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Budgeting is a hassle. Even when you know all the best spreadsheet hacks, going it alone can be confusing and time-consuming. But I have good news for you: Right now, you’ve got a smartphone in your hand, which means you never have to do anything on your own ever again!
More seriously, there is no shortage of fantastic money managing apps that do the hard work of budgeting for you. Rather than enduring all the manual labor of inputting numbers in a spreadsheet, you can simply sync up your bank accounts to an app on your phone and let it run the numbers for you.
With so many options out there, finding the best budgeting app for you comes down to figuring out your money management goals. Here are the top rated budgeting apps so you can choose the best for your personal budgeting style. All of our picks offer basic, free-to-use versions, with the option to pay for additional features.
The best budgeting app for over-spenders
If your primary goal is to get on top your spending habits, then PocketGuard is the app for you. This app has a straightforward interface to make tracking your spending as simple as possible. PocketGuard categorizes spending and calculates how much is left after the bills are paid; in other words, it creates the basic automatic budget you need. Plus, you can set savings goals to incorporate into your spending tracking too.
Download the app and sign up here.
The best budgeting app for creating a detailed budget
For the type of budgeter who needs a plan for how every single dollar is spent, turn to YNAB (You Need A Budget). The idea behind YNAB is zero-based budgeting, which means regularly starting your budget from scratch every pay period (i.e., starting from “zero”), which YNAB describes as “giving every dollar a job” before you spend it.
Similar to all the apps rounded up here, YNAB can link your bank accounts, create a budget and continuously sync data, track goals, and create reports detailing financial progress.
Download the app and sign up here.
The best budgeting app for investors
Formerly known as Personal Capital, Empower is a budgeting tool that also includes an investment management component. The app can be linked to a variety of financial accounts for budgeting, tracking net worth, and monitoring portfolio performance. The app is free, but you have the option to pay for additional services like personalized investment advice.
Download the app and sign up here.
The best budgeting app for managing money as a couple
Budgeting on your own seems like a piece of cake once you throw a partner into the mix. Honeydue is designed for couples to manage their finances together. Even if you have separate finances, the app allows you to view your entire shared financial pictures in one app. Partners can sync bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments—and maintain the freedom to choose just how much is shared with the other person.
Honeydue is family-oriented, with features like reminders for upcoming bills, spending limits you can set as a unit, and the ability to message your partner with an emoji or two.
Download the app and sign up here.
The best overall budgeting app
It’s gotta be Mint. It’s pretty much the dominant name in budgeting apps. As far as free services go, Mint provides the most personalization and the simplest user experience.
Once you sync up your bank accounts, Mint tracks and automatically categorizes your expenses, and then creates a recommended budget. You can then adjust those categories or the budget itself, if need be. Mint also provides free access to credit scores, tracks investments, sends budget alerts, and hits you up with plenty of money management tips and tricks along the way.
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