Best free budgeting apps
Several budgeting apps have a plan you can use indefinitely without paying. The catch is usually a limit: manual entry, fewer accounts, or budgeting tools held back for the paid tier. We read each app’s own pages on Nov 10, 2026.
Disclosure: links on this page currently go straight to each provider’s own site, and we don’t earn a commission from them. If we join a provider’s affiliate program later, that will never change which products we include or how we order them. How we make money.
How this page was made: it’s built from each provider’s own terms, rate and fee pages and from regulator sources, all listed at the bottom. We haven’t opened these accounts or products to test them, and we don’t give scores. Every rate shows the day we checked it. Our methodology.
Quick answer
Short answer: for a free planned budget, EveryDollar’s free version (unlimited categories, manual entry) and Goodbudget’s free envelopes (20 envelopes, one account, two devices) are the strongest options we found on Nov 10, 2026. For free automatic tracking across linked accounts, Rocket Money’s free plan and the free Empower Personal Dashboard both connect your accounts.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 10, 2026
Key facts at a glance
| Pick | Product | Best for | Key terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free zero-based budget | EveryDollar | A free plan-ahead budget | Free |
| Free envelope budget | Goodbudget | Envelope budgeting for a household | Free |
| Free subscription tracking | Rocket Money | Seeing every subscription and bill | Free |
We only list apps whose own pages say the plan is free to use, not just a free trial. Everything below comes from the apps’ pages read on Nov 10, 2026. We have no affiliate relationship with these apps and don’t score them.
Our picks
How do they compare?
| App | Free plan includes | Main limit | Paid upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| EveryDollar | Monthly budget, unlimited categories, manual transactions, sinking funds, split transactions, bill due dates, live support | No bank connection | Premium $79.99/year (Premium) as of Nov 10, 2026 or $17.99/month (Premium, billed monthly) as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Goodbudget | 20 envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices, 1 year of history, debt tracking, community support | One account, two devices | Plus $8/month or $70/year (Plus) as of Nov 10, 2026; Premium $10/month or $80/year (Premium) as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Rocket Money | Account linking, balance alerts, subscription tracking, spend tracking, bill reminders | Custom budget categories need Premium | Premium Choose-your-price sliding scale (Premium, monthly) as of Nov 10, 2026; Premium+ $15/month plus tax (Premium+) as of Nov 10, 2026 |
| Empower Personal Dashboard | Linked accounts, budgeting, cash flow, net worth, portfolio and retirement planning tools | Budgeting features are less detailed on its pages than in dedicated apps | Dashboard is free |
The picks in detail
1. EveryDollar
Best for: A free plan-ahead budgetEveryDollar describes itself as Ramsey Solutions’ zero-based budgeting app and says its free version can be used “as long as you want.” Free includes a monthly budget with unlimited categories and lines, manual transaction entry, sinking funds, split transactions, bill due dates and access from computer, phone or tablet. Connecting your bank to stream transactions automatically requires Premium ($79.99/year (Premium) as of Nov 10, 2026 or $17.99/month (Premium, billed monthly) as of Nov 10, 2026).
Key terms: Free EveryDollar terms
Pros
- Unlimited categories on free
- Live human support
Cons
- Every transaction entered by hand on free
2. Goodbudget
Best for: Envelope budgeting for a householdGoodbudget’s “Free Forever” plan includes 10 regular envelopes and 10 more, 1 account, 2 devices, 1 year of history, debt tracking and community support. Paid plans start at $8/month or $70/year (Plus) as of Nov 10, 2026 and list bank sync (US only), unlimited envelopes and accounts, and more devices.
Key terms: Free Goodbudget terms
Pros
- Envelope method built in
- Free plan works on two devices
Cons
- One account on free
- One year of history
3. Rocket Money
Best for: Seeing every subscription and billRocket Money says it is free to download and use; the free plan includes account linking, balance alerts, subscription tracking, spend tracking and bill reminders. Custom budget categories, goals, credit score tracking and real-time syncing need Premium, which is a Choose-your-price sliding scale (Premium, monthly) as of Nov 10, 2026 after a 7-day free trial.
Key terms: Free Rocket Money terms
Pros
- Links accounts on free
- Finds recurring charges automatically
Cons
- Real budgeting tools are mostly in Premium
4. Empower Personal Dashboard
Best for: Free net worth and investment trackingEmpower says its Personal Dashboard lets you securely connect your accounts and use budgeting, planning and retirement tools “for free,” including budgeting and cash flow, net worth, portfolio analysis and a retirement planner. Its pages put investing and retirement tools alongside budgeting.
Key terms: Free Empower terms
Pros
- Investment and retirement tools
- Free account linking
Cons
- Fewer budgeting-specific features listed than dedicated budgeting apps
Also considered
YNAB has no free plan, but offers a 34-day free trial and a free 365-day trial for college students; after that it’s $109/year (plus tax where applicable) as of Nov 10, 2026. PocketGuard’s pricing page showed paid plans with a 7-day trial and no free plan. See all budgeting apps.
What “free” usually costs you
Free plans either make you enter transactions yourself (EveryDollar, Goodbudget) or link your accounts but hold back budgeting tools for the paid tier (Rocket Money). Monarch argues on its pricing page that free services have an incentive to sell data or show ads; read each app’s privacy policy to see what it does with your data.
Who should skip this
- You need automatic bank sync and a full budget. Free plans rarely do both; compare paid options on best budgeting apps.
- You won’t keep up with manual entry. A free manual app that you stop using costs you more than a paid one you use.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free budgeting app?
Which free budgeting app links to my bank?
Is YNAB free?
Can a couple share a free budget?
Do you earn money from these apps?
Sources
Every source below was opened and read for this page (rates last checked Nov 10, 2026). Providers’ own pages are labeled with the provider’s name; regulator pages are labeled with the agency. Rates and terms change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you apply.
- EveryDollar: Home page and FAQ (pricing) (everydollar.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Goodbudget: Subscribe for more (plans) (goodbudget.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Rocket Money Help Center: How much does Rocket Money cost? (help.rocketmoney.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Rocket Money: Home page (free vs. Premium features) (rocketmoney.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Empower: Free Empower Personal Dashboard sign-up (empower.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- YNAB: Pricing (ynab.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- PocketGuard: Pricing (pocketguard.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
- Monarch: Pricing (monarch.com, checked Nov 10, 2026)
Related
Monarch vs. Copilot Money
Both cost about $100 a year and track spending, budgets and net worth. The deciding questions are whether anyone in your household uses Android and how you want to share with a partner.
best ofBest budgeting apps
The right budgeting app is the one you’ll actually open every week. We read each app’s own pricing page on Nov 10, 2026 and compare price, trial length, free options and the budgeting style each one is built around.
comparisonYNAB vs. Monarch
Both are paid, ad-free budgeting apps that let you share with a partner at no extra cost. YNAB is built around planning your money before you spend it; Monarch around seeing all your accounts, including investments and net worth, in one place.