10 Best Personal Finance Software and Services to Use (2017)

Managing your household finances can be one of the most important challenges you will face in life. It is very important to manage your finances well in order to reduce unwanted expenses and increase your savings. You can do it manually by recording and tracking all your bills and sources of income, but that’s counterproductive to say the least. Even if you wanted to, it’s impossible to track everything manually. You need an app or software to help you do that. That’s where personal finance software and services for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS can help. In addition to tracking your monthly expenses, you can also view financial trends and forecasts, so you can stay on top of your finances. There are lots of great apps to help you with that. We’ve collected the best of them, so here are the 10 best personal finance management apps you can use.

Note : These apps are in no particular order. Read the description to understand which one is best for you. Also, some of the best budgeting and finance services offer web apps instead of native apps, so this list includes both native and web apps. The list would not be complete without them, so it would be unwise to exclude them.

best personal finance and budgeting software

1. You need a budget

Creating a budget is the most important thing to do if you want to manage your money. It’s always good to start the month knowing your fixed income and expenses. Everyone knows it, but only a few people really budget properly. One of the reasons behind this is the myth about the complexity of budgeting. Budgeting is difficult, but it’s not impossible to learn. You Need A Budget, or YNAB, makes creating and using a budget even easier . There are four basic rules that YNAB tells you to pay attention to. If you pay attention to these rules, you will find it much easier to live financially. This is not a complete review of the service, so I won’t go into details, but I will give you an overview that will help you understand how easy and important it is.

So , rule number one is: Give every dollar a job . What that means is that the moment you receive your income, every dollar needs a place to go: bills, shopping, food, expenses, health, savings, etc. This way, all important financial decisions are made at the beginning of the month, so you don’t miss any important payments. The fourth rule is “money ripening” which is the essence of budgeting as a whole. What this essentially means is that every dollar you spend today must reach a point where it should be in your account after 30 days. Basically, you should be able to live on last month’s income.

As for the app itself, in addition to the desktop version, there’s a web app supported by apps for iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, and even Alexa . The app’s interface is fairly simple. Adding a bank account automatically records your income and expenses, or you can record them manually. It has a list of expenses and you can allocate money or create your own . I like the ability to nest expenses under folders to keep similar expenses together in one place. You can also create an automatic bill payment feature that pays your bills automatically. It has many other features, but the biggest one is that it makes the whole budgeting process a lot easier. The app comes with a 34-day free trial so you can try it before you buy.

Installation: Web app, iOS, Android, Alexa, watchOS ( free trial , $50/year)

2.Mint

In many ways, Mint was one of the first apps that really made personal finance management software popular. It’s packed with features supported by a UI that’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to learn and navigate. Mint essentially claims to be a one-stop solution for all your finances. You can add multiple accounts and set them to autofill in Mint . That way, everything will update automatically in your Mint account without you having to press any keys. We like the Smart Recognition feature , which automatically categorizes your spending based on your past habits . Like YNAB, it also has apps for Android and iPhone, as well as a web app for desktop.

They recently launched a service that allows you to check your credit score for free . This allows you to check your financial health as perceived by banks with the click of a button. However, this feature only works for US residents. Mint is the only financial management app that is free and fairly reliable. The fact that Mint is free to use is very helpful, as many of the other apps and financial software on our list generally cost a lot of money. The only downside to Mint is that automatic downloading of bank account statements can be a bit cumbersome at times. It also doesn’t have many features to help you manage your investment account. Other than that, if you’re looking for a simple financial management app, this is the one for you.

Installation: Web app, Android, iOS ( free )

3. Bankability 6

If you’re looking for a full-fledged financial software that will help you manage your savings, spending, and bank accounts, as well as your portfolio and other financial assets, Banktivity 6 is for you. Although it’s currently only available for Mac (including an app for iOS), it’s one of the most powerful financial apps I’ve ever used. There are a lot of features that you can really understand once you download and use the app. Therefore, it takes some time to learn. However, the time you spend configuring and learning Banktivity will be worth it. This will help you stay on top of all your financial obligations and income.

Like other apps on the list, you can enable the app to download data directly from your bank. Sync all your accounts in one place with one click . Not only that, you can also manage your stock market portfolio here. It comes with a very advanced budgeting tool that allows you to budget with great precision . It also automatically generates weekly and monthly reports, perfect for a quick overview of your finances. The app is the fastest when it comes to data syncing. Because this is a full-fledged app on your Mac, it’s potentially much more secure than the web apps on this list. This app is powerful enough to even handle the financial management of your small business. This is the only financial app you’ll ever need.

