Managing money effectively is essential for achieving financial stability, but keeping track of income, expenses, savings, and investments can be overwhelming. Thankfully, technology has made financial management easier with budgeting apps that help you track spending, set savings goals, and monitor investments.
In this article, we’ll explore the best personal finance apps that can help you take control of your money.
Why Use a Personal Finance App?
A good finance app can help you:
✔ Track your spending automatically.
✔ Create and stick to a budget.
✔ Set financial goals (saving, debt repayment, investing).
✔ Get insights into your financial habits.
✔ Monitor credit scores and bills.
Whether you’re new to budgeting or want to optimize your finances, there’s an app for you!
Best Budgeting Apps
1. Mint (Best Free Budgeting App)
🔹 Features:
✔ Automatically syncs with your bank accounts and categorizes expenses.
✔ Tracks bills, credit scores, and investments in one place.
✔ Customizable budgeting tools.
💰 Best for: People looking for a free, all-in-one budgeting solution.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android, and Web (Free)
2. YNAB – You Need a Budget (Best for Hands-On Budgeting)
🔹 Features:
✔ Zero-based budgeting method (every dollar has a job).
✔ Helps users stop living paycheck to paycheck.
✔ Allows you to set financial goals (debt repayment, savings).
💰 Best for: People who want full control over their budget and need debt payoff strategies.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android, and Web ($14.99/month or $99/year)
3. PocketGuard (Best for Preventing Overspending)
🔹 Features:
✔ Shows how much money is safe to spend after bills and savings.
✔ Tracks subscriptions and suggests ways to cut expenses.
✔ Helps prevent impulse spending.
💰 Best for: People who want an easy way to control daily spending.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android, and Web (Free, with premium options)
Best Savings and Investment Apps
4. Acorns (Best for Beginner Investors)
🔹 Features:
✔ Rounds up purchases and invests spare change automatically.
✔ Provides robo-advisor investing with minimal effort.
✔ Offers retirement and checking account options.
💰 Best for: Beginners who want a hands-off way to start investing.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android ($3 to $5/month)
5. Robinhood (Best for Commission-Free Stock Trading)
🔹 Features:
✔ No fees for buying and selling stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrency.
✔ User-friendly design, great for beginners.
✔ Allows fractional share investing (start with just $1).
💰 Best for: People interested in learning how to trade stocks without high fees.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android (Free)
6. Wealthfront (Best for Automated Investing)
🔹 Features:
✔ A robo-advisor that manages your investments automatically.
✔ Helps you set up an optimized, diversified investment portfolio.
✔ Offers tax-saving strategies for long-term growth.
💰 Best for: People who want long-term investment management without constant monitoring.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android ($500 minimum investment, 0.25% annual fee)
Best Apps for Saving and Paying Off Debt
7. Digit (Best for Automatic Savings)
🔹 Features:
✔ Uses AI to analyze spending habits and automatically save small amounts.
✔ Transfers money into a savings account without users needing to think about it.
✔ Helps you reach financial goals faster.
💰 Best for: People who struggle with saving money consistently.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android ($5/month after a 6-month free trial)
8. Undebt.it (Best for Debt Payoff Planning)
🔹 Features:
✔ Helps users create a customized debt repayment plan.
✔ Supports the Snowball and Avalanche methods.
✔ Tracks progress and calculates debt-free timelines.
💰 Best for: People looking to pay off debt faster with a structured plan.
📲 Available on: Web (Free, with a premium option)
Best Apps for Tracking Credit Scores
9. Credit Karma (Best for Monitoring Credit Scores)
🔹 Features:
✔ Provides free credit score checks and credit monitoring.
✔ Offers personalized recommendations for improving credit.
✔ Alerts users about potential fraud or identity theft.
💰 Best for: Anyone who wants to track and improve their credit score.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android, and Web (Free)
10. Experian (Best for Credit Building)
🔹 Features:
✔ Shows FICO scores (used by most lenders).
✔ Offers Experian Boost, which helps improve scores instantly by adding utility payments.
✔ Provides identity theft protection (premium plan).
💰 Best for: People looking for accurate credit monitoring and score improvement.
📲 Available on: iOS, Android, and Web (Free, with premium options)
Which Finance App Should You Choose?
The best app depends on your financial goals:
✔ For budgeting: Mint or YNAB
✔ For saving automatically: Digit or Acorns
✔ For investing: Robinhood or Wealthfront
✔ For paying off debt: Undebt.it
✔ For credit monitoring: Credit Karma
