9 Best Budgeting Apps- Plus Apps To Make & Save Money

Budgeting and saving money is never an easy task. Many people create budget plans for themselves and end up failing in the end and ruining their budget in the end.

And sticking to a budget? Even more challenging.

Now, there’s an app for EVERYTHING. Managing money, included. 

The best budgeting apps will save your life and help you take control of your finances today. 

Quick Picks

Overall BEST Option – Empower
Rocket Money
You Need A Budget
FREE Printable – Savvy Mama Budget Printable

9 Best Budgeting Apps (Mint Alternatives)

The following simple budget apps will help you plan and stick to a budget. By organizing your finances and writing them down, you’re more likely to succeed. 

Not sure how to budget?

Read my in-depth beginner budgeting article to get started:

1. Empower (Formerly Personal Capital)

Empower is one of the best money management apps available.

It allows you to track your bank accounts, investment accounts, mortgage, student loans, etc. The visuals are great for people who don’t like staring at spreadsheets!

The main appeal of Empower is that it provides you with a holistic view of your financial situation and a way to calculate your net worth.

You can also use this app to get your paycheck early, up to 2 days faster than most traditional banks.

Read more about it in my in-depth Empower Review.

Price: Free, but their hardcore investment options cost money

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

2. Rocket Money

Rocket Money is another fantastic budgeting app that deserves your attention.

Designed to give users control of their finances, it makes creating and sticking to a budget a breeze.

With a user-friendly interface, Rocket Money simplifies the process of tracking your income and expenses, setting financial goals, and understanding your spending habits.

One feature that sets Rocket Money apart is its real-time budget updates, allowing you to see exactly how much you have left to spend in various categories and avoid overspending.

You can also connect multiple bank accounts for an encompassing view of your finances.

The in-app analytics give you insights into your spending patterns and help you identify areas where you can save. 

Check out more about the app in my honest Rocket Money Review.

Price: Free, with premium features available for a monthly subscription.

Platforms: Android, iOS

3. EveryDollar

If the idea of creating a monthly budget feels overwhelming, start with EveryDollar — which will help you set up a solid basic financial plan in as little as 10 minutes.

The simple budgeting app will help you save money, stick to a budget, track spending, and get out of debt fast. 

Price: Free, but financial tracking and bank account connection requires the $99/year pro version

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

4. You Need A Budget (YNAB)

You Need A Budget, or YNAB, is a budgeting app that helps you create a budget and track daily expenditures.

YNAB lets you connect to your accounts letting you review your financial dealings as you go along.

However, the app doesn’t include other features like investment tracking and bill paying.

It’s a pure budgeting system for users who are meticulous and critical with how they budget their money.

YNAB encourages and motivates its users with a regularly updated blog and forum in order to see support first-time users of both the app and budgeting.

Moreover, the mobile version connects to the desktop version which enables you to keep track of your financial records at home and on the go.

Price: $6.99/month billed annually

Promotion: Free trial for the first two months for new users

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

5. Monarch Money

Monarch Money is an excellent choice for individuals who want to take charge of their financial health.

This budgeting app is designed to help you take control of your financial life, from tracking your spending to managing investments.

It provides a complete picture of your financial landscape, consolidating all your accounts in one place for a comprehensive view.

The app automatically categorizes transactions, enabling you to understand your spending habits better.

With Monarch Money, you can set and track progress on financial goals, whether that’s saving for a vacation or paying down debt.

Additionally, it offers a retirement planning tool, making it a versatile option for long-term financial management.

Price: Free to use, Premium version available at $9.99/month or $89.99/year

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

6. Simplifi

Simplifi by Quicken is a budgeting app that aims to simplify money management and help you stay on top of your finances.

The app provides a holistic view of your financial landscape, allowing you to track your income, expenses, savings, and investments all in one place.

With Simplifi, setting up a budget is a breeze. The app allows you to create customizable spending plans based on your income, expenses, and financial goals.

It offers real-time updates and sends personalized insights and alerts to keep you aware of your spending habits and any potential overspending.

