If you’re looking to get your finances in order, budgeting apps are the perfect solution. Budgeting apps can help you keep track of your bills, avoid overspending, and manage your money more effectively. But with so many options out there, how do you decide which is the best for you? We’ve done the research and made a list of the best apps to help you find the right fit.
- Best for Setting Savings Goals – i YNAB
- Best for Monitoring Daily Activities – i Mint
- Best for Couples – i Monarch
- Best Free Option – i Mint
- Best for Investors – i Personal Capital
What to Look for In a Budgeting App
When it comes to managing your finances, budgeting apps can be an invaluable tool. With so many different apps available, however, it can be difficult to know which one is best suited for your needs. We’ve narrowed down priorities into three big categories:
- User experience
- Cost
- Security
First, the app should be user-friendly – this is perhaps the most important factor when choosing a budgeting app. The app should be easy to navigate and understand without requiring any additional help or tutorials. Additionally, it should provide clear instructions on how to enter information, create budgets, and track progress over time – all of which are critical functions for successful budgeting. A good way to check for user-friendliness is by looking at user ratings.
Second, you’ll want to consider the cost. Some budgeting apps may be free to use, while others require a paid subscription or one-time payment. If you need more advanced features, paying for them can be worth it. But if you are just starting out, consider a free option or free trial to test your budgeting skills and the app’s capabilities.
Lastly, When choosing a budgeting app, security should be another key factor. The app should provide encryption technology to protect your data.
Best for Setting Savings Goals
YNAB, short for You Need A Budget, is an award-winning budgeting program that specializes in helping consumers to save money and get out of debt.
You Need a Budget is based on the envelope method and helps users separate spending by category and track spending progress in real-time.
✓ Create And Manage Budgets
✓ Track Spending
✓ Create Savings Goals
✓ Free Trial for 34 Days
Best for Monitoring Daily Activities
The Mint budgeting app comes with a daily budget planner, which suggests budget goals based on your spending. You can adjust your goals (and/or add new ones) as you use the app.
✓ Upgrade To Go Ad-Free
✓ Get Personalized Insights
✓ Monitor Daily Activity
Best for Couples
Managing money can be complicated. Track all of your accounts in one place, collaborate with your partner, and create a long-term plan to achieve your goals. Get personalized advice along the way.
✓ Create Savings Goals
✓ Free Trial for 7 days
✓ Add Multiple Users
Best Free Option!
Mint is a free budgeting app option that syncs to your bank accounts, credit cards, and retirement accounts to track your income, purchases, and savings. The free app does have ads, so you can upgrade for a fee to have them removed if you prefer.
✓ Upgrade To Go Ad-Free
✓ Get Personalized Insights
✓ Monitor Daily Activity
Best for Investors
Personal Capital is an online wealth management platform that combines digital technology with highly personalized service to provide a holistic view of your finances.
✓ Investment Tracking
✓ Personalized Financial Advice
✓ Net Worth Tracking
How to Choose a Budgeting App That’s Right for Me
The best budgeting app for you is one that you will use! So, the best way to choose a budgeting app is to try them out! We recommend taking advantage of free trials or testing out free apps to see which one you enjoy using the most.
i The Trusted Company Reviews Editorial Rating isn’t a simple average of all reviews. Our editorial team analyzes each company or product for a wide variety of factors and generates a review that we feel fairly represents the overall value to consumers. We consider price, affordability, quality, materials, ingredients, functionality, durability, comfort, convenience, and more. Trusted Company Reviews may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made as a result of our reviews and content.
