5 Budgeting Apps That Will Help You Save Money

What is your biggest financial goal? Maybe you want to save for an important purchase, pay off past debts, or just want to be more conscientious about your spending habits. Almost always, the budget is a critical place to start. And you have many options to start the process. You could try keeping an Excel spreadsheet with a log of monthly purchases. Or perhaps take a more physical route, cramming your money in categorized envelopes.

However, if you’re looking for a way to track expenses, this is more streamlined for you as well smartphonea budgeting app worth trying. Note that usually when a financial app is offered for free, it is monetized more aggressively by the company that provides it. So it might be worth getting a subscription to a paid tool for a few months to try out the user experience, and cancel if it’s not a good fit.

Whether you’re looking for a whole new way to approach your thinking about money or just trying to be a little more careful with those coins, these five apps focus on practical advice, help with budgeting, and may help reduce your overall financial stress.

January 2025: This article was updated to reflect current details about budgeting applications.

Budgeting in your head is hard, especially if no one has shown you the ropes. YNAB (You Need a Budget) makes financial planning manageable. You’ll be able to sync all your accounts, track your monthly expenses, stay on top of your bills, and set aside savings for emergencies—all in one hub. The company offers online seminars that can give you the skills you need to get out of that pesky debt and increase your savings. After a free 34-day trial, YNAB costs $109 per year, but you can simply factor that into your budget.

The cool user experience provided by Co-pilot makes the finance app stand out. Once linked to your bank account, transactions are automatically organized into groups indicated by emoticons. The app can suggest new amounts for budget categories based on past spending and track recurring payments. Acorns, Robinhood, and other apps connect with Copilot to help you keep track of all your investments. For those overwhelmed by the thought of financial tracking, Copilot is an affordable entry point to the world of money management. Unfortunately, the app is only available for iOS users. After a one-month free trial, an annual subscription costs $95.

The world of investing and returns can be confusing for a newcomer. Skip the stockbroker meetings and consider pulling out Acorns instead. It simplifies the investment process by rounding each of your purchases to the nearest dollar and automatically investing the change in a diversified portfolio. The basic service costs $3 per month and you can withdraw your investments at any time.

If you are not ready to fully immerse yourself in the risky world of investments, in a timely manner (formerly known as Digit) provides another way to build up your savings. It’s an automated process, just like Acorns, but instead of focusing primarily on investments, it’s geared toward saving the money you already have. Every day, Oportun withdraws money from your account to deposit it into a savings account. The app monitors your spending habits and your income, so it will only withdraw what it thinks you won’t need. Long-term and retirement investments are also available through Oportun. You can try it for free for 30 days, after which you will have to pay $5 per month.

This is not a budgeting app, it’s free Credit karma An Intuit-owned app can help you decipher that credit score and how it changes over time. Your credit score is very important: lenders, landlords and insurers may want to check it. The number varies and basically tracks whether you’re making your credit card or loan payments on time, and how much of the credit you’ve been given has been used. The Credit Karma app collects reports from TransUnion and Equifax and then explains the factors that affect your score. While the app is good for tracking results, you’re probably better off ignoring in-app advertisers who make loans based on your data.