Notably, Simplifi also provides a “watchlist” feature, where you can track specific categories of spending that you are most interested in or concerned about.

This can be particularly helpful when trying to cut back on certain expenses.

Plus, with bank-level security, you can trust that your financial information is safe and secure.

Price: $3.99/month or $35.99/year after a free 30-day trial

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

7. PocketGuard

Finding savings in your regular spending is important when looking for a money management app.

After you sync your accounts, PocketGuard comes to the rescue by helping you analyze and track your spending. You can then use that information to help you build a better budget.

PocketGuard is also attuned to recurring bills and looks for BETTER deals.

Through this personal finance app, you can pinpoint spending trends from month-to-month, save money long-term, and monitor your individual bills. 

Price: Free, but there is a $3.99/month plan for more functions

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

8. Dollarbird

What’s your main budgeting issue?

Maybe you’re afraid to spend money on breakfast because you can’t remember when your mortgage is due. Maybe you know that you have loans to pay off, but need a schedule to do so.  

Dollarbird can help with that. 

The idea of this budgeting app is to put your budget into the form of a calendar. By color coding transactions by category, you’ll get a good idea of upcoming expenses and recurring transactions. 

The only real downside to Dollarbird is that it doesn’t sync with your bank accounts. Manual transactions are the way to go here, but the positive is that it gives you a more hands-on approach to your financial situation. 

Price: Free with limited functions and $4.99/month for more

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

9. Goodbudget

Goodbudget is built on the concept of an envelope budget. Like most envelope-based systems, you can only spend the money present in the envelope. 

If you run out, you have to transfer money in from another envelope.

A perk of this budgeting app is that you can create a shared budget within your household. You can also use Goodbudget to plan your budget so everyone’s informed, keep everyone accountable, and set goals.

Price: 10 free envelopes and unlimited for $6/month

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

Budgeting Printables

10. Savvy Mama Budget Template

Recognizing that not everyone prefers to budget digitally, Savvy Mama offers a free printable budget.

My comprehensive free budget template is designed to give you a detailed view of your finances, allowing you to allocate your income towards savings, fixed expenses, and variable costs.

Its tangible, visual nature can make the often overwhelming task of budgeting feel more manageable and even enjoyable.

The main categories are broken down into subcategories, providing a granular view of your spending.

This aids in identifying areas where you might be overspending.

The template is easy to use and comes with a guide that explains each section in detail.

Whether you’re a budgeting newbie or a seasoned pro looking for a fresh approach, the Savvy Mama Budget Template could be the perfect fit for your financial management needs.

Platforms: Printable PDF

11. Savvy Mama Budget Binder

The Savvy Mama Budget Binder is an excellent manual solution for those who prefer a hands-on approach to their personal finance management.

This comprehensive binder includes printable worksheets for tracking various aspects of your finances including income, expenses, savings goals, and debt repayment strategies.

Each section is thoughtfully designed for easy understanding and use, guiding you towards a clearer picture of your financial health and paving the way for informed decision-making.

A distinctive feature of this binder is its emphasis on goal setting and progress tracking, encouraging users to maintain a positive and proactive attitude towards achieving financial stability.

Platform: Printable PDF

Earn Cash Back & Save Money On Groceries

I understand the importance of sticking to a budget while at the grocery store, especially now that Kallie (our baby girl) is growing up. 

It’s amazing how we started saving on our grocery budget after deciding to eat healthily. 

These grocery budgeting apps will help you get on the right track and make you some quick cash too!

12. Ibotta

Did you know that there are apps that can get you to earn cash back for everyday purchases when you go grocery shopping? If you don’t, now you do. And it’s called Ibotta.

Ibotta is a free mobile app that gives you cash rebates on participating store brands. This app lets you add rebates on products by completing simple tasks before you adding an item to your shopping list. The more rebates you add, the more cash you will have.

Not only this app serves as an alternative to couponing for people who don’t have time for those, but this also makes you earn real money instead of points or virtual cash.

Savvy Advice: We highly recommend Ibotta! We have made close to $100 in just a few short months of signing up. Sign up and join our team to earn even more. 

