Here is the honest truth nobody puts in these articles: the best budgeting app is not the one with the highest App Store rating or the most features. It is the one you will still be opening four weeks from today.
That single distinction explains why millions of people download a budgeting app, spend a weekend setting it up, and quietly delete it by the end of the month. The app was not wrong. The fit was.
This guide cuts through the noise. We reviewed every major budgeting app currently ranking and being talked about—cross-referencing real user reviews on Reddit, the App Store, Google Play, and Trustpilot—to give you the most honest, complete comparison available. Seven apps. Full pros and cons. Real pricing. Exact guidance on who each one is actually built for.
By the end of this article, you will know which app matches how your brain works with money. That match is worth more than any feature list.
Table of Contents
What Is a Budgeting App?
A budgeting app is a financial tool that connects to your bank accounts and helps you track spending, set savings goals, manage bills, and plan your monthly budget automatically or manually. The best budgeting apps sync with thousands of financial institutions, categorize transactions, and provide real-time insights into where your money goes each month.
Unlike traditional spreadsheets or manual tracking, budgeting apps automate most of the work—connecting directly to your checking accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments to give you a complete financial picture in one place.
Why Most People Quit Their Budgeting App Within 30 Days
Before the recommendations, this part is worth understanding—because it will save you from making the same mistake twice.
The most consistent reason people abandon budgeting apps is not complexity or cost. It is a philosophy mismatch. Every budgeting app is built around a specific theory of how people should manage money. Some require you to assign every dollar a purpose before you spend it. Others track everything automatically and show you the damage after the fact. Some are designed for couples. Some for people in financial crisis. Some for people who just want a dashboard.
When the app’s philosophy matches how you naturally think about money, it feels effortless. When it does not, it feels like a second job—and you stop doing it.
The question to ask before choosing any budgeting app is not “what does this app do?” It is “how do I actually want to relate to my money?”
To understand which budgeting philosophy matches your financial situation, see our complete guide to personal budgeting methods.
What Is the Best Budgeting App Overall?
Monarch Money is currently the best all-in-one budgeting app for most users because it combines flexible budgeting, net worth tracking, investment monitoring, and couple sharing in one customizable dashboard. It absorbed a significant portion of Mint’s user base after Mint shut down in 2024 and has consistently earned the highest user satisfaction ratings among premium budgeting apps. Monarch works well for singles or couples and allows you to add a household member at no extra cost.
What Is the Best Free Budgeting App?
Goodbudget offers the most functional free budgeting app for beginners because it provides 20 spending envelopes, household sharing, and the proven envelope budgeting method at no cost. For couples who need automatic bank syncing without paying, Honeydue is the best free budgeting app with complete features and no premium tier. If you need free zero-based budgeting, EveryDollar’s free tier allows unlimited budget categories with manual transaction entry.
What Is the Best Budgeting App for Couples?
Honeydue is the best free budgeting app for couples because it was built specifically for shared money management, with individual privacy controls, in-app communication about transactions, and joint bill tracking—all at no cost. For couples who want investment tracking and more advanced financial planning together, Monarch Money is the best paid budgeting app for couples, offering shared dashboards, customizable views, and the ability to add a partner to the same subscription at no extra charge.
For complete strategies on managing money as a couple, read our guide on how to budget as a couple without fighting.
What Is the Best Budgeting App for Beginners?
Quicken Simplifi is the best budgeting app for beginners because it automatically creates a spending plan from your transaction history, requires minimal manual setup, and offers a clean interface that doesn’t overwhelm new users. At just $2.99 per month for the first year, it’s also the lowest-cost premium entry point. Goodbudget is the best free budgeting app for beginners who prefer a hands-on, deliberate approach through the proven envelope budgeting method.
If you’re new to budgeting entirely, start with our step-by-step guide on how to create a monthly budget from scratch.
