Online budget tool free best

Cost: Free. Apple store rating: 4. Google Play rating: 4. Note that all ratings were current as of Dec. Why we recommend it: Goodbudget is more about planning for your finances than tracking previous transactions.

This app is based on the envelope budgeting system , in which you portion out your monthly income toward specific spending categories called envelopes.

Then you assign money toward envelopes. You can access the app from your phone and the web. Goodbudget offers a free version that allows one account, two devices and limited envelopes. Its paid version, Goodbudget Plus, allows unlimited envelopes and accounts, up to five devices and other perks.

Cost: Goodbudget is free. Why we recommend it: YNAB is designed so that users plan ahead for their financial decisions, rather than track past transactions.

This app follows the zero-based budgeting system, which has you make a plan for every dollar you earn. As soon as you get paid, you tell YNAB how much of your income should go toward various categories, including expenses, goals and savings. With all this decision making, YNAB is about as hands-on as you can get.

YNAB allows you to link your checking and savings accounts, as well as credit cards and loans. The app works on the phone, desktop, iPad, Apple Watch and Alexa. By design, it works best for users who want to get hands-on while planning for their money. Also, compared to the other apps that made our list, its price is high, and its Google Play ratings are low. College students can use YNAB for free for a year. Google Play rating: 3. First, an explanation of the names: EveryDollar is a free budgeting app.

You manually enter incoming and outgoing money throughout the month. You also categorize line items in your budget and set reminders for bill payments. You can also track debts, see reports on how you spent your money and print your transaction history. Cost: The basic version of EveryDollar is free. Cons Some user reviews complain of ads, glitches in app, expenses assigned to wrong category.

Information about Goodbudget has been collected independently by CNBC and has not been reviewed or provided by Goodbudget prior to publication.

No, users manually create "envelopes" and input their transactions. Security features include bit bank grade encryption in a secure data center. On Personal Capital's secure site. Cost App is free, but users have option to add investment management services for 0. A budgeting app and investment tool that tracks both your spending and your wealth.

Yes, bank and credit cards, as well as IRAs, k s, mortgages and loans. Data encryption, fraud protection and strong user authentication. Pros Free to use Includes money-tracking dashboard, plus a net-worth tracker as well as a breakdown of your investment portfolio Offers free investing tools, such as a retirement planner, education planner and fee analyzer to check portfolio fees Syncs to your bank accounts and credit cards as well as other financial accounts Offers Daily Capital blog for financial planning tips Security features include data encryption, fraud protection and strong user authentication.

Cons Budgeting features aren't as comprehensive as other apps Investment management services come with cost. Information about GnuCash has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by GnuCash prior to publication. Allows users to import their bank account information.

Pros Free to use Compatible with most computers Good accounting option for startups and small businesses with limited budgets Offers helpful data visualization of your budget with graphs and reports Available in multiple languages and tracks multiple currencies Website offers an extensive FAQ section for user support Users can create recurring transactions and set reminders when things are due Finder tool allows users to easily search for specific transactions Security features include not being an online, cloud-based program.

Cons Double-entry accounting method used may be more helpful for small business owners versus individuals trying to manage a budget Desktop software interface looks outdated. Making a budget can be done in as little as five steps: Calculate your net income: First, find out how much money you make each month your cash inflow. Your net income is the amount of money you earn after taxes and can be found on the pay stub you receive through your employer.

List your monthly expenses: Next, you want to look at your monthly costs your cash outflow. Common monthly expenses include rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, loan payments, insurance costs, transportation, child care, groceries, dining, household goods, travel, streaming subscriptions and memberships.

Also include in this category your savings contributions, such as in a k or high-yield savings account. Label the monthly expenses as fixed or variable: Go through your list of monthly expenses and now label each as a fixed essential items or variable cost nonessential items. Examples of fixed costs are rent, utility bills, transportation, insurance, food and loan payments.

Your dining, travel, clothing beyond the basics , subscriptions and memberships are variable costs. This is an important step in the process because it helps you see where you can cut back if you need to. Determine the average monthly costs for each expense: List how much you spend on each expense per month and add them all up.

Bonus: Many of these tools are free. Mint has been the gold standard for budgeting apps for some time, and the company takes the top spot here for a few reasons: The app automatically updates. Building a budget takes work, but you don't have to do it alone. Our free budget worksheet with common income sources and expenditures can get you started. Best free online budget tools for charting a course to financial freedom Mint. Most of them sync with your financial accounts, so they can track and categorize expenses for you.

Use the free budget worksheet below to see how your spending compares to this kind of budget. Try our budget calculator. Need help with other money matters? Check out more financial calculators from NerdWallet.