in all categories of sources of income and in all circumstances,” wrote the celebrated private financier Sylvia Porter in her “Book of Money. “”.
Without such a plan, you may find that your needs are beyond your means.
“And many of you seek help because you have the uncomfortable feeling of wanting to be able to handle your situation better,” Porter wrote.
That’s what is happening to too many Americans.
Nearly part of families bring credits card debt, according to the Federal Reserve’s maximum recent Survey of Consumer Finances, which can eat into your backside line in times of top interest rates.
Meanwhile, 37% of Americans would not be willing to cover an unexpected $400 cash expense.
A well-crafted budget would allow you to exceed overhead expenses and increase your emergency fund.
There are many tactics for budgeting, as demonstrated by our winning apps. But the essence of any budget plan is to spend less than you earn.
How you do this depends on your personal preferences. Maybe you need to allocate a certain amount to a certain category, like groceries or entertainment, and then spend only within those limits. Or you don’t care specifically where the expense is. month to month, as long as you save enough in a high-yield savings account.
You can analyze your spending with a detailed virtual spreadsheet that you fill out yourself, or you can sync your other accounts with a budgeting app and set your goals there.
Whatever strategy you employ, don’t give yourself any grace. You don’t want to go crazy trying to account for every dollar spent.
The two key elements of any budget are the source of income and expenses. Its purpose is to restrict your spending, adding your savings, to as much of your income source as possible.
This can be a difficult process. Think about all the transactions you make over the course of a month, from application fees to coffee shots. That’s why a budgeting app can come in handy.
By temporarily syncing your credit cards and bank accounts with the platform of your choice, you’ll be able to see how much you’ve spent at which corporations and when. (You can also do this manually with a spreadsheet or paper and pen if that suits your preferences better. )
But it’s not enough to track your source of income and expenses. After all, a budget is a plan.
So, you want to have a plan for what you’ll do with the source of income you’re hoping to earn in a given month. How much of that source of income will be spent on the things you want and desire in your life?
A good place to start is to separate your expenses into two categories: fixed (items like housing, child care and debt payments) and variable (items such as food and clothing).
Use recent statements to see how much you spent in those other categories, add up the savings, and compare them to the amount you received. If you spend too much, look for options to cut back.
From this base, you will expand a budget in which you will allocate your source of income to other spaces to achieve your monetary goals.
Your budget has probably been hit hard by the rise in inflation since the pandemic. Grocery prices have jumped 27% over the past five years, but median weekly earnings increased by less than 25%. This gap is especially difficult for families with hungry kids in the house.
Despite those setbacks, you deserve to keep budgeting to go to the grocery store, even if it means cutting back on other expenses. Start by researching your accounts over the past 3 months or so to see what you spend regularly.
If you need to cut back, start by substituting brand-name items for store-brand options. Also, consider enlisting a credit card that gives you generous cash back on groceries.
Meal planning, which includes knowing what to eat for dinner the following week, will help reduce waste.
Too often we decide to go on a vacation first, and then figure out how to pay for it later. Going into debt for a vacation is avoidable with a bit of foresight.
A smart option is to create a savings account specifically for your travels. Next, you want to calculate how much you want to save. Look at your receipts from the past few years to see how much you typically spend and determine whether or not this amount is achievable compared to the source of income you expect to earn next year.
By restricting yourself to a certain limit (say $6,000) a year, you’ll accomplish two things. First, you’ll give yourself a solid monthly savings target ($500 in this case). You’ll also force yourself to be creative. If it looks like you’ll only have, say, $4,000 in tow this year, you can change your plans. Perhaps you’ll drive instead of fly, or maybe you’ll go to a cheaper destination.
It’s less difficult to take those steps before your return than it is to deal with a spending hangover after your return.
Unlike food or vacations, housing bills are fixed. Unfortunately, the cost of housing has skyrocketed, increasing as much as 26% in recent years.
Use the 28/36 rule to help you determine whether you’re paying for more house than you can afford.
This rule of thumb says that you should spend no more than 28% of your total pre-tax income on housing or 36% of your total income on debt in general, which can include housing and a car payment or student loans. Using this rule, if you make $3,400 per month, you can afford up to $952 in rent and $1,224 in total monthly debt payments.