Quick Comparison — All 7 Apps at a Glance
Before diving deep, here is the full landscape in one table.
| Best Budgeting App | Best For | Price | Free Version | Bank Sync | Investment Tracking | App Store Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch Money | Complete financial picture, couples | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | 7-day trial | Yes | Yes | 4.9 ⭐ |
| YNAB | Zero-based budgeting, breaking paycheck cycle | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | 34-day trial | Yes | No | 4.7 ⭐ |
| Rocket Money | Killing subscriptions, bill negotiation | $6–$12/mo (premium) | Yes (limited) | Yes (premium) | No | 4.3 ⭐ |
| Goodbudget | Envelope budgeting, beginners | $10/mo or $80/yr | Yes (20 envelopes) | Premium only | No | 4.6 ⭐ |
| Quicken Simplifi | Beginners, simple overview | $2.99/mo first year | No | Yes | Limited | 4.4 ⭐ |
| Honeydue | Couples managing money together | Free | Yes (all features) | Yes | Yes | 4.1 ⭐ |
| EveryDollar | Zero-based budgeting, debt payoff | Free or $17.99/mo | Yes (manual entry) | Premium only | No | 4.7 ⭐ |
The 7 Best Budgeting Apps — Honest, In-Depth Reviews
1. Monarch Money — The Best All-in-One Budgeting App Overall
When Mint shut down in early 2024, millions of users needed a new home for their financial life. Monarch quickly became one of the most recommended Mint alternatives—and after looking at what it actually offers, it is not hard to understand why.
Monarch stands out for its robust lineup of features and customizable budgeting tools. It works well for singles or couples and you can add a household member to the same subscription at no extra cost.
Monarch simplifies finances by bringing all your accounts together into one clear view. Members report saving over $200 per month on average. Beyond budgeting, it includes a net worth tracker, investment dashboard, and bill reminders.
What separates Monarch from every other budgeting app on this list is the flexibility of its budgeting philosophy. Users can switch between budgeting styles—category budgeting, where you set spending limits for specific categories like utilities and clothing, or a higher-level approach that groups expenses more broadly. Most budgeting apps force one method. Monarch lets you choose.
This flexibility makes Monarch the closest thing to a universal budgeting app for users with different financial philosophies. To understand which budgeting method works best for you, read our guide comparing budgeting methods explained.
Pricing: $99.99 if paid annually, or $14.99 per month if paid monthly. There is a free seven-day trial and money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Most customizable dashboard of any budgeting app
- Connects to 13,000+ financial institutions
- Couples can share one subscription at no extra cost
- Investment and net worth tracking included
- AI assistant and weekly spending recaps
- No ads—paid product only
Cons:
- No free tier—cost starts immediately after trial
- Can feel overwhelming for complete beginners
- Some users report occasional bank syncing issues
- More setup time required than simpler apps
Who it is for: People who want a true command center for their finances. Former Mint users looking for the best Mint alternative. Couples who want a shared financial view. Anyone who has outgrown simple expense tracking and wants to see their full financial picture—budgets, investments, net worth, and goals—in one place.
Who should skip it: Complete beginners who will feel overwhelmed by its depth, or anyone who needs a free budgeting app option.
2. YNAB (You Need A Budget) — The App That Changes How You Think About Money
YNAB simplifies spending decisions, clarifies priorities, and brings more joy to every day and every dollar by making it easy to get good at money. That sounds like marketing copy—except the user data backs it up.
On average, YNAB users save $600 in their first month and over $6,000 in their first year. YNAB has a TrustScore of 4.6, with 4.7 average App Store ratings across 98,500 reviews.
YNAB follows the zero-based budgeting system, which means you assign a job to every dollar you earn. When you get paid, you decide how much of your income goes toward spending, savings and debt. The goal is to become more intentional with your money by actively deciding how it is used.
For a complete explanation of how this method works, read our full guide to zero-based budgeting.
The app operates on four rules that build on each other. Give every dollar a job. Embrace your real expenses, including irregular ones like car maintenance and annual subscriptions. Roll with the punches when life changes mid-month. And eventually age your money—meaning you live off last month’s income rather than this paycheck. That last stage is where genuine financial stability begins for most users.
The app is harder to learn than any other here, and it requires more ongoing effort from the user. And YNAB knows that. Inside both the mobile and web apps are links to videos and other tutorials.
