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The Year's Best Budgeting Apps to Help You Take Control of Your Money
The Federal Reserve released its Q3 2025 Household Debt and Credit Report, showing that total household debt load continues to climb. With $18.59 trillion in debt across an estimated 128 million households, the average debt load per household is roughly $145,000.
If you’re looking for the best way to keep track of your monthly expenses, you’re not alone. Here are the best apps for budgeting and taking financial control.
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Trusted Company Reviews #1 Pick for 2025
- Wallet-friendly pricing
- Detailed reporting based on categories and tags
- Tracks investments, markets, crypto, net worth, and more
Why we love it 💖
Quicken Simplifi offers robust features, timely notifications, and the ability to track virtually any account type, including crypto, making this the best app for budgeting.
Our Highest Rated Budgeting Apps Companies
- Low price with frequent discounts
- Credit score tracking
- Spending Plan function for overview of remaining expenses
- Rollover budgeting options
- Investment and crypto account tracking
- Net worth tracking
- Shareable with individual logins
- Chat function offers money-saving ideas
- Imports transactions for a fast start-up
- Recurring charge reporting
- Works with Crypto holdings
- Customizable features for beginners and experts
- Custom notifications
- Automatic budget rebalancing on request
- Cash flow reports available
- Transaction tags
- In-app assistance
- Unlike traditional budget apps
- 34-day free trial period
- Requires frequent interactions
- Customizable category options
- Zero-based budgeting format
- Encourages you to save money
- Choose your price feature
- Subscription cancellations
- Credit score tracking
- Bill negotiation service offered
- Free version available
- Smart Saving account available with the Premium plan
What is a budgeting app?
A budgeting app is a digital tool you can download to your phone to help you manage money and organize your personal finances. Specifically, it can help you plan out your monthly expenses, including rent, utilities, groceries, gas, cell phone, and any debts you may have.
These apps can be a great way to keep you on track to help you hit your financial goals, including paying off debt, building an emergency fund, or even beginning to save for larger purchases like a car or home.
Do budgeting apps actually help you save money?
Budgeting apps can help you save money. Budgeting apps can help you track all of your purchases and ensure you see everything in one place. When you see where your money is going, it can give you a full picture of where you can improve. Whether it’s cutting back on dining out, canceling subscription services you may not be using, or starting to put money away in a savings account, a budgeting app can be extremely helpful in saving more money.
However, it’s only a tool. It’s up to the user to make the best financial decisions for themselves.
Are budgeting apps worth it?
Creating a budget is essential for financial success, so using a budgeting app can definitely be worth it. A budgeting app can help you get your monthly budget and financial goals all in one place. It can also bring all of your expenses into one place to let you see where you can cut back on specific spending categories.
One part to consider is that not all budgeting apps are free, and they’re all designed differently. It may be helpful to download a few apps and see which one you prefer, and compare pricing if you decide to pay for one.
Can budgeting apps reduce financial stress or anxiety?
A Duke University report states that financial worries across the U.S. continue to grow, and they can take a significant toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. If you’re experiencing financial pressures, using a budgeting app can potentially help reduce financial stress and anxiety.
You can use an app to help reduce your outgoing expenses, see where you may be throwing money away each month, and begin setting financial goals for yourself.
Financial Tools To Consider
Signing on with a budgeting app is a great start when you’re ready to take control over your money. However, they’re not the only tools available. Once you have a clear picture of your spending and debts, you can also explore additional financial products that can make repayment easier and more affordable.
The best personal loans and debt consolidation loans offer a single, predictable monthly payment and a fixed interest rate, which can be especially helpful if you’re managing lingering debt or other expenses.
Both options can simplify your finances and potentially save you money over time.
Best Budgeting Apps Overview
| Budgeting App | Quicken Simplifi | Monarch Money | Copilot | YNAB | Rocket Money |
| Cost | $5.99/month, billed annually | $14.99 per month / $99.99 per year | $13 mo / $95 yr | $14.99 mo / $109 yr | $72 to $144 / year |
| Monthly Pay Available? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free Trial Period | No | 7 Days | 30 Days | 34 days | 7 Days |
| Credit Score Tracking | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.5 / 4.6 | 4.9 / 4.8 | 4.8 / na | 4.8 / 4.6 | 4.5 / 4.6 |
Quicken Simplifi Budgeting App
Best Overall
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for Quicken Simplifi: 8.7
Quicken Simplifi earns the top spot in our review. The app provides an outstanding user experience and the greatest value for the money. It also features one of the lowest annual prices among the financial apps we encountered in our research.
