Best Budgeting Apps For Families in 2025

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

Budgeting apps make it easier to track your income, expenses, and savings without the hassle of spreadsheets or notebooks. Whether you’re keeping tabs on everyday spending or working toward big financial goals, the right app gives you real-time insights and smarter money management.

Not a fan of linking your bank account to a mobile app? No worries.

Some budgeting apps let you enter your transactions manually while still analyzing your spending patterns and helping you budget smarter..

Many budgeting apps offer free and paid plans, so you can try them out before committing to a premium version with extra features.

Think you’ve got budgeting covered?

Budgeting apps can still help you uncover sneaky subscriptions, track spending trends, and fine-tune your money habits.

To determine the best budgeting apps for families in 2025, we looked at compared features, ease of use, availability, cost, app ratings, and other essentials so that you can make the best choice for your family.

Best Budgeting Apps For Families

Here are our picks for the best family budgeting apps. While we do not use all of these apps with our finances we have at least tested them for a period to ensure they offer value and are useful for tracking and managing your money.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi makes budgeting effortless with real-time spending updates, personalized spending plans, and easy-to-use watchlists that help you stay on track. You can set savings goals, track all your financial accounts in one place, and get insights to fine-tune your money management.

The app is sharable with a partner (or more than one person), perfect for couples or families. Plus, Quicken Simplifi is customizable and works with several budgeting styles, including zero-based budgeting, envelope budgeting, and the 50-30-20 budget.

Who It’s Best For

Quicken Simplifi is for individuals and families who want to take control of their spending, set and track specific savings goals, and get an overall view of their finances in one spot.

Pros

  • Tracks all of your financial accounts in one app
  • No ads
  • The app allows users to customize most features to fit their needs
  • Works with several budgeting styles

Cons

  • It comes with a fee
  • No live customer support
  • Not compatible with Quicken

Cost

Quicken Simplifi costs $3.99 per month, billed annually ($47.88), but sometimes offers lower promotional rates.

📖 Read our complete Quicken Simplifi Review for more details on how the budgeting app can help you manage your money better 💵

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi is among the best budgeting apps you can download. It's robust, yet easy to use. With customizable tools, Simplifi lets you see where you've been, where you're at now and where you're headed financially.



Learn More
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Monarch Money

Monarch Money is a premium budgeting app that combines expense tracking, goal setting, and investment management. We really love its clean, easy-to-use dashboard. A recent update improved navigation and overall user experience, making it easier than ever to keep tabs on your finances. Unlike some budgeting apps, Monarch Money is designed for flexibility, letting you customize categories, collaborate with a partner, and track your financial progress in one place.

Who It’s Best For

Monarch Money is ideal for people who want a sleek, modern budgeting tool that does more than just track expenses. It’s especially great for couples and individuals who want to keep an eye on both their budget and long-term financial goals.

Pros

  • Refreshed interface with smoother navigation
  • Tracks spending, savings, and investments all in one place
  • Real-time collaboration with a partner for shared finances
  • No ads

Cons

  • No free version is available
  • Some advanced features require manual setup
  • It may feel overwhelming for beginners

Cost

Monarch Money offers a 7-day free trial, then costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year. The app regularly runs special offers for deep discounts on subscriptions.

Monarch Money

🎉For a limited time get 50% off your first year with code LOVE50🎉

Monarch Money simplifies budgeting and financial planning with its powerful tools and user-friendly design. It’s your go-to app for staying organized and reaching your financial goals.


Learn More
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

MyBudgetCoach

MyBudgetCoach takes a hands-on approach to budgeting by pairing you with a personal finance coach who helps you build better money habits. You can choose a coach based on their expertise, whether you need help with debt, saving, or general money management. The program follows a structured 12-session plan that walks you through key budgeting concepts, so you’re never left wondering what to do next. Plus, if you’d rather start with a lower-cost option, you can use a digital “avatar” version of a coach for personalized guidance without the one-on-one commitment.

Who It’s Best For

MyBudgetCoach is perfect for people who want a financial mentor, not just a budgeting tool. It’s great for beginners or anyone who needs a little extra accountability to stay on track.

Pros

  • Personalized coaching from a finance expert
  • Structured 12-session program that builds budgeting skills step by step
  • Option to use an AI-powered avatar for budget guidance
  • Coaches specialize in different financial areas, so you can find the right fit

Cons

  • Less automation than other budgeting apps
  • Coaching services may cost extra
  • Not ideal for advanced budgeters who just want tracking tools

Cost

MyBudgetCoach starts with a 35-day free trial. Then, the cost is $14.99/month (or $98.99/year) for full access. One-on-one calls with a financial coach start at $34.99/hour.