Since housing prices are set periodically, it may be more difficult to reduce monthly expenses in this category than with food or vacations. Renters have more flexibility and deserve to move to a less expensive apartment instead of living beyond their means.
Homeowners can trim related costs, such as cutting landscaping or cleaning services. You could also refinance your mortgage if you can cut roughly 2 percentage points off your loan’s interest rate.
If you’re saving for a wedding, first who might be willing to make a contribution. Family members can offer to pay for an aspect of the wedding or give a contribution of a set amount to use on what you and your future wife see. Fit. Next, determine how much you and your wife can contribute.
Once you have a baseline budget, decide how you’ll allocate your funds. List typical wedding expenses and determine what’s most important to you. Some essential line items include:
• Venue, either rite and reception • Flowers and decoration • Wedding costumes • Photography • Catering and rentals • Favors and gifts • Invitations • Music • Rings • Celebrant
Focus your spending on the pieces you appreciate most. If you want to cut costs, check out apps geared toward wedding planning.
A budget app is designed to help you optimize spending and save potential choices you make on a monthly basis. By bringing all of your commitments and money goals into one place, a budget app can give you greater visibility into your potential money choices and habits.
Most will allow you to sync your bank accounts, automatically recording your source of income and expenses in real time. You can categorize your purchases and see how well you’re meeting your goals. For example, if you’ve already spent your allotted entertainment budget before the end of the month, know to wait.
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 customization to meet your needs.
Choose the one that best fits how you like to interpret your current finances. The most productive budgeting app for you is the one you will use.
Remember that the application is a tool. While the tool has the obligatory features that allow you to set and control your budget, it is also a tool that you might not think to use. Consider the design and appearance, as well as the following:
Budgeting apps are the only way to manage your cash and keep track of your spending. Here are some opportunities you should consider for budgeting apps.
While mobile apps are convenient for daily budgeting, you may prefer the software for a more physically powerful money control experience. Software such as QuickBooks or Quicken offers expanded capabilities beyond the budget, such as tax software integration and payment control. However, those extra features sometimes cost more than mobile apps, so be mindful of what you can spend.
Spreadsheet budgets are highly customizable, making this method ideal for anyone who needs something more hands-on than budgeting apps. With a spreadsheet, you can record your income, keep track of your expenses and see where your money goes each week or month. Excel and Google Sheets are popular choices.
The 50/30/20 budgeting method lends itself well to budgeting with a spreadsheet because you can divide expenses, discretionary spending and savings into categories within the sheet and allocate individual expenditures to each category. To get started, use our 50/30/20 budget calculator.
Envelope budgeting or cash stuffing is a tried-and-true system for visualizing your budget that can be done manually.
When you get paid, distribute a portion of your salary into envelopes. Each envelope will be designated for an express category, such as rent, food or gas. With this system, you give every penny of your salary a goal and you can not spend more than what is in your envelopes.
You might feel ridiculous for paying a company to help you spend less money. And if you’re someone who can naturally spend less than you earn and is able to accumulate your savings in each pay period, you can probably use an app.
But many struggle to manage their finances, especially as they get married, have children, and advance in their careers. With so many accounts to monitor, an app can expand and fit your budget. Whether it’s building an emergency fund or getting out of debt, it will be worth the price.
The challenge of budgeting in general, whether it’s dealing with an app, spreadsheet, or more manual means, is to commit to not only having a budget, but also making sure that your money decisions are consistent with this budget. 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.
Read More: Are Budgeting Apps Worth It?
Here are several great flexible budgeting apps that may meet your needs. However, the most productive flexible budgeting app for you is the one that will best meet your private monetary goals. Empower and Credit Karma are free apps and can be smart. for a start. Good Budget, EveryDollar, Pocket Guard, and Fudget all have loose versions.
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, all of the budgeting apps on our list are designed to provide a positive user experience.
The budgeting app for couples is Quinken’s Simplifi, which is our top-rated app.
If you don’t need to report your bank account data to a budgeting app, YNAB allows file-based transaction import as well as manual and automatic tracking. Goodbudget also does not link to your bank account, but requires you to record transactions manually.