7 Best Budgeting Apps for 2023 - Our Top Picks

Shawn Manaher
Shawn Manaher
Updated on October 20, 2022
best personal finance app

If you’re searching for the best personal finance app, there are seven great ones to choose from. The best ones will help you understand your income and your spending habits. With a good finance app, you can control your money and connect it to your bank account, so the transactions are automatically downloaded. This makes it super easy to make a budget and keep track of your money. 

The best apps are also affordable and have all the features you need to keep your personal finance on track with your goals. 

What Are The Best Personal Finance Apps? 

There are many personal finance apps available through the app store on a smartphone. Trying to pick out which one might be the best for you can be overwhelming. This guide goes over the best budgeting apps to help you with your financial goals. 

Here is a breakdown of the top seven ones to choose from:

Mint is the most highly rated budgeting app of all the ones listed. It’s simple to use, even for beginners with no experience in budgeting tools. You can sync your financial accounts to the app and set up all your bills for payment reminders. 

PocketGuard is the perfect app for overspenders. Keeping track of your money can be difficult, especially if you got into the bad habit of spending too much whether it be on food, entertainment, or on bills in general. This app shows you where you are spending too much and how to cut it out. 

Looking to build personal wealth but not that interested in budgeting? Personal Capital is the best app for those that already know how to budget but want to build their wealth. It shows you how to use your current income and investment strategies to build your net worth. 

YNAB is a standard budgeting app with all the tools you need to make a budget and stick to it. They have many educational resources which allow you to grow and learn as you enter the world of financial planning. 

If you have done the envelope system and find it works for you, you can give Goodbudget a try. It’s the same as the envelope system but you are using an online app rather than physical cash. 

EveryDollar is the best app for you if you need help tracking all your money and are looking for some advice on where to allocate your money. 

If you and your partner are both struggling with budgeting and finances, you can try Honeydue. The app allows you to share information with one another including payments, bills, investments, and accounts. You can also keep some features private if you don’t want to share everything. 

Before choosing a budget app, make sure you review all the features and try to determine which one will work best for you. Some apps are free, but the ones with investment features often have a monthly or annual fee you will need to prepare for. 

Here is a breakdown of the seven best budgeting apps and the features they can offer you. 

finance-app-on-tablet

Mint

Overview

Mint is one of the most commonly used budgeting apps. It’s free and perfect for beginners since the interface is very easy to use. You can keep everything all in one place, including your TransUnion credit score, payment reminders, and investments. You can place all your expenses into categories to see where you are wasting money and where you can save. 

Although Mint doesn’t allow you to invest, it’s a perfect app for beginners who just need a simple way to make budgets and keep track of expenses. 

Highlights

  • Sync your financial accounts or add the transactions manually, depending on what works best for you. 
  • Track your spending by category to see where you can cut it down. 
  • Track your monthly bills, payment reminders, and investments. 
  • Free education resources include a home affordability calculator, a loan repayment calculator, and a blog with different finance topics. 
  • Data protection through multi-factor authentication and Touch ID access. 
  • Avoid late fees with payment reminders. 
  • Keep all your accounts in one place for easy access. 
  • Decent ratings for both Google Play and Apple store. 

Pricing 

The Mint App is free to download and use. There are no paid or premium options like other budgeting apps. Since the app is free, you will see advertisements while using the app. Most advertisements are about financial products and other finance-related items that might interest you. 

Bottom Line 

Mint is the best free budgeting app. It’s easy to use and has all the tracking features you need to make a budget. If you’re looking for a basic app and don’t need to make investment choices, Mint is the best app for you. 

PocketGuard 

Overview 

PocketGuard is meant to help you cut down on unnecessary spending. It uses algorithms to track your savings, income, and expenses. With spending limits, it’s easy to stop overspending and start saving money. 

After a few months of using PocketGuard, you will find that you can cut back on overspending and learn to put your money where it’s actually useful. 

Highlights 

  • Features help you focus on overspending.  
  • Easily connect your checking account, credit cards, and savings accounts. 
  • In My Pocket Features allows you to see your upcoming bills, recent spending, and savings goals as well as budgets. 
  • Smart Bill Reminder gives you a way to see your due dates and never miss a payment. 
  • Set savings goals and see how close you are to reaching them. 
  • Articles in the educational blog to help you learn more about budgeting. 
  • Security biometrics include a four-digit pin, Touch ID, and Face ID. 
  • Use the free version before you commit to a monthly fee to make sure the features work for you. 
  • Bank-level security features keep all your personal information protected from hackers and fraud. 
  • Automatic bank sync allows you to see all your financial information without needing to log into a bunch of different accounts. 

