Free budgeting apps: what’s actually free going into 2027
Of the 19 budgeting apps we track, 9 have a free plan you can keep using. The rest, including YNAB, Monarch and Copilot, are free trials that turn into a subscription. The usual trade-off: free plans either make you type in transactions yourself, or they sync your bank but leave out real budgets.
How we checked: each app’s own pricing page or help center, on Oct 29, 2026. We haven’t done hands-on testing, there are no paid placements, and no app paid to be here. One link on this page (Monarch) is a labeled referral link; it doesn’t change which apps we list or what we say.
Free plans you can keep
| App | What’s free | The catch | Bank sync free? | If you upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EveryDollar | A monthly zero-based budget with unlimited categories, sinking funds, split transactions and bill due dates, on web and phone. No time limit. | You enter every transaction by hand. Bank connect, reports, CSV export and the payday plan are Premium. | No (Premium) | Premium: $79.99/yr or $17.99/mo after a 14-day trial |
| Goodbudget | Envelope budgeting: 10 regular and 10 annual/goal envelopes, 1 account, shared across 2 devices, 1 year of history, debt tracking. | Manual entry only; 10 envelopes fills up fast for a family. | No (Premium, US banks) | Premium: $10/mo or $80/yr (unlimited envelopes, 5 devices) |
| Rocket Money | Links your bank and card accounts, lists subscriptions, breaks down spending by category, shows your credit score. Mobile app. | Its current plan table puts category budgets, the upcoming-bills timeline, partner sharing and web access on Premium. | Yes | Premium: you pick the price, typically $7–$14/mo; Premium+ $15/mo |
| Empower | Links all accounts (bank, cards, 401(k), IRA, loans) for net worth, investment checkups, a retirement planner and spending by category. Empower’s terms say the dashboard is free. | Budgeting is one monthly spending target; Empower’s help center says you can’t set specific budget goals. Empower may offer you its paid advisory services. | Yes | No paid budgeting tier |
| Honeydue | A shared money app for two partners: linked accounts, bills, spending limits by category and chat. You choose what each account shows your partner. | Phone only (no web app), lighter budgeting, and it shows ads. Optional tips of $0.99–$9.99/mo. | Yes | No paid tier (optional tips) |
| Actual Budget | Open-source envelope budgeting with reports, transfers, split transactions and file import (QIF, OFX, QFX, CSV). Local-first, optional end-to-end encryption. | To sync between devices you run its sync server yourself or pay a host such as PikaPods. Bank sync goes through third-party services (SimpleFIN in the US and Canada). | Via third party | No paid tier (hosting is up to you) |
| Spendee | Spendee Basic: 1 cash wallet and 1 budget, with automatic categorization and backup. | One wallet and one budget only. Bank sync is Premium. | No (Premium) | Plus $1.99/mo or $14.99/yr; Premium $5.99/mo or $35.99/yr |
| Toshl Finance | 2 accounts and 2 budgets, web and phone apps, file import (CSV, OFX, QIF and more) and CSV export. | Two budgets is tight. Repeating entries and reminders are Pro; bank sync is Medici. Prices only show after you sign in. | No (Medici) | Pro and Medici (price not shown publicly) |
Buxfer also has a free tier; its pricing page doesn’t list the free tier’s limits, so it isn’t in the table. Its paid plans start at $7.99 a month billed yearly.
Which free app fits what you need
- A free zero-based budget: EveryDollar. Unlimited categories and no time limit; you type in transactions yourself.
- Envelope budgeting with a partner: Goodbudget. Free plan shares one budget across 2 devices.
- Couples who keep some accounts separate: Honeydue. Built for two; you choose what your partner sees, account by account.
- Seeing every account and your net worth: Empower. Free bank and investment syncing, retirement planner; budgeting is basic.
- Finding and cutting subscriptions: Rocket Money. Free version lists your subscriptions; budgets and cancellation help are Premium.
- Owning your data, no subscription: Actual Budget. Open source and local-first; takes some technical comfort.
- Several currencies: Toshl Finance. 2 accounts and 2 budgets free, on web and phone.