Pricing: YNAB costs $14.99 if you pay per month, or $109 if you pay annually. You can try it in a free 34-day trial. College students can use YNAB for free for a year.
Pros:
- Users save $600 in month one on average
- 34-day free trial—longest of any major budgeting app
- Best app available for breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle
- Up to 5 users on one account—great for families
- Free for college students for a full year
- Loan payoff simulator included
Cons:
- Steep learning curve—takes 2–3 weeks to feel natural
- No free tier after trial ends
- Requires consistent daily or weekly engagement
- No investment tracking
- More expensive than simpler alternatives
- Philosophy feels rigid for casual users
Who it is for: People serious about changing their financial behavior, not just tracking it. Anyone living paycheck to paycheck who wants a structured system to break that cycle. Detail-oriented users who enjoy assigning every dollar a purpose. People with specific savings goals—a house deposit, paying off debt, a major life event.
Who should skip it: People looking for a passive, hands-off tracker. Anyone who wants to see their investments alongside their budget. Users who are not prepared to spend time learning the system in the first two weeks.
3. Rocket Money — The Best App for Cutting What You Are Already Paying
Rocket Money approaches personal finance from a completely different angle to YNAB and Monarch. While most budgeting apps help you plan what to do with money, Rocket Money’s primary strength is finding and eliminating the money you are losing without realizing it.
Rocket Money automatically cancels subscriptions: this has saved more money than many users care to admit—Rocket Money flags subscriptions people had forgotten about and cancels them with one tap.
The bill negotiation feature is its most talked-about tool. You submit a bill, their team contacts your provider to negotiate a lower rate on your behalf, and they charge 35–60% of the first year’s savings if successful. No saving, no fee.
With Rocket Money’s Premium plan, you choose how much you want to pay—from $6 to $12 per month—and you get access to all the same features no matter what. That means you can get complete Premium access for $6 per month, a good bit cheaper than Monarch Money’s $14.99/month plan.
For additional strategies on reducing recurring expenses, see our guide on how to save money fast.
Pricing: Free (limited) | Premium: $6–$12/month (you choose)
Pros:
- Subscription detection and one-tap cancellation
- Bill negotiation service—no upfront cost
- Affordable flexible pricing from $6/month
- Smart savings feature moves money automatically
- Good bank syncing across major institutions
- Solid spending tracking and categorization
Cons:
- Free version is very limited
- Not a strong budgeting app on its own
- Bill negotiation charges 35–60% of savings
- Interface less polished than Monarch
- Less useful if you already manage subscriptions well
Who it is for: People who suspect they are bleeding money through forgotten subscriptions. Anyone who has never audited their recurring charges properly. Users who want results with minimal setup—Rocket Money can deliver savings in the first 20 minutes of use.
Who should skip it: Anyone looking for a full zero-based budgeting system, investment tracking, or deep financial planning tools. Rocket Money is a specialist, not a generalist.
4. Goodbudget — The Envelope System Built for Your Phone
If you have ever used the physical cash envelope method—dividing your income into labeled envelopes for each spending category and stopping when one runs out—Goodbudget is its digital equivalent. The psychological simplicity of envelope budgeting has been proven effective for decades, and Goodbudget brings it to mobile without losing what makes it work.
The key feature that distinguishes Goodbudget from every other budgeting app here is that the free version does not connect to your bank accounts. You manually add account balances, cash amounts, debts and income. Then you assign money to envelopes.
This sounds like a downside. For many users, it is the reason it works. Manual entry creates awareness. When you physically record a purchase, you feel it in a way that automatic categorization never produces. This is why Goodbudget users tend to stick with it longer than apps that do everything automatically.
To understand different budgeting philosophies and which one matches your style, read our complete personal budgeting guide.
Pricing: Free version allows up to 20 envelopes. Goodbudget Premium is $10 per month or $80 per year, which unlocks unlimited envelopes and the ability to sync financial accounts.