Installation: macOS, iOS ( free trial, $64.99 )

4.Quicken

If you’re using a Windows machine and need the power and security of Banktivity 6, it’s a shame you can’t get it. This is where Quicken comes to the rescue. Quicken for Windows is the same as Banktivity for Mac. Quicken is also available to Mac users, along with mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, I always prefer Banktivity on Mac. But that doesn’t mean Quicken is any less powerful or secure. The choice between the two services is essentially a matter of personal preference, but since Banktivity is not available to Windows users, Quicken is king.

Quicken performs all the functionality of Banktivity , including automatic account syncing, automatic expense tagging, portfolio management, budgeting, and automatic bill payments . The UI looks more modern than Banktivity’s UI as it uses more colorful graphs that are easier to decipher. This feature alone makes it more useful than Banktivity for some users. The overall cost is also lower than Banktivity. However, it does not come with a free trial and requires you to purchase the app to use it. But you won’t be disappointed with your investment here. If you’re looking for powerful financial management software for your Windows PC, this is your best bet.

Installation: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android ( $64.99 )

5. Money dance

Moneydance is another great and powerful app that works as an alternative to both Quicken and Banktivity 6 as it is available for both Windows and macOS along with an app for Linux. However, there is no mobile app for Android users . It has a simple ledger and allows you to make manual entries, upload bank statements, and access your account directly. I like the side calendar view that shows all your upcoming bills as they are due . It’s easier to see which bills are due here than with other apps on the list.

However, the best feature so far is the graphs. You can create graphs and charts for almost anything, including individual graphs for spending, portfolio, asset allocation, currency history, and more. All charts can be created instantly, and fields are automatically filled in without you having to do anything. You can also create a monthly budget here. You can check out the app using the free trial and purchase the pro version if you like it.

Installation: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS ( free trial , $49.99)

6. Pocketsmith

A direct competitor to Mint, Pocketsmith is a great budget-focused web app. Of course, you can also import all your transaction data to organize expenses and more. But what makes Mint great is the enhanced budgeting tools it offers . Create your monthly budget flexibly. So far, its best and most unique feature is financial forecasting. Based on previous data, the app smartly predicts how much money you’ll have on hand on any given day of the month. This is extremely helpful in dealing with unplanned expenses, as you can literally see at a glance how much a new expense will affect your monthly budget. There is also a free version, but it only allows manual feeding of transaction data.

Installation: Web app, Android, iOS ( Free/$9.95/$19.95 )

7. Personal capital

Like Mint, Personal Capital is completely free to use, making it a direct competitor. It’s also a web-based app that focuses on syncing your bank accounts, creating reports, budgeting, and managing your finances. However, Personal Capital is very different from Mint in that it focuses more on the investment side of things. Ideal for US citizens as many of its key features such as hidden investment broker fees, retirement predictions, etc. are based on US financial rules and regulations. Therefore, this is perfect for those living in the United States.

Installation: Web app, Android, iOS ( free )

8. Office time

This one is a little different and won’t be for everyone. This app is for freelancers, small business owners, and contractors who bill clients by the hour. For these people, tracking their income is just as important as tracking their expenses. Office Time is the best software they can use. Not only can you track your time efficiently , but you can also create invoices directly from within the app . Whenever you are working, you will see how much money you earned in that session without having to calculate it yourself. This is a must-have app for people who are paid hourly.

Installation: Windows, macOS, iOS ( Free trial/$47 )

9.LearnVest

LearnVest takes a slightly different approach by bringing the human touch to financial management. This means that if you choose a paid plan, you get access to a personal financial planner provided by the company . You can contact your planner via email or request a phone call from your planner. Other than that, the service is similar to Mint in that it’s a web app that does everything Mint does. However, there is no app for Android (iPhone only). If you don’t need a personal advisor, you can use the free version, but frankly, that’s the only big difference this app offers compared to the others on this list.

Installation: Web app, iOS, Android ( Free/$299 one-time payment + $19/month )

10. Ace Money

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to Quicken or Banktivity for both Windows and Mac, this is the one for you. It offers a similar feature set as both at almost half the cost. However, this looks a bit outdated as the UI looks quite outdated. I would also like to point out that although I was using the trial version, it crashed several times during review use. You can manage multiple accounts, track expenses, pay bills automatically, and do just about everything you’d expect from financial software these days. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, this might be the one for you.

Installation: Windows, macOS (Free trial / $39.99)

See also: 10 Best Writing Apps for Mac

Stay on top of your finances with the best personal finance software

Managing your finances can be a pain, but it’s still one of the most important things you have to do. Managing your finances manually is almost impossible, so you need specific software to help you do it. Most of the apps mentioned above have free trials, so use them before making your decision and let us know which one you decide to buy in the comments section below.