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Personal Finance · The 5 best

Budgeting

Apps and tools that help you plan spending, build savings and understand where your money goes. We compared the options and narrowed them down to five. Each one is ranked, with a clear note on who it suits best.

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The 5 at a glance

Comparison of the 5 picks for Budgeting
ToolBest forStarting price
Rank 1TillerPeople who like spreadsheets and want full control of their budgetFree trial available; paid from about $79/year
Rank 2ChangedPeople paying off student loans or other debt who want to do it on autopilotFrom about $6/month
Rank 3FinacitiPeople who want to build better money habits, not just track spendingFree and paid options; paid plans around $20/month
Rank 4Coming soonTo be announced—
Rank 5Coming soonTo be announced—

Our 5 picks, ranked

  1. Rank 1
    Top pick

    Tiller

    A budgeting spreadsheet that fills itself in.

    Best forPeople who like spreadsheets and want full control of their budget

    What it does

    Tiller automatically pulls your bank transactions into a Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheet, so you can use templates or build your own budget.

    Strengths

    • Transactions flow into your own spreadsheet
    • Ready-made templates
    • Fully customizable
    • Free trial to test it

    Good to know: It is a subscription, and it suits people who are comfortable working in a spreadsheet.

  2. Rank 2

    Changed

    Round up your everyday spending and put the change toward your debt.

    Best forPeople paying off student loans or other debt who want to do it on autopilot

    What it does

    Changed is a debt payoff app. It tracks your spending, rounds each purchase up to the next dollar, and sends the saved change toward your loans or credit cards.

    Strengths

    • Round-ups make extra payments without much effort
    • Savings goals, such as an emergency fund, in the same app
    • Progress tracking so you can see your debt shrink
    • Works for student loans, credit cards, mortgages and more

    Good to know: It is a debt payoff tool more than a classic budgeting app, and it is a US service. Changed is not a bank, so read the account terms before you sign up.

  3. Rank 3

    Finaciti

    A money app that mixes budgeting tools with short lessons and coaching.

    Best forPeople who want to build better money habits, not just track spending

    What it does

    Finaciti is a financial wellness app with budgeting tools, short lessons, webinars and access to live coaches.

    Strengths

    • Budgeting, debt and credit topics in one app
    • Short, self-paced lessons
    • Access to live coaching
    • Free and paid options

    Good to know: It is aimed mainly at the US, and paid plans cost more than a basic budgeting app. Check current prices.

  4. Rank 4

    Coming soon

    Pick #4 for budgeting is on the way.

    Best forTo be announced

    What it does

    We are still researching this spot. We only add a tool once we are happy it deserves a place in the top five.

    Strengths

      Good to know: Check back soon.

    • Rank 5

      Coming soon

      Pick #5 for budgeting is on the way.

      Best forTo be announced

      What it does

      We are still researching this spot. We only add a tool once we are happy it deserves a place in the top five.

      Strengths

        Good to know: Check back soon.