Pros:
- Genuinely free tier with meaningful functionality
- Envelope method works exceptionally well for controlled spending
- Simple, low-friction interface
- Household sharing included on free plan
- Works without linking any financial accounts—more private
- Good for building spending discipline from scratch
Cons:
- No automatic bank syncing on free plan
- Manual entry is time-consuming for high transaction volume
- Limited investment or net worth tracking
- 20-envelope limit on free tier
- Less feature-rich than Monarch or YNAB
Who it is for: Beginners who want a simple, structured start without a complex dashboard. People who benefit from the deliberate awareness that manual entry creates. Anyone who finds the idea of linking bank accounts to a third-party app uncomfortable. Households and couples who want a shared budgeting system at no cost.
Who should skip it: Power users who want automated tracking, investment monitoring, or a comprehensive financial overview.
5. Quicken Simplifi — The Easiest Entry Point for New Budgeters
Quicken has been in personal finance software since the 1980s. Simplifi is its mobile-first, modern-day evolution—and it represents something none of the other budgeting apps on this list quite manages: a genuinely beginner-friendly experience that does not feel like it was designed for a beginner.
Quicken created Simplifi to offer a less hands-on budgeting tool that does most of the work for you. It sets up a budget automatically based on your previous spending habits. Its cash flow projection feature looks ahead at upcoming bills and shows you exactly what your account will look like in the coming weeks—eliminating the late-month panic that catches so many people off guard.
For beginners building their first financial system, start with our guide on how to build a monthly budget from scratch.
Pricing: $2.99 per month for the first year, then $5.99 per month. No free tier, but the lowest-cost premium entry point of any app reviewed here.
Pros:
- Lowest cost premium option—$2.99/mo first year
- Auto-creates a spending plan from your history
- Cash flow projection shows future account balances
- Clean, uncluttered interface
- Good for people who have struggled with complex apps
- Trusted Quicken brand with decades of security history
Cons:
- No free tier
- Less customizable than Monarch or YNAB
- Fewer features than higher-priced competitors
- Investment tracking less detailed than Monarch
- Not ideal if you want hands-on budgeting control
Who it is for: People taking their first real step into budgeting who want structure without overwhelm. Anyone who has been put off by the complexity of YNAB or the depth of Monarch. Users who want the app to do most of the setup work.
Who should skip it: Power users, investment trackers, or anyone who wants full control and customization over how their budget is structured.
6. Honeydue — Built Specifically for Couples
Most budgeting apps were designed with a single user in mind. Honeydue is a genuine exception. The app is designed specifically for couples, so you and your partner can manage your finances together more effectively. You can sync bank accounts, loans and investments from 20,000 financial institutions in five countries.
The privacy controls are what make Honeydue genuinely smart for couples. Each partner controls exactly what the other can see—you can share everything, share nothing, or find any point in between. You do not have to choose between full financial transparency and complete financial separation.
Honeydue also lets you and your partner chat about transactions within the app. You can flag an upcoming expense or question a specific purchase without switching to text messages—the conversation stays in financial context.
For complete strategies on managing finances as a couple, read our full guide on budgeting as a couple without fighting about money.
Pricing: Completely free. All features available at no cost.
Pros:
- Completely free—all features, no premium tier
- Built-in couple chat around specific transactions
- Individual privacy controls—each partner sets their own
- Syncs 20,000+ financial institutions in 5 countries
- Bill reminders sent to both partners
- No ads—entirely free product
Cons:
- No solo user version—designed exclusively for couples
- Less sophisticated than Monarch for individual tracking
- Fewer advanced budgeting features than paid alternatives
- No investment tracking
- Lower App Store rating than competing apps
Who it is for: Couples navigating the transition from separate to shared money management. Partners who want financial visibility without full account merging. Anyone whose financial stress comes from a lack of shared visibility with their partner.
Who should skip it: Single users. Anyone who needs investment tracking, detailed net worth monitoring, or the full budgeting depth of YNAB or Monarch.
7. EveryDollar — Zero-Based Budgeting With a Free Tier
EveryDollar is Dave Ramsey’s zero-based budgeting app. Zero-based budgeting means you plan where every dollar goes before you spend it, so your income minus expenses equals zero.
