Managing your money doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right free budgeting app, you can track spending, set goals, and stay on top of your finances without paying a monthly fee. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or just trying to get better with money, these apps offer powerful tools to help you stay in control.
This guide highlights the best free apps for budgeting and expense tracking, based on ease of use, features, and reliability. Each app is free to use and available on both iOS and Android.
1. Mint
Mint is one of the most popular free budgeting apps, and for good reason. It automatically syncs with your bank accounts, credit cards, and bills to give you a real-time view of your finances. You can set budgets for different categories, track spending trends, and get alerts for unusual activity.
Mint also offers free credit score monitoring and personalized tips to improve your financial health. The interface is clean and user-friendly, making it ideal for beginners.
Best For: All-around budgeting and financial tracking
2. PocketGuard
PocketGuard helps you avoid overspending by showing how much money you have available after bills, goals, and necessities. It links to your accounts and categorizes transactions automatically.
The “In My Pocket” feature gives you a quick snapshot of what’s safe to spend. You can also set savings goals and track progress over time.
Best For: Preventing overspending and managing cash flow
3. Goodbudget
Goodbudget uses the envelope budgeting method, where you allocate money into virtual envelopes for different categories. It doesn’t sync with your bank accounts, so you enter transactions manually—making it great for people who prefer hands-on budgeting.
You can share budgets across devices, which is helpful for couples or families managing joint finances.
Best For: Manual budgeting and shared household finances
4. EveryDollar
Created by Ramsey Solutions, EveryDollar is designed around zero-based budgeting—where every dollar has a job. The free version allows manual entry of income and expenses, helping you plan each month in detail.
It’s simple and focused, with a clean interface that makes budgeting less intimidating.
Best For: Zero-based budgeting and goal setting
5. Fudget
Fudget is a minimalist app for tracking income and expenses. It doesn’t connect to bank accounts or offer advanced features, but its simplicity makes it easy to use.
You can create custom lists for bills, spending, and savings goals. It’s ideal for people who want a quick way to track money without distractions.
Best For: Simple expense tracking and quick budgeting
6. Zeta
Zeta is designed for couples and families. It allows you to manage joint and individual finances in one place. You can track shared expenses, set goals together, and communicate about money through the app.
Zeta supports account syncing and manual entry, giving you flexibility in how you manage your budget.
Best For: Couples and family budgeting
7. Spendee
Spendee offers colorful visuals and customizable categories to make budgeting more engaging. You can connect bank accounts or enter transactions manually. The app also supports shared wallets for group budgeting.
While some features require a paid upgrade, the free version includes basic budgeting tools and expense tracking.
Best For: Visual budgeting and shared expenses
Conclusion
Free budgeting apps make it easier to manage your money without adding another expense. Whether you prefer automatic syncing or manual entry, there’s an app that fits your style.