MyBudgetCoach

🎉 Get 10% Off Your First Billing By Using The Code KEVIN10 🎉


MyBudgetCoach connects you with a personal finance coach to help you build better money habits through structured guidance. Whether you need help with budgeting, saving, or tackling debt, you can choose a virtual coaching plan or work one-on-one with a coach that fits your needs.

Learn More

Lunch Money

Lunch Money is a web-first budgeting app designed for modern money management, supporting multiple currencies and cryptocurrency tracking. It offers customizable budgeting categories, automated transaction organization, and detailed spending insights. Users can sync bank accounts, upload CSV files, or enter transactions manually to track their finances. Additionally, Lunch Money provides a companion mobile app for on-the-go access to your financial data.

Who It’s Best For

Lunch Money is ideal for individuals seeking a customizable and analytics-driven budgeting tool. It’s especially useful for digital nomads, cryptocurrency users, and those managing finances across multiple currencies.

Pros

  • Supports multiple currencies and cryptocurrency tracking
  • Customizable budgeting categories with automation tools
  • Detailed spending insights and analytics
  • Flexible transaction import options
  • Companion mobile app for financial management on the go

Cons

  • Primarily web-based, which may not appeal to users seeking a dedicated mobile experience
  • Feature-rich interface may feel overwhelming at first

cost

Lunch Money offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial period, the subscription is priced at $10 per month. Lunch Money offers an annual subscription where you can set your own price, starting at $50/year.

Lunch Money

Lunch Money is a sleek and intuitive budgeting app built for the modern-day spender. Whether you’re managing personal finances or tracking shared expenses, this app makes staying on top of your money simple and efficient.


Learn More
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Rocket Money

Rocket Money finds and cancels unused subscriptions, tracks your recurring bills, and even negotiates lower rates, so you save money with minimal effort. Premium membership gives you access to extra features like unlimited budgets, concierge services, and premium chat support.

Photo of mobile phone app Rocket Money available for download

Who It’s Best For

  • Rocket Money is great for individuals who want to save money on existing bills and monitor subscriptions.

Pros

  • Rocket Money will negotiate bills on your behalf to cut your expenses
  • The app helps locate and eliminate unwanted or old subscriptions
  • Full budgeting capabilities

Cons

  • Some of the app’s advertised features are only included with Rockey Money Premium.
  • Rocket Money charges a portion of the money saved on negotiated bills.

Cost

  • Rocket Money is free to use but offers a Premium membership ranging from $6 to $12 per month or $48 to $60 annually.
Rocket Money

Experience a fresh way to manage your money with Rocket Money.

Track your spending to build positive money habits, create a budget that works for you, gain insight into your credit score, credit report, and net worth, put your savings on autopilot, and get control over unwanted subscriptions with the free app.


Learn More
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Empower

Personal Capital is now Empower. We love the free budgeting and investment app. Empower makes our list of the best budgeting apps because it offers more insight into your investments than your average budget app. It monitors your 401(k), Roth, and other retirement accounts and has budgeting features that point out where you can save so you can invest more. The budgeting features do, however, take a backseat to the investment features.

Who It’s Best For

  • Empower is best for DIY investors who want to review their budget with an eye toward more investing,

Pros

  • Easy Set-Up: Empower is user-friendly and easy to set up.  Just input your external account information and start building your budget.
  • Large Purchase Planning: Empower can run investment scenarios, so if you like to plan ahead for future growth or are planning a large purchase, these features could be very helpful.

Cons

  • High Investment Fees: Empower’s wealth management investment fees are .89% on the first million invested and drop with higher account balances.  This fee is relatively high, though still less than working with a financial institution.
  • Account Minimums: Empower’ wealth management services require a minimum investment of $100,000, which may be a barrier for some folks.

Cost

  • Empower’s budgeting app is free to use, but there are fees if you invest with them.
Empower

Sign up for Empower's free dashboard for access to tools to track and manage your financial life.


Learn More
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

EveryDollar

EveryDollar makes zero-based budgeting easy, helping you give every dollar a purpose while keeping things simple and stress-free. The free version requires manual transaction entry, while the premium version allows automatic bank syncing. Within EveryDollar, you can personalize budgets to your needs, set due date reminders, split transactions on receipts, and make notes within budgets. We’ve included it on our best budgeting apps list because it’s a great option for families that are new to budgeting or want a simple budgeting app. 

Who It’s Best For

  • EveryDollar is ideal for people who use a zero-based budget and also prefer to enter bank account information manually.

Pros

  • EveryDollar allows you to split large store receipts up by budget categories.
  • Users can add notes to their budget for reference.