Like YNAB, EveryDollar requires you to give every dollar a purpose before spending it. Unlike YNAB, it has a genuinely functional free tier—you can create unlimited spending categories, track net worth, and get spending reports at no cost. The limitation on the free plan is that bank accounts do not sync automatically—you enter transactions manually.
EveryDollar helps you work the debt snowball method, where you pay off debts from smallest to largest regardless of interest rate. By focusing on the smallest debt first, you get a quick win and the motivation to continue.
To understand the complete zero-based budgeting philosophy, read our zero-based budgeting guide.
Pricing: Free (manual entry) | Premium: $17.99/month or $79.99/year
Pros:
- Functional free tier with unlimited budget categories
- Zero-based budgeting system teaches strong money habits
- Debt snowball tracker built in
- Household budgeting—couples share one budget
- Free live weekly training sessions
- Good mobile apps on both iOS and Android
Cons:
- Automatic bank syncing requires paid plan
- Premium is expensive at $17.99/month
- Rooted in Dave Ramsey philosophy—not for everyone
- Less visually polished than Monarch
- Limited investment tracking
Who it is for: People who want zero-based budgeting with a free entry point. Dave Ramsey followers already familiar with his financial philosophy. Anyone focused on debt payoff as their primary financial goal.
Who should skip it: People who find manual transaction entry unsustainable long-term and are not willing to pay the premium rate for automatic syncing.
Head-to-Head — Which App Wins in Each Category
| Category | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Overall best budgeting app | Monarch Money | YNAB |
| Best free budgeting app | Goodbudget | EveryDollar |
| Best budgeting app for couples | Honeydue | Monarch Money |
| Best budgeting app for beginners | Quicken Simplifi | Goodbudget |
| Best for zero-based budgeting | YNAB | EveryDollar |
| Best for killing subscriptions | Rocket Money | Monarch Money |
| Best for investment tracking | Monarch Money | Quicken Simplifi |
| Best for debt payoff | YNAB | EveryDollar |
| Lowest cost | Honeydue (free) | Rocket Money ($6/mo) |
| Most features | Monarch Money | YNAB |
| Easiest learning curve | Quicken Simplifi | Goodbudget |
Free vs Paid — What the Difference Actually Gets You
This is the question most people ask first, and the honest answer is more nuanced than “free is fine” or “paid is always better.”
| Feature | Free Budgeting Apps Offer | Paid Budgeting Apps Add |
|---|---|---|
| Basic expense tracking | Yes—most free tiers cover this | More detailed, automated categorization |
| Bank account syncing | Limited or none on most free tiers | Full syncing with thousands of institutions |
| Transaction history | Usually 30–90 days | Unlimited or multi-year |
| Investment tracking | Rarely | Available on Monarch and Simplifi |
| Partner/couple sharing | Honeydue (free) only | Most paid apps include this |
| Customer support | Email only, slow | Priority support on paid tiers |
| Customization | Basic | Full—custom categories, dashboards, reports |
The practical test: If a budgeting app is genuinely changing your financial behavior after 30 days of use, its monthly cost almost certainly pays for itself many times over. If you are not opening it consistently, no tier will help. Start free where possible, upgrade when the limitations actually matter to your usage.
Are Budgeting Apps Safe? (Security & Bank Linking Explained)
This is the most common question before people sign up for any budgeting app, and it deserves a direct, honest answer.
Every major budgeting app reviewed here uses read-only bank connections through established third-party financial data aggregators—Plaid, Yodlee, and Finicity by Mastercard. Read-only means the app can see your transactions but cannot initiate transfers, move money, or make any changes to your accounts.
All use 256-bit encryption—the same standard used by online banking platforms themselves. None of these apps store your bank login credentials directly.
The honest caveat: Providing any third party with access to your financial data carries inherent tradeoffs, and no system is entirely without risk. Reading each app’s privacy policy before connecting accounts is always worth five minutes of your time.
Are budgeting apps safe compared to spreadsheets? Budgeting apps are generally as safe as your bank’s own website when using established providers like those reviewed here. The main security difference is that you’re trusting an additional company with read-only access to your financial data. For users concerned about this, free budget spreadsheet templates offer complete control with zero third-party access.
