BEST 5 Budgeting Apps in 2022 (I tried 25)

[@MX4Life80]

Been using Mint for the last couple of months and it has been great. Having everything on one platform is a blessing.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

It is so nice having it all in one place! I’m glad you’re liking it!!

[@TeacherKasie]

Wow! Great research. 25 apps. That must have been a ton of work.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

It took FOREVER. But I wanted to be able to honesty share my opinion. 😆

[@DavisGoukler]

Budgeting apps can be a great way to help someone who is just starting to create a budget. The most important part, though, is making sure you stick to the budget you set. If you're comfortable sharing your information with a third-party app and find that it helps you manage your spending, that's awesome! For me, what works best is sitting down at the start of each month and writing out what I plan to spend money on, as well as how much I'll save. The key is finding a system that fits your needs and makes you feel comfortable. Whatever method helps you stay on track is the right one for you.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

100% agree. I personally use a spreadsheet for this reason. BUT, I like to share these reviews because the number one question I get asked by my coaching clients is, 'What's the best budgeting app?"

[@RowerZ25]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful and great overview! You rock!

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I hope it’s helpful- it’s what I’d have liked to know before choosing an app. Thanks so much for watching!!

[@HunterHayden-y8h]

I think that all of these programs are a great way to start living on a budget or to start budgeting. With a little more work, you could do the same thing with a binder and some paper- and with the ladder, your personal information wouldn't be at risk in any way. Plus, you save money and are budgeting by not paying for a subscription to a program that is just for budgeting.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Yep! Very, very true. I actually use a spreadsheet for that very reason - it's free. But, majority of my clients prefer the automation of apps so they don't have to do as much work.

[@carriebaier1902]

I have a college student that has not been real attentive with money but is learning. His accounts have been linked to ours since he is in school. It’s time he starts to do more and worry about his own money. What do you think is best? He has a job and makes his own car payment and standard bills.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

It sounds like your college student is moving in the right direction. That’s awesome! There’s no right or wrong way to handle things. Maybe the next step would be for him to have his own account. You could still be a joint owner on it if you want access to his account to see how he spending his money. Cash or a debit card are a great way to start to make sure he doesn’t overspend anything with a credit card. It sounds like he has some experience paying his bills, but sitting down and looking at a tentative budget with him wouldn’t hurt. Let me know what you decide to do.

[@georgekatsinis5224]

Good work! Excellent summary of 5 popular money apps. You have done a "Metric Shit-Ton" of work to sort through 25 different money apps, narrow it down to 5, and provide great overview of each.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

THANK YOU!!! It took a ton of time researching and trying them all out...but that's the only way to figure on the best! Thanks for commenting!

[@ZachHarden-l8n]

I think that all of these programs are a good way to start living on a budget. However, with a little more work, you could do the same thing with a binder and some paper- and your personal information wouldn't be at risk in any way. Plus, you save money by not paying for a subscription for a budget program.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Yes! I feel the same way…I like to be familiar with budgeting apps because most of my clients prefer them, but I personally always go back to my spreadsheet!

[@alexander5146]

Brittany, I just tested Rocket Money. First impressions: Most intuitive rule builder for uncategorized or mis-categorized transactions. Quick assembly of subscription charges across linked accounts. (The sorting and filtering of which might need some attention) - This is just a quick heads-up, just in case you have not already played with this app / website

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I haven't. Thanks so much for sharing!!

[@petergoeman7814]

I’ve been a 20 year user of Quicken but my laptop is dying so I gave Quicken Simplifi a try instead. It was a frustrating, unsuccessful effort and I received a refund on my purchase during the 30 day trial. Getting the refund was just as tough as getting help from their chat support - 20 minute waits for a “coach” after you wade through the bot responses.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Thanks for sharing that info- it’s good to know. I mostly used the app on my phone and had a really good experience with it during the month I tried it, but I appreciate your perspective. Thanks for sharing!

[@alexander5146]

Great overview! I don’t want to be bothered with budgeting details. I’m going to try Personal Capital and see if I like it better than Mint.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Awesome!! I hope you like it. I’d love to hear your thoughts after you try it out!

[@alexander5146]

@@BrittanyFlammer I love the monthly trend lines for spending, comparing the current with the previous month. I am not sure when and how PC will populate data back 365 days from present. Along with MaxRewards that tracks sign on bonuses, shows me which card to use for what and activate offers, I think I now have two tools that work well while traveling (and not relying on wide screen filling Google Sheets to track cash flow health. The pesky attempts to sell financial services just come with the territory and don't interfere too much. I might come back to this post after a while.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I live the comparisons from this month to last month as well…and I agree with the pesky ads- they don’t bother me too much

[@mikejahnke2834]

Thanks for your work! I tried Personal Capital for a while and it didn't work well for me. I have been using Mint for years but there are a few bugs that I haven't worked out and the new Interface is a bit hard to get used to. I have been considering Simplifi and think I might try it for a month.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I tried Simplifi for a month and liked it. It was simple (go figure). Although some have told me they didn’t like it. So, If you try it out let me know what you think.

