Comparison of The Best Budgeting Apps in 2020

The best money tools help you manage your money, cultivate better saving habits, track your many expenses, and monitor your spending patterns.

Last Updated: September 4, 2020

Last Updated: September 4, 2020

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It'll definitely come in handy to know the best budgeting apps that are available to you today. Now more than ever, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly important to many of us to be adequately equipped with the right money tools.

Many Americans are currently in a personal financial crisis or are one emergency away from one. To keep your finances in check, it starts with understanding how your money cycles in and out, that is, through your incomes and expenses.

There's a plethora of money management apps and software constantly flooding the market. As a result, it can be difficult to immediately figure out which one works best for your financial situation and fits your lifestyle.

As a result, this comparison article was created with you in mind to provide you with a snapshot of the best budgeting and money management apps out there to help you make a well-informed decision. The best part of it all is that majority of them are free or have free versions.

Related: How to Build a Budget

The Best Budgeting Apps in 2020

  • Mint
  • Personal Capital
  • You Need A Budget (YNAB)
  • Charlie
  • Zeta
  • PocketGuard
  • GoodBudget
  • Clarity Money

Related: 5 Different Monthly Budgeting Techniques

App

Cost

Syncs With

At a Glance/ Dashboard

Distinct
Features

Premium
Features

Recommended For All-Inclusive Budgeters

Android, iOS, Web

FREE

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans

  • Net Worth

  • Account Balances

  • Cash Flow

  • Savings Goals

  • Budget

*Overview is customizable*

  • Categorize Budget

  • Upcoming bills calendar and reminder

  • Monthly spending overview

  • Weekly summary report

  • Savings goals and progress report

  • High spending alert

  • Overbudget alert

  • Fee charge alert

  • Credit score and credit monitoring 

All features are free

Recommended For Investors

Android, iOS, Web

FREE

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

  • Net Worth

  • Transactions

  • Cash Flow

  • Budgeting

  • Portfolio

  • Categorized spending

  • Reimbursible transaction tag

  • Track spending habits

  • Chart of budget amount left relative to days of month left

  • Retirement Planner

  • Financial Advisor

All features free except "Financial Advisor" at annual fee of 0.89 percent  of investment account 

YNAB

You Need A Budget 

Recommended For Thouroughly Detailed Budgeters

Android, iOS, Web, Alexa

  • FREE

  • PREMIUM 

  •  $11.99/month, $83.99/yr

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

Main Budget Categories:

  • Immediate Obligations 

  • True Expenses

  • Debt Payment

  • Quality of Life Goals

  • Zero-based budgeting - Intensive Details

  • Linked and Unlinked Accounts

  • Multiple budgets

  • Enter transactions on the go

  • Split Categories

  • Custom categorization allowed

  • Overspending notifications

  • Education and Guides

All features are premium.

30 days free trial

Recommended For Beginners 

Android, iOS

  • FREE

  • PREMIUM - $4.99/month

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

  • Account Balances

  • Budget

  • Transactions

  • Monthly Spending Trend

  • Simple Budget

  • Categorized Budget

  • Savings Goals

  • Categorized Spending for tracking

  • Cash to Splash - money left to spend after budgeting for other expenses

  • Financial education and questions answered with Charlie AI assistant

  • Personalized Debt Advice

  • Debt Plan

7-days free trial

ZETA

Recommended For Couples

Android, iOS, Web

FREE

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

  • Cash Flow

  • Upcoming Bills

  • Budgets

  • Transactions

  • Account Balances

  • Net Worth

  • Budgeting for couples

  • Linked and Unlinked Accounts

  • Personal and Shared finances

  • Multiple and Categorized Incomes

  • Split expense with partner

  • Custom categorization allowed

  • Alerts and Notifications

All features are free

POCKETGUARD

Recommended for Simple Budgeters

Android, iOS, Web

  • FREE

  • PREMIUM 

  •  $7.99/month, $79.99/yr

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

  • In My Pocket

  • Upcoming Bills

  • Spending and Budgets

  • Goals

  • Net Income

  • Net Worth

  • "In my pocket" -  calculates money left after bills, budget and goals

  • Negotiate lower bills on*your behalf

  • Cancel Unwanted Subscription

  • Categorized Budget

  • Multiple incomes entry

  • Custom categories  

  • unlimited budgets 

  • unlimited goals

  • Split transaction

  • Track cash spending

  • Export transactions

  • Auto Save

7-days free trial

GOODBUDGET

Recommended for Manual Budgeters

Android, iOS, Web

  • FREE

  • PREMIUM 

  •  $6.99/month, $59.99/yr

None. Manual Entry Only

  • Monthly Envelopes

  • Annual/Irregular Envelopes

  • Transactions

  • Envelope-Based Budgeting

  • Income vs. Spending Report

  • Multiple incomes entry

  • Debt Progress Report

  • The Goodbudget Way Education 

  • Sync across devices 

  • Unlimited Envelopes vs. 1

  • Unlimited Accounts vs. 1

  • 7 year transaction history 

  • 5 devices synced automatically vs. 2

Clarity Money

Recommended for Beginners

Android, iOS, Web

FREE

  • Checking Accounts

  • Savings Accounts

  • Credit Cards

  • Investments

  • Loans 

  • Account Balances

  • Transactions

  • Snapshot of Income, anount spent and amount left

  • Spending summary

  • Cancel Unwanted Subscription

  • Monitor Spending Patterns

  • "What did i spend on xyz this period"

  • Automatically estimates fixed expenses 

  • Creates estimated  weekly spending budget excluding fixed expenses

All features are free

What budgeting apps have worked well for you, or which one on the list are you considering? Feel free to let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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5 Comments

  1. Hanness

    It’s very nice and interesting how you’ve shared this article, it’s very true that it’s becoming very important that we should know how to manage our funds during the times that is hard now, getting the best budget app to help us is very important, it’ll make it easy for us to spend responsibly.

  2. Jay

    I find that the budgeting apps are actually very good because they can help us to get the best out it using our money and what it is that we use our money for and this is one of the main reason why I am looking for a good app. Your explanation here is very good and I like your comparison. Great one!

    • Mosun

      Thanks for the feedback Jay. Hopefully this helps you make a decision.

  3. Lucas Moore

    Thank you for this awesome review on some of the best budget apps in 2020. PocketGuard, GoodBudget and Clarity Money are known to me as i have used them before and they proved helpful on the long run. i am going to try others as you have listed. thank you very much

    • Mosun

      You’re very welcome Lucas!

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