The Best Budget Apps of 2024

No one likes the word “budgeting.” It sounds restrictive and stuffy.

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But actually, a budget is empowering. It sets boundaries so you don’t get into financial trouble, but within those boundaries, you have freedom to create categories and decide how you want to spend your money. 

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However, if you’re struggling to stick to a budget or get your finances under control, then an easy way to make a spending plan and track your money may be using an app.

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Today, I’m going to give you the best budget apps of 2024 to help you stick to your spending plan with ease.

Best Budget Apps of 2024

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1. YNAB (You Need a Budget)

We often talk about how you need a plan for your money – otherwise, it usually ends up in someone else’s pocket. That’s exactly what YNAB helps you do.

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Instead of just recording past transactions, YNAB prompts you to think through your spending in advance, helping you create an intentional spending plan.

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As soon as your paycheck hits your account, you tell YNAB how much of your income should go to different categories, including saving, spending, and debt.

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The goal isn’t just for you to be retrospective but to be proactive in more mindful spending.

2. Goodbudget

Goodbudget’s primary concern is creating a plan for your money as opposed to simply recording past transactions. It’s based on the envelope budgeting system, which is when you take a few envelopes, write a specific expense category on each one — like groceries, rent or student loans — and then put the money you plan to spend on those things into the envelopes.

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Traditionally, you would do this with cash and literal envelopes, but Goodbudget has digitized this system.

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However, this app doesn’t connect your bank accounts. You manually add account balances (that you can pull from your bank’s website), as well as cash amounts, debts and income. Then you assign money to envelopes. 

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So, if you’re not up for manually entering your money, then this might not be the best solution for you. 

3. Honeydue

Honeydue is a great option if you’re budgeting with a partner. It’s meant for people who share finances to manage their money together, track spending, and coordinate bills.

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This app syncs to you and your partner’s bank accounts and allows you to set up monthly spending limits in each category. You’re alerted when they or their partner is reaching the limits of your agreed-upon budget.

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It also offers bill payment reminders and you can chat with your partner through the app.

4. Empower Personal Dashboard

The main purpose of Empower is to invest, but it provides a solid snapshot of your overall financial situation.

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You can connect and monitor checking, savings and credit card accounts, as well as IRAs, 401(k)s, mortgages, and loans. 

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The app provides detailed analytics of cash flow, budgeting, net worth, and transactions and enables you to better keep track of your progress toward short-term and long-term financial goals.

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It doesn’t have all the budgeting-specific features as some of the other apps on this list, but it can still be a useful tool for more mindful spending and greater financial awareness.

5. PocketGuard

PocketGuard doesn’t have the most comprehensive or flashiest features, but that does make it a good app for anyone who just wants to keep it simple.

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You can connect your bank accounts, credit cards, loan payments, and bills. This allows you to see real-time spending availability for specified categories, build custom budgets, and set goals for savings. It also makes it easy to track your net wealth.

Final Thoughts

A budget is a foundational piece of financial wellness, and I hope one of these apps can be a useful tool in spending more strategically.

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Like I said, if you want to make managing your money even easier, be sure to check out our free masterclass! We’ll give you our tried-and-true system to pay off debt, grow your money, and make better financial decisions.