Hello freinds do you know that Budgeting apps can transform how you manage your money, but finding the right one is crucial when 70% of Americans who track their spending feel anxious about it.
After analyzing dozens of options (Forbes Advisor evaluated 38 different apps), we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to the 17 best budgeting apps for 2025. These tools do more than just track income and expenses – they help establish savings goals, monitor your credit score, and even track your net worth.
With Mint shutting down in March 2024, many users are looking for alternatives that offer both functionality and value. Whether you need a hands-on approach like YNAB with its loan payoff simulator, or a collaborative solution like Honeydue for couples managing finances together, our list includes both free and paid options to fit every financial situation. We’ve tested each app based on features, usability, cost, and security to help you find your perfect budgeting partner.
- Monarch Money
Monarch Money stands out as a comprehensive financial hub that brings all your accounts into one clear view. Since Mint’s shutdown, this app has quickly gained popularity among Reddit users looking for a robust alternative.
- Monarch Money key features
Monarch syncs with over 13,000 financial institutions, creating a holistic financial dashboard. The platform automatically detects recurring subscriptions and bills, organizing them in a calendar view with notifications three days before payment dates. Additionally, Monarch offers two flexible budgeting approaches—Flex Budgeting for variable expenses and Category Budgeting for traditional zero-based budgeting. Furthermore, the app’s investment tracker monitors portfolio performance across accounts, including cryptocurrency from Coinbase.
A standout feature is Monarch’s collaboration capability, which allows unlimited account sharing with partners or financial advisors at no extra cost. The app also tracks real estate values via Zillow integration and vehicle values through VIN lookup.
- Monarch Money pros and cons
Pros:
YOURBest Budgeting Apps of 2025 TEXT
Comprehensive financial management including budgeting, investments, and goal tracking
Clean, user-friendly interface across web, iOS, and Android
Customizable budgeting categories
Superior transaction rules for automatic categorization
No advertisements or data selling
Cons:
- No free version available
Short 7-day trial period
Higher price point compared to some competitors
Occasional syncing issues with multiple accounts from the same bank
Monarch Money pricing
Monarch offers a 7-day free trial followed by a subscription of $14.99 monthly or $99.99 annually. Currently, new users can get 50% off their first year with code MONARCHVIP. Unlike many free budgeting apps, Monarch’s subscription model ensures they never sell user data or display advertisements. - Monarch Money best for
Monarch Money is ideal for individuals seeking a holistic approach to financial management. The app particularly excels for couples managing joint finances, with shared goal tracking and monthly reports. Moreover, Monarch works well for those who value data visualization, offering customizable charts that reveal spending patterns, income trends, and net worth changes over time. The platform suits users transitioning from Mint who want improved reliability and enhanced features.
- You Need a Budget (YNAB)
YNAB (You Need a Budget) distinguishes itself with a zero-based budgeting philosophy that teaches users to give every dollar a purpose. Rather than simply tracking past spending, YNAB encourages active financial management through deliberate planning.
YNAB key features
YNAB builds its functionality around four fundamental rules: give every dollar a job, embrace your true expenses, roll with the punches, and age your money. The platform allows users to connect bank accounts for automatic transaction importing or manually enter transactions for those who prefer hands-on tracking.
YNAB offers customizable spending categories with personalized targets, goal setting capabilities, and a loan calculator for visualizing debt paydown strategies. The YNAB Together feature enables account sharing with up to six people at no additional cost.
Although YNAB doesn’t include investment tracking or bill pay functionality, it excels at helping users with unpredictable incomes manage their finances effectively. The app provides educational resources including free workshops, video courses, and an active community to help users master the budgeting system.
YNAB pros and cons
Pros:
Teaches a proven money management philosophy
Extended 34-day free trial
Account sharing with up to six people
No data selling or advertisements
Strong security features including encrypted data
Cons:
Steeper learning curve than other apps
Higher price point ($109/year)
Requires regular attention and maintenance
Limited reporting capabilities (only three reports)
No automatic subscription management
YNAB pricing
YNAB costs $14.99 monthly or $109 annually (as of August 1, 2024). New users receive a 34-day free trial without requiring credit card information. College students can apply for a free 12-month subscription by providing proof of enrollment.
