Budget personal finance software

Features include budgeting, tracking accounts, and personal finance reports, but you will have to enter transactions manually. Free plugins add more features, and the online user manual is easy to read and use. Microsoft Money Plus Sunset Deluxe replaces earlier versions of the software, but the only support for this software is online-only self-help.

Also, there are no online-services with this software: no online bill-pay, no data sync, no online quotes, no statement downloads. So be aware of its limitations and lack of future updates if you choose this option.

If you don't need fully featured personal financial software and you're just concerned about keeping a budget, there are some great free budget spreadsheet templates you can use with Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc or Google Sheets. Just download and open them in your spreadsheet software to get a handle on your cash flow.

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Best Overall : You Need a Budget. Sign Up Now. Pros You can link your accounts or manually enter transactions Real-time information is always available from any device YNAB teaches you how to budget, rather than just automating the process. Best for Couples : Honeydue. Pros No monthly fee Choose how much account information to share with your partner Transactions are automatically categorized Customizable alerts for overspending or upcoming bills. Cons Only available for iOS or Android no desktop app Limited financial education Few reporting features that allow you to look at the big picture.

Best for College Students : PocketGuard. Pros Most features are available for free PocketGuard's In My Pocket feature instantly shows cash available to spend Smart algorithms identify areas you can save. Cons The free version limits transaction categories and goals Advertisements are displayed even in the paid version of the app Reporting options are more limited. Best for Families : EveryDollar.

Pros Created by personal finance expert Dave Ramsey Offers a day free trial Syncs in real-time across devices. Best for Investors : Personal Capital. Pros Free to use A comprehensive financial dashboard helps you track all aspects of your finances Retirement planning and investment features help you accomplish financial goals.

Cons Some users report connectivity problems with bank accounts You may be upsold on other services, such as wealth management services Some app features are more limited. Best for Saving : Albert. Pros Smart Savings allows you to save money for your goals effortlessly Earn an annual bonus of 0. Cons No desktop version No phone customer support Limited educational information about the budgeting process. Best for Beginners : Mint. Pros The software is completely free to use Mint's financial dashboard tracks your net worth and shows you accounts all in one place Transactions are categorized automatically.

Cons Goal setting options are limited Account syncing can be slow There's lots of advertising of financial offers. Best Free Option : Goodbudget. Pros The free version offers robust features Charts and graphs make understanding your spending habits easier You can log in on multiple devices and easily transfer money between envelopes.

Cons You're limited in the number of envelopes you can have with the free version There is no option to automatically sync your accounts You must manually categorize each transaction after importing your account data. Learn about our editorial policies. Reviewed by Somer G. Anderson is CPA, doctor of accounting, and an accounting and finance professor who has been working in the accounting and finance industries for more than 20 years.

Her expertise covers a wide range of accounting, corporate finance, taxes, lending, and personal finance areas. Learn about our Financial Review Board. Fact checked by Wilhelmina Randtke. Wilhelmina Randtke has a background in law and technology.

She has authored numerous articles for law journals and regional technology publications. Her career has involved practiced law for state government in Florida in a financial oversight role, teaching legal research, and oversight of technology. Best Personal Finance Software Options. What Is Personal Finance Software? Best Overall : Quicken. Sign Up Now. Best for Budgeting : Mint.

Best for Zero-Based Budgeting : Mvelopes. Best for Taxes : TurboTax. Best for Investing : FutureAdvisor. Best for Investment Advice : Personal Capital. Best for Spreadsheet Management : Tiller Money. Article Sources. Your Privacy Rights.

To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheBalance. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. So the best personal finance software is the one that is right for you.

Fortunately, personal finance is a booming industry, and has created tools for pretty much every life stage, personality type and control-freakery. No matter where you are in your ongoing relationship with your money, you'll find something below that suits your needs. One ground rule — to be considered for evaluation, a tool or service had to have a low barrier to entry — preferably free or with a free trial. Mint is a web-based tool with mobile apps, of course that will help you track spending, design a budget, manage debt, set goals and combine all your accounts including the weird ones like balloon mortgages in a single place.

Many users love its simple, clean UI — the design refresh is getting raves — and at-a-glance financial dashboard, with net worth right there at the top. While Mint and Quicken have long been the top contenders for full-featured financial management for everyday finances, Mint wins as the best personal finance software by being both free and slightly simpler than Quicken.

New in , you can bulk-edit to make category adjustments. Other powerful additions for include subscription monitoring, which helps you keep track of the subscriptions that seem to proliferate with every free trial. Mint will even tell you if those subscriptions change price. Mintsights are personalized for each user.

The feature set is as robust as any personal finance software out there. And you get more exporting and customization options than Mint, which makes Quicken one of the best personal finance software options. Quicken lets you transfer money between accounts at different institutions, provides specialized investment reports, and helps you create a tailored plan to pay down your debt. Supported account types include investment, retirement, and loan accounts, as well as asset tracking for insurance purposes.

For lovers of detail, thoroughness, and tailoring their financial management, Quicken is a great fit. Since , Quicken users have had the added benefit of a browser interface that lets them interact with their finances on the go. Today, you can view balances and transactions, identify spending trends, and check the performance of your investments from anywhere you can get to a browser. Capital know how tied people get to their historical data.

In a nutshell: People who have spent years mastering Quicken and entering their data have good reason to stick with it. Change is hard! Price: Free app, with fees for wealth-management services should you choose to use them.

To be blunt: Personal Capital is what you graduate to, from Mint.