8 Best Budgeting Apps for Couples

Money can’t buy love, but managing it well can buy peace of mind when you and your spouse are on the same page. Whether you’re splitting bills, juggling monthly expenses, or saving for your first home, managing money as a couple is no small feat. Today’s money tools for couples aren’t just personal finance apps, they’re relationship savers. 

From setting goals to customized dashboards and even emoji-filled chats, these apps make talking about money less stressful and more productive. Let’s dive into eight personal finance apps built for two. 

Editor’s Pick

Monarch Money is the budgeting app my wife and I use. It earns its spot as an editor’s pick due to its features allowing couples to manage money together with ease. Couples can link both joint and individual accounts, have separate logins, and see a comprehensive view of their household finances. The app allows partners to tag each other on transactions, set shared financial goals, and track progress together.

Monarch Money also offers customizable budgeting tools and detailed reports to analyze spending patterns. Its user-friendly interface and emphasis on joint financial planning make it an excellent choice for couples aiming to manage their money together.

App Store Rating: 4.9 (50k reviews)

Platforms: Apple iOS, Android or Web

Best for couples managing joint and individual accounts who want to collaborate in a shared space.

Limited Time Offer: Get 50% off of Monarch Money the first year with the code MONARCHVIP.

Personal Finance Apps for Couples

1. Monarch Money

Monarch Money offers collaborative financial planning tools for couples, including the ability to share accounts, set joint goals, track investments, and build budgets. Users can link banking, investments accounts, and loans, and see their entire net worth in one place. The app provides customizable dashboards and reports that show where your money is going to help you figure out where to cut back spending if needed.

One of the stand out features of this app is it offers two ways for couples to budget. You can choose Flex Budgeting which tracks your Fixed, Flexible, and Non-Monthly spending. Some couples may find this easier than assigning a budget to every type of spending category. But, couples can also choose Category Budgeting and assign a fixed amount to each spending category.

Another excellent feature is the ability to tag your partner on transactions to have them review a charge or to identify who made the charge. It also supports manual and automated data entry. Monarch offers a one-week free trial.

Cost: The cost is $14.99/month, or discounted annually for $99.99 ($8.33/month). For a limited time, it is offering a 50% discount off the first year. Just use the Discount Code: MonarchVIP.

Best for: Couples who want a sophisticated tool to manage and budget finances together in a visually appealing, customizable platform.

2. Rocket Money

I started using Rocket Money for both our personal and business budgets last year. While I switched to Monarch Money, I still think Rocket Money is an excellent option. Having used both its web and smartphone apps, I can tell you it’s one of the best-looking and easiest-to-use budgeting tools available. On top of that, you can get the premium version for as little as $6 a month, paid annually.

You can share your account with your significant other. They receive their own login and even separate two-factor authentication. You can they create a joint budget, track all your income and expenses.

As for budgeting, Rocket Money does the basics well. It’s easy to track your spending and set up budgets. It’s easy to create rules for automatically categorizing transactions. And it’s easy to connect your investment accounts if you want to.

Here’s what the dashboard looks like for my business (it looks the same for personal expenses):

It gives me a snapshot of everything I need to manage my money. Rocket Money keeps track of subscriptions and makes it easy to cancel them. It’s an excellent Mint replacement, particularly if you focus on budgeting.

Rocket Money offers a free and paid version. The paid version costs $6 to $12/mo based on what you choose to pay them. Seriously.

3. Origin

The Origin app offers several features to help couples manage their money together. These include:

• Separate Logins: A user can invite their significant other from within the Profile section of the app. I added my wife and it took just a few seconds.
• Separate & Joint Accounts: Accounts can be marked as separate or joint. Each user can toggle between views of joint accounts or their individual accounts.
• Shared Budgets: Couples can create shared budgets and track spending together.

Origin is unique among all of the budgeting apps I’ve ever tried (including all of the apps on this page). For starters, it does a lot more than just budgeting. For example, with Origin you can:

• Track your investments
• Invest with index funds
• Save cash with a competitive APY
• Do your taxes
• Create a will
• Create a trust
• Talk to a Certified Financial Planner
• Track shares, RSUs, ISOs, and NSOs
  • Understand potential tax implications
  • Simulate exercising stock options

Most of these features come with the monthly or yearly subscription fee. For example, Origin includes tax software that comes with your subscription. Those features that require additional fees, such as creating a trust or talking with a CFP, are reasonably priced in my view.

Beyond these features, Origin has also integrated AI into its app. You can use AI to ask questions about your budget. It’s one of the most advanced and feature-rich money apps I’ve ever used.

Origin offers a 7-day free trial, after which the cost is either $12.99 a month or $99 a year ($8.25 a month).

4. Goodbudget

Goodbudget is a digital version of the envelope budgeting system. Users can allocate income into virtual envelopes for specific expenses. There are two versions, the free version doesn’t allow bank synching. Instead, users need to input transactions manually, making it ideal for couples who prefer a hands-on approach to budgeting. The free version comes with a limited amount of virtual envelopes, one account that you can access on up to two devices, and access to one year of account history.

