Top 5 Best Budgeting Apps in 2025 (Simple, Honest Reviews)
Let’s admit it—budgeting isn’t usually thrilling. But taking control of your money doesn’t have to be hard or boring. In 2025, the best budgeting apps offer a balance of user-friendliness, helpful features, and smart design. Below, you’ll find the top 5 apps worth your time, with honest pros and cons based on real user experience and expert reviews.
1. YNAB (You Need a Budget)
Best for: Hands-on budgeters who want full control
Why we love it:
YNAB is built on the zero-based budgeting method—every dollar is assigned a job before you spend it. That mindset helps users pay off debt, build savings, and make intentional financial choices. It’s notably popular, earning top ratings from sources like Investopedia and WSJ for its budgeting effectiveness and mindset shift.
- ✔️ Transforms financial habits with powerful budgeting structure
- ✔️ Syncs across multiple devices
- ✔️ Built-in community and learning support
- ❌ $14.99/month (or $109/year)
- ❌ Requires effort to set up and maintain
2. PocketGuard
Best for: First-time budgeters who want simplicity
Why we love it:
PocketGuard gives you a quick glance at how much money is “safe to spend” after bills and savings. It automatically categorizes your transactions and highlights recurring charges—this intuitive design makes budgeting nearly effortless .
- ✔️ Visual, real-time “safe to spend” feature
- ✔️ Tracks subscriptions to save money
- ✔️ Offers a free version with basic tools
- ❌ Limited advanced budgeting or goal-tracking features
- ❌ Premium version costs $12.99/month (~$75/year)
3. Monarch Money
Best for: Couples, families, and individuals wanting a holistic view
Why we love it:
Created by former Mint developers, Monarch is designed for collaboration. You can share budgets, track net worth, and set goals together with your partner or family. It’s sleek, ad-free, and highly rated across platforms .
- ✔️ Shared dashboards with real-time syncing
- ✔️ Net worth tracking + goal milestones
- ✔️ Clean UI free of ads or data-selling
- ❌ $14.99/month (~$99/year)
- ❌ Some users report occasional connection delays or slow support
4. Copilot Money
Best for: Trackers who want simplicity with smart insights
Why we love it:
Copilot (for iOS) walks the line between budgeting and tracking. It offers sleek visuals, smart insights, and net worth tracking without forcing you into rigid budgets. Reddit users praise it as “slick” and intuitive, especially for people seeking an effortless financial overview .
- ✔️ Beautiful design, intuitive expense tracking
- ✔️ Auto syncing and useful financial insights
- ✔️ Great for users with stable financial habits
- ❌ iOS only
- ❌ Lacks deep budgeting tools like zero-based planning
5. Rocket Money (formerly Truebill)
Best for: People who want a budget app that helps lower bills
Why we love it:
Rocket Money combines budgeting with automated bill negotiation and subscription management. It identifies recurring charges, flags suspicious bills, and can negotiate savings on your behalf—making it ideal for people looking to tighten financial habits .
- ✔️ Negotiates bills automatically
- ✔️ Tracks subscriptions and recurring spending
- ✔️ Free tier available; premium adds smart savings tools
- ❌ Some features gated behind paid tiers
🏆 Our Ranking: Best Budgeting Apps of 2025
After testing, comparing features, and reviewing real user feedback, here’s how we rank the top budgeting apps available in 2025:
- YNAB (You Need a Budget) – Still the gold standard for intentional, goal-based budgeting. If you want full control of your finances, this is it.
- Monarch Money – A powerful choice for families and couples who want to budget together with a clean, modern interface.
- PocketGuard – Great for everyday users who want a quick, simple way to avoid overspending without managing a detailed budget.
- Rocket Money – Best for canceling subscriptions, negotiating bills, and cleaning up your spending. Ideal for people who want to cut expenses fast.
- Copilot Money – Perfect for iPhone users who want beautiful insights and tracking, but not quite as strong for deep budgeting or goal planning.
No matter which app you choose, the most important step is getting started. Pick one that fits your style and stick with it for a month—you’ll be amazed how much clarity it brings.