You’ve had those moments, probably after the kids have gone to bed, when you sit down with your bills and wonder, ‘Why does money grow wings?’ (Don’t worry, mom—we’ve all been there!)
Keeping track of income and expenses can feel overwhelming—especially when there’s a pile of laundry to fold, school lunches to pack, and a list of bills to scribble down, only for it to end up in the trash.
Enter budgeting apps.
Budgeting apps are digital financial organizers. Some even connect to your bank account and credit cards to automatically download and categorize transactions. No more scribbled-on papers, frantic catch-up, or wondering if this even makes a difference.
| App Name | Pricing | Free Version | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
EveryDollar | Free, Premium available | Yes | Zero-based budgeting |
YNAB | 34-day free trial, then $11.99/month or $84/year | No | Proactive budgeting and debt reduction |
Empower | Free with premium services | Yes | Comprehensive financial tracking |
Pocket Guard | Free with $2 maintenance fee, Premium available | Yes | Expense tracking and overspending |
Goodbudget | Free and paid options | Yes | Envelope budgeting system |
Quicken Simplifi | 30-day free trial, then subscription | No | Comprehensive budgeting and tracking |
Fudget | Free version, Fudget Pro subscription | Yes | Simple budget tracking |
We sorted through dozens of options to find the best free budgeting apps that can fit into your busy schedule. These apps will help you relieve stress, stay organized, and make sure budgeting never takes a back seat—whether you’re managing family finances or juggling multiple roles.
Best Free Budgeting Apps
1. EveryDollar
EveryDollar, developed by Ramsey Solutions, is perfect for busy moms juggling family expenses. Whether you’re planning weekly groceries or saving for your little one’s school fees, it helps you manage every dollar without the stress.
Overview
EveryDollar uses a simple zero-based budgeting method, letting you track every expense and plan for financial goals like family vacations or emergency funds. With both free and premium options, it’s a budgeting tool that works for moms trying to balance family finances.
Key features
- Easy tracking for household and kids’ expenses.
- Customizable budgets for family needs.
- Financial goal setting (think savings for family trips).
User Ratings:
iOS: (4.8/5)
Google Play: (4.7/5)
Best For:
Setting Goals: Yes
Tracking Spending: Yes
2. YNAB (You Need A Budget)
YNAB is a budgeting app designed to help busy moms save money and get out of debt, even when life’s expenses keep piling up. It currently has a 34 day free trial.
They help you focus on current and past financial insights at first. Over time, the offer future possibilities based on your financial stats.
The app helps you manage your top financial priorities, budgeting goals, and, as they say, “give every dollar a job”.
Overview
YNAB says that their new budgeters save around $600 in their first two months and more than $6,000 in their first year. YNAB offers more of a proactive budgeting approach, compared to methods where you track what you’ve already spent.
Key Features
- Access real-time information quickly from any device, anytime.
- Share and track finances with a partner.
- Track your budgeting goals.
- Detailed, well-organized reports with graphs and charts.
- Personal Support available.
- Secure and ad-free.
- 34-day free trial, with a monthly cost of $14.99 or a yearly cost of $109
- Sync bank accounts, import data from a file, or manually enter information
User ratings: 41,000+
IOS review (4.8/5) Google Play review (4.3/5)
Best For:
- Setting Goals: Yes
- Tracking Spending: Yes
3. Empower (formerly Personal Capital)
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) holds our number three slot. They help you chart a path to financial independence, evaluate your retirement plan, and meet your goals.
Overview
Personal Capital provides a comprehensive perspective of your financial situation. Daily expenditures, portfolio performance tracking, and more give you a clear picture of all assets and liabilities in a secure place. Personal Capital helps you create a plan with actionable steps that you can track as you go.
