Little nervous you’re living beyond your means? Budgeting apps help you see clearly where your money is going and make it easier to rein in those impulse purchases.

By now we’ve all come to terms with the fact that money doesn’t (unfortunately) grow on trees, but by using the right budgeting app, you can make your finances more fruitful and your money management easier.

But which apps are the best? 

We’ve researched Australia’s Top 10 best budgeting apps—so all you have to do is pick the ideal app for your needs, download and start better tracking your spending!

1. Pocketbook

Pros:

• Syncs with your bank accounts
• Sets bill reminders

Cons: 

• Requires manual categorisation to stay accurate 

Cost: Free

2. Goodbudget

Pros:

• A simple way to start budgeting 
• Allocate portions of your income towards a specific savings goal

Cons: 

• Doesn’t link with financial institutions (though this might be a plus if you’re not keen on sharing your bank account logins)

Cost: Free / ‘Plus’ from $8.50 monthly or $70 annually

More of a monkey see monkey do kind of learner? Goodbudget brings the age-old envelope method into the 21st century. Where once wise budgeters split up cash into different physical envelopes each representing a different purpose such as rent, groceries or savings. Goodbudget offers a virtual envelope system for your monthly bills and spending. Once you’ve used up all the funds in the allocated spending envelopes you’ll have to wait till next month.

3. YNAB

Pros:

• Ideal for couples working on a budget together
• Both desktop and mobile

Cons: 

• Created in the USA, though you can use YNAB in Australia, to link your bank account you need to use partner app ‘Budget Feeder’ to sync to your Aussie bank 
• No free version

Cost: Free 34-day trial / $12 a month or $84 a year

Perfect for all the Type-A personalities out there, You Need A Budget (YNAB) is founded on the zero-based budgeting system, leaving no dollar unaccounted for. The app helps you build a budget based on your income and features debt payoff and goal tracking functions. More than just a way to track your spending, YNAB focuses on how to prioritise and plan for future spending too.

4. MoneyBrilliant 

Pros:

• The ‘Plus’ plan allows you to access advanced features such as a tax deduction tool and the ability to compare your income and expenses to others in your demographic

Cons: 

• Paying for extra features might be counterproductive to your budget!

Cost: Free / ‘Plus’ for $9.90 per month, or $99 per year

Real talk—MoneyBrilliant is here to shed light on both your assets and liabilities. Check out all your finances in one place and calculate your overall net worth by taking into account credit cards, loans, investments and so on. Use the app to set budgets and also get alerts for upcoming bills too.

5. Splitwise

Pros:

• Keep in good favour with your family, friends and housemates by staying on top of who owes what 

Cons

• To use the app with a group, everyone needs to download it 

Cost: Free / in-app purchases for ‘pro features’

Not strictly a budgeting app, but Splitwise could indeed help you save money when it comes to working out shared expenses—be it splitting bills with housemates or working out the dinner bill with friends. It’ll also capture how much you’re lending to people and how much you owe others.

6. Pocketsmith 

Pros:

• Mobile and desktop apps
• Daily, weekly or monthly budgeting options to suits your needs
• Connect your Xero account for ease of tracking expenses

Cons: 

• You’ll need to be committed because it will take a bit of practise mastering the app 

Cost: Free / Premium Plan for $10.95 per month and a Super Plan for $21.95 per month (less when paid annually)

Ready to settle down and get serious? Pocketsmith is here to help you strengthen your relationship with your Dear Money. Similar to Pocketbook, Pocketsmith will automatically import your bank transactions and give you a real time view of your finances in the one place. 

7. WeMoney

Pros:

• Allows you to track your credit score
• Connect with other users—kinda like Instagram for finance friends

Cons: 

• Because it’s new there’s a few bugs and frequent app updates

Cost: Free

Shaping up to be one of the fastest-growing finance apps of 2021, and with the slogan “financial wellness has arrived” you’ll want to make WeMoney your new fiscal guru. Be empowered to take control of your income and expenses with not only a way to track your bank accounts, credit card and loans but also your superannuation and any share trading accounts you might have up your sleeve.

8. WiseList

Pros:

• Compare prices of groceries at Woolworths and Coles
• Take photos of bills for alerts when they’re due 

Cons: 

• Not so useful if you shop elsewhere! 

Cost: Free

While not a budgeting app per say, WiseList can help you save money by making sure you’re getting the best price on your Weetbix. Can also streamline your grocery shopping with the convenience of collaborative shopping lists, plus keep track of your supermarket rewards programs and tabs on when various bills are due.

9. Sipora

Pros:

• No fees, debt or interest! 
• all-in-one shop/save/spend functionality

Cons: 

• Limited to shopping with the 300 plus retailers on the app (but maybe not great for saving for something niche)

Cost: Free

Welcome to the world of rounding up! This Aussie developed app is here to tackle buy now, pay later debt by helping you save up for items with your spare change! How does it work? Sipora connects to your bank account and rounds up each transaction to the nearest $1, $2 or $5 and then deposits that money for you into your Sipora account. Neato!

10. Raiz

Pros: 

• A chance to try out investing without a big lump sum 

Cons: 

• Don’t expect big returns 

Cost: Free to use the savings feature / $2.50 per month for investing for accounts under $10,000 and 0.275% per year for accounts $10,000 or more

Formerly known as ‘Acorns Australia’, Raiz puts micro-investing at your fingertips, using roundup technology you can invest in a portfolio of ETFs (exchange-traded funds) through spare change every time you spend.

You’ll find these apps and more budgeting tools for download with iOS and Google Play. 

Now that you’ve got the lowdown on apps for better money management, you can work on the big picture of getting your financial future in the best shape possible. If you need a hand with a consolidating outstanding debt, taking care of an overdue bill or getting behind the wheel of your dream car—LoanU can help you get your finances working in your favour.

Call 1300 080 825 to talk to a finance specialist or apply now online and get started today.