Smart Saving Starts Here: The 9 Best Budgeting Apps

Budgeting is essential to save money, pay monthly bills, and spend money wisely. Whether you're creating your first spending plan or looking to refine your budgeting method, there are numerous reasons to improve your money habits. For example, your goal might be to save for a house, top up your emergency funds, pay for a holiday, or clear debt and boost your credit score. 

Using mobile apps to help with financial planning is a great way to hold yourself accountable and reach financial goals. Available across iOS and Android devices through the App Store and Google Play, these budgeting tools offer customizable features to track your monthly spending. For instance, if you're at the grocery store or shopping for gifts, you can check your budget when you need it most. Many also offer a free version to help you get started on your budgeting journey.

We at Headway believe learning about personal finances and managing funds is vital. Alongside a money-tracking app, you can learn about saving hacks from practical book summaries on the Headway app. For now, it's time to dive into the best budgeting apps and maximize your income. 

Key points:

• Budgeting tools can help you visualize your spending categories better and stick to a spending plan. Using a money-tracking app will help you spend more wisely, as you can check your funds on the go. 

• The best free budget app is Credit Karma, which offers money-saving advice and categorizes expenses. 

• Zeta is the best money management app for multiple-income households because it's easy to use and has minimal fees.

• Download GoodBudget if you're looking for a budget tracker app that doesn't sync with your bank accounts.

• Headway summarizes top nonfiction books to make them quicker and easier to understand. Learn more about how to budget your income effectively with summaries of Money Honey by Rachel Richards and Manage Your Money Like a F*cking Grownup by Sam Beckbessinger.

The best budgeting apps to maximize your funds

1. Headway — The best app for budgeting advice

Money management apps can organize your finances with a few taps on your phone. However, using these apps regularly is essential to sustain good financial habits. Additionally, learning to budget effectively can help you save more money in the long term. So, even if you forget to use a budgeting app, you can practice money-saving hacks.

To improve your skills, we at Headway help you access learning material in an easy-to-understand way. The Headway app lets you learn from your phone in as little as 15 minutes by condensing the top nonfiction books into detailed summaries.

If you're interested in managing your finances, you might enjoy the summary of Manage Your Money Like a F*cking Grownup by Sam Beckbessinger. It teaches you how money works, how to increase your income, and how to clear debt. Moreover, Money Honey by Rachel Richards is another excellent recommendation to help you categorize your finances and save effectively.

It's easier to learn new concepts on the Headway app thanks to the following features:

• Visual learning aids to reinforce key concepts

• Digital flashcards to review what you've learned

• Audio companion to enhance reading comprehension

• Personalized goals to build daily reading habits

Each summary offers valuable insights and practical advice, so you learn as you learn. Moreover, the Headway app makes it easier to follow along in a style that suits you with audio and text outlines. No matter your financial goals, there is a book summary to support your growth on the Headway app. Download it today and start implementing better financial habits into your life.

2. Credit Karma — The best free credit score app

Intuit Credit Karma is a leading free app designed to make managing your credit score simple and intuitive. With this great app, you can effortlessly track your credit score, monitor changes, and receive notifications and personalized insights on improving it. By linking your credit accounts, you'll get a clear picture of your credit health all in one window. Credit Karma also provides tailored recommendations to help you keep your credit score moving in the right direction. Its user-friendly interface, combined with powerful tools, widgets, and insights, ensures that you're always informed and in control of your financial future.

3. PocketGuard — The best bill tracker app

PocketGuard is a personal finance app that prevents overspending and manages cash flow. It tracks your outgoings, creates a budget, and sets financial goals. 'In My Pocket' (IMP) is one of the most notable features. IMP refers to leftover funds, which the app calculates by looking at estimated income, bills, credit card expenses, budgets, and goals. The app has a gentle learning curve, making it particularly appealing for college students looking to manage their financial accounts. It also creates a pie chart report to give you a clear picture of your spending and where any excess cash can be.

PocketGuard is an excellent option if you're trying to lower your outgoings, monitor unused subscriptions, and set realistic goals. The app uses secure encryption and biometrics to ensure your data is safe and protected. Upgrading to PocketGuard Plus allows you to access additional features, such as exporting transactions to Microsoft Excel and unlimited goals and categories. 

4. Fudget — The best minimalist spending tracker app

Fudget is a money management app that offers a straightforward way to budget your income. Unlike other budgeting apps, Fudget doesn't restrict you to a monthly cycle and allows you to track expenses weekly, monthly, or as you choose. Using an app to track spending makes it easy to see recurring costs and automate your earnings. For those who may feel overwhelmed by other budget tracker apps, Fudget strips everything back to the basics. It has a truly minimalist interface that's easy to use. 