Quicken Simplifi has a monthly and annual plan. Unlike much of its competition, it doesn’t offer a monthly pay option. Also, unlike others, it offers no real free trial period. A 30-day money-back guarantee is in place instead. However, that price is lower than most others, and the features you get in return are impressive.
Earning an 8.7, Simplifi offers high-level functionality and useful features for budgeting beginners and seasoned app users alike.
Features and Benefits
- Wallet-friendly pricing with frequent discounts
- Credit score tracking
- Spending Plan function for overview of remaining expenses
- Rollover budgeting options
- Premium version also available
- Tracks investment and crypto accounts
- Tracks investment markets
Why We Chose
We chose Quicken Simplifi because of the overall affordability, its excellent product features, and its reputation.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Credit score and investment tracking
- Mobile and web app versions
- Account sharing
Cons
- Free trial not available
- No savings goals tracker
- No option to import other Quicken tool data
| Cost | $5.99/month, billed annually |
| Monthly pay available | Yes |
| Free Trial period | No |
| Credit score tracking | Yes |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.5 / 4.6 |
Monarch Budgeting App
Best for Experienced Users
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for Monarch Money: 8.6
The Monarch budgeting app scores 8.6 out of 10 points in our review. The app provides excellent functionality and a long list of features. Many refer to Monarch Money as being the best budget app for couples.
The Monarch budgeting app is a bit on the pricier side, costing $99.99 per year or $14.99 monthly. However, experienced budgeters, especially those with experience with finance apps, may be able to justify the cost by using the app’s features to their fullest extent.
However, you’ll need some patience getting it set up just the way you want it. Monarch’s features include detailed reporting and snapshots that offer excellent budget visualization at a glance. Taking the time to maximize the tools’ functionality is worth it.
Features and Benefits
- Goal tracking
- Shareable with individual logins
- AI chat function offers money-saving ideas
- Connects automatically to your accounts through Plaid
Why We Chose
We include Monarch Money on our list because of its highly detailed reporting functions and excellent applications for those with complex budgets and investment accounts, who need a robust financial tool.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Significant cost discount with annual payment
- Use on mobile or desktop
- Unique projection graphics
Cons
- Short, 7-day trial period
- High cost
- Variable income budgeting requires extra attention
| Cost | $14.99 per month / $99.99 per year |
| Monthly pay available | Yes |
| Free Trial period | 7 days |
| Credit score tracking | Yes |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.9 / 4.8 |
Copilot Budgeting App
Best For Complex Budgets
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for Copilot: 8.2
Copilot is a newcomer to the financial app space. Starting in 2020, it has a well-polished user interface, giving users a unified view of their finances. Users are able to access detailed reports, investment and crypto tracking, and a category tagging feature that allows high-level customization to accommodate those with complex budgets or an income that varies by month or season.
The Copilot app costs $95 per year or $13 if you opt to pay monthly. While that’s a little on the high end, it’s comparable to other established financial apps.
Features and Benefits
- Customizable features for beginners and experts
- Suspicious activity alert notifications
- Custom notification toggles
- Budget rebalancing with a couple of clicks
- Cash flow reports
- Automatically budgets recurring charges
Why We Chose
Despite Copilot only existing on iOS devices, its ease of use and accessibility remain high. While slightly more expensive than others, many reports on Reddit from users state how the app is well worth the investment. There is a one-month free trial to see if the app fits your needs.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Suspicious activity alerts
- Budget rebalancing tool
- Allows split categories for transactions
- No advertising on the platform
Cons
- Currently only available on iOS platforms
- More expensive compared to other apps
| Cost | $13 mo / $95 yr |
| Monthly pay available | Yes |
| Free Trial period | 30 days |
| Credit score tracking | No |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.8 / na |
YNAB Budgeting App
Best for Budgeting Beginners
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for YNAB: 8.0
You Need A Budget (YNAB) is a great option for those who are new to making a budget. It scores 8.0 out of 10 based on our rating criteria, and gets there by being unconventional rather than feature-packed.
