The 8 Best Budgeting Software of 2022

By | April 4, 2022

It seems a lot of people are searching for the best budgeting software, because according to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Americans who have a budget feel more confident, safe, and in control of their finances. Unfortunately, the same study found that the majority of Americans do not have a budget, and many of those who claim to do so only track receipts and do not have a system in place to restrict spending.

The Best Budgeting software, fortunately, makes creating and sticking to a budget much easier, and there are numerous options to pick from. Most of them let you link your bank account, and some even have extra services like credit score monitoring and investment tracking. We looked over 20 different options and chose the best eight based on simplicity of use, modifications, and features to help you select the right one.

The 8 Best Budgeting Software of 2022

BEST OVERALL: You Need a Budget

We chose You Need a Budget (YNAB) as the overall best software for budgeting because it provides the best balance of flexibility and functionality, making it well worth the monthly fee. It walks you through creating an intentional, forward-thinking spending strategy. It also has goal tracking and reporting options that allow you to keep track of your progress.

YNAB is more pricey than its free competitors, and creating a budget takes longer. Despite these flaws, it’s the finest budgeting software for gaining financial control since it provides you with the tools you need to develop a value-driven spending plan.

The best budgeting software is based on four rules, one of which is to give every dollar a job. The program will walk you through the steps of allocating each dollar so that you may spend wisely. Its customized reporting and goal-tracking capabilities, which include visually appealing and useful charts and graphs, assist you in sticking to your strategy. YNAB also offers complete instruction, including over 100 free online classes, as well as real-time updates so you always know where your money is going and can make changes on the fly.

BEST FOR COUPLES: Honeydue

Honeydue was chosen as the best budgeting software for couples since it is designed exclusively to assist couples in managing their finances. You may link your accounts and choose what information you share with your spouse, as well as communicate directly about money matters using the app. Notifications can also notify you to future bills or when you or your partner spends more than you budgeted for in certain categories.

Honeydue was created to assist couples in managing their finances together, with a focus on shared communication. Honeydue allows you to respond to your partner’s transactions with a note, a thumbs-up, or other emojis, making it easier to share financial information. You can also view all of your collective and individual account information by aggregating your linked account information.

Honeydue makes it simple to keep track of your spending by categorizing transactions automatically and allows you to add your own custom categories. While there are fewer reporting possibilities than with some other apps, configurable notifications ensure that nothing gets missed.

 

BEST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS: PocketGuard

PocketGuard’s basic user interface and straightforward pie charts make budgeting and tracking spending easier for college students who are new to money management. By keeping track of money available to spend at all times, PocketGuard’s In My Pocket feature decreases the risk of overdraft accounts. This makes it the best budgeting software for students.

While the free version lacks some of the capabilities found in the commercial edition, most college students will find the program to be enough and will be able to avoid paying a monthly subscription cost. Additionally, the program’s algorithms for identifying and canceling unnecessary subscriptions can assist college students in identifying ways to keep more money in their pockets.

BEST FOR FAMILIES: EveryDollar

EveryDollar is a great option for families that want to budget together but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a monthly charge. It allows you to budget by allocating each dollar spent and includes a customisable template to make the process easier.

Those who want more features, such as the option to link bank accounts, must upgrade to the paid version. Ramsey+ is more expensive than other systems, but it includes more features, such as Dave Ramsey’s acclaimed Financial Peace course and Baby Steps tracking to help you move through Ramsey’s seven baby steps towards building wealth.

BEST FOR INVESTORS: Personal Capital

Personal Capital is a financial dashboard that combines budgeting software with other financial tools. It is the best budgeting software for business. All of your expenditure can be tracked, your investment success can be tracked in real time, you can set retirement objectives, and you can track your net worth all in one spot. You can also use additional tools like an investing checkup, which compares the asset allocation of your portfolio to the target allocation for your age and circumstances.

The investment checkup option, on the other hand, is only available on the desktop version. The iOS and Android apps, on the other hand, still include a lot of functionality, such as interactive tools for tracking your assets and cash flow. Financial advisors are willing to discuss with you about your plans, but if you use this option, you may expect to be upsold on Personal Capital’s asset management services.

BEST FOR SAVING: Albert

Albert builds a budget for you automatically, allowing you to see where your money is going at all times. You may check your income, bills, and any money left over right away. You’ll also have a variety of reporting choices, such as reviewing budgets from previous months or visualizing your transactions as a pie chart.

Albert not only makes budgeting simple, but it also makes saving simple by detecting when there is extra cash and transferring it to a digital wallet. You’ll get an annual incentive for your efforts, and you’ll be able to simply track your savings objectives. You’ll have to pay a minimum of $4 each month for the Albert Genius add-on, which raises your savings incentive and gives you access to financial advice via text texts. It is one of the best budgeting software for savings accounts.

BEST FOR BEGINNERS: Mint

Mint simplifies the process of creating your first budget by providing a vast range of categories and comparing your expenditure to the national average. You can also connect your bank accounts. Furthermore, transactions are automatically classified so you can keep track of your expenditure. Therefore, this makes it the best budgeting software for beginners.

Mint is a free program that, in addition to budgeting features, allows you to measure your net worth and track your progress toward your goals. However, the goals you may choose from are relatively limited. You can choose from a number of preset alternatives, and while you can make a specific savings goal, there doesn’t appear to be a method to include mortgage payoff as one of your objectives.

BEST FREE OPTION: Goodbudget

Envelope budgeting entails separating your available funds into various envelopes for various spending categories. Goodbudget enables you to use a digital version of envelope budgeting, with the amount of money left in each envelope displayed on your home screen.

Goodbudget includes a free and premium version, although the free version provides a lot of useful features, such as the ability to create up to ten envelopes and transfer money between them quickly. While manually uploading and documenting bank account transactions can be time consuming, some customers want to keep their bank accounts private. It is one of the best budgeting software.

What Is Budgeting Software?

The Best Budgeting softwares assist you in planning and allocating your own budget. Unlike accounting software, which is primarily concerned with recording what you’ve spent or owe, budgeting software is proactive in nature and allows you to allocate your funds before you spend them.

It might be difficult to know where to begin when creating a household budget. Budgeting software promises to make the process easier so you can put your money to work for you rather than just spending it as it comes in. Knowing the best budgeting software will help you in shaping your finances.

How Much Does Budgeting Software Cost?

Some budgeting software is fully free, while others require a monthly or annual subscription. For example, You Need a Budget costs around $99 per year, whereas EveryDollar’s subscription edition costs $130 per year. Most of the top solutions will set you back between $5 and $15 each month.

Paying for the best budgeting software sometimes comes with more functionality and customer support than free alternatives. Furthermore, free software is frequently sponsored by advertising, so you can expect to receive money offers while using it. So, it is very necessary to knowing the best budgeting software.