Read our full review for more information. 

Price: Free

Platform: Android, iOS, Desktop

13. Rakuten

Rakuten is a cashback site that allows you to earn money back on any purchases that you make online, with no extra effort from you.

All that you have to do is make sure you click on the website link through Rakuten first, and then continue your purchase as you normally would.

There are more than 2,500 stores on Ebates that you can claim rebates with!

When you sign up, you are offered either a $30 sign-up bonus since you start spending and saving on special deals.

If you like free gift cards, read my full review for more information.

Price: Free

Promotion: $30 sign-up bonus

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

14. Checkout51

Checkout51 is a cashback app that pays you rebates for shopping daily groceries similar to Ibotta. You get to browse products you want to shop for that offers rebates.

After buying, you upload the receipt to show you’ve bought the featured items. Just take a picture of your receipt as proof that you’ve bought the offered products and you will earn cash.

Other than giving you cash back, take advantage of the opportunity to use your coupons with the app to save more.

Price: Free

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

Travel Budgeting Apps

Finally going on vacation?

These budgeting apps will make sure you don’t blow your budget (and emergency fund). It’s time to have fun with the family without breaking the bank. 

Check out these apps to get started!

15. Splitwise

Having trouble with the bills while traveling with your buddies? With the mission to emphasize fairness in terms of debts and bills, Splitwise is there to help.

Splitwise is an app that enables you to split bills with friends and family easily.

It organizes all your shared expenses and IOUs making it easier for everyone to see who owes who as well as how much does one has to pay for his share of the expense.

Splitwise allows you to link to your Facebook account to add contacts for your transactions. The app also supports PayPal accounts to settle up payments automatically.

Price: Free

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

16. Trail Wallet

Tired of dealing with scribbled notes and loose receipts? Sick of those complicated spreadsheets to track your travel expenses seem to suck out the fun of your traveling vacation?

Then maybe Trail Wallet is what you need. Trail Wallet is a travel expense tracker for iPhone and iPad that enables you to manage your traveling documents much more easily.

The app allows you to add a purchase or expenditure and automatically suggests a budget of how much you will spend for a day.

Another notable feature of the app is the ability to spread a large purchase over a number of days.

Price: Free for the first 25 items (with in-app purchases)

Platforms: iOS only

Investment & Banking Apps

If you want to start investing and have money for retirement, these investing apps will help you out!

17. Acorns

Acorns reinvests your virtual change instead of saving it.  The app allows you to start investing with no effort (and even if you don’t have any experience) with virtually no effort.

You just set it up and let it do its thing.

Acorns can round up your transactions and you can also set up recurring withdrawals.

Sometimes, when you shop with certain brands, the app will automatically invest some money into your account. 

Sign up for Acorns today!

Price: $1/month for all accounts under one million dollars

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

18. Stash

If you’ve got a spare $5, you’ve got the beginnings of an investment portfolio when you sign up for Stash. 

Plus, the app makes it easy to make informed choices about what, exactly, your money is supporting — and to learn more about how to invest in ways that align with your personal values and goals.

Price: $3/month for accounts under $5,000

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

19. Albert

Do you wish you had help managing your finances?

You probably want Albert.

With a combination of human guidance and artificial intelligence, Albert analyzes your current financial health. Then, it provides a personalized report on what you can do to improve it.

Based on your salary, spending habits, bills, and other expenditures, the app will help you create a budget.

It will also help you put money aside in a savings account (for an emergency fund) and informs you where you overpay.

It will also help you turbo-charge your investments.

Price: Free, but a small premium gets you text access to human experts for extra help 

Platforms: Android, iOS, Desktop

Final Thoughts

Who said money doesn’t grow on trees?

It only does if you make the right choices today for your finances to flourish.

It’s important to create a budget for yourself in order to manage your hard-earned money wisely as well as saving up.

Because of these helpful apps, you get to worry less about where will your money go and get to spend those free times with your family or just relax by yourself knowing your money is put to good use.

What’s your favorite money management app? Let us know in the comments!