Cons

  • Account linking is only available in the premium paid version.

Cost

  • EveryDollar is free to use. EveryDollar Premium comes with a 14-day free trial, and then it costs $17.99 a month or $79.99 annually.

You Need A Budget (YNAB)

YNAB follows a zero-based budgeting system where every dollar is assigned a job. This hands-on approach helps you stay in control of your spending and savings while building better financial habits.

Who It’s Best For

  • YNAB is best for people who want to examine their finances, pay off debt, or save for a large investment.

Pros

  • Comprehensive: YNAB offers an extensive view of your finances and lets you see where you habitually overspend.
  • Customer Service: They have responsive customer support, and most emails receive a reply in 24 hours.

Cons

  • Cost: YNAB is the most expensive app listed, and you can find most features in other free or lower-cost apps.
  • Hard to Remove Reimbursable Expenses: YNAB does not have a way to remove or hide a transaction that doesn’t apply to your budget, like reimbursable work expenses.

Cost

  • YNAB offers a 34-day free trial, with monthly billing of $14.99 or yearly at $99.

PocketGuard

PocketGuard shows exactly how much money you have left to spend after bills so you don’t overspend without realizing it. Users may enjoy the hashtag and emoji features. Its clean, simple structure could work well for someone who just wants to know what they have in their pocket at any given time. Pocketguard makes our best budgeting apps list because of its powerful debt payoff plan feature within the paid version of the app. 

Who It’s Best For

  • Pocket Guard is geared toward younger users with a predictable paycheck and is great if you just want to know what’s left to spend after bills and savings have been accounted for.

Pros

  • In My Pocket (IMP): The IMP feature helps you determine at a glance if that impulse purchase is covered. It gives you your available balance after the bills have been paid and shows you upcoming transactions.
  • Hashtags: PocketGuard lets you tag specific transactions related to each other. For example, if you go on vacation, you can create a hashtag related to gas, food, and hotel expenses and create a report based on the hashtag later.

Cons

  • Lacks Investment Options: This is a transaction-based budget app, and PocketGuard is not set up to incorporate investment accounts.
  • Not All Features Available for Free: While PocketGuard is free, there are features, such as cash tracking and custom categories, that are only available for PocketGuard Plus users.

Cost

  • Free version with ads, or $7.99 a month or $34.99 a year for PocketGuard Plus. There’s also a lifetime option for $79.99.

Honeydue

Honeydue helps couples manage money together by tracking expenses, syncing accounts, and keeping financial communication open and stress-free. It also allows you to keep individual expenses and shared expenses as needed. There’s also a shared calendar with bill alert reminders.  If you’re looking for a new shared bank account, you can upgrade to a Honeydue joint bank account, which comes with joint debit cards.

Who It’s Best For

  • Honeydue is for couples who want to budget and manage their finances together. It’s also a good option for couples looking for a joint bank account with fee-free ATM access and no monthly fees.

Pros

  • Honeydue has individual and shared expense management and tracking.
  • It’s free.

Cons

  • Honeydue doesn’t have a desktop version.

Cost

  • Honeydue is free to use.

Marcus Insights

Marcus Insights (Marcus by Goldman Sachs) is a free budgeting app that offers basic expense review and transaction importing. It makes our best budgeting apps list because it offers a comprehensive snapshot of your finances and accounts.

Who It’s Best For

  • Marcus Insights is best for people who want to see all of their accounts at a glance but don’t necessarily want to create a formal budget.

Pros

  • Monthly Spending Breakdowns: Marcus Insights provides a monthly spending breakdown and category overview, along with cash flow information, so you know how you’re doing each month.
  • Useful Push Notifications: Marcus Insights sends you push notifications based on when you get paid, if your balance goes below a set point, or when an expense is withdrawn from your account.
  • You don’t have to be a Marcus customer to use the app.

Cons

  • Only syncs to linked accounts: Marcus Insights can link several accounts but only tracks spending from those accounts, and you cannot manually add transactions from an unlinked account.
  • No Budget Customization: Marcus Insights provides one-size-fits-all budget categories that can’t be customized.

Cost

  • Free with ads

Goodbudget

Goodbudget brings the classic envelope budgeting method to your phone, letting you divvy up money into digital envelopes to stay on track. Goodbudget Plus is the paid version of the app and offers additional features like unlimited envelopes, seven years of transaction tracking and email support. Goodbudget makes our best budgeting apps list because it’s a great option for individuals who prefer envelope budgeting over other methods. 

Who It’s Best For

  • Goodbudget is for people who prefer envelope budgeting or want to become more disciplined at paying off debt and saving money.