Key Features
- View and examine your total income and expenses
- Manually add investments without syncing accounts
- Track net worth from the dashboard
- Fee Analyzer gives you a closer look into portfolio fees
- Prepare for retirement with the future Retirement Planner
- Outstanding reporting options
- Desktop capabilities
- Investment management
- Saving and budgeting options for retirement, emergencies, debt repayment, and more
User Ratings: 31,400+
IOS review (4.7/5) Google Play review (4.4/5)
Best For
- Setting Goals: Yes (Retirement Planning)
- Tracking Spending: Yes
4. Pocket Guard
Pocket Guard is a great budgeting tool for learning the basics: how much money you made, how much money you owe, and how much money you have left over. The app also shows you which expenses are eating up most of your money in a handy, customizable pie chart.
Overview
With Pocket Guard, you can easily set spending limits in the app, giving you peace of mind—whether you’re shopping for groceries or back-to-school supplies. Plus, with the premium subscription, you’ll unlock advanced features like custom categories and more detailed insights to manage your finances even better.
It gives you personalized offers based on the information you give in their profile section.
Key features
- Unique algorithm tracks your income, expenses, and savings goals
- Gives you a dollar amount you can spend each day
- Spending limits make it easier to stop overspending
- Cash flow at a glance
- Easy to use
- 256-bit encryption, a four-digit PIN, and biometrics options for data security
- Integrate bank accounts
- Track cash, including ATM deposits and withdrawals
- Educational blog helps you learn as you go
- Help with bill negotiation
- Free, with a $2 maintenance fee for autosave
- Upgrade options
- Top-rated app for overspenders
User Ratings: 8,000+
IOS review (4.7/5) Google Play review (3.9/5)
Best For
- Setting Goals: Yes
- Tracking Spending: Yes
5. Goodbudget
One of the main features of Goodbudget is its use of the ‘envelope system’ to help you organize your spending. Before digital banking took off, the envelope system required you to physically separate your cash into envelopes labeled rent, groceries, bills, fun, and any other category you chose. Goodbudget offers a free version with essential features, and a premium version that provides additional functionalities like more envelopes and detailed reports to enhance your budgeting experience.
Overview
Goodbudget’s straightforward software has minimal bells and whistles. It uses a simple, tried-and-true approach to help people manage their money stress-free.
Key Features
- 256-bit encryption
- Free and paid options
- Community support
- Transaction tracking
- Large resource library, including a podcast and several courses
User Ratings: 31,400+
IOS review (4.7/5) Google Play review (4.4/5)
Best For
- Setting Goals: Yes
- Tracking Spending: Yes
6. Quicken Simplifi
Quicken Simplifi offers a comprehensive approach to managing your finances with advanced features and a user-friendly interface. It’s designed to simplify your financial life by providing a clear view of your spending, savings, and budgeting.
Overview
Quicken Simplifi is not free, but it provides a 30-day free trial to help you evaluate its features. The app focuses on delivering real-time insights and tracking across all your accounts.
Key features
- Automatic categorization of transactions
- Real-time updates and notifications on your spending and budgeting
- Customizable budgeting and tracking options tailored to your financial goals
- Easy-to-read dashboards that show spending trends and progress
- Secure data encryption and authentication to protect your financial information
- Sync with bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts for a complete view
- Bill tracking and payment reminders
- Customizable reports to analyze spending patterns
- Mobile-friendly design for on-the-go access
Best For:
- Setting Goals: Yes
- Tracking Spending: Yes
7. Fudget
Fudget is a straightforward budgeting app designed to help you manage your finances with ease. It focuses on simplicity, allowing you to track your income and expenses without complicated features.
Overview
Fudget offers a free version with essential budgeting tools. It also provides a premium version with additional features for more advanced budgeting needs.
Key features
- Simple and intuitive interface for quick budget tracking
- Manual entry of income and expenses
- Create and manage multiple budgets
- View balances and track spending in real time
- Sync across devices with Fudget Pro
- Password protection for added security
- Export data to CSV files
Pricing:
- Free version available
- Fudget Pro subscription for additional features
User Ratings:
Available upon request
Best For
- Setting Goals: No
- Tracking Spending: Yes
Simplify Your Finances with Free Budgeting Apps
Budgeting can seem complex and scary, but with the help of these apps, it’s easier than ever. The most important thing to remember is that your budget is going to be totally unique. If it doesn’t look the same as someone else’s, that’s ok! Your budget only has to work for you.
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