14 Personal Finance Apps to Help You Master Your Money

10 min read

Managing your money doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right apps, you can track spending, save effortlessly, invest wisely, and monitor your credit—all from your phone. But with so many finance apps available, how do you know which ones actually help?

woman using mobile app

We’ve rounded up the best personal finance apps across budgeting, saving, investing, credit monitoring, financial planning, debt management, and bill tracking. Whether you want to stop overspending, boost your savings, or pay off debt, these apps can help you take control of your finances with ease.

Each app offers something different, so you can choose one that fits your financial habits and goals. Some automate savings, while others track spending or simplify investing. Pick one or two that match your needs and start making smarter money moves today.

Best Budgeting Apps

Budgeting is the cornerstone of personal finance, helping you track and manage your spending. Here are two top budgeting apps that can help you get your finances in order:

Monarch

Monarch is a great choice for those who want complete control over their finances. It syncs with bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments, giving you a full financial picture in one place.

The app also lets you collaborate with a partner or financial advisor, making it ideal for households managing money together.

Key Features:

  • Syncs with all financial accounts, including investments and loans
  • Customizable budgeting with category tracking
  • Goal-setting tools for savings, debt payoff, or big purchases
  • Secure, ad-free platform with strong encryption
  • Multi-user access for shared financial management

Potential Downsides:

  • Costs $99.99 per year after a free trial
  • No bill pay feature like some competitors offer

YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB (You Need a Budget) is designed to help you take complete control of your spending by following a zero-based budgeting method.

Instead of tracking what you’ve already spent, YNAB helps you assign every dollar a job before you spend it, ensuring that your money is working toward your financial goals. It’s an excellent tool for breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and saving more intentionally.

Key Features:

  • Zero-based budgeting approach to give every dollar a purpose
  • Syncs with bank accounts for real-time expense tracking
  • Goal-setting tools to help with debt payoff and savings
  • Detailed spending reports to track progress over time
  • Hands-on support with live workshops and tutorials

Potential Downsides:

  • Costs $14.99/month or $99/year after a free trial
  • Takes time to set up and adjust to the zero-based budgeting method

Best Saving Apps

Saving money can sometimes be challenging, but these apps make it easier by automating the process and helping you set and achieve your financial goals.

Chime

Chime makes saving effortless by rounding up purchases and transferring the spare change to your savings account. It also allows automatic transfers from direct deposits, making it a great option for hands-off savers.

With no fees or minimum balance requirements, it’s an easy way to build savings without thinking about it.

Key Features:

  • Round-up feature moves extra change from purchases into savings
  • Automatic transfers from direct deposits
  • No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
  • Fee-free overdraft up to $200 for eligible users
  • Easy-to-use mobile app with real-time transaction alerts

Potential Downsides:

  • No physical branches for in-person banking
  • Transfers to external accounts aren’t instant

Qapital

Qapital takes a personalized approach to saving by letting you set financial goals and create rules that trigger automatic transfers.

Whether you want to round up purchases, save a fixed amount when you buy coffee, or set up payday savings, Qapital makes it easy to grow your savings without extra effort.

Key Features:

  • Custom savings rules based on spending habits
  • Goal-based saving with progress tracking
  • Joint savings feature for couples or families
  • FDIC-insured accounts with competitive interest rates
  • User-friendly app with visual savings progress

Potential Downsides:

  • Monthly fee starting at $3 after a free trial
  • Withdrawals take up to two business days

Best Investing Apps

Investing can be intimidating, but these apps make it accessible and straightforward, whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out.

Robinhood

Robinhood is a user-friendly investment app that allows commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies.

With no account minimums, it’s an accessible option for beginners looking to start investing with as little as a few dollars. The app also offers real-time market data and the ability to buy fractional shares, making it easy to diversify even with a small budget.

Key Features:

  • Commission-free trading for stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto
  • No account minimum, allowing investments with any amount
  • Fractional shares let you invest in expensive stocks with as little as $1
  • Real-time market data and customizable alerts
  • Robinhood Gold offers research reports and margin trading for a monthly fee

Potential Downsides:

  • Limited investment options (no mutual funds or bonds)
  • Customer support can be slow compared to traditional brokerages

Read our full review of Robinhood.

Webull

Webull is a commission-free trading app built for investors who want more than just simple stock purchases. It offers stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency trading, along with advanced tools like real-time market data, in-depth charting, and research features.

With its powerful analytics and extended trading hours, it’s a strong choice for those looking to take a hands-on approach to investing.

Key Features:

  • Commission-free trading for stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto
  • No account minimum required to start investing
  • Advanced research tools, including technical indicators and real-time market data
  • Extended trading hours, including pre-market and after-hours sessions
  • Paper trading feature for practicing strategies without real money

Potential Downsides:

  • No automated investing or robo-advisor features
  • Not ideal for beginners who prefer a hands-off approach

Best Credit Monitoring Apps

Keeping an eye on your credit is essential for maintaining financial health. These apps help you stay on top of your credit score and protect against identity theft.

Credit Karma

Credit Karma makes it easy to stay on top of your credit with free weekly updates from TransUnion and Equifax.

The app provides personalized recommendations to help improve your credit and sends real-time alerts for new accounts, hard inquiries, or potential fraud. It also includes free tax filing services, making it a well-rounded financial tool.

Key Features:

  • Free weekly credit score updates from TransUnion and Equifax
  • Real-time alerts for changes to your credit report
  • Personalized insights to help improve your score
  • Free tax filing services for federal and state returns
  • User-friendly interface with detailed credit breakdowns

Potential Downsides:

  • Uses targeted financial product recommendations to generate revenue
  • Some features, like credit-building loans, are not available to all users

Credit Sesame

Credit Sesame provides free credit monitoring along with identity theft protection features. The free version includes monthly credit score updates from TransUnion and daily monitoring alerts for changes to your report.

