Best budgeting apps in 2026: an honest comparison
Updated October 7, 2026 · By the Souski team
Bank-syncing trackers, envelope apps, the YNAB method, spreadsheets: they all help you manage money, but in different ways. Here's what each option does, what it costs and who it suits, so you can pick the one you'll actually keep using.
Two kinds of apps: trackers and planners
Before comparing names, decide what you're looking for:
- Trackers (Monarch, your banking app) connect to your accounts and pull in transactions automatically. They're great for seeing where your money went, with nothing to type.
- Planners (YNAB, Goodbudget, Souski) help you decide before you spend: how much for groceries, how much for going out, how much to put aside for your plans.
The two approaches can work together. But if your problem is "by the middle of the month there's nothing left", seeing the past usually isn't enough: you need a plan.
The comparison in one table
| Souski | YNAB | Monarch | Goodbudget | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Every euro a job | Every dollar a job | Tracker and planner | Envelopes | Build your own |
| Bank connection | No | Yes (some banks) | Yes | Premium | No |
| Free plan | Yes | No (34-day trial) | No (7-day trial) | Yes (20 envelopes) | Yes |
| Paid price | €4.99/mo or €39/yr | $14.99/mo or $109/yr | $14.99/mo or $99.99/yr | $10/mo or $80/yr | Free |
| Easy on a phone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Not really |
Prices checked on 7 October 2026 on each publisher's site or recent reviews; US prices are in dollars, before tax. Plans change, so check the current terms before subscribing.
YNAB: the most complete method
YNAB (You Need A Budget) made "give every dollar a job" famous. It's the reference for planning-first budgeting, with a thorough method and a large community. The trade-offs: there's no free plan, it costs $14.99 a month or $109 a year, and the method takes time to learn.
Best for: people ready to invest time in a demanding method, often with bank sync. Our YNAB alternative page compares it with Souski in detail.
Monarch: the all-in-one tracker
Monarch connects to your accounts and brings together spending, budgets, investments and net worth in one place. It has no free plan: after a 7-day trial it costs $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and it's built mainly for the US market.
Best for: people in the US who want a full picture of their finances, synced automatically, and don't mind the price.
Goodbudget: digital envelopes
Goodbudget brings the cash-envelope method to your phone: you fill envelopes at the start of the month and spend from them. The free plan is limited to 20 envelopes, one account and two devices; Premium (around $10 a month or $80 a year) removes the limits and adds bank sync.
Best for: couples and families who like the envelope method and want to share it across devices.
A spreadsheet: free and made to measure
Excel or Google Sheets lets you build everything your way, for free. It's ideal for understanding your budget the first time. The hard part comes later: logging spending in a spreadsheet on your phone is tedious, and many files are abandoned after a few weeks.
Best for: people who love tables and do their admin on a computer. Our free budget spreadsheet gives you a ready-made starting point.
Your banking app: already in your pocket
Most banks now sort your transactions into categories. It's free with nothing to install. But you only see one bank at a time, and these apps are built for checking your balance, not for planning your month.
Souski: simple planning, no bank connection
Souski starts from a simple observation: most of us find out what we spent afterwards, on our statement, instead of deciding beforehand. The app gets your budget set up in 3 minutes, then always shows what you can still spend this month, and per day, which categories are slipping and how much to put aside for each goal.
- Free with no time limit for the essentials; Premium at €4.99 a month or €39 a year, with a 14-day trial and no card.
- No bank connection: you log an expense in 5 seconds, or import a statement exported from your bank (Premium).
- Loan tracking with payoff dates, and a month-by-month yearly view (Premium).
Best for: people who want a clear plan to make it to payday and save, without sharing bank access. Limits: you log spending yourself (or import a statement), amounts are shown in euros, and it runs in your phone's browser, added to your home screen, rather than from the app stores.
So, which one should you choose?
- You want to see everything with nothing to type: a tracker like Monarch.
- You want the most complete method: YNAB.
- You love envelopes and share a budget: Goodbudget.
- You'd rather build it yourself: a spreadsheet.
- You want a clear, simple plan to finish the month and save, without connecting your bank: Souski.
The best tool is the one you'll still open in three months. Pick the one that takes the least effort to keep the habit.
Your budget ready in 3 minutes, your spending logged in 5 seconds. Free, no bank connection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free budgeting app?
It depends on what you need. Goodbudget has a free plan built around envelopes, and Souski's free plan covers a full monthly budget with no time limit and no bank connection. YNAB and Monarch have free trials but no free plan.
Is it safe to connect my bank to a budgeting app?
Established apps use regulated, read-only connections through specialised providers, so the risk is low. Some people still prefer not to share any access at all. It's more a question of comfort than of security.
Isn't my banking app enough?
It's great at showing what already happened: your balance and recent transactions. It's less helpful for deciding in advance how much to spend per category, or how much to put aside for a goal.
Is a spreadsheet better than an app?
A spreadsheet is free and fully customisable. Its weak spot is logging spending on your phone, which is fiddly, so many people give up after a few weeks. Our free budget spreadsheet is a good place to start if you prefer that route.
This guide gives general pointers and isn't personalised financial advice.