[@KatieSperry-r6g]

I think these could be great tools to keep spending low. Although, it seems counterintuitive to be spending money on a subscription when you could do it all for yourself for free.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Yes - I 100% agree. Ultimately I use a spreadsheet because it's 100% free, but I suppose if that doesn't work for someone, then paying for an app would be better than not budgeting. :D

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Which app do you think would be best for you???

[@georgekatsinis5224]

I'm a long time YNAB user. LOVE IT! Many find a learning curve to get it running, but there are tons of resources to get it going. Once running, you're in complete control of every penny without being an Excel Geek. My absolute favorite feature that YNAB has, is what I call "Reserve Funds". They call it a Goal - saving ahead for a known future expense. I reserve as much as possible: pay auto insurance 1x per year by saving $xx/month, new car tires, new car, vacation, bi-monthly garbage bill, ... My expenses month to month are almost completely flat - little variation month-to-month. I have not found other apps that handle "Reserve Funds" as well as YNAB.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I am soo happy to hear you love it. It is a great app. There’s definitely a learning curve, BUT you’re right, they have so many videos/resources to help you out! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@ziggyzaggdabslab]

How come every budgeting app feels the need to make it a subscription. Like I’m trying to BUDGET. Not spend more. That’s just honestly so dumb to me.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Yep-seems ironic to me too! Mint and personal capital are the best free ones (in my opinion)

[@R.and.R.]

Hi Brittany. Another awesome video! Did you have any reservations about linking all of your accounts to these companies?

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Anytime you're entering username/password there's a risk, but I'm not really worried about it. Most of them use plaid (or some other 3rd party) to secure financial info so it's as safe as entering it into your banks website. If it's a concern, then you can definitely track things in your own spreadsheet or with pen/paper!

[@R.and.R.]

@@BrittanyFlammer I do like the idea of seeing everything in one snapshot like Personal Capital… 🤔

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I get it….I’ve been thinking of using it myself for real, not just to test it out

[@emmie6561]

Is there a app that helps more on the weekly bases?

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Good question! Fidget would work for weekly budgeting. I tested it out, but haven’t used it since then. Weekly is also another app that is specifically meant for weekly budgeting (but I haven’t tried it).

[@BrittanyFlammer]

If you try one of them let me know how you like it!

[@serafinsilva1055]

Do you have any recommendations for a simple, stand-alone checkbook for iPhone? My wife is currently using quicken, but it's too much for her.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I don't. I haven't tried anything like that. Is this for personal or business? I like using a spreadsheet. I use google sheets and just downloaded the app for my iphone. I don't know if that's helpful at all.

[@serafinsilva1055]

@@BrittanyFlammer Personal use. She only uses this on her iPhone.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I am not familiar with any apps offhand. I love using Google sheets on my iPhone, but I will do a quick search and see if I can find anything.

[@serafinsilva1055]

@@BrittanyFlammer Don't need a whole lot of effort. Was just wondering if there was anything you knew of off-hand. But thank you!

[@richardmulligan7536]

Have you head of pocketsmith? thanks

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I haven’t, but I will look into it!

[@soarinivie]

Hey there have you run into any apps that can break down the paycheck biweekly or bimonthly? Thanks!

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Great question. I would say the EveryDollar app is the best for that, but not with the free version. If you upgrade to the paid version they have a newer feature, paycheck planner, that is helpful. You enter in your paycheck dates as well as your budget due dates. You can divide budget categories up by week or biweekly. For example I can setup my grocery budget for the month to be $600, but then I want it to be spent after i get paid, I can set the dates and it will automatically calculate how much I have for the 2 weeks in between paychecks. I did a terrible job explaining it. Seeing it might be easier. Here's a video I have of EveryDollar in general: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iILJdnufoc2BmKs Here's a quick video of the paycheck planning feature: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3aWlpaknLGpeNk I don't have a video specifically on the paycheck planning, but plan to film one in the next week or two to show what it looks like in a real budget.

[@soarinivie]

@@BrittanyFlammer thanks so much for responding! Ah good to know. I will have to check this app and see if it’s a good fit. Right now I am trying simplifi. I did try YNAB and wasn’t a fan. I feel that information I am looking for is better on excel spreadsheets but very interesting to see what’s in the marketplace ever since Mint came out.

[@lauraliranzo]

Wow thank you!

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I hope it’s helpful!! Let me k ow if you try out one of the apps!!