Paid users can export transactions into a CSV file. They can also integrate Dropbox to view budgets across multiple platforms or share with a trusted partner. While some may want more customization, Fudget's simplicity is ideal for those who wish to uncomplicate their finances.

5. Zeta Joint Account — The best money management app for multiple-income households

Zeta Joint Account offers couples and families an easier way to manage money together. Unlike many other budgeting apps, Zeta functions as a joint spending and savings account, providing users with two debit cards to manage their cash. It allows multiple people to track their expenses, set budgets, and save money together. Users can organize their income into 'envelopes' based on specific categories such as emergency funds or rent payments.

A key benefit of using the Zeta Joint Account is that it provides real-time insights into spending habits. This transparency can help partners identify areas where they can cut back and save money.

In addition, Zeta users can automate upcoming bills and pay them directly through the app. One of the standout features is its in-app support, which uses a messaging-style format to communicate quickly. The app is free to open and use, and while there are some fees for certain transactions, Zeta is transparent about these costs and provides a complete list of fees on its website. 

6. Empower — The best app to track spending and investments

Empower is a user-friendly financial app formerly known as Personal Capital. The app offers an Empower Personal Dashboard™, which gives users a personalized view of their finances on mobile and desktop. With Empower, users can manage all their accounts in one place, including features like retirement plans, investment accounts, health savings accounts, and more. You can monitor your finances anytime, anywhere!

Empower secures the app with biometric identification and multi-factor authentication, providing peace of mind to its users. The app also supplies resources to help build confidence in money management. Therefore, Empower makes it simple for anyone to improve their financial health. 

7. You Need A Budget (YNAB) — The best personal finance app for advanced budgeting 

YNAB is a money management app perfect for serious budgeters seeking control over their finances. With comprehensive budgeting features, such as real-time expense tracking, loan calculators, and goal-setting features, YNAB has everything you need to manage your money effectively. Users can create categories for their goals and purchases, allowing them to visualize their progress and stay motivated. The app also offers reports on spending habits and net worth over time. 

One of YNAB's unique features is its zero-based budgeting system. This method requires users to allocate every dollar, ensuring no dollar goes unaccounted for. With YNAB, users assign every dollar a 'job,' whether it's toward bills, savings, investments, or any other category. This system helps users stay on top of their finances and maximize their income.

8. Honeydue — The best app for budgeting as a couple

Honeydue is the perfect budgeting app for couples who want to get their finances in order! This free app lets you track bills, bank balances, and spending in one place. It also encourages meaningful dialogue about your financial goals and habits. So, if you need to talk about money with your partner, Honeydue has your back! 

Moreover, you can set spending limits on each category. You can even set notifications when you and your partner are nearing the limit! With Honeydue's bill reminders, you'll never miss a payment again. 

Honeydue gives you the confidence to take the next step with your partner by sharing financial responsibility. However, it also allows users to choose how much to share, giving them greater control over personal finances. 

Honeydue is an easy-to-use and engaging budgeting app that helps couples achieve their financial goals together. It's worth noting that some users said you couldn't adjust the period to match your payment date. However, Honeydue remains the top free budget app for couples, so don't let that stop you from trying it!

9. Goodbudget — The best budgeting app using the envelope system

Goodbudget is the perfect choice for people who want to apply the envelope budgeting method to their financial planning! You may be asking, 'What is envelope budgeting?' Well, it's a traditional approach where you physically fill an envelope with cash and label it with the relevant expense. Many people prefer this method as it physically represents how much money they have. Marking each envelope shows you exactly how much money you're allocating and how much you're saving each month.

However, as more people become cashless, Goodbudget has modernized this approach with digital envelopes! Users customize their categories and spend according to what is in each envelope rather than their bank balance. The app provides easy-to-read graphs to help you understand your spending habits and adjust your allocation accordingly. If you opt for the Premium version, you can have unlimited envelopes and accounts!

Even better, Goodbudget offers community support for free users. The paid version includes email support if you have any issues that the community cannot address. So, whether you're new to budgeting or looking for a better way to manage your money, Goodbudget provides a more hands-on approach.

Learn how to budget effectively with money management apps

Budgeting apps can have a profound effect on your income. You'll go from not knowing where your money goes to getting a clear picture of your spending. Having clarity over this can help you make better choices for your earnings. The best money management app will be easy to use, categorize your expenses, and advise how to make your money go further.

If you want to learn how to budget effectively, the Headway app can help. We aim to make learning fun and accessible from anywhere. Since you can listen to book summaries on your commute or while waiting in line, Headway helps you learn about budgeting even if you're short on time. 

Master Your Budgeting Skills with Headway

Boost your budgeting skills today! Download the Headway app and unlock access to hundreds of nonfiction book summaries designed to help you grow and achieve your financial goals. Take the next step toward smarter budgeting and personal growth — start now!