YNAB is the most expensive personal budget management app that we tested at $109 per year or $14.99 per month. The cost can be prohibitive to some. If you’re unsure about the price, YNAB offers the longest free trial period among competitors.
YNAB’s platform relies on zero-based budgeting, meaning you’ll assign a task to every dollar that comes in. You’ll have to pay close attention to the app once you get started. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it app, but rather an active participant in your financial journey.
Features and Benefits
- Operates differently from other budgeting apps
- 34-day free trial period
- Works well with variable income earners
- Zero-based budgeting format
Why We Chose
We chose YNAB for a prime spot in our review because it relies on the zero-based budgeting method and has an intuitive platform.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent for budgeting beginners
- Good for use with variable income
- Both a learning tool and a budgeting tool
- Account sharing with up to 5 others
Cons
- Needs frequent input from users
- Experienced traditional budget app users may struggle
- Investment tracking unavailable
| Cost | $14.99 mo / $109 yr |
| Monthly pay available | Yes |
| Free Trial period | 34 days |
| Credit score tracking | No |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.8 / 4.6 |
Rocket Money Budgeting App
Best for Those with Simple Budgets
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for Rocket Money: 7.6
Rocket Money comes in at fifth on our list of best budgeting apps, with a rating of 7.6 out of 10 points. The app is a solid choice for those looking to familiarize themselves with budgeting in general, or those looking for a few added perks like help negotiating the cost of bills or having a savings account connected directly to your budget.
It’s is a strong personal finance app for anyone who wants a clearer picture of their spending without doing a ton of manual work. It automatically categorizes your transactions, tracks subscriptions, and offers useful alerts—like when a bill increases or when a free trial is about to convert. The subscription-tracking feature is outstanding, as it can cancel many subscriptions directly through the app. The dashboard is clean, easy to understand, and especially helpful for people new to using budgeting apps. And the best part is that you can decide how much you want to pay for the premium version, anywhere between $6-$12/month.
Features and Benefits
- Choose your price feature
- Can cancel subscriptions for you
- Provides credit score tracking
- Links directly to bank and credit accounts
- Set spending goals in the app
- Internet, phone, wireless, and cable bill negotiation service offered
- Bill negotiation service costs 35% to 60% of annual savings
Why We Chose
We chose Rocket Money fifth on our list for its unique and helpful features to save you money. The app’s cost is comparable to other budgeting apps, and a limited free version is available. Although the free version lacks most of Rocket’s best features.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Choose your price
- Automatically cancel recurring subscriptions
- Blog site contains helpful financial learning information
Cons
- Must opt out of having your personal data used for affiliate advertising
- Pricing not available on the website until after providing information
- Investment account linking not available
| Cost | $72 to $144/year |
| Monthly pay available | No |
| Free Trial period | 7 days |
| Credit score tracking | Yes |
| App Rating (App Store/Play Store) | 4.5 / 4.6 |
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most common questions surrounding the best budgeting apps
Overspending on credit cards is a common way to fall into debt. Using a budgeting app can help you understand where your money is going each month and allow you to focus on paying down high-interest debt.
If you’re struggling with credit card debt, consider looking into a personal loan or even debt consolidation. Either one of these may be able to help you lower your interest rate and help you get on the path to being debt-free.
Free budgeting apps can absolutely be worth it. Many free apps offer core features like expense tracking, automatic categorization, bill reminders, and basic goal-setting. While they may not include advanced tools like investment tracking or detailed net-worth analysis, the essentials are often more than enough for everyday budgeting.
Free apps are also a great low-risk way to build consistent financial habits. For most people, the key benefit is simplicity: they make it easy to see where your money goes so you can make better financial decisions.
Budgeting apps are one of the easiest ways to spot spending patterns you might otherwise miss. Many budgeting apps automatically categorize transactions by tracking spending, so you can quickly see which areas you may be overspending in. Many apps also visualize this data with charts, trendlines, and monthly comparisons, making overspending stand out clearly.
By having all your financial activity in one place, budgeting apps highlight habits, triggers, and seasonal spending trends so you can adjust before small overages turn into bigger money leaks.