Best Mint Alternative in 2026
Mint shut down in early 2024, leaving millions of users searching for a replacement budgeting app. Here’s what former Mint users should consider:
Best overall Mint alternative: Monarch Money
Monarch is the closest replacement to Mint’s comprehensive financial dashboard. It offers comparable account syncing, investment tracking, net worth monitoring, and spending categorization—with more customization than Mint ever had. The main difference: Monarch charges $99.99/year while Mint was free.
Best free Mint alternative: NerdWallet or Rocket Money
For users who specifically need a free budgeting app, NerdWallet’s free app provides basic budgeting and credit monitoring. Rocket Money’s free tier offers subscription tracking and spending insights, though the most powerful features require premium.
Best Mint alternative for zero-based budgeting: YNAB
If you’re willing to adopt a more hands-on budgeting philosophy, YNAB provides stronger financial behavior change than Mint ever offered—but requires more engagement and costs $14.99/month.
For a complete framework on building your budget after switching from Mint, read our step-by-step guide to creating a monthly budget.
Who Should NOT Use a Budgeting App
Not everyone benefits from a budgeting app. Here’s when you should skip them:
People unwilling to review spending weekly: Every budgeting app—even the most automated—requires regular engagement to produce results. If you’re not willing to open the app at least once per week, it won’t change your financial behavior.
People in severe debt crisis: If you’re facing collections, bankruptcy, or overwhelming debt, you may need professional financial counseling rather than a budgeting app. Apps track and plan; they don’t provide the strategic debt relief guidance that crisis situations require.
People who prefer spreadsheet control: Some people genuinely prefer the flexibility and complete control of spreadsheet budgeting over app-based systems. If that’s you, our free budget spreadsheet templates may serve you better than any app.
People uncomfortable with bank linking: If you’re not willing to grant read-only access to your bank accounts, most modern budgeting apps won’t work for you. Consider Goodbudget’s manual-entry approach or traditional spreadsheet budgeting instead.
How to Choose Without Overthinking It
The most important question is one that never appears in any feature comparison: will you actually open this app four times a week?
Every other feature—bank syncing, investment dashboards, couple sharing, goal setting, AI assistants—is entirely irrelevant if the app sits on your phone unused. Choose the one whose interface makes you want to engage with it, whose philosophy matches how you actually think about money, and whose cost feels proportionate to the value you are getting.
Use this shortcut to make the decision:
| Your Situation | Best Budgeting App to Try First |
|---|---|
| Never budgeted before, want simple | Quicken Simplifi |
| Want to completely change money habits | YNAB |
| Want a full financial dashboard | Monarch Money |
| Need free, couples budgeting | Honeydue |
| Want to find and kill forgotten subscriptions | Rocket Money |
| Prefer manual control over automation | Goodbudget |
| Want free zero-based budgeting | EveryDollar |
The best budgeting app is not the one with the highest rating. It is the one you open tomorrow morning.
Final Recommendation — Which App Should You Start With?
After reviewing all seven budgeting apps, here are the three clearest pathways:
If you want full control over every dollar: Start with YNAB. The 34-day free trial gives you enough time to learn the zero-based budgeting system and see if the philosophy clicks. If you’re serious about breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and willing to engage daily or weekly, YNAB produces the strongest behavior change. Read our zero-based budgeting guide before starting.
If you want a complete financial overview: Start with Monarch Money. Former Mint users will find it the most natural transition. The 7-day trial is short, but the interface is intuitive enough to evaluate quickly. Best for people who want budgeting, investment tracking, and net worth monitoring in one place.
If you want free: Start with Honeydue if you’re budgeting as a couple, or Goodbudget if you’re budgeting solo. Both offer genuinely functional free tiers. Honeydue requires no premium upgrade; Goodbudget’s 20-envelope limit is sufficient for most beginners.
Ready to build your complete financial system? These apps work best when connected to a clear budgeting framework. Start with our comprehensive guide to personal budgeting to understand which budgeting method matches your financial goals, then choose the app that supports that method.