YNAB best for
YNAB works exceptionally well for individuals committed to financial improvement who don’t mind spending time managing their budget. The app particularly benefits those with irregular incomes like gig workers or freelancers. According to company research, the average user saves $600 in their first two months and $6,000 in their first year.
YNAB is ideal for those wanting to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle through its “age your money” principle, which helps users eventually spend this month’s bills with last month’s income. Additionally, couples seeking better financial communication find YNAB’s collaborative features valuable for joint money management.
- Goodbudget
Goodbudget brings the classic envelope budgeting method into the digital age, offering a hands-on approach to money management. With over 3 million downloads and high user ratings across platforms, this app puts a modern twist on traditional cash envelope budgeting without requiring physical envelopes.
- Goodbudget key features
Goodbudget’s core functionality revolves around digital “envelopes” for different spending categories. Users manually input their income and expenses, allocating funds to envelopes for groceries, gas, entertainment, and more. The app visually represents each envelope’s balance with color-coded bars—green indicates money remaining, while red shows overspending.
Unlike many competitors, Goodbudget doesn’t automatically sync with bank accounts in its free version. Instead, it encourages hands-on budget management. The app offers helpful reports that analyze spending patterns and track income versus expenses. Users can also access budgets across multiple devices and share finances with partners, making household budgeting more collaborative.
Additionally, Goodbudget provides educational resources including courses on breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and forums where users can connect with the community.
- Goodbudget pros and cons
Pros:
Simple, intuitive interface
Free version available
Budget sharing across devices
No need to connect sensitive banking information
Customizable envelope categories
Educational resources and community support
Cons:
Manual transaction entry required
Limited features in free version
No investment tracking tools
Higher maintenance than auto-syncing apps
Premium required for multiple financial accounts
Goodbudget pricing
- Goodbudget offers two tiers:
Free: $0 with 20 total envelopes (10 regular, 10 annual/goal), 1 account, 2 devices, 1 year of history, and community support
Premium: $10 monthly or $80 annually with automatic bank sync (US banks only), unlimited envelopes, unlimited accounts, 5 devices, 7 years of history, and email support
The company offers a 30-day refund policy for new subscribers.
- Goodbudget best for
Goodbudget is ideal for users who prefer a hands-on approach to budgeting. The app particularly shines for couples managing finances together, as noted by users who call it a “relationship saver” for synced budget tracking. First-time budgeters appreciate its simplicity, while those uncomfortable sharing banking credentials value its manual entry system.
Many users report feeling more in control of their spending after adopting Goodbudget’s envelope method, with some noting substantial changes in spending habits within the first month of use.
- PocketGuard
PocketGuard focuses on answering one critical question: “How much can I safely spend today?” With over a million members, this budgeting app stands apart through its “In My Pocket” feature that clearly shows spending money available after accounting for bills, goals, and necessities.
Proven Money Saving Tips That Actually Work in 2025
- PocketGuard key features
At PocketGuard’s core is the “Leftover” calculation, prominently displayed on your dashboard to show remaining funds after monthly expenses. The app connects to over 18,000 banks through secure partners like Finicity, Plaid, and Apple Wallet.
Beyond basic tracking, PocketGuard automatically identifies recurring bills and subscriptions, organizing them in a calendar format. The debt payoff tool helps create payment strategies, calculates interest costs, and tracks progress. Additionally, the app offers bill negotiation services that attempt to lower your recurring expenses, though they take 40% of any savings secured.
For security, PocketGuard employs 256-bit SSL encryption and requires a unique PIN plus optional biometric authentication. The app also includes a 20-minute self-guided financial education tutorial covering budgeting approaches, debt management, and goal setting.
- PocketGuard pros and cons
- Pros:
Clearly shows available spending money
Strong security features with PIN and biometric authentication
Bill negotiation services
Basic personal finance education
Multiple data providers for reliable bank connectivity
- Cons:
Free version severely limited (only two budget categories)
Short 7-day free trial
No subscription cancellation service (only provides instructions)
Manual categorization often required for transactions
Privacy policy includes marketing partner offers despite “no data selling” claims
PocketGuard pricing
PocketGuard offers multiple pricing options:
Free version: Basic features with significant limitations
Plus monthly: $12.99/month
Plus annually: $74.99/year
Lifetime membership: $149.99 (occasionally discounted to $79.99)
PocketGuard best for
PocketGuard excels for individuals struggling with overspending. The “In My Pocket” feature benefits those who need clear spending limits. Furthermore, users juggling multiple credit card balances will appreciate the debt payoff planning tools. The app works well for visual learners, offering pie charts that provide excellent expense breakdowns. Finally, PocketGuard suits those prioritizing security, with its additional authentication layers beyond typical banking apps.
