Best Budgeting Apps Guaranteed To Bring You Financial Success

If you’re in the process of learning how to make a budget, you need to know about these best budgeting apps. Budgeting apps that will make it easy for you to make a monthly budget that actually works. That way you can manage money better, track spending and save money each month.

Creating a budget becomes very easy to do when you know exactly which best budgeting apps to use!

Especially ones that are either free or don’t cost a lot of money to begin using.

As someone who knows about some of the best budgeting apps available, I know just how helpful they truly are!

You are going to be learning about the best budgeting apps worth using when creating a budget.

That way you don’t have to search endlessly for which money saving apps or spending tracker app to use.

This post is all about the best budgeting apps to use in order to make the budgeting process super easy.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please view the full disclosure for more information.

Best Budgeting Apps

What Is The #1 Budgeting App?

Most would say that the Mint app is hands down the #1 budgeting app. Each positive Mint app review made it clear as to why this was at the very top of everyone’s list!

However, that is no longer currently the case because unfortunately, the Mint budget app shut down forever earlier in 2024.

Don’t worry though, as there are plenty of great alternatives. Ones that work just as well, if not better, at making sure you end up with a budget that works.

No matter what your budget style is, one of the choices below will eventually become your #1 budgeting app!

Are Budget Apps Worth It?

The short answer to this question is yes! As you read down this list of the best budgeting apps, you will see how they will benefit you.

Although not every app provides a free trial, you do have the option to go the monthly route. That way you can test things out before investing a lot of money and committing to a yearly subscription.

Each app on this list also contains many positive reviews. Reviews that will let you know exactly why these specific budgeting apps are totally worth it!

Why You Need A Budget App?

When it comes down to it, you need a budget app to make managing your money a lot easier!

Budgeting apps exist to essentially do all of the hard work for you. Meaning, the framework is already there and all you need to do is plug in your info.

Once you begin using your budget, you will be able to keep you finances organized, save money every month, get out of debt, and so much more!

Just make sure that before you begin using your budget, to use one of the top budgeting tips out there. Which is to make sure that you double check your work to ensure it is as accurate as possible.

This will increase the chances of your budget actually working so that you stick with it every month.

Once you see how much financial success it will bring, you will understand the importance of budgeting. As well as why you needed a budget app in the first place!

Best Budgeting Apps

Listed down below are some of the top budgeting apps. Including free budgeting apps and budgeting apps for couples, that make the budgeting process easier!

1. EveryDollar

If you’re barely getting around to creating your first budget, then EveryDollar is a great budget app to start with!

Those that are into budgeting have probably already heard about this app because it is a Dave Ramsey budget app. And if you don’t already know who Dave Ramsey is, he’s essentially a well-known financial guru.

One of the main reasons this budgeting app is favored by many is because it offers a free version. Which is always a good thing. Especially if you’re wanting to test things out before dishing out money for the premium version.

It’s a zero-based budgeting app that’s easy to set up so that you can get right into the budgeting process!

As you use the app, you will notice that it has a clean interface and allows you to customize your budget with unlimited categories. Having the freedom to customize things how you like will make creating the perfect budget that actually works a breeze!

Some other great features include being able to see all of your financial accounts in one place, track any transactions that are made, strategically plan your spending for the month and so much more!

You will even be able to connect your bank info to really manage your money better.

Useful for: Those that want a simple way to go about zero-based budgeting.

Cost: The basic version is free, but you can upgrade to the premium version for $17.99 a month or $79.99 annually.

2. Goodbudget

For those that enjoy using the envelope system, this is one of many budgeting apps you need to know about!

With the Goodbudget app you will be able to create budget categories, which are called envelopes. Each envelope will be tied to one of your expenses. You will then be able to name each one accordingly and enter a budget amount.

So think of this as a digital envelope stuffing system that helps you get your finances in order. As well as track your debt progress and save for any upcoming big expenses!

One thing to note is that with the free version you get access to 10 regular and 10 annual envelopes. In order to get access to unlimited envelopes, you need to upgrade to the paid version of the app.

Depending on your budgeting process and needs, you might need more envelopes than what the free version offers. And in all honesty, when it comes to creating an effective budget, the less restrictions you have, the better!

So something to definitely keep in mind if you decide to go this route.

That being said, a really neat feature is how easy it is to track your spending. It’s as simple as selecting an envelope, entering a payee name, entering an amount and date, and then hitting save. The transaction amount will then get deducted from the total amount.

Making it incredibly easy for you to know exactly how much money you are spending and on what!

Useful for: Those that want to do envelope budgeting digitally.

Cost: The basic version is free, but you can upgrade to the premium version for $9.99 a month or $79.99 annually.

3. Honeydue

Next up is one that many couples see as the best budget app for couples. And that is the Honeydue app!

Perfect for couples that are wanting to start their budgeting journey together, this app makes it easy to do that. You’ll be able to work together with your partner to integrate your finances.

This means being able to sync bank accounts, loans, and credit cards so that everything is organized in one place. Similar to other budgeting apps, you can add your own custom categories and set spending limits for each one.

What makes this particular app really helpful is the fact that you can even set reminders for your bills! That’s right, the app will notify you when it’s time to pay so that you never make a late payment.

