Best Budgeting Apps for Personal Finances

Best Budget Apps for Personal Finances

Research these budgeting apps to help determine how much you can afford to invest each month in assets for your passive income journey. With Mint no longer an option, some of the apps below will gain market share.


Budget App (listed a-z)Description
Empower
  • App was formerly Personal Capital, which had some of the best reviews
  • They focus working with corporations for retirement plan services but also have free tools for individuals (i.e. wealth management app)
  • Best at connecting to other financial institutions
  • Free, but offers paid investment services (you may get sales calls)
  • Not a pure play for budget planning
Goodbudget
  • Uses the time-tested envelope budgeting method in a virtual app
  • Can sync and share budgets with others
  • Offers a Free and Plus version
Monarch
  • Track account balances, transactions, investments in one place
  • More costly than others but budget features are highly customizable
  • Targets couples similar to Zeta where you can combine accounts into one view
  • Also tracks net worth and any savings goals you may setup
Nerdwallet App
  • Track your money and credit together
  • Track net worth, home value, credit score, credit reports
  • Not a pure play budgeting app
Pocket Guard
  • Claims 1 Million+ Members
  • Designed to help get your spending habits under control
  • App links banks, credit cards, loans and investments
Quicken Simplifi
  • Good for understanding cash flow
  • Made by Quicken so lots of experience in the personal finance space
  • Ranked as best budgeting app by PC Editor, NYT Wirecutter
  • Cost is only $2.00/month
  • App syncs bank accounts, get real-time alerts, set savings goals
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
  • Comprehensive budgeting features, which does have a learning curve
  • There is a cost, but does offer a free trial
  • They claim their average customer saves $6,000 in their first year using the tools
Zeta
  • A personal finance/budgeting app designed for couples
  • Allows you to see a combined view of finances if you don't have a true joint account
  • Offers a Free and Paid (Zeta+) version of the app