[@winwin9777]

Hi Britanny, i tried to download the mint but as soon as I open the app through app store its not showing anything. I hope you can help me with this. Thanks

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Hmmm. I'm not sure. You've downloaded the app and when you open it nothing happens??? Have you created a mint account already? Maybe creating an account on a computer then it will let you log in on the app? Or, possibly just restarting your phone will help? Worst case scenario, you can contact mint and ask them. Here's a link to their help page on how to contact them: help.mint.com/General/888962161/How-do-I-contact-customer-care.htm There's no phone number, but a chat option at the bottom of the pate.

[@thechristinesmith]

How do you feel about sofi relay?

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Great question. It looks like a great app for an all in 1 finance stop, but I didn’t test it out. When I looked into it at the time of this video it was sofi money and that no longer exists. I believe the sofi relay is new. I was under the impression it was more of a banking/investing app. Looking at it now it seems like they do have a budgeting option in their app. I haven’t tried it, but would like to test it out. I’ll try it out in the near future. If you go for it, let me know your thoughts! Sorry I don’t have more of an answer for you!!

[@Beu8791]

is this only available only in the USA, as I am in AUS where Koalas are in charge 😮😮 Any advise would be genuinely appreciated. Hope to hear from you soon/ Big hugs 😀😀🦘🦘👍👍

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Sorry for the delay. I've been doing some research. These apps are all for us in the US except YNAB. I believe YNAB is available in AUS. I've contacted them and am waiting to hear back for sure, Since I don't live in Australia I don't have any personal experience...but here is an article with the best apps available to you: www.canstar.com.au/budgeting/budgeting-apps/ I'll let you know when I hear back from YNAB.

[@Beu8791]

@@BrittanyFlammer Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I can only imagine how many people ask you questions, so I am genuinely grateful for your response 🤗 There are so many different apps/platforms and advice given online it is hard to know where to start. As I said, any advice is greatly appreciated and thank you for taking the time to respond. Kind regards and take care , Rhys 🙂

[@BrittanyFlammer]

@@Beu8791 You're welcome! I just heard bak from YNAB. Their app works in Australia, but it won't automatically link to your bank accounts. You can manually enter transactions...or you can export the files from your bank and manually import them into ynab, but nothing automatic. Bummer!! Let me know if you try out any of the other apps or find anything that you like. If you don't find an app you like, I actually prefer to use spreadsheets.....just another thought!

[@Beu8791]

@@BrittanyFlammer Thanks for letting me know that is very handy to know. It seems strange that they would not put in an automatic function? I may give it a go just to see what it is like. If I do I will let you know how it went. Otherwise, spreadsheets seem like the best option. Thanks again and talk soon 🇦🇺😊👍

[@Oscar.Carmona]

@brittany so in which app one did you and your family park at?

[@BrittanyFlammer]

You're the first person to actually ask me that! After trying so many apps, I continue to use a spreadsheet. It's my favorite and I keep coming back to that. That being said...I deleted all of the budgeting apps except mint and personal capital. They're my favorite. If I didn't use a spreadsheet I would use one of them.

[@Oscar.Carmona]

@Brittany Flammer thank you so much for your transparency and getting back at me. Makes me feel better for using a spreadsheet for so many years. Going to try simplifi or qube but keeping my speed just in case.

[@Daysoff428]

Amazing!!

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I hope you found one that will work for you!

[@waskithowee8885]

most of the app isn't available in my crountry :(

[@BrittanyFlammer]

I'm sorry. What country do you live in?

[@littelstar5505]

I like money manager app buy it is only in android

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Thanks for sharing!! I hate it when apps don't work for both apple or android.

[@jasminecarter3322]

Has anyone had their bank/account info messed with on any of the apps? That’s what I’m worried about using any apps that link that info. 🙏🏼

[@BrittanyFlammer]

That's a great point. I'm not aware of any security breaches with any of these apps, but anytime you enter your account info there's a risk. However, these apps are as secure as your banking apps. Most of your info is saved on a separate server for extra protection. Also enabling the 2 factor authentication is an additional level of security you can add.

[@eritch333]

In addition, a majority of these apps use a third party software that handles the “handshake” between your bank accounts and the app itself. Removes any of these direct apps from having your banking account credentials and ensure it’s only a “one-way” data flow. A majority of these app providers use Plaid, which is super secure and used all over the financial industry.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Yes, thanks for sharing!!

[@zbayarea]

wow I just got an email from cube money lolol

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Haha!! That’s funny!

[@jollyranch1026]

😊🎉

[@Daleanaaa]

Mint doesn’t let you use chase!

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Oh, that’s a bummer. I just checked and personal capital does.

[@SONGZPRINCESS]

I am new to Mint. I created my account yesterday while on my laptop and Chase was an available bank. You should try it again.

[@BrittanyFlammer]

Thanks for sharing!!