Free apps that sync your bank vs free apps that budget
This is the split that matters most. Empower, Rocket Money and Honeydue will link your accounts for free, but they’re trackers: Empower’s budget is a single monthly spending target, Rocket Money’s plan table puts category budgets on Premium, and Honeydue’s budgeting is a set of monthly category limits. EveryDollar and Goodbudget give you a real plan for every dollar or every envelope for free, but you enter each purchase yourself until you pay for bank sync.
Manual entry isn’t all bad. Typing in each purchase makes you notice it, which is the point of envelope and zero-based budgeting. If you’d rather never type a transaction, plan on paying for an app.
Free trials (not free plans)
These apps are paid after the trial. Trial lengths are from each official site on Oct 29, 2026; app-store sign-ups can have different rules.
| App | Trial | Price after |
|---|---|---|
| YNAB | 34 days, no credit card when you sign up on ynab.com. College students can get a free year. | $14.99/mo or $109/yr |
| Lunch Money | 30 days, no credit card. | $10/mo or $100/yr |
| Tiller | 30 days, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee after that. | $99/yr |
| Copilot Money | 1 month (you pick a plan to start it; it renews automatically). | $109/yr or $18/mo |
| EveryDollar | 14 days of Premium for new users (the free version stays free). | $79.99/yr or $17.99/mo |
| Monarch Money | 7 days. | $99.99/yr or $14.99/mo |
| PocketGuard | 7 days. | $74.99/yr |
| Rocket Money | 7 days of Premium for new members (the free version stays free). | About $7–$14/mo, you choose |
| Spendee | 7 days on paid plans. | $14.99–$35.99/yr |
| Quicken Simplifi | No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases. | $6.99/mo billed yearly (first-year discounts are common) |
| Buxfer | No free trial on paid plans (there is a free tier); 14-day money-back guarantee. | From $7.99/mo billed yearly |
Starting a budget in January? A 30- or 34-day trial (YNAB, Lunch Money, Tiller) covers one full monthly cycle: set up the budget, live with it through a month of real spending, and decide before the first charge. Set a reminder a few days before the trial ends. New to budgeting? See how to start a budget in January, step by step.
If free isn’t enough
The paid apps most families compare are Monarch ($99.99 a year, household members free), YNAB ($109 a year, up to six people) and Simplifi (the cheapest, at $6.99 a month billed yearly). See Monarch vs YNAB, Simplifi vs Monarch and YNAB vs EveryDollar.
Questions
What is the best free budgeting app?
It depends on how you budget. For a free zero-based budget with no time limit, EveryDollar’s free version is the most complete, but you enter transactions by hand. For envelope budgeting with a partner, Goodbudget’s free plan shares one budget across two devices. If you want your bank accounts synced for free, look at Empower (best for net worth), Rocket Money (best for subscriptions) or Honeydue (built for couples); none of them is a full budgeting app on its free tier.
Is there a free budgeting app that connects to your bank?
Yes, but the free ones that sync are trackers more than budgets. Empower’s Personal Dashboard is free and syncs bank and investment accounts. Rocket Money’s free version links accounts and lists subscriptions, but its plan table puts category budgets on Premium. Honeydue is free (with ads) and syncs accounts for couples. EveryDollar, Goodbudget, Spendee and Toshl all keep bank sync on their paid plans.
Is YNAB free?
No. YNAB has a 34-day free trial with no credit card when you sign up on its site, then costs $14.99 a month or $109 a year. College students can get a free year through YNAB’s college program. One subscription covers up to six people.
Is Monarch Money free?
No. Monarch has a 7-day free trial, then costs $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month. Everyone in your household can join under one subscription.
Is EveryDollar really free?
Yes. Ramsey Solutions says the free version can be used as long as you want. It covers a monthly zero-based budget with unlimited categories and manual transactions. Premium ($79.99 a year or $17.99 a month after a 14-day trial) adds bank connect, reports and coaching.
What happened to Mint, the free budgeting app?
Intuit shut Mint down in 2024 and pointed users to Credit Karma. See our Mint alternatives page for the closest replacements, free and paid.
More: Budgeting apps for families · Budgeting apps for couples · Mint alternatives · Childcare cost calculator · Compare all apps