Pricing 

PocketGuard has a monthly fee of $7.99 or a $34.99 annual fee. You also have to pay a one-time subscription fee of $79.99. 

Bottom Line 

If you have trouble with overspending and sticking to a budget, PocketGuard can help you. The savings and income tracking features let you see where you are wasting money. The free version of the app lets you use it for 14 days and see if you like it or not. 

Personal Capital

Overview 

Personal Capital is one of the best budgeting apps because they offer features to help you build wealth. You can sync all your financial accounts to the app to help you track your net worth. You can also use the in-app retirement planning tools and fee analyzers. 

The dashboard shows trends in your finances and your net worth so you can easily track your financial standing every month. The Daily Capital blog is easy to read and has resources for beginners and experienced users. 

Highlights 

  • Easily sync all your accounts in the dashboard of your account to see a full picture of your finances. 
  • Manually add your investments or sync them. 
  • Budgeting tools allow you to see your income, savings goals, and budget. 
  • Compare your budgets and income across months to see trends. 
  • Sort your spending by categories. 
  • Fee Analyzer tools allow you to see your investment and portfolio fees. 
  • Retirement Planner tools give you an easy way to make retirement goals. 
  • App includes encryption and fraud protection. 
  • Partners with Yodlee which is a veteran financial company to help secure your data. 

Pricing 

The app is free to use and download. The investment management services come with a fee though. If your account is under $1 million, you will need to pay 0.89% of your money for the investment features. 

Bottom Line 

If you are experienced with budgeting and just want to build wealth, Personal Capital is the best option. The paid investment option shows you where you can afford to invest more and risk more to grow your wealth quickly. 

Personal Capital can also recommend investment choices for you if you are wanting to make some risky financial decisions to gain wealth but aren’t sure where to start. 

YNAB 

Overview 

YNAB has one of the highest Google Play ratings when it comes to financing apps. They also have a competitive Apple score rating. YNAB is meant to help you prepare for future financial decisions rather than tracking past transactions. It has many hands-on features and educational resources to help you with tracking your income and finances. 

YNAB is one of the more costly apps, but the unique features make it worth it for those looking for a good all-around budgeting app. The educational resources are also endless. 

Highlights 

  • When your paycheck comes, the app will tell you where to put your money into various categories. 
  • Savings goals and expenses in the dashboard help you become more intentional with your money. 
  • Educational resources and blogs are easy to use and offer advice on investing and budgeting. 
  • Sync your credit cards, loans, checking, and savings accounts. 
  • App works with Alexa and Apple Watch as well as on all mobile devices and computers. 
  • App makes you plan for every dollar you earn so there are no opportunities to waste money. 
  • Uses bank-level encryption to protect your information as well as third-party audits and extra password security. 
  • Advertises that their budgeters save $600 a month and more than $6,000 every year. 
  • Completely makeover your budget. 
  • Strong customer service is always available.

Pricing 

You can pay a monthly fee of $14.99 or a yearly fee of $98.99. They offer a 34-day trial. If you are a student, you can show your student ID or registration form and get a free year. 

Bottom Line 

YNAB is the best option for those who are wanting to look toward the future and become more intentional with their money. You can actively engage with your finances and money through the app features and educational resources. 

Goodbudget 

If you have ever heard of the envelope budgeting system, Goodbudget follows the same principles; it's just all online. You will portion out your monthly income into different categories so you know how much money you have to spend in each area. 

You can get rid of the real envelopes and physical cash and learn to track everything online. This is more useful in the modern world and is safer than carrying around envelopes of money where they might not be protected. 

Highlights 

  • Free versions and paid versions are available.
  • Assign money towards envelopes and then allocate where you want to spend your income.
  • Manually enter in expenses as well as debts and incomes. 
  • High ratings in both the Google Play and Apple Store. 
  • Used as an app or on a desktop if you prefer the computer. 
  • Online resources help you plan your finances and track your money. 
  • Learn to track your finances without needing to use physical envelopes and cash. 
  • Paid version is cheaper than the budgeting apps on the market. 
  • Access the app from your mobile device or on the web. 
  • Connect the app to up to five different devices. 

Pricing 

You can use the basic Goodbudget version for free. If you want to use the Plus version, it’s $8 per month or $70 per year. The plus version offers unlimited envelopes and the ability to use the app on up to five different devices. 