Pros

  • Separate envelopes for various savings goals.
  • Reports to analyze spending trends.

Cons

  • The free version offers limited support.
  • Multiple users are only available with a paid plan.

Cost

  • Goodbudget is free to use. Goodbudget Plus costs $8 a month or $70 annually.

Other Budgeting Apps to Consider

If the budgeting apps above don’t fit your needs, consider these other top budgeting apps to help you manage your family’s finances.

Wally

While Wally may be too complicated for most users, it’s a useful budgeting app if you deal in foreign currency or have multiple people involved in a budget (think event planning, etc.)

  • Cost: Free to use, but offers paid versions. Wally Gold is $8.99 per month or $39.99 annually. Monthly bank account linking costs $2.99.

Albert

Albert is a free basic savings platform with the ability to keep all of your accounts in one place. Albert offers basic budget features, but the focus is really on their in-house products. The app now offers banking with a free Cash debit card.

  • Cost: The basic version is free, but Albert Genius charges a minimum of $8 a month (you pay what you think is fair).

Spendless

Spendless is a family budgeting app specifically for Android users that lets one or more people manage a household’s expenses and budgeting efforts. It also allows users to tag locations to expenses and leave personalized messages for their spouse or partner.

Homebudget With Sync

HomeBudget with Sync is a free expense-tracking app for households. Reviews show it’s easy to use and customizable. There’s a free “lite” version and an upgraded version for a one-time fee of $4.99 with more functionality.

Fudget

Fudget is a free manual budgeting app that doesn’t require you to sync your bank accounts to use. The app features a simple, easy-to-use interface. Fudget has a free version and a paid Pro version with a $3.99 one-time fee.

What Is A Budgeting App?

A budgeting app is a personal finance app that helps you manage your money. Some apps allow you to monitor your financial health, such as spending habits, credit scores, retirement savings, and net worth. Others allow you to sync your financial accounts for real-time tracking, including bank accounts, credit cards, and investment and retirement accounts. Other apps primarily focus on a specific budgeting-related task, like tracking your spending or creating a monthly budget.

How Do Budget Apps Work?

The best budgeting apps allow you to track your spending, set and track financial goals, create budgets, and view other financial information. Some budgeting apps are accessible online and through an app on your mobile device, while others only offer a mobile or web-based platform.

Most budgeting apps fall into four categories:

  • Free budgeting apps
  • Paid budgeting apps
  • Budgeting Apps that sync with banking and financial accounts
  • Manual budgeting apps

The specific features and functions available to users vary between different budgeting apps.

Types of Budgeting Apps

Dozens of budgeting apps exist to meet various financial needs. Some apps offer basic capabilities, while others provide a more comprehensive suite of budgeting and financial tools. Here’s a look at the different budgeting app types available:

  • All-In-One budgeting apps
  • Expense-tracking budgeting apps
  • Zero-based budgeting apps
  • Envelope budgeting apps
  • Investment and retirement planning budgeting apps
  • Budgeting apps for couples
  • Banking apps

How Much Do Budgeting Apps Cost?

As mentioned, some budgeting apps are free to use, while others charge a fee. Budgeting app fees can cost anywhere from $0 to $15 per month or more. Some apps offer a free version with basic features and a paid version or multiple paid tiers that unlock additional premium budgeting features. Budgeting apps may charge a monthly fee or bundle the cost into an annual charge.

Should I Pay For A Budgeting App?

It sounds funny to pay for a mobile app to help you budget your money, especially if you’re paying down debt, trying to cut spending, or saving toward future goals. However, several paid budgeting apps provide value far beyond their cost when used properly.

Paying for a budgeting app can be worth the cost if:

  • It’s easy to use
  • It’s something you would use regularly
  • It performs the specific tasks you need it to
  • It easily syncs with your financial accounts

Are Budgeting Apps Safe To Use?

If you get anxious anytime you have to enter sensitive information on your devices, you’re not alone. We all want to know that the companies we trust with personal and financial information are doing everything possible to keep our info secure.

Most budgeting apps, especially those that connect to your financial accounts, utilize bank-level security measures to keep your information safe. In some cases, the app may require you to activate security features on your device to use it.

When you connect your financial accounts to a budgeting app, the app does not store your account login information. Instead, it uses a third-party service like Plaid to connect the app and your bank account. Budgeting apps have read-only access to your financial accounts, meaning no one can move money in or out of your bank accounts from within the app.

As a budgeting app user, you can further protect your account and information by:

  • Using the security features included with your device
  • Enabling multi-factor authentication
  • Setting complex passwords and changing them periodically

Who Should Consider Using A Budgeting App?