For additional money-saving strategies to implement alongside your budget, see our guide on how to save money fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free budgeting app right now?
Goodbudget is the best free budgeting app for most beginners because it offers the envelope budgeting method, 20 spending envelopes, and household sharing at no cost. If you specifically need automatic bank syncing for free, Rocket Money’s basic version or EveryDollar’s free tier are the strongest alternatives, though both limit features meaningfully until you upgrade. For couples, Honeydue is the best free budgeting app with complete features and no premium tier.
Is YNAB worth paying for every month?
For users who genuinely engage with it and commit to its zero-based budgeting method, YNAB is worth the $14.99/month cost—users save an average of $600 in their first month and over $6,000 in their first year based on the company’s user surveys. If you use it actively, the cost pays for itself within days. If you’re looking for a passive, automated experience with minimal engagement, the cost is harder to justify. Try the 34-day free trial to evaluate whether the philosophy fits your financial style. Read our complete zero-based budgeting guide to understand the method before committing.
What is the best budgeting app for couples?
Honeydue is the best free budgeting app for couples because it was built specifically for shared money management, with individual privacy controls, in-app communication about transactions, and joint bill tracking—all at no cost. For couples who also want investment tracking and detailed long-term goal management together, Monarch Money is the best paid budgeting app for couples, offering shared dashboards, customizable views, and the ability to add a partner to the same subscription at no extra charge. For complete strategies on managing money together, see our guide on how to budget as a couple.
Which budgeting app is best for beginners?
Quicken Simplifi is the best budgeting app for beginners because it automatically creates a spending plan from your transaction history, requires minimal manual setup, and has a clean interface that does not overwhelm new users. At $2.99/month for the first year, it’s the lowest-cost premium entry point. Goodbudget is the best free budgeting app for beginners who prefer a hands-on, deliberate approach through the envelope method. Start with our guide on how to create a monthly budget from scratch before choosing your app.
What happened to Mint — what should Mint users switch to?
Mint shut down in early 2024. Monarch Money is the most widely recommended Mint alternative among former Mint users because it offers comparable depth of features, account syncing, and financial dashboards with similar comprehensiveness. NerdWallet’s free app is also frequently cited as a direct alternative for users who specifically need a free option. For zero-based budgeting with more structure than Mint offered, YNAB is the strongest choice despite requiring more engagement.
Are budgeting apps safe to use?
Yes, major budgeting apps are generally safe when using established providers like those reviewed here. They use read-only bank connections through Plaid, Yodlee, or Finicity, 256-bit encryption (the same standard as online banking), and cannot move money or make changes to your accounts. However, providing any third party with access to financial data carries inherent tradeoffs. Read each app’s privacy policy before connecting accounts. For users concerned about third-party access, free budget spreadsheet templates offer complete control with zero bank linking required.
Can I use a budgeting app without linking my bank account?
Yes. Goodbudget’s free tier works entirely without bank linking—you manually enter transactions, which creates deliberate awareness of spending. EveryDollar’s free version also uses manual entry. For users who prefer automated tracking without bank linking, traditional spreadsheet budgeting using our free budget templates is the best alternative.
Sources
All app reviews, features, and pricing in this guide are verified from the following sources:
- Monarch Money official website and App Store reviews
- YNAB User Survey Data 2025
- Rocket Money app features and pricing
- Goodbudget app specifications
- Quicken Simplifi official pricing
- Honeydue app features and reviews
- EveryDollar app documentation
- App Store and Google Play verified ratings
- NerdWallet Best Budgeting Apps 2025
- Motley Fool Budgeting App Comparison
- FinanceBuzz Best Budgeting Apps 2025
- WalletHub Best Free Budget Apps
- Reddit r/personalfinance budgeting app discussions
- Trustpilot verified user reviews
Ready to start budgeting? Choose your app above, then build your complete financial system with our step-by-step guide to personal budgeting. For additional strategies to maximize your savings, see our guide on how to save money fast and learn how to build an emergency fund alongside your budget.
