Personal Finance Apps

10 Best Personal Finance Apps That Help You Save | Full Guide to Smart Saving 2023

The advent of technology is continuously seeking ways to make life smart. Unlike traditional saving methods, personal finance apps allow you to attain your financial goals on the move. 

Although they could incur some costs, they give you the opportunity to manage your finances without the need to carry a log of books.    

These plethoras of personal finance apps are designed to help you save and budget effectively. 

Whether you’re aiming to build an emergency fund, pay off debt, or save up for a dream vacation, personal finance apps offer intelligent solutions.

This article lists the 10 best personal finance apps and sheds light on how they can help your smart saving mission. 

What Are Personal Finance Apps?

Personal finance apps are digital tools designed to help individuals manage and control their financial activities more effectively. You can download these apps on smartphones, tablets, and computers. 

They offer a convenient and user-friendly interface that allows you to track expenses, create budgets, save money, invest, and monitor your overall financial health.

With the advancement of technology, personal finance apps have gained significant popularity as they offer various features that simplify financial management tasks.

These apps can assist users in understanding their spending habits, setting financial goals, and making informed decisions about their money. They often provide real-time updates, insights, and recommendations to improve financial well-being.

Basically, personal finance apps serve as virtual financial assistants, allowing users to have a clearer picture of their income, expenses, and savings. 

They can help individuals take control of their finances, save for specific goals, reduce debt, invest wisely, and ultimately achieve greater financial stability and security.

Best Personal Finance Apps That Help You Save

While there are many budgeting apps online, our pick of the best personal finance apps cuts across a beautiful user experience and cutting-edge features that are essential for financial management. 

#1. Mint

Mint is a comprehensive budgeting app that allows you to track your income, expenses, and investments in one place. 

With its user-friendly interface, you can set financial goals, create budgets, and receive alerts when you’re overspending. 

Mint’s intuitive visualizations help you understand your spending patterns and identify areas where you can cut back.

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#2. YNAB: You Need A Budget

YNAB focuses on the philosophy of giving every dollar a job. This app encourages you to allocate funds to specific categories, ensuring that you’re aware of where your money is going. 

YNAB’s proactive approach helps you prioritize savings, eliminate debt, and break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.

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#3. Acorns: Invest Your Spare Change

Acorns revolutionizes saving by rounding up your everyday purchases to the nearest dollar and investing in the spare change. 

This micro-investing app offers a painless way to start investing, even if you have limited funds. Over time, your spare change can grow into a substantial nest egg.

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#4. Chime: Early Paycheck Access

Chime offers a unique feature that allows you to access your paycheck up to two days early. 

This can be a game-changer for those living paycheck to paycheck. Chime also provides automatic savings options, helping you build your savings effortlessly.

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#5. Robinhood: Fee-Free Investing

Robinhood disrupted the investment industry by offering commission-free trading. 

This app is ideal for those interested in investing in stocks, cryptocurrencies, and exchange-traded funds without the burden of high fees. It’s a great platform to start growing your wealth.

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#6. PocketGuard: Personal Money Coach

PocketGuard acts as a personal money coach by analyzing your spending habits and suggesting areas for improvement. 

It offers a clear overview of your financial situation, tracks bills, and sets realistic spending limits to ensure you’re on track with your savings goals.

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#7. Clarity Money

Unwanted subscriptions can silently eat into your budget. Clarity Money identifies and cancels unused subscriptions, saving you money effortlessly. 

It also offers personalized money-saving tips and provides insights into your spending behavior.

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#8. Qapital: Goal-Oriented Savings

Qapital uses a goal-oriented approach to saving. You can set up specific savings goals and create rules that trigger deposits based on your actions. 

Whether it’s rounding up purchases or saving based on your daily steps, Qapital makes saving fun and automated.

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#9. Personal Capital

Personal Capital is an all-in-one financial platform that offers tools for budgeting, investing, retirement planning, and more. 

Its wealth management services provide a comprehensive view of your financial health and help you make informed decisions for the future.

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#10. EveryDollar

EveryDollar follows the budgeting principles of renowned financial guru Dave Ramsey. This app helps you create a zero-based budget, where every dollar has a specific purpose. 

It’s an effective tool for those looking to gain control over their spending and saving habits.

Download Now

Read: How To Build a Personal Finance App in 2023 | Full Guide 

Are Personal Finance Apps Safe? 

Yes, personal finance apps are generally designed with security as a top priority. These apps understand the sensitive nature of financial information and employ various measures to ensure the safety of users’ data. 

However, it is important you stick to well-known and reputable apps, read user reviews, and do your research before entrusting an app with your financial information. 

Although personal finance apps can provide convenience and security, no system is completely immune to potential risks. So, you should adopt good security practices such as using strong, unique passwords and avoiding public Wi-Fi networks for financial transactions. 

Regularly monitoring your accounts for any suspicious activity is one way to ascertain your personal finance app’s safety. 