For added security, the app offers free fraud resolution assistance and a $50,000 identity theft insurance policy, making it a strong option for those focused on credit protection.

Key Features:

  • Free monthly credit score updates from TransUnion
  • Daily alerts for changes to your credit report
  • $50,000 identity theft insurance included with free accounts
  • Fraud resolution assistance for potential identity theft cases
  • Premium plans with daily credit score updates and enhanced monitoring

Potential Downsides:

  • Only pulls credit data from one bureau (TransUnion) in the free version
  • Some advanced protection features require a paid subscription

Best Financial Planning Apps

Effective financial planning can help you achieve your long-term goals and build a secure financial future. These apps offer comprehensive tools to assist you in managing your finances.

Empower

Empower is a powerful financial planning tool that helps you track your net worth, investments, and retirement goals in one place.

It offers detailed cash flow insights, investment performance tracking, and a free retirement planner to help you plan for long-term financial security.

Unlike basic budgeting apps, Empower focuses on big-picture financial health, making it a great option for those serious about building wealth.

Key Features:

  • Tracks net worth by syncing all financial accounts, including investments and loans
  • Provides an investment analyzer to identify hidden fees and optimize your portfolio
  • Offers a retirement planner that projects future income, savings, and spending
  • Includes cash flow tracking to monitor income and expenses over time
  • Free to use for financial tracking, with optional paid wealth management services

Potential Downsides:

  • Wealth management services require a $100,000 minimum balance
  • Budgeting features aren’t as customizable as some standalone budgeting apps

Boldin

Boldin helps users build and manage a personalized financial plan. It’s ideal for those focused on retirement planning, tax optimization, and long-term financial projections.

The platform allows users to model various income sources, including Social Security, pensions, and annuities, while running “what-if” scenarios to visualize different financial outcomes.

Key Features:

  • Evaluates savings, investments, and projected earnings for a full-picture analysis.
  • Run “what-if” analyses to explore different retirement ages, income streams, and lifestyle choices.
  • Offers personalized recommendations to improve financial health and retirement readiness.
  • Provides access to classes, coaching, and community forums for enhanced learning and guidance.

Potential Downsides:

  • The platform’s extensive features may take time to fully explore.
  • Premium planning tools require a PlannerPlus subscription ($120 per year).

Best Debt Management Apps

Managing debt effectively can help you save money on interest and pay off your balances faster. These apps provide tools and strategies to help you tackle your debt.

Undebt.it

Undebt.it is a flexible debt management tool that helps users create personalized debt repayment strategies. It supports multiple payoff methods, including the debt snowball and debt avalanche, allowing users to choose the approach that best fits their financial situation.

The app also provides progress tracking and payoff projections, helping users stay motivated as they work toward becoming debt-free.

Key Features

  • Supports multiple payoff strategies, including snowball and avalanche
  • Tracks progress with visual reports and payoff projections
  • Helps users schedule and track upcoming payments
  • Offers a free version, with premium automation tools for $12/year

Potential Downsides

  • Requires manual entry unless using the premium automation feature
  • Does not integrate directly with bank accounts for payments

Debt Payoff Planner

Debt Payoff Planner helps users create a structured plan to eliminate debt. It allows users to select a preferred repayment method, such as the debt snowball or debt avalanche, and provides a projected timeline for becoming debt-free.

The app’s simple interface makes it easy to track progress, making it a good fit for those who want a clear roadmap for debt repayment.

Key Features

  • Supports snowball, avalanche, and custom payoff strategies
  • Provides a visual timeline for debt repayment progress
  • Offers a one-time payment option instead of a subscription
  • Simple interface for easy manual tracking

Potential Downsides

  • Requires manual entry of debts and payments
  • Does not sync with bank accounts or automate payments

Best Bill Management Apps

Staying on top of your bills is crucial for avoiding late fees and keeping your financial health in check. These apps help you manage your bills efficiently.

PocketGuard

PocketGuard helps users stay on top of their finances by tracking income, expenses, and upcoming bills in real time. The app links to bank accounts and credit cards to provide a clear picture of how much spendable money is left after covering necessary expenses.

It also alerts users to recurring charges and potential savings opportunities, making it a great tool for preventing overspending.

Key Features

  • Syncs with bank accounts to track income and expenses
  • Identifies and alerts users to upcoming bills and recurring subscriptions
  • Offers a “In My Pocket” feature to show available spending money
  • Helps users set and track financial goals

Potential Downsides

  • Free version has limited features compared to the premium plan
  • Some users may find account syncing issues with certain banks

Rocket Money

Rocket Money helps users identify, manage, and even negotiate bills and subscriptions. The app tracks recurring charges and allows users to cancel unwanted subscriptions directly from the platform.

It also negotiates bills with service providers on the user’s behalf, potentially lowering costs on expenses like internet, cable, and phone plans.

Key Features

  • Tracks and categorizes recurring bills and subscriptions
  • Cancels unwanted subscriptions directly through the app
  • Negotiates lower bills with service providers
  • Provides budgeting and spending insights

Potential Downsides

  • Charges a percentage of the savings from negotiated bills
  • Premium features require a paid subscription

Final Thoughts

Staying on top of your finances doesn’t have to be complicated. The right personal finance apps can take the stress out of budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt—helping you build better money habits without a ton of effort.

But the key is to start. Pick one app today and set up your first budget, savings goal, or investment. Automate a small transfer, track a week’s worth of spending, or check your credit score—small steps now will pay off big in the future. The sooner you take action, the faster you’ll see progress.

Which app will you try first?

Lauren Ward
Meet the author

Lauren is a personal finance writer with over a decade of experience helping readers make informed money decisions. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Japanese from Georgetown University.