Best Budgeting Apps 2024

Personal finance management applications are on top all over the globe. 9 of 10 adults admit their under-education in personal finance. Almost half of them rely on the bank to do this job for them, while one quarter is, by contrast, misguided by the bank assistants’ financial recommendations. That’s why people often use applications to solve this problem with the help of the best free personal finance management apps for iPhone or other smartphones.

In this post, you’ll discover pro tips on how to use a manager application for personal finance. Besides, you’ll explore the top 5 budgeting apps in 2024 and their pros, cons, and pricing policies so you can choose what works for you the best.

How to Use Manager Application for Personal Finance

The best app to manage personal finances for you must use your data safely and profitably. In a lot of popular apps, you provide data directly from your bank cards and accounts. Some apps use other sources of income, such as income from stocks. To keep your budget data up to date in the app, it will periodically sync with your online bank accounts. How do you use money management applications safely?

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1. Check the privacy statement. Sometimes it can be many pages long, with lots of legal terms. Pay attention to the words “sell” or “provide.” That way you can easily verify that the app won’t sell your personal information to third parties. If the app doesn’t have a privacy clause at all, we recommend choosing a different program.

2. Check the security level of the app. The best Android app for personal finance management as well as the iOS ones that use your financial data should use high security measures provided for financial institutions. Ask how user data is encrypted (128-bit encryption is good, 256-bit is even better) and check if the app has a two-factor authentication feature.

3. Find out who the developer of the app is. Usually the best free personal finance manager app for Android and iOS are owned by large financial institutions with experience in securely processing user data.

4. Use official app stores. The official app store, in theory, guarantees the security of the app. This can keep you safe from spyware, adware, and other malware.

5. Study the reviews of the app. Reviews can give you a first idea about the app. If users often complain about the program and give low ratings, these are definitely not the best iPhone apps for managing personal finances.

6. Set a password on your device. To prevent anyone from stealing your financial data, set a password to unlock your device. This is also important to protect your bank account, photos, and other personal information.

7. Install mobile antivirus. The number of malware targeting users’ bank accounts is increasing, so even if you’re not going to use an expense-control program, install a reliable antivirus.

8. Be careful when using free Wi-Fi hotspots. Never check your bank account or use an expense accounting app on public Wi-Fi networks. Attackers can intercept such information. If you’re away from home and need to open the app, use a mobile Internet or VPN service to encrypt the connection.

Best 5 Finance App Managers to Become a Pro

Let us review 5 financial apps to manage your personal finance. We’ll analyze their pros and cons and base on the ratings in Google Play or App Store.

#1. Empower Personal Dashboard

Google Play: 4.1

App Store: 4.7

Pros:

• Excellent for wealth management purpose
• Allows tracing the net worth
• Protects your data with foolproof authentication, encryption, and Yodlee’s security

Cons:

• Weak in terms of budgeting
• Lacks the manual adding of transactions

Cost: Initially free, but you’re to pay 0.89% of your money to access investment management tools under the condition your accounts are under $1 million.

General overview: This money management app focuses on wealth management, so you may plan your long-term financial well-being: for your children’s schooling (Education Planner feature) or retirement (Retirement Planner tool). With a comprehensive perspective of your budget, you may obtain investment advice and manage monthly spending. Don’t miss out on learning from their huge blog!

#2. PocketGuard

Google Play: 4.4

App Store: 4.6

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Automatic categorization of expenses
• Helps identify savings opportunities
• Provides detailed financial insights

Cons:

• Limited customization in free version
• Premium features require a subscription

Cost: Free with optional premium subscription.

General overview: PocketGuard is a standout among the best budgeting apps for its ease of use and practical features. This personal finance management app automatically categorizes expenses and provides insights to help you save more money. The intuitive interface makes it simple to track your spending and set financial goals. With both free and premium options, PocketGuard is a versatile choice for those looking to enhance their budgeting efforts without much hassle.

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#3. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

Google Play: 4.2

App Store: 4.6

Pros:

• High-quality customer support
• Solid education base
• Money-back guarantee for the trial period
• Bank-level encryption for your sensitive information

Cons:

• Requires further paid subscription after the trial ends
• Demands time to learn its basics

Cost: Start with a free trial for 34 days and then go on with either a monthly ($11.99) or annual subscription plan ($84).

General overview: Based on review, it’s the best Android app to manage personal finance. “Count every dollar before investing” is this app’s money management philosophy. You’re urged to forecast your spendings and create a proactive budget. First, watch a video manual/guide/workshop to learn how it works and connect your phone with your bank info. You may also view financial objectives, which is nice.

#4. Acorns

Google Play: 4.6

App Store: 4.7

Pros:

• Low fee for high balances
• More than saving money, it’s about learning to invest
• Different subscription plans based on your needs and expectations
• Found Money shopping function
• Automatic logout, encryption, and IDs security

Cons:

• Ineffective for low account balances in terms of annual fee
• Email-only customer service & 1-2 days for response awaiting

Cost: Acorns Lite costs $1 per month, Acorns Personal costs $3, and Acorns Family costs $5. (the widest functional set among all the available).

General overview: This app differs from other personal finance management applications because you can invest virtual currency through it. Only your balance and its relationship to fees should be considered. If you deposit $100 or less, the $12 yearly charge seems excessive. If your first income is reliable, don’t worry.

#5. Good Budget

Google Play: 4.0

App Store: 4.6

Pros:

• Gives the possibility to make the shared account within your household
• Incorporates the well-known ‘envelopes’ division system
• Easy to get started

Cons:

• Time-consuming in terms of manual filling in the info
• Security standards could be better: only a PIN and read-only access

Cost: Free version contains 10 standard and 10 extra envelopes. Good Budget Plus costs $7 per month or $60 per year for extra or unlimited use. You’ll also get email support, sync up to 5 devices, and 7 years of transaction history.

General overview: Want to migrate from EXCEL tables to the app? Then choose Good Budget. Manually categorize transactions and split expenses/savings into envelopes. Spend your money till the particular envelope is empty or borrow from the other. Learn to budget using the top personal finance management mobile apps!

*Drop DashDevs a line should you need any assistance with software development. *

Final Take

In the days of cell phone dependence, syncing your handy device with banks and an efficient budget management app is a must, which, however, doesn’t require much effort on your part. However, if you’re interested in finance self-education, check out our article about best finance youtube channels. As today’s market is overflowing with suggestions, we’ve chosen the best of the best for you to become thrifty and both financially and digitally savvy.

Here at DashDevs, with more than 13 years on the market and 500+ projects under our belt, we are ready, willing, and able to assist you with fintech app development. Do you have an idea? Feel free to reach out to us.

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