The Premium version does allow users to connect bank accounts, comes with unlimited virtual envelopes, an unlimited amount of accounts on five devices, and access to seven years of account history. Goodbudget’s unique feature allows you to track your debt as you pay it off. This feature is available on the free and Premium versions.

However, adding transactions manually can become tedious over time, especially for those accustomed to automation. There’s also no dedicated investment or net worth tracking features.

Cost: Free, or $10 per month, or $80 annually for the Premium version.

Best for: Couples committed to envelope budgeting and paying off debt who want more control and discipline in their financial management.

5. YNAB (You Need a Budget)

YNAB is a premium budgeting app based on a method to give every dollar a job, similar to envelope budgeting. It features detailed budgeting, spending analysis, and goal-setting tools. YNAB syncs with bank accounts and allows real-time budget sharing, which is useful for couples managing joint finances. While it’s not necessarily built for couples, two people can share one account. 

YNAB offers manual and automatic transaction importing. I find it helpful to manually add transactions to YNAB as I make them, then I make sure they match the credit card transactions that automatically import. This is helpful when a credit card purchase comes through and you can’t remember what the purchase was for. 

YNAB is not as focused on investment tracking or bill payment reminders, so you’ll need to keep track of that on your own. While there’s no free version, there is a 34-day trial. 

Cost: $14.99/month or $109/year ($9.08 per month).

Best for: Couples dedicated to mastering budgeting and gaining total control over their spending habits.

6. Simplifi by Quicken

Simplifi is a modern budgeting and financial tracking app that emphasizes ease of use, real-time alerts, and AI technology. It allows couples to link all financial accounts, categorize spending, set goals, and track bills, subscriptions, and your net worth. Simplifi provides a customizable dashboard that adapts to user preferences, with transaction reports and spending plans. 

There’s no dedicated couple mode, but it does allow for one person to be added to an account using the “spaces & sharing” option. You can also track your investment balance and performance in the app. There’s no free plan but it is one of the more affordable options.

Cost: Regularly $5.99/month, but currently available for $3.99/month, billed annually.

Best for: Couples seeking a simple, affordable, intuitive, and automated budget app without complex investment tracking. 

7. Honeydue

Honeydue is a free budgeting app for couples. Users can link bank accounts and choose to share their balance and transactions, or one or the other. Users can also categorize transactions, split transactions, and set shared bill reminders. Partners can comment on transactions, assign who’s paying for what, and see which bills are due or paid. 

Honeydue’s chat function is a unique feature. Couples can message each other and send emojis within the app about specific financial transactions. However, the app does not include investment tracking. It’s great for couples to keep tabs on day-to-day expenses but not ideal for long-term financial planning. Lastly, while Honeydue is free, it does offer users the option to tip from $1 to $10 per month. You can also change the tip amount at any time in the app.

Cost: Free, but users can choose to tip $1 to $10 per month.

Best for: Couples managing separate finances but needing a tool to coordinate shared expenses and bills.

8. PocketGuard

PocketGuard is a budgeting tool with several features including a debt payoff plan, dedicated section to manage recurring transactions, and a net worth and goal tracker. It connects to bank accounts and tracks income, bills, and expenses in real time, and allows users to manually add transactions. PocketGuard also allows users to share an account with a partner.

The app’s “In My Pocket” feature gives a clear view of available funds for discretionary spending. PocketGuard doesn’t offer a free version but you can try it for free for seven days.

Cost: $12.99/month or $74.99/year ($6.25 per month)

Best for: Couples who need help with daily spending awareness and avoiding budget shortfalls.

Summary of Top Personal Finance Apps for Couples

App	Price	Best For	Strengths	Limitations
Monarch Money	$14.99/month or $99.99/year	Tech-savvy couples wanting collaborative, future-focused finance tools	Customizable dashboards, investment tracking, joint financial planning	No free version, learning curve for beginners
Rocket Money	Free, $6 – $12/month	Couples wanting solid budgeting, tracking recurring expenses	Free version, excellent mobile app and budgeting features	Cancellation services don’t always work
Honeydue	Free	Couples managing separate finances but coordinating shared expenses	Built-in chat, shared bill tracking	Basic budgeting, no investment tracking, no desktop version, limited features
Goodbudget	Free or $10/month ($80/year for Premium)	Couples who prefer envelope budgeting and manual control	Envelope budgeting, easy sharing, no account linking with the free version	Manual entry with free version, no investment or net worth tracking
YNAB	$14.99/month or $109/year	Couples serious about budgeting and financial control	Powerful budgeting philosophy, educational resources	Steep learning curve, no investment features
Simplifi	$5.99/month (billed annually)	Couples seeking automated, easy-to-use budgeting tools	Real-time syncing, modern UI, customized plans	Limited couple features, basic investment tracking
PocketGuard	$12.99/month or $74.99/year	Couples needing daily spending guidance	Safe-to-spend feature, bill tracking	Limited planning tools, no investment support

Final Thoughts

For couples struggling to stay on the same page financially, there’s an app on this list for you. If you’re committed to making budgeting and financial planning a priority in your relationship, Monarch Money may be worth the cost. If you’re new to budgeting, a free app with basic budgeting features may be the best way to get started.