- Empower Personal Dashboard
Originally known as Personal Capital, Empower shifts the focus from day-to-day budgeting to comprehensive wealth management and investment tracking. With its robust free dashboard, this app caters to users looking beyond basic expense categorization.
Empower key features
Empower’s dashboard provides a holistic view of your finances with several standout tools. Its net worth tracker shows all your accounts in one place, including investments, savings, and debts. The cash flow graph displays money moving in and out, comparing current spending with previous months.
For investors, Empower truly shines. The investment checkup tool analyzes your portfolio’s future growth using Morningstar’s long-term forecasts rather than historical averages. Subsequently, the retirement planner runs your finances through various scenarios (even simulating recessions) to determine if you’re on track to retire when planned.
Additionally, the dashboard includes a fee analyzer that identifies excessive investment fees in your retirement accounts. The savings planner helps you set emergency fund targets with visual bar graphs showing progress.
Empower pros and cons
Pros:
Free comprehensive financial dashboard
Excellent investment tracking and retirement planning tools
Multiple security layers including encryption and fraud protection
Strong portfolio visualization and analysis
Net worth monitoring across all accounts
Cons:
Limited budgeting functionality compared to dedicated apps
Investment management services come with fees
Occasional account connection reliability issues
Mobile app offers fewer features than desktop version
More focused on investing than day-to-day budget management
Empower pricing
The Empower Personal Dashboard is completely free to use. However, if you want personalized investment services and wealth management advice from licensed fiduciary advisors, fees start at 0.89% annually for assets over $100,000. These fees decrease to 0.79%-0.49% for accounts over $1 million.
Empower best for
Empower works best for users who’ve accumulated multiple investment accounts and want to see their entire financial picture. In essence, it’s ideal for those focusing on long-term wealth building rather than strict monthly budgeting. The app particularly benefits investors seeking portfolio analysis, retirement planning guidance, and fee transparency. If you’re primarily concerned with tracking net worth and investment performance alongside basic budgeting, Empower offers an impressive suite of free tools.
- Honeydue
Designed specifically for couples managing money together, Honeydue stands apart from standard budgeting apps by focusing on financial collaboration and transparency between partners.
- Honeydue key features
Honeydue connects to over 20,000 financial institutions across five countries, allowing partners to link checking accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments in one place. Notably, the app lets users control exactly what they share—partners can choose to display both balances and transactions, just balances, or keep certain accounts completely private.
The bill tracking system sends timely reminders to either one or both partners when payments are due, helping couples coordinate financial responsibilities. Furthermore, the built-in chat feature allows partners to comment directly on specific transactions with text or emojis, making financial conversations less awkward and more efficient.
Beyond basic tracking, Honeydue offers spending categorization that users can customize according to their needs. The app even provides a joint banking option through Sutton Bank with no monthly fees, free ATM access, and FDIC insurance.
Honeydue pros and cons
- Pros:
Completely free with no premium tier
Customizable privacy controls for shared accounts
Built-in messaging system for transaction discussions
Bill payment reminders with partner coordination
Strong security with 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication
- Cons:
Mobile-only platform with no desktop version
Limited advanced budgeting tools compared to competitors
Occasional syncing issues with certain banks
No investment tracking capabilities
Some users report difficulties obtaining account statements
Honeydue pricing
Honeydue is entirely free to use with no premium subscription option. The company generates revenue through optional “tips” ranging from $1 to $10 monthly that users can provide if they enjoy the service. Consequently, there are no feature limitations or paywalls within the app.
- Honeydue best for
Honeydue excels for couples at any relationship stage who want to manage finances collaboratively without completely merging accounts. The app works exceptionally well for partners with different spending habits who need to improve financial communication. First-time couples moving in together find particular value in Honeydue’s ability to split expenses and track shared bills. Regardless of relationship duration—from newly committed partners to those celebrating decades together—Honeydue provides tools to reduce money-related stress and improve financial transparency
