Best Budgeting Apps

Brittany Flammer Author

After testing more than 30, I share the best budgeting apps for you.

I've tested over 30 budgeting apps. Guess what I've learned?!

There is NO perfect budgeting app - they all have pros and cons.

The best budgeting app is the app that works for you. Here's a quick overview of my 5 favorite apps.

If you've got 13 minutes, in this video I show you each of the apps. 👇🏼

Here's a quick recap of each budgeting app and its pros and cons:

EveryDollar: if you are brand new and want the simplest budgeting app possible. It is VERY basic and manual. But, it's the easiest to get started. It doesn't offer a lot of extras - it lets you create a basic budget. You can set up funds to rollover your money each month. There is no automation - it's very manual. There is a free version and a paid for version that will let you link to bank accounts. I am not an affiliate, but recommend it for people wanting the simplest, basic budgeting app. You can try it out here.

Monarch Money - It lets you completely customize everything and create very detailed rules. It automatically categorizes transactions for you. It will give you the average spending in each category for the past 3 months. It also lets you see the year all on one page if you want. It takes some time to get the rules setup, but in the long run can be very automated. Here is a complete review of Monarch Money.

Simplifi by Quicken - It lets you link your accounts and create/edit your spending categories. It automatically categorizes for you and it lets you create some basic rules. It's a little more complex than EveryDollar, but not as much to learn as Monarch Money. They do not offer a free trial, but you can get a full refund for 30 days if you decide you don't like it. If you'd like to see what it looks like, check out this video here.

Tiller - This is great if you like spreadsheets and want to link your accounts. It comes with a template and you can create custom rules, but it requires knowing spreadsheets. It doesn't have as many visuals and isn't as 'pretty' as the other budgeting apps. BUT, it's great if you love spreadsheets. Try it out here for free.

Empower - This isn't really a budgeting app, BUT it's a great place to track all of your wealth. You can link to your banks, investments, and debts. It lets you see everything in one place. It will import your spending transactions and categorize them for you. It lets you see where your money went, but doesn't let you plan a budget. It is completely free. Try it out here.

If you're still trying to find the right app for you, grab my cheat sheet below. I compare all the pros, cons, and prices of 10 different apps:

Categories: : BUDGETING