Bottom Line 

If you are already using the envelope system, this app allows you to move to an electronic version that is easier to manage. Even if you have never used the envelope system before, Goodbudget has an easy-to-use interface to help you. Transitioning to online budget management has never been easier than with Goodbudget. 

EveryDollar

Overview

EveryDollar is similar to YNAB, but the features are even easier to use. It has a zero budgeting-based framework with a free version and a premium version. The app has high ratings in both the Android and Apple app stores. 

Budgeting can be hard when you have to keep track of exactly where every dollar is going. This app takes all the hard work away from you by putting every one of your hard-earned dollars into a category so you know exactly where you are spending your money. 

Highlights 

  • Categorize items in your budget to see the different areas where your money and income are going. 
  • Set reminders to pay your bills and never miss a payment. 
  • Connect your bank account in the premium version so everything syncs automatically. 
  • Connect your savings and investment accounts. 
  • Get weekly customized reports showing income and expenses. 
  • Get personalized recommendations on where you can save more and invest more. 
  • Entering your expenses manually gives you more control over where you want the money to go. 
  • Free version of the app has the most features you need to make a budget. 
  • Premium version gives you more educational resources and the ability to sync bank accounts if you don’t want to enter numbers manually. 
  • The app has tutorial videos for all steps to help you navigate the app. 

Pricing 

The basic version is free. The premium version is $59.99 for three months, $99.99 for six months, or $129.99 for 12 months. You can try the premium version for free for 14 days before upgrading. 

The basic version lacks many features and requires manual input, so the paid version is better for most users when it comes to this app. 

Bottom Line 

Everydollar is best for those who want to make a budget with the zero budget framework. The interface is easy to use but the paid version is a bit higher than some of the other paid apps on this list. For the easiest way to manage your money, consider getting the paid version as it will help you stay on track and give you less work when it comes to entering in all your expense and income information. 

Honeydue

Overview

If you and your partner are looking to track your budget and finances together, this is a perfect choice. You can view both accounts and budgets in one app as well as loans and investments. You can also pick and choose exactly what you want to choose and which things you want to keep private. 

It’s important for couples to set up financial goals together especially when it comes to mortgages and tuition for children. With Honeydue, you can easily track all your payments and income together as one. 

Highlights 

  • Categorize expenses and allocate money where you see fit. 
  • Create custom categories or use the premade ones. 
  • Set up monthly limits for each category with your partner. 
  • Get alerts when you or your partner are getting close to the monthly limit. 
  • Get reminders for upcoming bills. 
  • Chat with your partner in the app or add comments to bills and expenses. 
  • Track past transactions and plan ahead for future expenses. 
  • Highly rated in the Google Play and Apple stores. 
  • Keep certain parts of your finances private from your partner if you have things you want to pay on your own. 
  • Use emojis to let your partner know how you feel about payments or to let them know you already paid it. 

Pricing 

Honeydue is free with no paid premium options. It has all the features you need as a couple of apps so there is no need to look for a couple of apps with paid features. 

Bottom Line 

Give Honeydue a try if you are ready to start tracking your expenses with your partner. The categories and chat feature makes it easy to see where you and your partner are spending money. You can also add emojis to comments and payments from your partner to let them know you have seen it. It’s a great app for couples who might not have unlimited time to sit down and discuss finances regularly. 

finance-apps-graphic-art

What Are The Best Personal Finance Apps? 

The best personal finance app gives you limitless budgeting tools and teaches you how to reach your financial goals. They will also have educational resources to help you become a better financial planner. 

With a financial app, you can look at your income and expenses and determine where you are overspending. Some apps also give you investment advice. There are many different apps to choose from and what works best for someone else might not be the best for you. This is why it’s important to read reviews and try free versions of apps when you can to see if you like the features or not. 

Wrap Up

Using one of the best personal finance apps reviewed in this article will give you all the features you need to start saving easily for the future. You can also reach investment goals and get a better understanding of your financial goals. By using the in-app budgeting tools, you will also have an easy way to review your income and expenses. 

Using an app is easier than trying to make your own budgets on pen or paper or on spreadsheets. You can track everything in one convenient place. Although some of the apps can be on the pricier side, the educational tools and resources are worth the money as nothing is as important as your financial health. 

Shawn Manaher

Shawn Manaher

Shawn Manaher is a former financial advisor, has founded 5 online businesses, and is a coach, speaker, podcast host, and author.

He's been featured on Forbes, The Consults Corner on TAE Radio, The Writing Biz, What's Your Story, and more.

He loves to share his personal finance tips and money management wisdom with others to help them find financial freedom.
Shawn Manaher logo
Copyright © 2022 • Shawn Manaher