Which comes in handy when you’re trying your best to avoid late payment fees and instead save money every month!

In addition to this, you can chat with your partner within the app to discuss certain expenses. As well as send emojis to let each other know that you’re both doing a great job with your spending habits.

So if you’ve been wondering how to talk about money with your spouse, start a conversation by mentioning that this is one of the best free budgeting apps worth trying out together!

Useful for: Couples working on merging their finances together.

Cost: Free.

4. PocketGuard

Are you currently creating a budget because you want a way to eventually get yourself out of debt? Then PocketGuard is exactly what you are looking for!

You will be able to upload the current debt you have along with helpful details such as APR, the minimum payment, and more. That way the app can come up with the best debt payoff plan that puts you on the right path.

A path that not only helps you get out of debt, but one that also allows you to stay debt free for good!

Once all of the information is entered, you get to choose from two strategies that are guaranteed to work.

Those being the debt snowball method and the debt avalanche method.

If this is your first time hearing about these methods, make sure to check out my blog post, Debt Snowball vs Avalanche: Which Is Best For You To Use? In this post, I break down each method in a way that is easy to understand so you know which one to select!

Although the debt payoff plan is one of the best features of this app, other notable features include a bill payment tracker, fraud detection, spending insights, budget categorization, and a way to set up money saving goals.

After seeing just how great this app is, you will have many reasons to leave a positive PocketGuard review.

Useful for: Those wanting to get a handle on day-to-day finances in order to be financially secured in the long-run.

Cost: The basic version is free, but you can upgrade to the premium version for $12.99 a month or $74.99 annually.

5. Monarch

With the amount of positive reviews on the App Store, there are plenty of reasons why Monarch is seen by some as the best budget app for iPhone users!

There are even some that claim that Monarch is the top alternative to the beloved Mint budgeting app.

For starters, this all-in-one budgeting tool provides a custom dashboard that is very easy to navigate through. That way you can get straight to creating a budget, no matter how simple or complex your finances may be.

You will be able to track all of your investments, manage bills and subscriptions that are recurring, filter and search for any transaction, and easily track the progress you’ve made towards your financial goals!

Whether you’re saving for your retirement, working on paying off your car, putting a certain amount of money in your emergency fund every month, or saving up to go on a much needed vacation, Monarch will become your new best friend!

So no matter what your reasons to save money are, you will be able to stay on track as each month goes by.

Because there are no ads, you don’t have to worry about any unwanted interruptions as you go about your budgeting.

Useful for: Those looking for a powerful all-in-one tool to create a budget that is easy to follow – no matter how complicated your finances are.

Cost: Offers a 7 day free trial. After the trial ends, you can either pay $14.99 a month or $99.99 annually.

6. YNAB

If you are absolutely set on going the zero-based budgeting route, the YNAB app is definitely worth a try!

In case you’re curious, YNAB simply stands for you need a budget.

This particular app claims to have taught millions of people a set of good money habits. Habits that have changed people’s money mindset for good!

Using this app, you will learn about the YNAB method that will help you view managing your finances way differently.

The first rule is to give every dollar a job. When you get paid, you will be assigning every single dollar a job until there are zero “unemployed” dollars left.

The second rule is to embrace your true expenses. If any large, non-monthly expenses should arise, do your best to break them down into monthly chunks that are manageable.

The third rule is to roll with the punches. Anytime you end up overspending in a specific expense category, don’t beat yourself up for it. Instead, adjust your budget accordingly.

The fourth and final rule is to age your money. Simply put, increase the time between when you earn money and when you spend it.

As you can see, these rules combined together will transform your money mindset in a positive way. So if you’ve been wanting to create a budget so that you too can work on adopting good money habits, give the YNAB app a try!

Useful for: Those that prefer zero-based budgeting in order to build the correct mindset to plan their finances ahead of time.

Cost: Offers a 30 day free trial. After the trial ends, you can either pay $14.99 a month or $109.00 annually.

7. Empower

Are you heavily into investing your money and want a way to manage your investments? Then Empower is the way to go!

Although Empower is seen by most as more of an investment tool, it still offers the budgeting tools needed to get an overall view of your financial health. So think of it as an app that is kind of like the best of both worlds.

Just like most budgeting apps, you will be able to make a budget that helps you track spending and work towards saving money. However, you will also be able to easily manage your bank accounts, 401k, IRA, stocks, and all other investments!

This perk is what will make sure you stay at the very top of your investments.

Because let’s be real, it’s not always easy to keep track of every single investment when they’re all over the place.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are in the beginning stages of learning how to make a monthly budget and haven’t began investing your money, this may not be the app for you.

Later down the line when you finally learn how to invest money and start doing so, this app will instantly become a huge game-changer!

Useful for: Those that need a way to manage their investments in one place.

Cost: Free.

This post was all about the best budgeting apps guaranteed to put you in control of your money.

As you can see, there are plenty of budgeting apps available for you to use depending on your budgeting needs.

If you were a previous Mint user looking for budgeting apps to replace Mint, you now know of many!

After using any one of these choices for a couple of months, you will be able to create the perfect budget template.

So no matter which budget rules you follow, you are bound to find the budgeting tool that works for you!

If you found even the tiniest bit of information from this post helpful, just know that it was made simply for you.