5 Best Free Budgeting Apps to Simplify Your Finances

A truly free budgeting app sounds ideal, but finding one that genuinely meets your needs can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The good news? Your search ends here. You don’t need to waste time downloading apps that hide key features behind paywalls.

We’ve personally spent several days testing dozens of free budgeting apps. After this testing, we’ve identified the top five best free budget apps that are genuinely free, user-friendly, and effective. These free budgeting tools help you set a budget, track spending, save smarter, and take control of your finances.

Let’s dive into the 5 good free budgeting apps that make managing your money simple and stress-free.

Want to learn more about budgeting? Check out our What is Budgeting guide.

How We Tested and Defined ” Free Budgeting Apps”

Before diving into the free budget planner apps, let’s explore how we shortlisted them for the best 5.

Imagine a toy store gives you a “free” video game. A lot of the time, that “free” game will only let you play the first level, and then you have to pay money to unlock the rest of the game!

That’s exactly how many budgeting apps work. They claim to be free but hide the most useful features behind a subscription.

For this list, we’ve handpicked the best free budgeting apps that give you full access to create a budget, track your spending, and stay on top of your money without hidden costs. Based on our hands-on testing, we verified that every app on this list meets the core needs of a serious budgeter.

Standards we used:

• No hidden paywalls for essential tools like budgeting and expense tracking
• Free access to create and manage multiple budgets
• Ability to track income and expenses without upgrade requirements
• User-friendly design that’s simple and easy to navigate
• Extra features like alerts when you’re close to your budget limit
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on smartphones, tablets, and desktops

By using these standards, you can be confident the apps on this list are truly free and worth your time.

With that in mind, let’s jump into the best free budget app options that deserve a spot on your list.

5 Best Free Budgeting Apps That Actually Work

Here are the five best free budgeting apps that actually work and help you manage your money easily. Each app provides essential features to track spending, set budgets, and save smarter, all without any hidden costs.

1. WalletSync

WalletSync is a free budgeting app that puts your entire financial picture in one place. With flexible daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly budgets, you can easily track income and expenses using custom labels and categories. Its intuitive all-in-one dashboard makes budgeting effortless, giving both beginners and experienced users a clear, organized way to manage money.

To help you stay on track, WalletSync sends smart alerts before you overspend and lets you plan upcoming payments so you never miss a due date. Visual cash flow insights show exactly where your money goes, making it easier to adjust your habits and reach your goals. By combining simplicity with powerful tools, WalletSync turns budgeting into a stress-free part of everyday life.

Key Features (Free Plan):

Here are the main features included in WalletSync’s free plan. These features make WalletSync one of the best free budgeting app:

• Set weekly, monthly, yearly, and one-time budgets
• Log your transactions easily
• Set up and manage multiple budgets
• Access a wide range of spending categories
• Customize categories to fit your needs
• Filter your records to find specific transactions quickly
• Get categorized alerts when you’re close to your budget limits
• Customized dashboard to view all key info at a glance
• User-friendly design
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on Android/iOS/iPad, and desktops

2. Cashew

Cashew is designed to make budgeting simple and stress-free. It helps you track income, expenses, and budgets in a clear, organized way, so you always know where your money goes. This app is perfect for users who want a straightforward, distraction-free approach to managing their finances, with all the essential features available in its free plan.

Key features (free plan):

Here are the main features included in Cashew’s free plan. These features make Cashew the second free budgeting app:

• Set weekly, monthly, yearly, and one-time budgets
• Log your transactions easily
• Access a wide range of spending categories
• Customize categories to fit your needs
• User-friendly design
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on Android/iOS/iPad, and desktops

3. Wallet: BudgetBakers

Wallet: BudgetBakers is a visually powerful free budget application. It uses an intuitive dashboard and clear graph-based reports to help you see exactly where your money is going. It’s an excellent choice for users who want to move past spreadsheets and view their entire financial picture, including income, expenses, and multiple budget goals, in a single, modern interface. The free version stands out by supporting the detailed planning needed for complex financial lives.

Key Features (Free Plan):

Here are the main features included in Wallet’s free plan. These features make Wallet the third free budgeting app:

• Set weekly, monthly, yearly, and one-time budgets
• Log your transactions easily
• Set up and manage multiple budgets
• Get categorized alerts when you’re close to your budget limits
• User-friendly design
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on Android/iOS/iPad

4. Money Manager by Realbyte

Money Manager by Realbyte is built to simplify finance tracking for everyday users. It provides clear insights into income and expenses while helping you stick to your budget goals. With customizable categories and alerts, this app is a great choice for anyone who wants to organize their finances efficiently and maintain control over their money.

Key Features (Free Plan):

Here are the main features included in Money Manager’s free plan. These features make Money Manager the fourth free budgeting app:

• Set a budget
• Log your transactions easily
• Set up and manage multiple budgets
• Customize categories to fit your needs
• Get categorized alerts when you’re close to your budget limits
• User-friendly design
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on Android/iOS/iPad

5. Spendee

Spendee is perfect for those who want full control of their finances with a simple, intuitive interface. It allows you to track income, expenses, and budgets while keeping all your key financial information accessible at a glance. This free budget tracker app is especially useful for users who want to filter and analyze their records quickly to make smarter financial decisions.

Key Features (Free Plan):

Here are the main features included in the Spendee free plan. These features make Spendee the fifth free budgeting app:

• Set weekly, monthly, yearly, and one-time budgets
• Log your transactions easily
• Customize categories to fit your needs
• Filter your records to find specific transactions quickly
• Device-friendly, works smoothly on Android/iOS/iPad, and desktops

Quick Comparison: Top Free Budgeting Apps 

To help you choose the right app, we’ve compared the top free budgeting apps side by side. This table highlights their key features, device compatibility, and what makes each app unique, so you can find the perfect fit for your financial needs.

Conclusion

Choosing the right free budgeting software doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The five apps we’ve highlighted, WalletSync, Cashew, Wallet: BudgetBakers, Money Manager by Realbyte, and Spendee, offer genuinely free, user-friendly tools to track spending, set budgets, and gain clear insights into your finances. Each app provides essential features without hidden paywalls, making it easy to take control of your money and plan for both short-term and long-term goals.

By comparing their unique strengths and capabilities, you can select the app that best fits your personal financial style. Whether you value detailed dashboards, customizable categories, or simple, distraction-free budgeting, these apps make managing your finances straightforward and stress-free, proving that budgeting doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.