Anyone can use budgeting apps as part of their budgeting strategy. Does that mean everyone should use them? Not necessarily.

You should consider using a budgeting app if you:

  • Want to track your expenses to gain insight into your spending habits
  • Are comfortable syncing your financial accounts with a mobile app
  • Want to track progress toward your financial goals
  • Are likely to use the app enough to justify the fee

How To Choose A Budgeting App

With a variety of budgeting apps to choose from, it’s difficult to know which one is the best option. Many budget apps offer free trial periods to test it out before you commit to the app long-term. I love free trials, but it’s tough to know whether an app works well without connecting your accounts, and who wants to go through all of the trouble of connecting financial accounts to multiple apps for one or two-week trial runs?

So, what do you look for in a budgeting app? You can narrow down the field of budgeting apps considerably with a little research. Below are several factors to consider when choosing a budgeting app to use.

  • Compatibility: Look for apps that are available for download on your mobile device or operating system.
  • App type: Consider how you plan to use a budgeting app and look for ones within that type. The interface: having access to a suite of features is great, but it means nothing if it’s not easy to navigate or understand
  • Security: Check how the app protects your information. Security details are usually available on the app’s website, in its FAQs or on a separate security page.
  • Syncing: Determine if you want a budgeting app that syncs with your financial accounts or if you prefer to enter your information manually.
  • Features: What features are most important to you? Look for budgeting apps that are known for the tasks and features you plan to use the most.
  • Fees: Determine if you are okay with paying for a budgeting app. Always make sure the app offers enough value to warrant the added cost.
  • Support: Look for apps that offer customer support in your preferred method of communication.
  • Reviews: Check within the app stores to see how users rate the app. Look for recurring themes among users, good or bad.

What To Do After You Download A Budgeting App

Once you’ve downloaded a budgeting app, it’s time to connect your accounts. Follow these steps to connect your accounts and start using the budgeting app.

  1. Follow the app instructions for adding bank accounts and other financial accounts. Generally, this requires logging into your bank or credit card account through Plaid or another third-party service.
  2. Start with the account you use the most for everyday spending, whether it’s a checking or savings account or a credit card. If you’re into credit card rewards like us, adding all of your cards to a budgeting app can be a real chore.
  3. Once your account is synced, explore the app’s feature to see what tools are available.
  4. Once you’re comfortable using the app, continue to add any financial accounts you would like to monitor with the app.

free budgeting appS

Yes, several budgeting apps are free to use. Empower and Honeydue are completely free, while apps like Rocket Money, Goodbudget, EveryDollar, and PocketGuard offer free basic versions with optional premium upgrades.

the disadvantages of budgeting apps

The biggest downside is that you only get out of a budgeting app what you put in. Even the most automated options require you to check in, categorize transactions, and adjust your budget. Some apps have a steep learning curve, and many of the best features are locked behind a paid plan.

budgeting apps that don’t link to a bank account

If you prefer a budgeting app that does not sync with your bank, check out YNAB and Goodbudget. YNAB follows a zero-based budgeting system where every dollar has a purpose. Goodbudget is based on the envelope budgeting system, where you divide your income into virtual envelopes for different spending categories. Instead of tracking past transactions, it focuses on planning where your money should go before you spend it.

Best budgeting app for beginners

For beginners, a simple and easy-to-use app like Quicken Simplifi is a great place to start. It provides a clear view of your finances without an overwhelming setup process. If you are just getting started, you may want to try a free app or one that does not require bank account syncing until you are more comfortable managing your money.

Tips For Using A Budgeting App

You may go through some trial and error when using budgeting apps, especially if you’ve never used one or haven’t budgeted before. Here are some tips to help you make the most of a budgeting app.

  1. Know your why: Determine what you want to get out of budgeting or using a budgeting app. Knowing your why can help keep your expectations realistic and help you quickly identify whether an app is useful or not.
  2. Stay connected: A budgeting app is no good if you never open it. Make a habit of regularly opening the app and checking your progress.
  3. Don’t rely on a budgeting app for everything: Budgeting apps are only one piece of the puzzle if you use them. Develop good financial habits to reach your financial goals.

Do Budgeting Apps Really Work?

Budgeting apps can be a game-changer, but they are not a magic fix for money management. The best ones help you track spending, build better habits, and stay on top of your financial goals, but you still need to use them consistently to see results.

The right app makes managing money easier, but it still takes effort. Set it up, check in regularly, and use its features to stay on track. Whether you prefer hands-on budgeting or automation, there’s an app that fits your style.

Find the one that works for you, start today, and take control of your finances.