Totally Free Budget Apps

By Rob Berger, JD | February 2, 2026

There are still some really good budgeting apps available that are totally free. There are others that while not free, are very low cost. We’ll look at both options, starting with the free apps.

Free Budget Apps

Back in the day Mint was the best known free budgeting app. It shut down a couple of years ago. Today, there are two solid options that are free.

Empower–Best For Those Who Track Investments

I’ve used Empower since it was first launched more than a decade ago as Personal Capital. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of financial apps. You can link just about any type of account to Empower. Once linked, it tracks and categorizes your expenses, helps you manage bills, tracks your investment portfolio, and even comes with a solid retirement planner.

Read my Empower review

Rocket Money–Best For Traditional Budgeting

Rocket Money offers both a free and premium version. For most people, the free version is all you’ll need.

The free version includes:

  • Budgeting
  • Subscription management
  • Bill tracking
  • Transaction history

The premium version adds a feature to have Rocket Money cancel a subscription for you, unlocks some budget category customizations, as well as a few other features. The premium version costs between $7 and $14 a month–you pick the amount.

Read my Rocket Money review

Low Cost Budget Apps

Several great apps, while not free, are very inexpensive.

Monarch Money–Best Overall Budgeting App

Monarch Money

App Store Rating: 4.9 (44k reviews)

Platforms: Apple iOS, Android or Web

Cost: Free Trial, Get 50% OFF your first year with code ROB50

Best for: Budget, subscription management, and investment tracking

Read my Monarch Money review

Quicken Simplifi–Best Low Cost Budgeting App

App Store Rating: 4.5 (8.4k reviews)

Android Rating: 4.5 (3.85k reviews)

Platforms: Apple iOS, Android or Web

Limited Time Offer: $2.99 /month first year billed annually, then $5.99 / month. 30-day money back guarantee

Best for: Create budgets, track spending, monitor subscriptions, track investments

Read my Quicken Simplifi review
Simplifi Spending Plan

Origin–Try for One Year for Just $1

App Store Rating: 4.6 (2.9k reviews)

Android Rating: 4.0 (422 reviews)

Platforms: Apple iOS, Android or Web

Limited Time Offer: $1 the first year, then $99/year.

Best for: AI powered budgeting, complete financial management

Read my Origin review
Simplifi Spending Plan

Rob Berger is a former securities lawyer and founding editor of Forbes Money Advisor. He is the author of Retire Before Mom and Dad and the host of the Financial Freedom Show.

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