Here are some ways that personal finance apps maintain security:

  • Encryption: Most reputable personal finance apps use strong encryption protocols that make it extremely difficult for unauthorized individuals to access your information.
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This extra layer of security,  in addition to your password allows you to provide a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone, before you can access your account. 
  • Biometric Authentication: Some apps allow you to use biometric authentication methods like fingerprint or facial recognition to log in. These methods provide an added level of security by ensuring that only you can access your financial information. 
  • Regular Updates: Reputable finance apps regularly update their software to address any security vulnerabilities that may arise. It’s important to keep your app updated to ensure you’re benefiting from the latest security features. 
  • Secure Servers: These apps store your financial data on secure servers with advanced security protocols to prevent unauthorized access.
  • User Controls: Many apps allow you to customize your security settings, such as setting up alerts for account activities, managing app permissions, and controlling data sharing.

How Much Does a Personal Finance App Cost?

The cost of a personal finance app can vary widely depending on several factors, including the features it offers, the platform it’s available on, and whether it offers a free or premium version. 

Before committing to a paid version, many apps offer a free trial period. This allows you to explore the app’s features and interface to see if it aligns with your preferences and needs. 

Ultimately, the cost of a personal finance app should be weighed against the potential benefits it can bring to your financial management routine. Most of the apps on our list cost less than  $100/year.

Here’s an overview of the different cost structures you might encounter with personal finance apps:

  • Free Apps: Many personal finance apps offer a basic version for free. These free versions often include essential features such as expense tracking, budget creation, and basic reporting. 
  • Freemium Models: Some apps operate on a freemium model, where they offer a free version with basic features and then provide more advanced features through a premium (paid) subscription. This subscription cost can vary, usually on a monthly or annual basis. 
  • One-Time Purchase: Certain personal finance apps require a one-time purchase fee to access their full range of features. Once you’ve made the initial payment, you can use the app without ongoing subscription charges. 
  • Bundle Packages: Some finance apps are part of larger software bundles or suites that offer a range of financial and productivity tools. These bundles may come with a higher price tag, but they provide a comprehensive solution for managing various aspects of your financial life.

What’s the Best Personal Finance App for Keeping Track of Bills?

When it comes to keeping track of bills, “PocketGuard” stands out as an excellent app that can help you manage your expenses and bills effectively.

PocketGuard is a user-friendly personal finance app that offers a range of features to help you stay on top of your bills and financial obligations. PocketGuard is a top choice for bill tracking because of its automated Expense Tracking. 

This feature allows PocketGuard to sync with your bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial accounts to automatically track your income and expenses. This means you don’t have to manually input every transaction, saving you time and effort.

Also, its bill tracking and reminders allow you to link your recurring bills and subscriptions. 

PocketGuard will then remind you of upcoming bill due dates, ensuring that you never miss a payment. This feature helps you avoid late fees and keeps your financial obligations organized.

The budget creation tool enables you to set up budgets for different categories including bills. This feature monitors your spending to ensure you are staying within your budget. 

Most user’s review suggests the app’s intuitive and visually appealing interface makes it a top choice for tracking bills. 

Furthermore, the app’s real-time updates on your financial transactions and account balances, allow you to have an accurate and up-to-date view of your financial situation.

Also, read: 11 Best Money Saving Apps

How Can Personal Finance Apps Help Me Save Smart?

Personal finance apps can play a crucial role in helping you save money more effectively and achieve your financial goals. 

Saving judiciously requires some level of discipline. Hence, incorporating a personal finance app to act as your accountability partner helps you to make intentional choices that align with your savings goals. 

Over time, these mindful habits and tools can contribute to a healthier financial future.

 Here’s how these apps can assist you in saving:

#1. Expense Tracking

Personal finance apps allow you to track your expenses and see exactly where your money is going. 

By having a clear view of your spending habits, you can identify areas where you might be overspending or making unnecessary purchases.

#2. Budget Creation: 

Many apps enable you to create budgets for different categories of expenses, such as groceries, entertainment, and dining out. 

By setting spending limits for each category, you become more mindful of your discretionary spending, which can lead to reduced expenses and increased savings.

#3. Goal Setting

Personal finance apps let you set specific savings goals, whether it’s an emergency fund, a vacation, or a down payment on a house. 

These apps can help you break down your goals into manageable steps and provide visual progress tracking, motivating you to stay on track.

#4. Automated Savings

Some apps offer automated features that help you save effortlessly. For example, you can set up recurring transfers from your checking to your savings account, or you can round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invest the spare change.

#5. Bill Management

Personal finance apps can remind you of upcoming bill due dates, helping you avoid late fees. By paying your bills on time, you prevent unnecessary charges that could otherwise eat into your savings.

#6. Financial Insights

These apps provide insights into your financial behaviors and trends. 

This awareness can help you make more informed decisions about your spending and prioritize saving over unnecessary expenses.

#7. Cash Flow Analysis

Many apps provide a visual representation of your income and expenses over time. Analyzing your cash flow can highlight periods when you’re spending more than usual, enabling you to adjust your budget and save during those times.

Conclusion

In today’s world,  personal finance apps have become essential tools for managing your money wisely.  The 10 apps mentioned in this guide offer a range of features to suit various financial goals and lifestyles. Whether you’re looking to save, invest, or budget better, there’s an app tailored to your needs. Embrace the power of technology to take control of your finances and pave the way for a secure financial future.

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